Your Elk Hunting Rifle

taskswap

WKR
Joined
Oct 6, 2021
Messages
530
Savage Hunter XP, 20" barrel, 7mm-08 rem. Last elk was a cow shot off-hand at 150yds with Sierra GameKing 150gr and the one before that was a bull shot off a monopod with Hornady Precision Hunter ELD-X, also 150gr. Both rounds performed well. I love this rifle. I'm not a sniper so the shorter barrel isn't a disadvantage for me in terms of power loss, and the carbine-length makes it SUPER easy to scramble through tight brush with. This setup was cheap and doesn't have the pizzazz of some of the $3000 rigs others shoot off of, but it's been reliable and easy to carry for me and it's always the first thing I reach for.

My backup is a Browning X-Bolt Long Range in 30-06, 24" barrel, a combination I don't believe they sell anymore (I got mine in 2016). This thing is long as heck and I also have a muzzle brake on it for another inch. It's also super heavy, forget about shooting it off-hand. But I wanted a go-to that I could own forever, shoot anything, and still find ammo for, and 30-06 was an obvious choice for an heirloom-category rifle.
 

t_carlson

WKR
Joined
Nov 1, 2022
Messages
591
Location
Montana
There are a lot of rifles I might carry with an elk tag in my pocket, but when I think of an "elk rifle" with no considerations to weight, recoil, ammo availability, etc., I'd probably pick my Win 70 Classic Stainless .338 Win. Mag. with the barrel cut back to 23" and sitting in a Bansner stock. It's currently topped off with a 3-10x42 Nightforce SHV and shoots 250 gr. Nosler Partitions.

That is about as "pure" of an elk rifle as you will find, IMO.
 

270quest

WKR
Joined
Jan 31, 2017
Messages
705
Location
Boise, Idaho
Tikka t3x Superlite 7 rem mag. Sets in a MCM Sako Classic Stock, Zeiss V4 4-16X50 shootin 150gr scenars. Has been used hard, lots of scars, rub marks, scratches - epitome of a pure hunting tool. Has killed a lot of critters and multiple elk. Hope to kill another with it this year.
 
Joined
Jul 6, 2022
Messages
70
For this November’s Bull Tag I’ll be bringing a 30-06 Browning Xbolt Speed w/ Trijicon 3-18x44 Tenmile sitting in a McMillan Game Warden 2 stock, sending 168gr Barnes TTSX.

My late season cow tag will be the first trip for a Xbolt Pro McMillan LR SPR in 7PRC.
 
Joined
May 16, 2021
Messages
1,381
Location
North Texas
I haven’t been fortunate enough to hunt elk yet but when I do…..

300 Norma Mag Improved - Berger 230 Hybrid

OR

338 Norma Mag Improved - Berger 300 OTM.

I subscribe to “bring enough gun”.


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