Smallest elk rifle

[Rizzy]

I've never had to take a 300 yard shot so I can't say from experience, but the copper bullets penetrate much better than lead at longer distances. I would take a 300 yard shot on an Elk with copper, but I wouldn't with lead. Elk are pretty easy to get close to if there is decent cover. Are you hunting forest/timber?

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Hunting a mixture of everything it seems. I guess I'm wanting my cake and to eat it too! I would like to find something for her now that is not too big, but also something she won't have to grow out of in time. Quite frankly right now she wants to pack in and hunt elk....I'm just not sure she is ready for it...
Leaning towards the 7mm-08, 25-06, and 308 right now.

 

[Shrek]

I don't know where you are but if you are around central Montana I'd let you shoot my 7-08. It's a hot 140 gr load so it wouldn't get much harder and imo it's light.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

That's a kind offer, I won't be in that direction for several months. I do have a bit of experience with the 08, but have none with the 260.....looking at the recoil list provided and ammo availability I'm leaning to the three previously mentioned. We will see I guess.

 

[GKPrice]

Why would the 260 be preferred over the 7-08 for elk?

Serious question as I can still count on one hand how many I've seen in person.

same reason some guys drive Dodge and some drive Ford

 

[GKPrice]

simply to cast a vote for one of my favorites, the 7mm-08, consider that ballistically it emulates the 7x57 which has accounted for more game large enough to stomp any and all of us into the dust than most any 1/2 dozen chamberings one can bring to mind - .284 bullets kill well too. proven fact - I'm 5'11"/210 - I've hunted (a lot) with a 338 Win Mag, I've shot a 300 Win Mag off and on over the years and for the past 4 years I've packed a Tikka superlight 7mm RM shooting from 140's to 168's - I am SERIOUSLY considering moving to a 7-08 because at 63 I just don't "need" any more recoil than necessary and a 7-08 launching any good 140 will just plain "do the job" and at very respectable ranges too (I might add) my tikka T3 lite 270 WSM is surprisingly pleasant to shoot too (but it doesn't launch any 140's at near 3600 FPS either)

 

[GLB]

I am a big fan of the 708 and I would use it for Elk.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Hey guys, looking to see if I can find a general consensus as to what the smallest lightest kicking caliber is adequate for elk hunting.
Looking for small, light, ultra low recoil , and quick kills to 300 maybe 400 yards.

If you are more concerned about recoil than anything else, get a semi auto like the Rem R25. Kicks like a .22, throws a .308WM. Love mine. You don't need to sacrifice ballistics to reduce recoil...not with this rifle, it's a gas. LOL Plus you have a lot of load options with a .308 and if you are being charged by a bear, can dump a lot of copper into him quickly. I bought mine for hogs and hunting in the Calif. pot farm and drug mule-laced backcountry and it will kill anything I encounter.

 

[ReddingArcher]

I'm gonna throw in another vote for the 7-08. I don't have a problem admitting that I don't love recoil so I started researching a lower recoiling "do all" gun and ended up getting a Tikka t3 lite and love the gun. While I don't have any experience with elk I wouldn't have a problem shooting one out to 300 with my rifle. It shoots 150 gr TSX's really well. I have shot a few hogs a few deer and an antelope with it and the only time I had an animal take a step was one hog that took about 5 and tipped over. I do have to point out though that I recently picked up a Browning x bolt in 7mm RM and I don't know what it is about this rifle but it has significantly less recoil shooting 160 Barnes than my Tikka. I have shot them side by side and was surprised how little recoil the 7 mag has. The thing is a pleasure to shoot.

 

[Matt Cashell]

The Xbolt weighs about a pound and a half more than the Tikka, so that cuts on recoil. Lots of stuff like fit can hide recoil too.

I really like the 7-08 for a low recoil elk rig, but the 260 is pretty much a twin when both are in sporters.

I run 140 TTSXs in my 7-08.

 

[ReddingArcher]

Weight of the rifle for sure has a big impact on recoil. I had never weighed either of these 2 rifles so out of curiosity I just put them on the scale, with optics and bipod the x bolt came in right at 10 pounds while the tikka with optics was right at 8 pounds. The x bolt is the long range hunter with fluted barrel and carbon stock so it keeps the weight down a bit but still noticeably heavier than the tikka.

