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Message
re: Help me pick my elk hunting caliber
Posted on 1/31/15 at 6:34 pm to Judge Smails
Posted on 1/31/15 at 6:34 pm to Judge Smails
What's this Remington boycott about?
1
Posted on 1/31/15 at 6:38 pm to DownSouthJukin
300 win mag
Posted on 1/31/15 at 6:38 pm to Boats n Hose
You've forgotten the old OB joke - they didn't leave NY after the fed govt gave them a huge contract and there was mucho outrage over it.
Posted on 1/31/15 at 6:38 pm to Judge Smails
Ah yea, I remember this now
Posted on 1/31/15 at 9:15 pm to DownSouthJukin
Use what you are most comfortable with. I shot elk at 200yds with .270. However, I use .300 wmag now.
Posted on 1/31/15 at 9:18 pm to DownSouthJukin
DSJ,
You've already put a lot of thought and research into your hunt so that you have a good idea of what you want and don't want. Yeah, under some circumstances a 338 WM might be more gun than you need for elk hunting, but under no circumstance will you be undergunned. OTOH, some of the calibers mentioned that you did not ask about may not be enough elk gun under some circumstances. The 270 Win was my first deer rifle and it's a great gun, but if it's the last day of a paid, special hunt (time away from work/family, travel, hunting licenses, guide fees, etc) and I'm faced w/ a quartering away shot on a big trophy elk at 350 yards away, do I want to be using a 270 Win or a 338 WM??? If I can shoot it sufficiently, I'm going w/ the 338 WM. The other guns you mentioned are good guns, but ammo availability could be more of a problem compared to them w/ the 338 WM. Whichever gun you buy, be sure you practice sufficiently at all reasonable ranges and you should be in good shape.
You've already put a lot of thought and research into your hunt so that you have a good idea of what you want and don't want. Yeah, under some circumstances a 338 WM might be more gun than you need for elk hunting, but under no circumstance will you be undergunned. OTOH, some of the calibers mentioned that you did not ask about may not be enough elk gun under some circumstances. The 270 Win was my first deer rifle and it's a great gun, but if it's the last day of a paid, special hunt (time away from work/family, travel, hunting licenses, guide fees, etc) and I'm faced w/ a quartering away shot on a big trophy elk at 350 yards away, do I want to be using a 270 Win or a 338 WM??? If I can shoot it sufficiently, I'm going w/ the 338 WM. The other guns you mentioned are good guns, but ammo availability could be more of a problem compared to them w/ the 338 WM. Whichever gun you buy, be sure you practice sufficiently at all reasonable ranges and you should be in good shape.
Posted on 1/31/15 at 9:46 pm to ChatRabbit77
A 350 yard shot with a .243 at an elk is just irresponsible.
Generally, you need 800 foot lbs of energy to kill a deer and 1200 foot lbs to kill an elk. .243 doesn't cut that at 250 yards.
But, check out the energy of the Hornady SST bullets. For a consistent comparison....
A 300 Win Mag at 180 grains has 1928 ft lbs of energy at 500 yards.
A 338 Win Mag at 200 grains has 1904 ft lbs at 500 yards. And 225 grains has 2030 ft lbs at 500 yards.
The recoil from .300 to .338 is a significant difference. Regardless of your claims.....recoil plays a difference in accuracy. If you really want an 8.5 lb gun, I would advise:
300 win mag, or
7 wsm
What I'm suggesting.......is that you should go with 300 win mag.
You keep nearly the same energy with less recoil, and therefore, better accuracy.
My $.02
Good luck!!!
Generally, you need 800 foot lbs of energy to kill a deer and 1200 foot lbs to kill an elk. .243 doesn't cut that at 250 yards.
But, check out the energy of the Hornady SST bullets. For a consistent comparison....
A 300 Win Mag at 180 grains has 1928 ft lbs of energy at 500 yards.
A 338 Win Mag at 200 grains has 1904 ft lbs at 500 yards. And 225 grains has 2030 ft lbs at 500 yards.
The recoil from .300 to .338 is a significant difference. Regardless of your claims.....recoil plays a difference in accuracy. If you really want an 8.5 lb gun, I would advise:
300 win mag, or
7 wsm
What I'm suggesting.......is that you should go with 300 win mag.
You keep nearly the same energy with less recoil, and therefore, better accuracy.
My $.02
Good luck!!!
Posted on 1/31/15 at 10:03 pm to DownSouthJukin
.338 Lapua
Venom Tactical
Battle tested.
Venom Tactical
Battle tested.
Posted on 1/31/15 at 10:09 pm to ctiger69
30/06 165 grain Hornady superformance . It's easy shooting and very accurate.
Practice, practice, practice.
Practice, practice, practice.
Posted on 1/31/15 at 10:28 pm to WAR TIGER
Just looked up the ballistics for .338 Laupa @ 500 yards
285gr - 2966ft-lbs @ 2150ft/sec
250gr - 2048ft-lbs @ 1966ft/sec
Completely unnecessary but that's some pretty gross numbers
.300WM is solid choice if you are looking to buy something new.
