ELK RIFLES

[Bartfrncs]

Tell me about your favorite Elk rifle. Share the caliber brand and type.

[LckyTylr]

My choice doesn't really count . . . since I haven't killed an elk yet.

BUT, after a lot of research and hmmm'ing and haw'ing, I chose a Remington 700 in 7mm RUM . . . but I also bought a 300 RUM barrel because I couldn't make up my mind. Ultimately, I'm going to use whichever one shoots better.

[Ben Nicholson]

My favorite is my Dwyer Defiant longbow. . Just kidding. I have total confidence in my Tikka .280 topped with a Leopold VX2.

[cnelk]

This one....

[pointysticks]

my stepdad gave me M70 in 30-06. i love it. my single elk? he didnt like it as much. i was always taught to put a second round into the animal if it is just standing there. my first shot killed the elk. it didnt fall. i put the cross hairs on the same red spot and put a second round a half inch away. it toppled.

i got a weatherby in 257 magnum, but i think the 06 will be the rifle i reach for if an elk is the target.

[one_elk]

7mm RUM, for me

[dotman]

I have always liked the 30-06, great cal. Also like the 7mm, 300win but if I could only have one it would be the 30-06.

[Harmy]

It all depends on the situation.

General and my most successful (out to 450 yards): Rem 700 .30-06
Distance (300-700 yards): Rem 700 .300 RUM
Thick Brush and Timber (out to 200 yards): 45-70 lever or .45 bushmaster AR

[Indian Summer]

450 with a .30-06? Wow. But as long as you've done your homework I'll buy it. What bullet?

A regular 7mm Rem Mag is a decent gun. A .300 Winchester Mag pretty adequate too. But if you hunt where shots at longer ranges are possible, you want to be able to really reach out, and you don't care about the cost of ammo I like the .300 RUM

I have a Remington model 700 Alaskan Wilderness Rifle with a Leupold Mark 4 in 6.5-20X50. Has served me well from 75 yards to 1000 with 94 grains of RL 25 pushing a 200 grain Nosler Accubond. That's with a top of the line rangefinder and lots of time at the bench.

For timber I'll take that 06 with a Leupold Var X3 in 3-9 power.

[Harmy]

I reload my own and shoot Berger VLD Hunting in both the .06 (180 gr at about 2600 ft/sec and .3 MOA) and in the .300 RUM (210 gr at about 3150 ft/sec and .75 MOA). With my .06 I use a leupold scope that is exactly matched on holdover cross-hairs at 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450 when at 9x (tooks some development time to make this work out though). To shoot out to 450 yards I would have to have zero wind and an absolutely stable rest. Although I have not used it this far on game (farthest on game is 350) I have confidence out to 450. I have only taken game out to about 500 with my RUM on one occasion. I would prefer to be within 200 whenever possible. All this is changing as my focus has been muzzeloader and all you on this forum have convinced me that I have to switch to archery. Probably going to sell a few rifles so I can get setup... Anyone need a RUM, 45-70, .45 AR, .54 Henry Mountain Rifle?

[bnsafe]

i havnt killed on either, but im gonna be shooting my ruger 3006 when i go this fall. i know its not the most glamorous round or gun out there but my wife bought it for me 20 years ago and ive killed alot of whitetails with it, now i want an elk. me an that guns gonna get real familiar

[Indian Summer]

Harmy... I see so you have done your homework. Those Berger VLD's, as you obviusly know, will fly better than anything at long ranges. Heck of a design with a great BC. I had a buddy have some issues with penetration on bears and an elk or two so I backed off on those & went back to good old Noslers for this coming season. I actually have several boxes of 30 cal 210 grain VLDs if you'd like them. Pay the shipping and they're yours.

I totally agree on trying to get within 2 or 3 hundred yards even if I can shoot alot further. I might carry a big gun sometimes but I'm still a bow hunter at heart.

Last year in Wyoming I took the cannon out loaded with Bergers..... and killed a bull at 80 yards. L0L. So much for the homework. ha ha

But hey.... it's elk hunting so hope for the best but plan for the worst right!

