Suggestions for a good Elk cartridge?

Sjackson

Sjackson

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Jan 24, 2017
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Let me first state that I am brand new to the Fourm and Elk hunting in general. A buddy and I have made kind of a new commitment to travel and hunt the west. It captivates my imagination pretty much every moment of every day, probably to the shagrin of my fiance haha. Ill like to start putting together a really qualitly elk gun. Everything i have read and researched has put a premium on shot placement, which makes total sense. I really enloy reading everyones opinions and threads on this fourm because of the kind of street smart common sense that is displayed here and on the "Fresh Tracks" tv show. I own a 30.06 Remington that has kind of been used an abused over the years. Im looking for something that would be light to moderate in the recoil realm. Any suggestions and opinons would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for your time.
 
I would recommend you search the forum, as this has been asked many times, and a few very recently.
I shoot a 300WM.
 
A .270 or .308 would be my suggestion. I would lean towards the .308, IMO. If your future wife is going to hunt with this new gun. . . . . I suggest the .270.
 
No problem we all love to argue over miniscule differences in performance. As suggested anything like 270, 7mm-08, 308 or similar may fit the bill. Any of the three would be more than enough but like someone once told me, you can't go wrong with a bigger bullet so maybe I'd lean to the 308. Maybe a howa alpine and then take up schmaltz on the special he runs for hunt talkers with a new howa and put a vx3 on it and your set for life. If money is tight or there are other things you need, just stick with the 06. Lord knows an elk doesn't care.

What rifles are you considering?
 
Given how often this question comes up, we did this video on the topic.

[video=youtube_share;Cfd3XkHDaDA]https://youtu.be/Cfd3XkHDaDA?list=PLLdxutimd-JucEFczP4LgCS75Lt7caIMm[/video]
 
There are many good choices but hard to argue with a 30.06. If it shoots well, you could always dress it up with a new stock, put a Leupold VX3 or VX6 on it and go hunting.
 
Well, the .30-06 is certainly a great elk round. So, probably no need to get another rifle. However, if you really want to get a new rifle... I've only shot one elk and it was with a 7mm-08. The elk died quickly from one shot. Found the bullet just under the skin on the off-side. So, the lighter rounds certainly can work well and they are fun to shoot!
 
Let's not discourage a brother hunter from purchasing a new firearm! :D

If I were looking for a fancy new production gun, I'd look at the 300 WSM in the Howa Alpine, Kimber Montana or Montana Rifle Company X2.
 
A 7mm R.E.M. Mag with 160 accubonds is a good choice. Plenty of gun, without ridiculous recoil.
 
Hard to go wrong with a 30-06 but then you could get yourself something special in a 280 Remington or a 280 AI such as a Montana Rifle Company product or say Nosler rifle!!
 
A 30-06 is a good all around rifle for pretty much anything in North America. I always have mine as a second rifle because it can do everything. But, I would never tell a man to not buy a new rifle. The 7-08 has been a very popular caliber on here for a long time and it seems to have less recoil, but all of the killing power. My wife's .308 has little recoil, but it's basically the same as your 30-06. As for rifle choices, the Howa 1500 is an excellent rifle at a very good price point. Plus, Howa is a sponsor.
 
Ya ive had my eye on the montana rifle company x2's for awhile now. Recently interested in the Howa's as well. Thanks for everyones feedback.
 
Blacktailbc said:
A 7mm R.E.M. Mag with 160 accubonds is a good choice. Plenty of gun, without ridiculous recoil.
Click to expand...

I agree with the 7mm mag suggestion. Can easily poke out to 400 yards if desired. Very good ballistics if needed. Recoil is definitely not that of others, but if too great try the 7mm-08 or 308. I have good luck with Nosler Partitions.
 
IMO your '06 is pretty equal to 7 mm Rem mag up to 400 yd. Short action 284-OYOA (7-08) or 308 in light mtn rifle is the next notch down. I prefer fixed 4 or 2.5x8 scope to keep it light.
 
30-06 is more than adequate. I killed my first elk with a 30-06. If you're looking for a reason to add another rifle to the battery then your choices open up. For a dedicated elk caliber, I think it has to start with a 3. That doesn't mean the various 7s and 270s won't kill elk. They absolutely will, but just like you can tow a boat with an car, a truck is better. Any of the 300 magnums. If you can handle the recoil, you'll never need more than the 300 WBY. If you're a little recoil shy, the pedestrian 300 Win mag is probably best. The 300 mags carry enough energy out to 500yds and have a plethora of bullets choices. I've seen elk killed with a .25-06 and 30-378 Wby and everything in between. 338 Win, 35 Whelen are some great runner ups, especially for thick, dark timber.

You can also be the coolest guy in camp with a 300 H&H, my favorite elk caliber
 
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