Gun for Elk Hunting in Thick Timber

[Choupique]

My close range elk rifle is a 26" barrel model 70 .338 win mag with a 3-15 swfa

I've shot deer at less than 20 yards with that rifle. Get close enough to an elk for that extra 6" of barrel or extra 1x of zoom to be a problem and then worry about it. It never will be.

 

[egreen4257]

You have already seen how difficult timber hunting can be. Instead of investing money to try to become more successful at that style of hunting have you considered other styles of hunting first? Maybe you should do a little homework on the maps and satellite image and give a more semi open area a try. There is something to be said for seeing elk before they see you. Good luck.

Yeah you guys have talked me out of spending impulsively but at the same time I still want to do more research for a more fun gun in the future. It would be nice to bag something with my grandpas Weatherby first though. We did a lot of escouting and some boots on the ground scouting prior to season. I think we were just caught off guard by not seeing any elk any morning or afternoon out in the grass fields. We figured they were smart enough to bunker down after the first few shots were fired opening day. 7 days of nothing lol.

 

[wyosam]

You have already seen how difficult timber hunting can be. Instead of investing money to try to become more successful at that style of hunting have you considered other styles of hunting first? Maybe you should do a little homework on the maps and satellite image and give a more semi open area a try. There is something to be said for seeing elk before they see you. Good luck.

There are certainly places to hunt elk that require less skill than in the timber, but successful elk hunting also requires hunting them where they are sometimes. When everyone is complaining there are no elk around, and nobody is killing anything, I think it makes them easier to find- you already know a bunch of the places they aren’t.


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[35WhelenAI]

EVERYONE needs a .358.

Lol, thought you were referencing the 35 Whelen/AI. 358 Win is an amazing round.

I've been in the field for 30+ years with a lot of close friends shooting all manner of cartridges and calibers and seen 40+ elk on the ground. There is nothing more decisive on hard angle shots at short range, or for that matter at 350-400 yds than above said 35 Whelen/AI. 358 Win is just a slightly shorter range version of the awesome Whelen. If you jump them in the timber, it's a sight to behold. If you're set up on a meadow and they're almost a quarter mile away, it's the same site to behold when they drop at the shot.

 

[egreen4257]

There are certainly places to hunt elk that require less skill than in the timber, but successful elk hunting also requires hunting them where they are sometimes. When everyone is complaining there are no elk around, and nobody is killing anything, I think it makes them easier to find- you already know a bunch of the places they aren’t.


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Thanks for the advice, I would like to get better at all forms of hunting, just more tools for my toolbelt. Wish I was prepared for more than just elk this season, I think I'm gonna snag a leftover tag for deer and try my luck with that the next two weekends, I should be able to handle a deer by myself pretty easily.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Reality is a good bullet that can handle penetration from any reasonable angle in this day and age is more important than the outright the diameter (caliber).

I'm partial to larger calibers because I've used a .358 diameter bullet for over 22 years. Previous to that I was in the camp of the 30 cals. Keep in mind it's elk and deer combined so I'm not thinking of a 150 lb animal, I'm thinking of 500 to 600 lb animals with respect to the performance criteria of a bullet or cartridge. No contest with respect to on game performance and animal reaction at impact in my experience. It's a decisive difference.

I'd like to hear from hunters that have taken a frangible bullet into the timber and taken a hard angle shot from the rear or the front in the timber.

For me, many harder angle shots have come in open territory, where I can place the bullet where it needs to be from many different angles. Waiting for an animal to change its presentation doesn't make sense when I can overcome that with proper bullet selection. I don't need to be concerned about the shot choice when I go with my bullets of choice. And it ain't frangible...

 

[oldhornhunter]

Just got back from my first elk hunt in CO unit 161. Didn't get lucky, started by setting up in a small wet grass patch surrounded by timber, heard a bunch of shots over in Buffalo Ridge area then our group spent a lot of time looking over large meadows. I realized a bit too late we probably did things in the wrong order since we saw no animals. Found signs all over the damn place though, fresh tracks, droppings, beddings. It got me thinking that if they were all hiding in the timber and we flushed one out, I don't think I could make a good shot on a moving target thru the woods with my scoped 3-15x .30-06 bolt action. Does anybody hunt elk with lever actions and what caliber? Is there a set up that would be capable at killing close up and at range (300-400 yards) like using a red dot with a magnifier? Next year I know to set up over some fields on opening day but the rest of the week I'd want something for timber hunting.

