Elk Rifle Setups...School me

[specneeds]

How the hell did people hunt elk with open sights and the ballistics of a 35 Remington using a Core-Lokt? At times I think we have a lot of shooters and less hunters. Calibers and bullets may have made hunters more efficient but not necessarily better hunters. Seems like a lot of "hunters" are more worried about their equipment than learning to ethically harvest an animal and working on their actual hunting skills. I would guess that 90% of hunters have no business shooting at an elk at 600 yards. I know that I'm not in that 10% that can and I have sent enough rounds down the barrel of a rifle to fund a third world country (I have a shooting problem). Part of ethical hunting is to know when to pull the trigger and when not to. If it's a "maybe" or "I think so" shot, I'm not taking the shot no matter how big it is. I have too much respect for the animal to try to not do everything that I can to efficiently kill that animal as quickly as possible. It sucks really bad when you wound an animal and don't recover them. If it doesn't suck, you're not a hunter.

I shot my first deer on the run at 60 yards with a lever action 1894 Winchester rifle made in 1902. But that was the last time I use a rifle without a scope. In 1977 I bought a 7mm RM so that I could use it for elk. Flat shooting to make up for shaky range estimates. Killed several elk over 300 & some under 60 yards. Equipment has changed the game. With rangefinders scopes that dial or have calibrated reticles 400 is the new 200 & 500 or 600 is the new 300. A 12 year old at the neighboring camp shot his first elk with one shot at 649 yards. His fathers rifle & dialing about 20 minutes to set up the shot. Without wind shooting long range has become almost routine. I’ve got a 500 yard elk rock at my range at home all my CF rifles hit it first try. I can teach a Sharp kid to hit it in a few hours.

 

[grumpybear]

I think someone already posted this but anymore the most important part of choosing a rifle to hunt with is finding something that has available ammo and you are comfortable shooting in varying positions and angles.

 

[squirrel]

Probably the single most important lesson one should learn is not to shoot. Also seems to be the hardest based on my observations. And with all the technology its only getting worse exponentially as hunters try to buy skill at Cabelas.

You would seem to be drawing all the wrong conclusions from the posts here. "More practice shooting". No you need more practice hunting.

I may have to take a shower after typing this but Buzz is exactly correct and his follow-up with pics is gospel, of course I've never questioned his hunting acumen, only other things.

Learn to track, learn to call, better yet learn to be patient, learn to plan a stalk (primary) then learn to execute it. When your stalk peters out at 50-125 yards, the set up in your hands will not matter nearly as much as the hammering in your chest and the trembling in your hands (take a rest).

On a positive note congratulations on your follow-up tenacity, it indicates you are worth helping, most are not.

My favourite rig is pretty much same as yours, scope sighted bolt .300, but probably 40-50 of my elk could have been just as well shot with a .308 or even my open sighted 45-70. More than 50% would have been fine with a .243 but I'm a sucker for a big hole in the end of my barrel, but not because it is needed, just personal preference.

 

[Wyoming Nimrod]

To the OP, it sounds like you’re a good shot. Stay sharp on that and work on your woodsmanship in order to have more encounters and closer encounters with your quarry and you’ve have the most important bases covered. A couple good ways to go about that are:
1) Take up archery hunting. It’ll force you to become more of a ninja in the woods and get super close.
2) Hunt small game whenever possible. Same reasons.
3) Recreationally put stalks in on animals when you’re out for a walk or a hike and count coup as much as possible. You’ll be shocked how quickly and dramatically your skills increase and your ranges decrease.

Just my $.02