285gr - 2966ft-lbs @ 2150ft/sec
250gr - 2048ft-lbs @ 1966ft/sec
Completely unnecessary but that's some pretty gross numbers
.300WM is solid choice if you are looking to buy something new.
Posted on 1/31/15 at 11:19 pm to Citica8
You're talking about an even bigger bullet. Greater recoil.
And even at 250 grains, it's only a difference of 100 ft lbs. still, crazy numbers.
It comes down to ballistic coefficient.
Go .300 win mag. Get some berger hybrids. All you need boss.
And even at 250 grains, it's only a difference of 100 ft lbs. still, crazy numbers.
It comes down to ballistic coefficient.
Go .300 win mag. Get some berger hybrids. All you need boss.
Posted on 2/1/15 at 8:10 am to DownSouthJukin
270/ shoots long and flat and will take down an elk.
Posted on 2/1/15 at 11:45 am to BIG Texan
This-
A well placed shot with a 30-06 will do the job, I wouldn't go less than this IMO
I shoot a Sako 300 Win mag with hand loads, I can put 5 in a Softball at 600 on a bench, different story in the woods. I killed a deer dead in its tracks at 595 yards yet never shot an elk nearly that far.
If your hunting at high altitude on foot, be prepared to shoot when physically exhausted. My friend and I ran with a herd for over 2 hours on time, we got a 5x5. Its hard to squeeze a clean shot when your chasing an elk in the mountains on foot, a gun you can shoot well is the most important. I chose the Sako finnlight because its a light gun to carry all day, an extra pound makes a difference.
quote:
Practice, practice, practice.
A well placed shot with a 30-06 will do the job, I wouldn't go less than this IMO
I shoot a Sako 300 Win mag with hand loads, I can put 5 in a Softball at 600 on a bench, different story in the woods. I killed a deer dead in its tracks at 595 yards yet never shot an elk nearly that far.
If your hunting at high altitude on foot, be prepared to shoot when physically exhausted. My friend and I ran with a herd for over 2 hours on time, we got a 5x5. Its hard to squeeze a clean shot when your chasing an elk in the mountains on foot, a gun you can shoot well is the most important. I chose the Sako finnlight because its a light gun to carry all day, an extra pound makes a difference.
Posted on 2/1/15 at 11:49 am to misterc
I'm no elk hunter, but I've always said that if I went it would be with no less than a .30-06
That's why I bought a tikka T3 in .30-06. In the off chance I get to go elk hunting I'll have a very light rifle I can use.
That's why I bought a tikka T3 in .30-06. In the off chance I get to go elk hunting I'll have a very light rifle I can use.
Posted on 2/1/15 at 11:55 am to DownshiftAndFloorIt
30-06 is sufficient for elk or moose.
Posted on 2/1/15 at 12:22 pm to DownSouthJukin
There have been many elk killed with a. 270 and. 308, if you already have one of those calibers just upgrade your scope to a very fine one and upgrade your ammunition. This way you don't purchase a riffle you will only use once or twice and will have a much better setup for your current ruffle used most often. JMO this is only if you don't plan to make multiple trips that would actually require a larger caliber
Nosler Partition, Nosler Accubond in a Federal premium if you do not handd load. If Handload then use either of those as well 140g in the 270 and 150-165g in 308 will be more than sufficient at those ranges for elk.
Nosler Partition, Nosler Accubond in a Federal premium if you do not handd load. If Handload then use either of those as well 140g in the 270 and 150-165g in 308 will be more than sufficient at those ranges for elk.
This post was edited on 2/1/15 at 12:26 pm
Posted on 2/1/15 at 1:31 pm to spacewrangler
Back in my younger days, I was a hunting guide in the Selway of Idaho. You can't have too much gun but you can have too little gun. That said, of all the elk I have seen dead and skint out, a .338 Win mag would be my caliber. Yes, you can kill with smaller caliber a but why take a chance? On Big game, Bigger is better.
Posted on 2/1/15 at 1:40 pm to 178cajun
quote:
.338 Win mag would be my caliber.
Posted on 2/1/15 at 1:48 pm to 178cajun
quote:
You can't have too much gun but you can have too little gun.
My response was prefaced with the notion if this is a one time trip and the gun will not be used after the trip then why not just upgrade his optics and ammunition. 300-350yds a 308 or a 270 is plenty of gun to kill an elk. He could get a bad arse scope for the cost of a 338.
If he believes he will, regularly, use the riffle in the future then by all means get a larger caliber; that makes sense.
Chuck Hawks reviews
340 Weatherby
338 Chuck Hawks
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chuck Hawks 338 Rem
This post was edited on 2/1/15 at 1:50 pm
Posted on 2/1/15 at 1:55 pm to 178cajun
Notable words from a friend when I was choosing my last rifle
"Don't get something that can kill them, get something that will kill them"
"Don't get something that can kill them, get something that will kill them"
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