Getting back on topic... a .30-06 CAN be a great elk gun IF you whip up some good ammo like Harmy. I wouldn't be flinging Rem soft points at an elk. Yeah they'd kill one under the right circumstances but that isn't planning for the worst that can happen.

I had a client one evening shoot a small bull with an .06 with a 180 Remington soft point at just under 200 yards. He took a head on shot. We caught up to the bull the next afternoon and he was still alive. It turns out the bullet went in between the chest cavity and the shoulder. It hammed him up all right but it didn't penetrate the lung cavity and didn't break the shoulder either. A gun with more energy would likely have done the job n the spot even with the marginal shot placement. A lesson in how tough an elk is and why you should not come to a gun fight with a pocketknife.

[Harmy]

Joe, I deliberated for many months on the Berger's before switching away from the Nosler Partitions. I found I could not get the partitions to shoot reliably in my gun. I started to weigh each bullet and was astonded by the large variability. I started to reload only those within -+ 0.4 gr of nominal and still could not get better than about 1.25 MOA. Not bad but I don't settle easily. I figured for sure it was the gun and about gave it away. While I have taken many elk and a moose with the partitions in this 06 I ended up having some difficulty on my bison. As I planned my hunt I "learned" that the heart was quite low in the chest. Therefore, I blew it badly and aimed too low. I shot 7 times at what I was sure was the heart. I knew something was wrong as the cow just looked like nothing was happening. I ended up shooting her in the head and blew both horns off with that one shot. Damn it. When I conducted my autopsy I found about a 3 inch zone of damage in the brisket. This brisket was about 6 inches thich and 8 inches deep (vertical) before vitals. I obviously blew it bad and shot too low by about 4-5 inches. But what I found is that I never even pentrated all the way through with those shots. What I found was a 4 inch deep hole with a bunch of fragments. I had shot from distances of about 150 down to 60 yards.

I read a bunch on the VLD performance with many mixed results. I ended up reading extensively on Terminal Ballistics Research website http://www.ballisticstudies.com/

Then I switched and found the Berger's to work quite well. I have now taken 2 cows and a spike with these bullets. The Spike at 500 yards. The bullets performed as advertised. Deep penetration with wide wound channel. They do fragment though.

[Indian Summer]

Yeah Chris I used Nosler's partition's for years in the 7 Mag and the .300 RUM and never had a failure on elk or caribou. Very good penetration and weight retention.

That buff's brisket is probably like the front end of an army tank. Almost need solids like for the Big 5. I don't think the Berger would have done much better do you? But with those Partitions I wasn't shooting ranges long enough to be overly picky about my 100 yard groups. They were decent. They definitely didn't cut it for really long bombs though. Lots of times the lead tips would be deformed or mushroomed just frm rattling around in my plastic ammo bxes. Yuk! That'll never compete with a Berger.

You cannot top the ballistic data for the match grade Berger VLDs. But a couple terrible failures and some similar internet reviews made me nervous. 0f course some reviewers fail to mention if they slammed a shoulder blade or something.

I know some really reputable gun makers & 1000 yard bench shooters in the east who all swear by Nosler's Accubonds with the polymer tip. I just loaded and shot some through the chrony last week and so far so good. Definitely an improvement over the Partitions. I found a 1000 yard club 2 hours from home with some really cool old timers who will be fun to shoot bullets.... and shoot the s*#t with. lol So once I'm done tinkering with the Accubond loads I'll head down and really get things lined out.

I have N0T weighed those Accubonds. I forgot! I'm going to do that soon. Very curious about consistency now that you mention it. They aren't marketed as match grade but I'd hope they are better than the Partitions. We'll see.

[Harmy]