A lot of my buddies in Idaho hunt elk deer & bear in heavy timber, most of their shots are under 100 yards some less than 50. They swear by a lever action in 45/70 or 444, also have friends that have gone to the 450 Bushmaster faster more energy and faster follow up shots on running critters

 

[TaperPin]

Waiting for an animal to change its presentation doesn't make sense when I can overcome that with proper bullet selection.

I completely agree. Many young hunters put too much faith into having easy shots and talk about waiting for a good angle as if animals always turn before they walk out of sight.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Just got back from my first elk hunt in CO unit 161. Didn't get lucky, started by setting up in a small wet grass patch surrounded by timber, heard a bunch of shots over in Buffalo Ridge area then our group spent a lot of time looking over large meadows. I realized a bit too late we probably did things in the wrong order since we saw no animals. Found signs all over the damn place though, fresh tracks, droppings, beddings. It got me thinking that if they were all hiding in the timber and we flushed one out, I don't think I could make a good shot on a moving target thru the woods with my scoped 3-15x .30-06 bolt action. Does anybody hunt elk with lever actions and what caliber? Is there a set up that would be capable at killing close up and at range (300-400 yards) like using a red dot with a magnifier? Next year I know to set up over some fields on opening day but the rest of the week I'd want something for timber hunting.

Hey buddy I’d drop the unit numbers and locations of hearing shots unless you want a pile of “friends” in there with ya next year

 

[FredH]

My first eastern Washington elk rifle was a 30-06 loaded with 200 grain Partitions. Worked fine but for some inexplicable reason I put together a 19 inch barreled Whelen loaded with 250 gr. Partitions, Speer Hotcors and Hornady Innerlocs. On both rifles I used fixed 4 power Leupolds. I guess the key was being very familiar with the rifles and being able to get on target quickly. I would have preferred a 2-7 power scope but never needed to change.

 

[BAKPAKR]

A lot of my buddies in Idaho hunt elk deer & bear in heavy timber, most of their shots are under 100 yards some less than 50. They swear by a lever action in 45/70 or 444, also have friends that have gone to the 450 Bushmaster faster more energy and faster follow up shots on running critters

I was just telling someone the other day that my new Marlin 45/70 Trapper with a 1.5-5 Leupold would have been a perfect elk rifle for me when I lived in North Idaho. Maybe I will get to try it out on elk one of these days. BTW - The doe was at 156 yards.

 

[egreen4257]

A lot of my buddies in Idaho hunt elk deer & bear in heavy timber, most of their shots are under 100 yards some less than 50. They swear by a lever action in 45/70 or 444, also have friends that have gone to the 450 Bushmaster faster more energy and faster follow up shots on running critters

I was looking at 45/70 lever actions tbh. I’m a dreamer so I’m trying to picture an all around rifle but have to keep telling myself it doesn’t exist haha. Would like a 0.308 semi for a multi purpose gun (hunting, defense, target shooting) but I suppose I should keep my .30-06 bolt action around too for if I’m hunting large fields. Was even looking at “scout rifles” which it seems there’s a lot of controversy over. Keep in mind I’m newer so don’t rip me up too bad . For now I’m gonna stick with my Vanguard and 12 gauge and just focus on getting out into the mtns to learn how to be a better hunter. Always happy to look at and talk about gun options though.


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[Ditt44]

Go get yourself a used Remington 760 carbine in .308 and call it a day
Absolutely biased but with good old 150-grain Remington Core-Lokts, they're accurate and dependable to 200 yards easily and there are few better handling and faster firing woods rifles out there.