 

[badkneesbro]

Weight of the rifle for sure has a big impact on recoil. I had never weighed either of these 2 rifles so out of curiosity I just put them on the scale, with optics and bipod the x bolt came in right at 10 pounds while the tikka with optics was right at 8 pounds. The x bolt is the long range hunter with fluted barrel and carbon stock so it keeps the weight down a bit but still noticeably heavier than the tikka.[/Q
What kinda scope did you put on that tikka? My t3 .270 comes in at 6lbs. 15oz. with a vx2,3x9.

 

[badkneesbro]

Whoops. Not sure what I did wrong to get to get my above post to run all together like that.

 

[ReddingArcher]

I have a vx 1 4x12 with the cds on the tikka, it actually weighed in just shy of 8 pounds with optics and sling.

 

[msalm]

It hasn't been mentioned so I'll throw out my idea...how about a nice handy flyweight 284 Win. 3.050" mag box, #3 fluted bbl and a 2.5-8 leu w/CDS turret. 136gr lrx's and go kill stuff. Really either of the big two mentioned, a 260 or 7mm-08 would satisfy me too.

 

[mtluckydan]

The 7-08 or the 308 would be the best choice for factory ammo. I shoot 150's out of the 308 and my wife shoots 140's out of the 7-08. If you are talking elk, I would stick with heavier bullets rather than lighter bullets because elk are tough. I agree with the ability to make good shot placement as being important, but stuff happens, especially with a new hunter. I have all three calibers - 260, 7-08 and 308. The limiting factor with the 260 is availability of factory ammo. If you reload, it is a non-issue. However, there are not many rifle choices when compared to the other two calibers. If you reload, you could certainly keep the velocity down when she is younger and step it up as she grows. I think I would choose one of the short action calibers over the long action calibers mentioned above regardless of anything else because you will get a smaller rifle package which will be an important factor. In the end, pick a rifle she likes the feel of and that has the best fit. Good luck.

 

[flyingbrass]

my son votes 7mm-08. shot once and the bull ran about 50 yards

 

[hodgeman]

I've been really impressed with the 7-08 on animals in my son's rifle. I can't imagine the .260 really has much advantage (or disadvantage either) over it.

The best way to describe the 7-08 is sort of a "pocket .270". Can't hardly think you'd shoot anything with a .308 that you couldn't shoot with the 7-08 equally as well. I've seen several big caribou killed outright with the 7-08 and a friend's wife has shot two moose with one- can't imagine the story would be any different with elk.

 

[Manosteel]

My wife bought me a savage light weight hunter for X-mas last year in the 7-08, when it looked like my shoulder wouldn't hold up to bow hunting becuz I tore my rotat cuff. It was a pleasure to sight in and shoot. Luckily for me my shoulder is fine so I let my son use it this season. He took down an elk at 190 yards and a moose at 170 yards. The moose took 2 steps and the elk laid down about 100 yards at tree line. He used the Hornady Superperformance 140 TSX on both. Can't argue with those results. Its been more than a month since he harvested his moose and no sign he wants to give me the rifle back lol He absolutely loves it, (I have it set up scoped and all at 6.6lbs).

With that said, I killed an aweful lot of moose and deer with my first rile, a .308 savage 110 , as a teenager and young adult. Can't go wrong with either. If I hunted with a rifle now it would be the 7-08. I don't have a big problem getting close to moose or elk where I hunt [its getting inside 100 yards and having a clean shoot opportunity that gets me ] and a long shoot for me would be 350 yards, the 7-08 would do the job at those distances.

 

[MRidge]

I have both the 7-08 and two .260's. Both have taken numerous elk past the 300 yard mark with ease. If I was walking out the door on another hunt and had to chose just between these two, I'd take the .260 hands down. B/C of the 6.5 (.260) is great, and there is a difference in recoil between the .260 & 7-08. 130gr Nosler Accubonds have been the previous go to bullet and worked phenomenally well. The 7-08 I use 140gr Nosler Ballistic Tips. The jacket on the 140's is the same as the 150's, so it's on tough bullet.

My .260's have been finicky to load for, and taken some time to dial in. I have yet to hear of a 7-08 that flat doesn't shoot anything that sent down the tube.

At the end of the day, it's all about placement no matter the caliber. My new found go to round is a .257Bee. My wife put the last steak in the freezer with it. 115gr Ballistic Tip at 425yrds on a cow elk.

You won't go wrong with either - good luck and enjoy!