Elk hunting calibers

[Elkfitness]

Not sure if this has been posted, but this is a nice little video by Randy Newberg. He's got a whole series of short videos.

Elk Hunting Calibers - Randy Newberg's thoughts - YouTube

 

[elkduds]

Spine shots

 

[Backpack Hunter]

His thoughts are quite close to mine. It's a bit refreshing to see another person with some experience recommending something besides a nuke for elk.

 

[Calbuck]

Shot my first bull with an '06, kept shooting til he was down.. Sounds like I'm pretty much in the same frame of mind as Randy

 

[elkguide]

During my years spent guiding elk hunters, I saw elk shot with everything from a .30-.30 to several of the big Lazeroni calibers. While the two points of advice that I would give any elk hunter would be to get in shape and learn your weapon, I would prefer that the hunter was comfortable with a larger caliber rifle. Yes the .243 will kill an elk with a well placed shot but more times than not, a bull doesn't present the perfect shot opportunity and if the hunter doesn't make the perfect shot, I like to have a little room for error. If, as was said in the video, you are comfortable and familiar with your deer rifle and stay within the limits of that rifle you can kill an elk is true but I seem to find that things happen and I like to be prepared. I've seen elk take an incredible amount of lead and keep right on going. His comments about continuing to shoot as long as the bull was still on his feet was a very wise comment.

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

As elkguide said when I was guiding I seen the same, outfitter I worked for required at least a 30-30, we had a 12 year old come out to hunt with his dad and carried a 30-30 his dad practiced with him extensively out to 100 yards with it and we were told that he was comfortable to there, that was fine for us he ended up never getting to shoot but a small bull presented a shot at 128 yards, the young man took his time got himself real steady on a rock then turned and said I'm just not comfortable that far and turned down the shot. His dad had taught him well if a 12 year old can know his distance and stick to it everyone should be able to. That being said I shot my first elk with a 270 at 220 yards when I was 14 with that outfitter, I shot once and knew I hit her good but then he said you shoot til she hits the ground, or takes off running. I later learned why he told me that as I was guiding for him 7 years later when a hunter had a less than good shot on a bull, the bull stood there for about 15 more seconds as the hunter just stood there, 2 of us were telling him to keep shooting him til he dropped... That bull went quite a ways before he finally died in the night. Know your limits, practice to your limits. But also know your rifles limits, you may be able to shoot 600 yards with a 270 but is the bullet gonna do its job at that distance? I've pulled bullets out of hides that entered the hide hit a rib and stopped, not from my hunter but from years before. When I guide now I like to get as much information as possible about the shooter and his weapon of choice as well as research it before hand to kind of learn the capabilities before hand. It's not my favorite thing to chase wounded animals up and down mountains. But shoot them til they drop is a good rule of thumb, but once they take off running I try and stop the shooting, that's when things can get reckless and wild shots are taken. I'm not huge into taking spine shots or blowing out front shoulders to much room for error, plus meat gets ruined. But everyone has their own ways of hunting and if it works that's great, I just feel it's part of our job to make a kill clean and quick, I've walked up on to many animals that were spine shot or injured but not dead yet, and had to finish them myself. A few we even let set for a few hours, guess it's just the human in me but sometimes it's hard when they are looking you in the eye still alive.


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[mntnguide]

Id rather see a hunter who brings his .270 and can shoot it accurately and comfortably than the same hunter bring a .338 and is so damn scared of the gun shooting, they cant hit the broadside of a barn accurately. . . It all comes down to your comfort. A 7mm Mag is a great caliber..does it pack a big punch like a .300..nope. But it gets the job done every time ive poked a hole in an elk with one. As a guide, I always liked a .300 that could be shot well, because I could usually see a good visual reaction from an animal at a distance with that caliber still packing a punch. . But like mentioned above...the first words out of my mouth everytime a client shot was always, "HIT HIM AGAIN!". Elk are phenomenal animals and ive seen them do some pretty unbelievable things even with both lungs blown up. They arent down until they are down!! My biggest pet peeve that I always made sure a client never did..The screaming and yelling after you put an animal down; I personally cant stand it and find it truly disrespectful of the mountains and the game we pursue. That, and just cause you hit them, theres no need to let them know your there still!

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

I agree completely if ur scarred of the gun your not gonna shoot the greatest. I've had a few friends that were sighting in and you could tell were scarred of the gun. When I told them to downsize or try a different gun cause they were pulling to often they told me well when I have an animal in the scope adrenaline takes over and I don't worry bout recoil. I'm like so now ur gonna have bull/buck fever, heart racing, out of breath, and scarred of the gun it's always gonna be in the back of ur mind that ur scarred of the gun. That just adds on way to many factors for a poor shot. And I agree with the celebrating watching some hunting shows and they start screaming and yelling right after the shot, one it's gonna spook the animal even more if he takes off, plus if you are with other hunters that haven't killed you are giving more and more reason for all the other animals to bail outa the area.


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[6mm Remington]

My son shot his first elk which was a very large cow with one shot at 350 yards. She went about 20 yards and tipped over. His 90 gr. E-tip out of his 6mm Remington hit her tight behind her right shoulder. The bullet angled forward and exited out her left shoulder after breaking the shoulder on the way out! I agree, shoot until they are down, and good shooting with good bullets is where it is at.

David

 

[AdamW]

Great thread guys. This is just more affirmation that there is a balance between "enough gun" and putting in the effort to make solid hits. Even here in MO shooting whitetails, over the years I have got in the habit of running the bolt as soon as the first shot is sent home. Knock on wood, I have never needed it but I've hunted with people who shoot, then look over the scope to see what happened. Run the bolt!

 

[Umpqua75]

All great points guys. Comes down to the basics like you all mentioned, know your weapon and know your limits!

Elk are majestic animals and deserve the best we can give them. Celebrating a kill, is bush league and brings bad karma.


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[mlob1one]

Celebrate appropriately, respectfully, demonstrating satisfaction in a difficult hunt works for me.
Being a jack wagon whooping and hollering is none of those things.

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[kcm2]

I worked with a fellow whose father had killed close to 50 elk, including some darn nice six points. His rifle of choice? Savage 99 lever action.

Caliber? 250-3000 with 87 grain bullets.

Shot placement. I have killed most of mine with a 270 and 130 grain partitions. I'd rather you be a marksman than carry a cannon.

 

[armadillo66]

Nosler Partition bullets out of an accurate rifle that you personally can handle well and recoil does not bother you at all with the fit of the gun.
In my case, Ruger #1, 300 Win Mag with 180gr Nosler Partition bullet and Sightmark MIlDot 8-25x50mm AO scope for low light and long shots on open ground. But I would not hesitate to use my M1 Garand with 4 round clip block in it and 180gr Noslers in 30-06 in thick woods, the iron sights are easier than fighting a scope picture of trees.
Bullet placement, I can shoot my rifles pretty good, have lots more experience at long shots out 250 to 600+yd with the Garand than I do the 300 Mag because I shoot at Whittington Center on the silhouette range with the Garand. I am darn good with the Garand at 150 to 350 yds.
But I really need to get out and run some rounds out of my 300 mag this week if I get time. Just expensive ammo to have much fun with it.