Savage 300 for Elk

[Crippledsledge64]

So after my first elk hunt last year i'm hooked. My wife and I are moving out west in a little over a year and I would like to spend a lot more time chasing elk. My grandfather has passed down a savage model 99 in a 300 savage (beautiful gun) to my father than will be passed down to myself. After doing some research it sounds like the specs are right behind the 308 (the 300 created the 308) which seems to be a good elk round. Question is has anyone used the 300 for elk and at what range? This rifle has peep sights on it that I probably would not remove so am I good at 350 and under? Thanks for the help!

 

[cowboy300]

My Grandpa used a 300 Savage most his life for everything. Probably killed over 50 elk with it. Some at ranges a lot farther than the max you are talking about. You should be good to go as long as you practice and are proficient with the peep.

 

[Pontius]

Just doing some wiki-ing:
150 gr (10 g) Hornady Superperformance SST
2,740 ft/s, 2,500 ft⋅lbf
About 150 fps slower than a .30-06 with the same bullet weight.
Sounds like a dead elk to me...

 

[elkduds]

The ultimate lever gun. Hunt elk proudly w that. Use stout bullets: mono, bonded, partition. Shoot through both lungs, you will kill elk rather than wounding/losing. The west is the best!

.300 savage for elk? - Shooters Forum

 

[timekiller13]

Ballistically very similar to a 308 and way better than a 30-30. Both of those rounds have killed hundreds of thousands of elk. I think the 300 savage will do just fine.

 

[Crippledsledge64]

Thanks for the help guys, glad to know that the old 300 will still do the job. I think I'd rather have that in the mountains that a brand new rifle (though I need to buy one just to make sure).

 

[Steve O]

What a classic picture that will be. Peep sighted 99, snow covered mountains, and a dead elk.

 

[CX5Ranch]

Classic. I just couldn't see myself slugging a beauty of a rifle in the pack saddle but they are to use.

 

[Trial153]

I havent gun hunted in years but going out with classic like that makes me want to.