I did not try out Accubonds on my .06. Nor have I tried Barnes (which shoot extremely well in my step dads .270 with .25 MOA). After seeing the performance of these Barnes bullets I may well investigate them too. I did work on loads with the Accubonds on my RUM but they were not consistent (I think 2 MOA or so, can't remember off hand). I really struggled with my RUM. When new I could not get much better than a 3" group with any factory ammo (which included accubonds). I then started reloading it and tried partitions, accubonds, VLDs, and another I can't remember off hand. I do remember the Accubonds being much more consistent in weight but nowhere near the VLD's. When I get back home this weekend I will see if I can post you my histograms on these different bullets. What I found with my RUM was that it would shoot consistent groups for the first 10 rounds and then begin to drift. I have to clean it frequently if I want to maintain sub MOA. I am also shooting it at max Retumbo. It took me over 400 rounds to finally get that thing to shoot consistently. The biggest problem with it now is that the super long VLDs have to be seated almost at the limit of my Redding Mag Press otherwise they will not fit in my gun's magazine. They have to jump about .240. When length is set to touch lands it certainly shoots better groups (down to 0.5 MOA) but for hunting I have to be able to fill the magazine and so I live with the shorter ammo. Now that it is well broken in I suspect it will shoot factory ammo better and likely will shoot accubonds and partitions better as well. I should check it out. I suspect you are correct on my bison in that no bullet from that gun was going through that super thick brisket. I probably should have been using my 45-70 so even this kind of hit would have knocked her over with one shot.

[wideangle]

.35 Whelen, Remington 700. Shooting hand loaded 250 grain Nosler Partitions.

[slim9300]

Remington Model 700 Sendero II in .300 RUM. Shooting 180 grain Nosler Partitions. If was worried about getting close I would be hunting with my bow.

[Indian Summer]

"my RUM was that it would shoot consistent groups for the first 10 rounds and then begin to drift. I have to clean it frequently if I want to maintain sub MOA" Ditto here. My chrony speed increases with every shot and my accuracy deteriorates at the same time.

Wide angle... that's a heck of a setup. I can imagine the type of country you hunt just by your choice of weapon. Jungle.... and for that it's ideal

Slim.... that's my next rifle right there! Best factory long range gun out of the box. (where's that debate free button?) lol I'll try the Accubonds first but if they don't shoot sub M0A groups I'll go right back to old faithful.... the Berger VLDs.

What kind of groups do you get with that gun and Partitions? Very curious. What scope?

0h Lord how long do we have to wait now? I'm ready to hunt!

Guess I better eat the last one first.

[dotman]

Has anyone tried McMillians new ammo?

I just picked up a Sako A7 in 30-06 and it will get the job done . Now to decide what scope to put on it, for some reason I keep going back to Zeiss with the z600 reticle.

[slim9300]

"my RUM was that it would shoot consistent groups for the first 10 rounds and then begin to drift. I have to clean it frequently if I want to maintain sub MOA" Ditto here. My chrony speed increases with every shot and my accuracy deteriorates at the same time.

Wide angle... that's a heck of a setup. I can imagine the type of country you hunt just by your choice of weapon. Jungle.... and for that it's ideal

Slim.... that's my next rifle right there! Best factory long range gun out of the box. (where's that debate free button?) lol I'll try the Accubonds first but if they don't shoot sub M0A groups I'll go right back to old faithful.... the Berger VLDs.

What kind of groups do you get with that gun and Partitions? Very curious. What scope?

0h Lord how long do we have to wait now? I'm ready to hunt!

Guess I better eat the last one first.

It shoots pretty well with Partitions but seems to have a flier now and then. I'm am by no means a great shot with a rifle so shooting sub 4" groups at 400 yards is good for me. Sadly my 100 yard groups off a field simulated rest with my bipod is right a 1.5-2". I wish I could improve but finding the time to practice is really tough. I can't want for the day that I own 10+ acres and can shoot all I want right off my back porch.

This year I wanted to try a bullet that would do a little more expanding for mule deer. I picked up the cheap Barnes factory loaded Vor-TX ammo. After I realized it was basically Barnes version of the Partition, it was too late. Lol. I will say that the 180 grain Barnes round is noticeably more forgiving but that probably has more to do with the fact the my Partitions are custom loaded by Conley. They may be a little too "hot" for the rifle.

This year I killed my first Mule deer buck at 609 with the Barnes bullets. I had practiced out to 600 (my bottom turret) before I left and was keeping a vitals sized group even with a slight crosswind.

My Burris Signature Series 4x16x44 scope is the best I have owned but not the one I really want. (It came with the rifle) I do really like the Ballistic Plex and how fast and accurate it is. Someday I'll have the top dog Zeiss but until then this scope is doing pretty well.

