Caliber Recommendations for Elk Hunt

[Arcturus]

It's been a long time coming, but I have my first elk hunt coming up in October. I will be hunting the first rifle season in New Mexico. I'm considering taking a .300 Win., a .300 Wby., or a .338 Win. probably on the R93 platform. I will most likely use factory ammo. Thoughts and recommendations based on practical experience would be appreciated.

[pagosawingnut]

I have used, and taken elk, with all 3 calibers. Choose the one you shoot the best and are the most comfortable with. They all will do the job.

[ebrownw2]

I've only killed two elk. One was a mature cow I shot in the Wichita Mountains NWR with a Browning A-bolt 270win, 130 grain barnes handloads. We saw each other about the same time in a thick fog, only about 50-75 yards apart. I shot her off hand in the posterior as she turned to run from me. She ran about 100 yards and went down. Required a follow up to finish her. I found the first bullet just under the skin in one of her front shoulders.

The other was a big 6x6 bull I lucked into while stumbling around in a blizzard hunting public land in CO. Was only about 150 yards. Standing, off hand shot. Ruger No. 1 in 300 win mag with Hornady Super Performance 150 grain gmx. DRT. Got the heart.

Last year I took my R8 with my 338win mag barrel. 225gr Barnes factory ammo. Never got a shot. Next time I think I'll try my newly acquired 30-06 barrel. Probably with 168 grain Barnes ttsx. Maybe it'll bring me better luck. So, to make a short story even longer, what pagosawingnut said: It doesn't matter as long as you can shoot where you're aiming with it.

[SPEEDY]

Gotta agree, elk ain't Sambar so any of em will do

But yes shoot what you shoot or like best, when your comfortable and confident you will always bag more.

[stokesrj]

I've only shot one elk with a rifle, a 5x5 the first day of the season on my first elk hunt in Arizona. I should have held out because nobody should ever shoot a 5X5 on that hunt, minimum should be a 330" 6X6 but I was young and eager.

Since then I've killed 17 bulls and 2 cows with my bow. I don't think of them as being all that tough, put a broadhead through both lungs and they go down in sight often and within 200 yards always.

The one I shot with a rifle was with my Steyer Mannlicher Professional Hunter in 30-06 using a 165 grain Nosler Partition. The distance was about 200 yards and perfectly broadside. I shot him close behind the shoulder and it exited the opposite rib cage in a straight path but then hit the side and traveled between the hide and meat all the way to the hip. I could see the hair turned up as I walked up to him and felt the bullet under the skin so I cut a small slit through the skin and out popped the bullet. A perfect, classic mushroom shape. The bull ran the "J", meaning he took off but began to lean to the side almost right away and curved back towards where he came from. If you looked at the path from above it would form a letter j, a path I've seen them run often when mortally wounded.
I've seen them killed with 30-30's, 270's, 7mm RM, several with my 6.5STW when loaned out, and the various 300's and the 338 WM which most agree is almost perfect for elk. My Son killed one with my muzzle loader. Any of those calibers will do, just put the bullet through the rib cage and they are dead. The only caution I would give is high velocity, cup and core bullets and elks shoulders don't mix. If you are going to shoot a high velocity rifle, above 2,700 fps, use a tough bullet or make sure you don't shoot through the heavy shoulder muscles. That is the only reason I've ever had to track one down and perform a coupe de grass, 300 mag with 180 grain soft point conventional cup and core bullet to the shoulder failed to make it to the vitals.
Here is a pic of my son with his muzzle loader bull, packing out the rack as the last load and a bull I called in for my best friend Steve who took it with his bow. These should help to get you fired up. Both of these bulls went down in sight.
Best of luck on your hunt.



Bob

[Ringo]

Those are all good choices. I have all three but I generally reach for the 300 Wby when headed out for elk. A 168 grain TTSX does quite a job.

A lot depends on the country and how you feel about the caliber. Confidence and bullet placement are the magic.

For years I used a 30-06 and that worked, too!

[BlaserD]

I used a 300wsm for my 6x6 bull, 165gr TTSX, 407 yards, passed thru, dropped within 100 yards, thst afternoon used it to drop my choc phase 507 pound black bear (certified scale). When I got my Blaser R8 300wsm wasn't available so I got 300 win mag and 180gr tsx and it dropped a big Wyoming muley on the spot.
Any of the 300's is plenty for elk, 3006 is more than enough but I like the flat shooting of the 300's. Good luck and keep shooting til he falls over!!

[tpomavil]

I have used .300 Weatherby on my R93 with 180 Grain Nosler Accubonds, and have taken elk, bear, Kudu, Blue Wildebeest and more, and at some very long distances. That caliber covers a lot, unless you're going after the big stuff, like Cape Buffalo.

[Corjack]

I have used .300 Weatherby on my R93 with 180 Grain Nosler Accubonds, and have taken elk, bear, Kudu, Blue Wildebeest and more, and at some very long distances. That caliber covers a lot, unless you're going after the big stuff, like Cape Buffalo.

Please share more details of your hunts, in the hunting section. We love that sort of stuff.

[brumar]

For my Red Deer in Hungary I Always use my Sauaer 202 TD 300 WM

[deerhunter338mag]

I think any cal from 300wm will do the job nicely. I know a few guy from here go over there to hunt them regularly and the 300wby mag and the 338wm get the thumbs up. And a few give the bow a run as well.