 

[mtnbound]

I hunt primarily in the typical north Idaho brush and have used everything from a 450 Marlin to a 223. What matters to me is a lightweight, short-barreled suppressed rifle that I can easily carry all day in a ready position for a quick shot; I don't carry the rifle slung unless I'm on a bike or some type of transportation. Most of my shots are from a standing position, so the Rokslide rifle drill or similar drills are something to practice with. That being said, I have also had 500yd shots at times, so I like to have a rifle capable of both. My 450 Marlin is good for only so far, and in the brush, you might have a shooting lane and move 10 feet and can't see the animal, so sometimes you can't get closer to an animal, and you will have to decide to take the shot or not. For me, a 308 was my go-to, and I never felt under-gunned even though I did pass on some shots at those further distances; now, it's a 6.5 PRC or 6CM because they give me a better effective range.

 

[eightyeight mag]

My go to elk rifle for thick dark timber is a tikka in 338 winny topped off with a trijicon accupoint 2.5-10x56.
225 grain Accubond loaded in Norma brass.
Damn near perfect if you ask me.

 

[TSnave]

When I was young and hunting in SW Montana we only had one rifle, an M700 in 7mmRM with a 2-7 Redfield, so that's what I used. It worked but the long barrel got annoying in thick brush so I picked up a Savage 99 in 358 Win and a Marlin 444 that had been cut back to 18", both topped with low power optics. Anymore, if I'm going to just take one rifle, it'll likely be a 30-06 (or similar) with a good variable set on the lowest power it has. I figure if I need magnification odds are I'll have time to twist it in.

 

[rootacres]

Just got back from my first elk hunt in CO unit 161. Didn't get lucky, started by setting up in a small wet grass patch surrounded by timber, heard a bunch of shots over in Buffalo Ridge area then our group spent a lot of time looking over large meadows. I realized a bit too late we probably did things in the wrong order since we saw no animals. Found signs all over the damn place though, fresh tracks, droppings, beddings. It got me thinking that if they were all hiding in the timber and we flushed one out, I don't think I could make a good shot on a moving target thru the woods with my scoped 3-15x .30-06 bolt action. Does anybody hunt elk with lever actions and what caliber? Is there a set up that would be capable at killing close up and at range (300-400 yards) like using a red dot with a magnifier? Next year I know to set up over some fields on opening day but the rest of the week I'd want something for timber hunting.

I think a shorty 308 with an LPVO would be sick. In MI for whitetail we have caliber restrictions by my scout rifle comes chambered in 308 and a few others. I use a 3-9 Accupoint but an LPVO with a reticle would be awesome for what you want to do. Not saying it can’t be done but if I was shooting passed 200 yds I wouldn’t want the Accupoint reticle.

 

[egreen4257]

I think a shorty 308 with an LPVO would be sick. In MI for whitetail we have caliber restrictions by my scout rifle comes chambered in 308 and a few others. I use a 3-9 Accupoint but an LPVO with a reticle would be awesome for what you want to do. Not saying it can’t be done but if I was shooting passed 200 yds I wouldn’t want the Accupoint reticle.

Yeah I’ve been looking at 16” .308s just for fun lol. I’d definitely want the option to go out to 3-400 yards. I was looking at M1A variants last night, not buying anything any time soon but just having fun with my imagination. It’d be fun to take something like that hog hunting or coyote hunting I guess but maybe overkill. Would also be fun just for target shooting.


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[Hnthrdr]

That M1A variant is a chunk. Would not recommend to lug around, honestly you want a semi to lug around, go with ruger SFAR or Browning Bar. Browning BLR’s are my personal fave I have two, but they also almost never leave the safe…

 

[egreen4257]

That M1A variant is a chunk. Would not recommend to lug around, honestly you want a semi to lug around, go with ruger SFAR or Browning Bar. Browning BLR’s are my personal fave I have two, but they also almost never leave the safe…

Saw the browning suggestions browsing around too. Also can’t remember the name but Sig has a .308 AR-10 style that would be sweet to build out. But then I’d just feel like I’m moving away from hunting guns to combat arms lol. I just gotta keep telling myself the vanguard will get the job done, no sense in spending money on guns until I actually even find an elk in the woods


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