Help me choose a caliber

[B23]

Don't think you could go wrong with a 6.5 PRC, 7 PRC, or 300 WSM. If recoil is of any concern to you the 6.5 PRC will be the better choice and that Hornady 147 ELD-M ammo shoots really well in just about all 6.5 PRC's.

 

[Deere_Man]

7mm-08 or 280 Rem

 

[SC HUNTER]

If I had to pick 1 to hunt everything anywhere in the world(I doubt I'll ever hunt moose or big bears) I'd choose a 300 win mag or 300 wsm. I have been killing deer and pigs for the last few years with a 6.5 creedmoor and been very pleased. 6.5 prc seems to be a great cartridge as well that I've been eyeballing recently. Hell I could legitimately get a 7mm-08 or 308 and hunt from now on and doubt I'd have any problem.

 

[Honyock]

6.5 Creedmoor or .270 Win.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I want it to be elk capable for 600-650 yards.

This has nothing to do with caliber and everything to do with you.

 

[bigunit]

I'll throw the 280 ackley into the mix. Less powder and recoil than the prc and has decent factory offerings.

 

[SC HUNTER]

I'll throw the 280 ackley into the mix. Less powder and recoil than the prc and has decent factory offerings.

280 AI will be in my safe when I get back into reloading. I sold all my stuff 10years ago when I moved.

 

[Woolfstoe]

I’m truly a 270 Win fan. I have a couple that I really love. One is a fast twist longish barrel (1:8, 26”). I love it and still haven’t come close to its potential. That said, I purchased a Mesa FFT 6.5 PRC this spring and have just finished breaking in the barrel. Out of the box it’s a .5 MOA rifle shooting high bc bullets (factory loads)with enough energy to be comfortable at 500 yds. It takes some work to do that with a 270 and you won’t be shooting slippery bullets unless you increase your twist rate.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Every time I see one of these thread’s pop up I want to say 308 but sadly I have to agree with you.

308 is a great choice too. I have a Kimber Montana that has had the barrel cut back to shoot suppressed. The gun all up is like 6lb 6oz that’s with a trijicon accupoint 3-9, SiCo scythe and warne mountain tech scope rings.

It can launch 165g accuponds well over 2700fps. It’s a great gun.

 

[SCHUNTER73]

.280 Ackley Improved

 

[wirehead]

284 Winchester.

There, I did it. Secret’s out. Let the new trend begin.

 

[CJ_BG]

6.5 Creedmoor or 6.5 PRC is kind of the easy button here. If you want something flashy 280 Ackley is great. A friend of mine up in the last frontier killed an 8ft grizz with a 6.5 PRC and some 140 partitions he had laying around from his dad's 264 win mag days. First shot was through the lungs at 110yds and the 2nd was high shoulder at 120ish while he was biting the impact of the first. The first bullet went unrecovered and "his lungs were a red frothy soup", the 2nd was found under the hide on the offside and basically removed a 3 inch chunk of spine. I can't see a need for more than that

 

[CJ_BG]

284 Winchester.

There, I did it. Secret’s out. Let the new trend begin.

I shame she's not a more popular cartridge. 120 Ballistic tips at 3250 have let the air out of a lot of PA bucks at the hands of a family friend.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

6.5 Creedmoor or 6.5 PRC is kind of the easy button here.

In what universe is a "600-650 yard elk capable CaLiBeR" any sort of "easy button"?

Throwing out random bullet diameters and various chamberings has nothing to do with killing elk. This should be near the bottom of OP's "list" for attempting to kill animals at 600-650 yards.

OP, my 22 creedmoor shooting 80 grain bullets is elk capable at 600-650 yards for several reasons.

.I've shot, practiced, and killed with it out to 1,200 yards.
.I've confirmed ballistics gel results with reduced loads simulating long range impacts.
.I've confirmed reliable upset in tissue/bone out to 1,200 yards on coyotes.
.I've killed a mature bull moose with it at 523 yards.
The list goes on...

My 7mm Rem Mag shooting 162 grain bullets is elk capable at 600-650 yards for similar reasons.

My .243 shooting 95 grain bullets is elk capable at 600-650 yards for similar reasons.

My .260 Rem and 6.5 CM shooting 129 grain bullets is elk capable at 600-650 yards for similar reasons.

The list goes on.

Blindly throwing out a rifle bullet diameter and chambering and claiming it's a 600-650 yard "elk killer" makes zero sense.

