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Your Ideal Dark Timber Elk Rifle

I

Iron Mask

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Joined
Nov 4, 2017
Messages
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Location
Helena, MT
I'm interested to see what everyone's would be. I'm in the works of building a switch barrel off of a Pierce Titanium Action.

Barrels:
20" Lilja #3 Contour with a 1-12" twist chambered in .350 WSM with a Vias Brake
20" Lilja #4 Contour with a 1-10" twist chambered in .416 WSM with a Vias Brake

Stock:
Manners MCL-SL

Trigger:
Timney Calvin Elite set at 1.5 pounds

Scope:
NightForce NXS 1-4x24 with the IHR reticle

Rings/Bases:
NightForce Direct Mount Rings and Base

To me, this would be my ideal dark timber elk rifle. Let's hear yours.
 
Mine is one which has worked fine for me for well over 40 years, the "poor man's magnum", an 8mm-06 which I built moons ago from a surplus Mauser just for that purpose. A 3x7 Leupold and Sierra 220 grain loads do the trick, though most recently it has tagged more whitetail than anything.
 
16 1/4" barreled M1A SOCOM in .308 Win with a Picatinny rail that allows me to use open sights or optics, when I use optics I use a Nikon 2.5-8x28mm BDC scope.
 
A real Marlin 30-30 with see thru mounts and a 1.5x5 Leupold VX3 with hand loaded 160g LEVERevoltion FTX.
 
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I'm still working on this. Marlin SBL with Vortex 2-7 scout scope and Leupold quick release rings. So far I'm not too keen on the scout scope...It adds over a pound to an already bulky rifle and the eye relief is a tad too far. I'm having troubles with the rear ghost ring sight courtesy of overly soft set screws and a factory overtightening.

I have a bullet mold that is called 462 Hammer it will cast 326 grain hollow point, 315 grain deep hollow, or 337 grain solid. I should be able to push them pretty fast once I heat treat and powdercoat them. Heat treating with increase the strength without making them brittle (so I've been told) and powdercoating will prevent leading when pushing them fast.
 
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Ruger M77 tang safety, 338 Win Mag, 2x7 Burris, loaded with Nosler 250 Partitions at 2660fps. Handles good in the thick stuff, good field of view and can reach out and touch a Elk if needed. I've taken Elk from 60 yards to 416 yards. This combo just plain works.

Dan
 
6.5x55 or a 7x57. Rem 700 action w/factory trigger set at 3#. 20" barrel with 2 3/4x scope. either 140gr bullet in 6.5 or 160gr bullet in 7x57. My 6.5x55 right now is a mod 70 with 22" barrel and 2-7x Redfield.
 
Ruger No 1 in 338 Win Mag (obvious choice for me).

BLR in .358 Win would be a fun gun.

Also, .444 Marlin with a Williams Peep sight.
 
Me and Belly Deep think alike in this department. Kimber Montana in 308 Winchester is what I've carried for the past 14 seasons or so, with Leupold 2-7x. My old man has a snappy Savage 99 in 308 which is slick. But frankly, when do you have time for a second shot in dark timber elk hunting? Not often IME. I use my 308 for everything, but if I were to focus it on elk I might beef it up to a 338 Federal. BTW Ben2's Ruger needs more dings and scratches in the stock.
 
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