[buglmin]

For years, my favorite elk round was a Weatherby 7 mag, handloaded 140 grain Nosler Partitions. From antelope, mule deer, elk, gaint hogs of the panhandle region of Texas and Oklahoma, to the nilgia in south Texas, the round never let me down.
I've seen a lot of elk killed with everything from lil 243's to 340 Weatherby mags, and its always bout shot placement when it comes to elk. I've seen bulls take several rounds from a .300 Weatherby and just trot off. Some of the most impressive shots made on bulls have come from a lil 6mm with 100 grain handloads...never have I seen elk get sick so fast. It doesnt take big guns with big bullets to kill a bull. I'd rather see somebody shoot a 243 extremely accurate then see a guy flinch bad from the reciol of a 340 Weatherby.

If I was going to buy a rifle just for elk hunting, and nothing else, it would be the .300 Weatherby. Recoil isnt as bad as a bigger caliber, it carries a lot of energy even out to 600 yards, and is extremely accurate. Top it with a good 4 to 12 power Leupold scope, and you've got an elk killing weapon. I've had a lot of clients use this gun, and it has impressed me over and over again...

[Indian Summer]

It's up to us to try to make our kills as quick as possible. It's the right thing to do. IM0 a .243 is just too light. My 13 year old neice shot a cow last year with her grandmothers .243 at just under 100 yards. The herd ran off and she just stood there... for like 10 minutes! Then she bedded down and we moved in a little and she made a perfect head shot. The girl can shoot. I assumed she made a poor shot the first time but it turned out I was wrong. Perfect broadside lung shot. I knew the gun was light but I was shocked. That evening she said "That thing is a pea shooter.. I can handle a bigger gun & I need one" She's right. I think most anyone hunting elk can handle something a little bigger so why not.

I totally agree that we don't need giant magnums to get the job done ethically but surely an elk hunter can and should try to shoot something with a little more ft lbs of energy. 0bviously we don't make perfect shots every time and if you were to make a marginal shot with a gun that light you may never recover the elk, especially a heavy boned bull. For those who really struggle with recoil a good muzzle brake does wonders.

I'd rather see a brodhead than an undersized bullet.

Also... I could not agree more that a guy or gal should N0T be shooting a gun that makes him or her flinch. Too much gun is definitely a step in the wrong direction & that's a great point for this thread.

[buglmin]

I seen a big five this December in NM take a bullet from a 340 weatherby and just up and left. He got off the ranch and we had to call the F&G before we could follow him. Three hours later, a shot from a 300 put the bull down. The bullet didnt even break his shoulder at under 100 yards. Does this mean the 340 isnt a good elk gun? It isnt about rifle caliber, its about the bullet. Would you hunt elk with a Ballistic Tip used for coyotes? Or would you use a Full metal jacket?
Not all bullets are created equal. And not all factory shells are equal. With todays companies like Nosler or Hornady making great ammunition, and even Winchester and federal using custom loads. you gotta pick the right bullet for the job. I've seen a lot of elk take a lil 100 grain Partion behind the shoulder and do the typical stand there then start backpeddling dance. And I've shot bulls with my 7 mag close up and personal flip over and struggle to their feet and disappear over a hill a 100 yards away.
What about the lil 257 Roberts? A lot of guys claim its the best elk round out there, same as the 280 or the 270...

[cnelk]

My 340 with the Accubrake has the recoil of the lil 7 Mag ...
And reloaded with Hornady bullets make for a quick one shot kill
A box of bullets last a long time!

[planebow]

I will agree that it is not so much the caliber as it is the choice of bullets for the caliber.

[Indian Summer]

I'll have to agree with that too. I never tinkered with a .243 so I couldn't honestly say from experience what it is capable of.

I've seen deer run off after being shot with it... not that it was a perfect shot or anything other than a factory Remington Core-Lokt.

Can you get a complete pass through on a mature elk with it? That always tells me there was at least a little energy left. I'd hate to think the bullet petered out due to lungs and hide. If so with what, a Partition & what load? She has 3 little brothers and it sure would be nice to be able to use the gun. Can we come close to dropping them in their tracks with that? Be honest now.... I don't like a young hunters 1st experience to be a long slow death you know.

