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Colorado Elk

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Colorado Elk

Postby kbbgood » 01 07, 2018 •  [Post 1]

Wanting to go to Colorado next year after my first elk. Wondering if my 264 mag is big enough? Any loads I should be loading for it ? Or should I be thinking bigger?
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Re: Colorado Elk

Postby unclefish » 01 07, 2018 •  [Post 2]

when I decided to go my first year, I bought a 300 wm, figured it was a trip of a life time, you are there hunting for 1 week, It's more about knowing your gun and how accurate you shoot it and your limits on distance, especially in all sorts of conditions including weather terrain and ballistics of your ammo. I have heard people taking them with a 243, I know I can shoot 600 yards comfortable from my sticks kneeling down. Most of my shots in last 6 years have been around 250 to 300 yards. That's basically 3 times the amount of white tail hunting back here in the east. 1 of the guys I hunt with shot a 308 for 20 years there and took Bull and cow elk out to 400 yards, he also is very good shot. for the last 10 he stepped up to 300wm. Good luck on your adventure.
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Re: Colorado Elk

Postby baddaddy » 01 08, 2018 •  [Post 3]

The .264 WM will be fine. Use a premium bullet.
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Re: Colorado Elk

Postby Indian Summer » 01 08, 2018 •  [Post 4]

Make darn sure you get both lungs with that gun and follow up with a second shot immediately if you can. I saw an elk double lunged with a .243. It just stood there. For a long time! Walked away although not very far and bedded down. We snuck in and had to finish it off with a head shot. I was surprised to see that the first shot was such a good one. Make no mistake elk are tough.
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Re: Colorado Elk

Postby kbbgood » 01 10, 2018 •  [Post 5]

Just wondering if it is worth the cost to put Leupolds CDS turrets on my old scope. It's a VX3 3.5-10x40. Won't take shots past 350 or so but might be nice if I could shot farther.
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Re: Colorado Elk

Postby saddlesore » 01 10, 2018 •  [Post 6]

Before investing, I'd do some shooting past the distances you mentioned to see if your rifle and/or you are capable of making longer shots.
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Re: Colorado Elk

Postby cohunter14 » 01 10, 2018 •  [Post 7]

If you're not going to shoot past 350 yards the cds turrets won't do you any good.
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Re: Colorado Elk

Postby DBLGBL » 01 14, 2018 •  [Post 8]

I would stuff some 140 grain Nosler partitions and 4350 in some cases and do some practicing. You can make the 264 pretty flat to 300 yards and then some. Your scope is more than enough for shooting at elk at those distances. They are big. Like Indian summer said they are tough so make sure you can do your part with where you put the bullet, and make sure the bullet is a quality one.

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Re: Colorado Elk

Postby Indian Summer » 01 14, 2018 •  [Post 9]

I wouldn’t worry about the turrets. I bet you can get closer than that. I guess a question would be do you know anything about the type of cover where you’ll be hunting? Thick, semi open? Also are you the sut spot and stalk style hunter or still hunt the timber kind of hunter?
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Re: Colorado Elk

Postby kbbgood » 01 19, 2018 •  [Post 10]

That is the thing. No I don't know the type of area I will be hunting. I think I need to be ready for what is thrown at me thou.
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