Based on what I've seen in hundreds of shooters from all different backgrounds and abilities, when shooting at animals in non-ideal conditions and non-ideal "rests/positions" 100/100 shooters will shoot the lighter recoiling cartridge more consistently accurately. Of the rifles I mentioned above, all of which can kill an elk at 600-650 yards, I would choose the 22 Creedmoor and will be doing so later this Fall in Wyoming to kill an elk.

 

[CJ_BG]

In what universe is a "600-650 yard elk capable CaLiBeR" any sort of "easy button"?

Throwing out random bullet diameters and various chamberings has nothing to do with killing elk. This should be near the bottom of OP's "list" for attempting to kill animals at 600-650 yards.

OP, my 22 creedmoor shooting 80 grain bullets is elk capable at 600-650 yards for several reasons.

.I've shot, practiced, and killed with it out to 1,200 yards.
.I've confirmed ballistics gel results with reduced loads simulating long range impacts.
.I've confirmed reliable upset in tissue/bone out to 1,200 yards on coyotes.
.I've killed a mature bull moose with it at 523 yards.
The list goes on...

My 7mm Rem Mag shooting 162 grain bullets is elk capable at 600-650 yards for similar reasons.

My .243 shooting 95 grain bullets is elk capable at 600-650 yards for similar reasons.

My .260 Rem and 6.5 CM shooting 129 grain bullets is elk capable at 600-650 yards for similar reasons.

The list goes on.

Blindly throwing out a rifle bullet diameter and chambering and claiming it's a 600-650 yard "elk killer" makes zero sense.

Based on what I've seen in hundreds of shooters from all different backgrounds and abilities, when shooting at animals in non-ideal conditions and non-ideal "rests/positions" 100/100 shooters will shoot the lighter recoiling cartridge more consistently accurately. Of the rifles I mentioned above, all of which can kill an elk at 600-650 yards, I would choose the 22 Creedmoor and will be doing so later this Fall in Wyoming to kill an elk.

My real world recommendation would be 6mm creedmoor (mainly for ammo and rifle availability) but seeing as he specifically stated "Nothing below 6.5 and nothing above 30 cal" I wasn't exactly going to press him to change his mind. For what he stated the 6.5 creedmoor and PRC offer good factory ammo that is priced fairly well and typically available. Neither of them, but especially the creedmoor, recoil very harshly, and even at that trying to tell someone the 6.5 creed is a 650yd elk gun if certain requirements are met (mainly bullet choice) can cause fights if they carry the traditional beliefs on what kills game.

Easy button implies the availability of factory ammunition and rifles. I don't see much 22 creed floating around and have only touched 1 rifle chambered for it. With a 77 TMK, 80 or 88gr eld-m I have no doubts to it's killing ability but unless someone is very open minded and willing to change their views you'll have a hard time convincing others of that.

If OP is truly a 650yd capable shooter I would like to believe that he holds the same views or is open minded enough to, but it's hard to break 150ish years of people assuming bigger is better and numbers kill animals.

 

[eric1115]

In what universe is a "600-650 yard elk capable CaLiBeR" any sort of "easy button"?

Throwing out random bullet diameters and various chamberings has nothing to do with killing elk. This should be near the bottom of OP's "list" for attempting to kill animals at 600-650 yards.

OP, my 22 creedmoor shooting 80 grain bullets is elk capable at 600-650 yards for several reasons.

.I've shot, practiced, and killed with it out to 1,200 yards.
.I've confirmed ballistics gel results with reduced loads simulating long range impacts.
.I've confirmed reliable upset in tissue/bone out to 1,200 yards on coyotes.
.I've killed a mature bull moose with it at 523 yards.
The list goes on...

My 7mm Rem Mag shooting 162 grain bullets is elk capable at 600-650 yards for similar reasons.

My .243 shooting 95 grain bullets is elk capable at 600-650 yards for similar reasons.

My .260 Rem and 6.5 CM shooting 129 grain bullets is elk capable at 600-650 yards for similar reasons.

The list goes on.

Blindly throwing out a rifle bullet diameter and chambering and claiming it's a 600-650 yard "elk killer" makes zero sense.

Based on what I've seen in hundreds of shooters from all different backgrounds and abilities, when shooting at animals in non-ideal conditions and non-ideal "rests/positions" 100/100 shooters will shoot the lighter recoiling cartridge more consistently accurately. Of the rifles I mentioned above, all of which can kill an elk at 600-650 yards, I would choose the 22 Creedmoor and will be doing so later this Fall in Wyoming to kill an elk.

This is the rant the OP didn't know he needed.

Thank you, this is a post with a combination of passion and well articulated information that rarely comes together this well.