[buglmin]

You know, maybe I'm wrong, but once the bullet has destroyed the lungs, i dont care if it passes through...On my bull this past November, the lil slug was found just under the hide on the offside shoulder. The lil 100 grain Partition was a perfect mushroom, and the bull jumped at the shot, ran over a hill and when the cows came running back towards me a few seconds later, I knew he was down. I found him bout 40 yards from where I shot him.
I like the Nosler Partitions, and the Barnes X bullet. My dad likes the Hornady slugs from his lil 6mm.
I shouldnt say this, but most of us dont kill elk at 600 yards and beyond like you see the guys on tv that sell the long range rifles. We've always been able to cut the distance to get the shots we wanted. Yes, I love my 7mm Weatherby mag, just dont like the cost of the shells when I need more brass, and the recoil from heavier bullets really does suck. But we all have to agree that elk really aint that tough to kill. Heck, more elk have been poached with a lil .22 then any other rifle. Its all about shot placement and bullet design. Why do you think bullet manufactors have developed the bullets for deep penetraion and massive shock? Shoot what you have the most confidence in, and what you can shoot the best with. Carry a set of shooting sticks, and learn how to use them. Accuracy is the key to a quick humane death.

[caperoll/Scott]

My choice is a Tikka 30-06, 165 gr Serria Boattail doing 2850 fps.I also use Federal match primers. I have killed a lot of elk with this round from under a 100 yards out to 600 yards. The one thing I like about this bullet is that it holds together well, I can shoot long range with it and have killed elk and deer out to 600 yards with it. Heres something to think about bigger is not always better and this is why, bigger bullets with a lot of energy do a lot of damage, the blood shot area in and around the area of the bullet entery and exit can be very extensive which means alot of waist. Here an example. My hunting partner shoots a 300 win mag 190 gr. bullet. On the last elk hunt we went on we both shot cows at 300 yards. He shot his elk low on the shoulder and killed it. When we got to the elk and field dressed and quartered it the front shoulder was so blood shot and damaged that he lost the front quart. Just something to keep in miind.

[Gander29]

Bought a T/C Venture in. 300 Win Mag. Shooting the Barnes Vortex TTSX 180gr. May try the Hornady Superformance also for comparison. Hoping this combo does the trick this fall. Figure if native americans killed them with hand made flint rock heads and wooden arrows/bows, I should be ok if I put the bullet where it needs to be.

[Huntrgathr]

I have a WW-II surplus Springfield 30-06 that was "sporterized" by my grandfather in the late 40's. He handmade a stock from black walnut and finished it with linseed oil. It has now been used by four generations of my family to take literally hundreds of animals including elk , deer, antelope. Every elk I have ever shot with it (all under 150 yds) dropped where it stood. The only thing I did different than the previous owners was to reload Barnes bullets in 165 gr. It is a tack driver.

You can get guns that will shoot much further and guns that shoot more fps or have more KE, but there's something about owning a vintage rifle in 30-06 that can't be quantified. It will get the job done every single time.

[LckyTylr]

Hntrgthr,

you and I must shoot VERY similar rifles. Mine is not an actual Springfield, it's a Smith & Corona, but was made for WWII by this company. Before the War, Smith & Corona made Typewriters. Mine has a Hand-made Cherry stock with Monte-carlo cheek piece, but I'm not sure who made it. My Dad's Uncle gave it to my Dad and I used it to kill my 2nd deer and 3rd deer (1st and 2nd rifle kills) on the same day when I was 15. I haven't killed a lot of deer with it, but every deer that I shot with it went down quick.

Haven't shot an elk with it and probably won't (I can't justify taking such a beautiful family treasure into the mountains and subjecting it to the kind of abuse that accompanies my current style of hunting). I did kill a nice little 4 point with it this year, maybe it's last blood until I pass it down to my Son.

[Huntrgathr]

Don't have any pics of just the rifle. I'll try to take some and upload them...

[LckyTylr]

Wow, you can't tell it from my photo, but looking at your photo . . . our rifles could be twins, sans the different manufacturers.

[Lefty]

Ive killed all my rifle elk with a 7mm. My daughter killed her moose with my 7mm this year
If I hunted rifle elk, moose and bear more often I would look at a bigger gun
I know what many of the .30 can do, but I would like a 338 mag shooting 220 gn. as an "elk gun"
the 7mm workd great for deer and antelope

[Sean_TeamNWHunting]

Any decent caliber will work with understanding the maximum effective range for that caliber based upon the minimum kinetic energy required to effectively kill a particular animal. Use good penetrating/expanding bullets (i.e. Nosler Partition, Nosler Accubond, Barnes X, etc....) and make sure shot placement is strictly adhered to. I have personally killed a lot of animals ranging from deer, antelope, bear, and elk using a 30-06 with 180 grain Nosler Partitions. This is a very effective load with good penetration. If I were to upgrade this rifle, I would choose one of the 300 magnums for just a little more energy applied to the bullet. I have also used a Winchester 338 Magnum on deer, antelope, and elk using 180 grain Nosler Accubond handloads. This load shoots hard, but has ballistics just slightly below a Weatherby 30-378 Magnum load. This load does not minimize meat damage and may require your taxidermist to do a little extra sewing work, but it is very effective, flat shooting and is a hard hitting load on elk. These large animals can absorb a lot of kinetic energy, you want to use something that will favor your odds against a 1000+ lb bull. Happy hunting!!!

[scrubs]

Not that this means much since I have never taken and elk with a rifle. When I have hunted them with a gun, it was with a 30-06, with 180 gr Hornady Interlock hand loads. When my dad was alive, he took quite a few elk with Interlocks, so that`s why I used them...

[13bonatter69]

I will be shooting a 6.5X284 this year. With reloading and LOTS and LOTS of practice I feel more proficient with this caliber than any I have shot before. With PROPER bullet SELECTION, as well as PROPER bullet PLACEMENT, a dead elk is certain. I also use a 35 whelen for closer shots or heavy cover. Both guns have their place in the field, and I like them equally. I think key to bringing down any animal, regardless of size, is bullet selection, and bullet placement. Happy hunting

[notyourmarlin3030]

New to big game hunting and new to the this forum i must share my experience! 2012 was my first year big game hunting, i harvest a good buck during black powder and learned how rugged elk country is during the 2nd rifle hunting for bulls and cows.
My elk rifle is a Marlin X7s 308. SS. I put in as much research as i could to find a good elk round, knowing my lack of experience i needed the best. I ended up hunting with Hornady GMX 150gr. Read many great accounts of this bullets performance on big game, one in particular where a guy claimed to shoot a moose with a 150gr bullet and the bullet he displayed was completely intact with a perfect mushroom(one petal broken off). So far i love this rifle, the trigger is very crisp and the 308. SS model gives me a very very light rifle. (compared to my hunting buddies, ol weatherby 300. win with blued barrel wood stock and muzzle break.) I hunt deer local for my meat hunt, elk hunting is my adventure, my connection with the wild. I aspire to harvest my first elk next year, on my second elk trip.
I look forward to reading and sharing more experiences and knowledge.
(p.s.) my deer rifle is a Weatherby series II blued barrel 25-06 with burris 4x14x42
Taylor

[Indian Summer]

Lefty.. there is absolutely nothing wrong with that 7mm for elk. I've killed elk and caribou with that gun and it was plenty with a Nosler Partition.

Notyourmarlin... Welcome!

[>>>---WW---->]

I agree with ya Joe. Back when I was a guide, I saw just about every elk rifle imaginable. And none of the bigger guns put them down any quicker or any deader thay the 7mm Rem. Mag.

[baddaddy]

Just depends on my mood. Ive shot them with .30-06, 7-08, .35 Whelen, .308, and my 8mm Remington Mag. May take my .416 this year or my 7 mag. Won't know till a few weeks out from rifle season.

[mtelkkiller]

Looking to get a .300 win mag. Been shooting them and deer with a .270 but I am tired of the bullet bouncing around inside of the ribs and ending up ruining a chunk of the front shoulder.

[Canvsbk]

7RM, 160 Accubonds.

[kjv1959]

Ruger Mark II in 300 WSM topped with a Refield Revenge with Accu Ranger shooting Barnes Bullets VOR-TX 300 WSM TTSX-BT 165gr .