what caliber do you like for elk hunting?

[Bc'z]

No, have not, as I've got a large stash of the TTSX bullets on the shelf, so see no need to try something new. "If it ain't broke"......

But thanks for the suggestion.

I was curious is all.
This is our 1st year trying Barnes I started testing with the 140TTSX found a decent load and stopped. I did pick up some 145LRX but haven't tested them yet.

 

[Lefty2506]

I've never hunted elk, but my understanding is that there's a big difference between a cartridge that's a decent choice for a cow elk, and one that's a decent choice for a big mature bull.

 

[ChrisA]

I've only shot one and it was with a 200gr NAB out of a 300WSM at 455yds. That rifle has since been rebarreled to a 35 Sambar aka 35WSM that shoots 225gr NAB extremely well and hammers Iowa whitetail. Can't wait to smoke an elk with it.

 

[Rick in Oregon]

Earlier here I mentioned my pre-'64 M70 in .338-06AI for elk. Just came across an old pic of the first bull I shot with it after re-barreling from 30-06 back in 1988.

It was a rainy overcast day, wet ground. The bull was well hidden and bedded in a thicket and let me walk past him from about 30 yards on my right. He rose from his bed, snapped a branch that had me spin around, flick off the safety and get a quick shot off. All I could see was his orange rump and antlers laying back as he jumped. The bullet hit him just east of the poop-chute, broke that large hip joint, traveled lengthwise through his body and broke his off shoulder piling him up 20 yards away.

For the elk hunting I do here in OR in thick timber, I just cannot see the need for any more power than what I'm getting from my load with the Nosler 210gr Partition at 2,770 fps.



Since building this rifle, it's downed five bulls, and I cannot see any changes on the horizon. YMMV

 

[DocDoc]

Doesn’t get much better than that. Thanks for the story.

 

[bobinpa]

I've only shot one and it was with a 200gr NAB out of a 300WSM at 455yds. That rifle has since been rebarreled to a 35 Sambar aka 35WSM that shoots 225gr NAB extremely well and hammers Iowa whitetail. Can't wait to smoke an elk with it.

The 358 WSM is potent on both elk and deer. I shoot 225 gr Sierra Game Kings out of mine at approx 2850fps. Deer and elk both hate it!

 

[bobinpa]

"what caliber do you like for elk hunting?"​

I've found that both .33 and .35 work really good!

 

[DiffEQ]

All this talk of caliber -- a buddy of mine and his wife take an elk each every year in archery season. Last year, their son added a third to the mix, his first elk, shot with a 7mm-08.

How are you guys that take more than one elk a year eating all that meat? Two white tail a year feeds us fine and usually there is a bit left over before the next hunting season for jerky and meat sticks.

What are your go-to recipes? I have to imagine it's something with easy prep and cooking. Or maybe y'all have huge families?

My buddy makes pepperoni with all the non-prime cuts.
There's a lot to be said for Alex Wheeler's suggestion of braising your elk. You can take the toughest brisket and turn it into something succulent and tender.
With both venison and elk, I'll make a barbacoa, turn it into burritos, and with the whole works, I'll make a wrap, vacuum seal and freeze. Last year, I got three months of lunch meals out of that, calculated the cost to be a skosh over $2 apiece. Never got sick of them.
Ground up with pork loin, I'll make a chili. I don't worry about the fat, because I use copious EVOO to carmelize the onions and other veggies when I make the pot. I'll usually fill a 12 quart pot, and it lasts a week.

I'm in the final stages of building a new (to me) hunting rifle, for deer and elk here in Oregon. I have been using my trusty Remington 700 30-06, but I'm building a 7MM-08. It's the first bolt action rifle that I'm assembling myself. I purchased the tools to assemble it, and the parts for the rifle lightly used here on AS, with a Savage 10 action, and a Shilen select match 24" sporter profile barrel, 1:9 twist.

The first bullet I'm intending to test, and maybe shoot, is Hornady 154 gr SP Interlock with flat base, as I have almost 149 on hand, and they have good reviews. Also, have 91 of Nosler AccuBond 150 gr long range bullets, which are boat-tail and poly tipped. Figure the gun will like one better than the other, so looking forward to testing. I need to get the barrel bead blasted to take off the shine of the stainless barrel, then I can assemble it and get to testing.

Anyone have input on loads for this gun, for deer and elk, and hopefully for the bullets I noted, I'm interested in your suggestions.

I've had great success with Hornady Interlock 162s in a 1:10 M77 Hawkeye.

 

[Bc'z]

All this talk of caliber -- a buddy of mine and his wife take an elk each every year in archery season. Last year, their son added a third to the mix, his first elk, shot with a 7mm-08.

My buddy makes pepperoni with all the non-prime cuts.
There's a lot to be said for Alex Wheeler's suggestion of braising your elk. You can take the toughest brisket and turn it into something succulent and tender.
With both venison and elk, I'll make a barbacoa, turn it into burritos, and with the whole works, I'll make a wrap, vacuum seal and freeze. Last year, I got three months of lunch meals out of that, calculated the cost to be a skosh over $2 apiece. Never got sick of them.
Ground up with pork loin, I'll make a chili. I don't worry about the fat, because I use copious EVOO to carmelize the onions and other veggies when I make the pot. I'll usually fill a 12 quart pot, and it lasts a week.


I've had great success with Hornady Interlock 162s in a 1:10 M77 Hawkeye.

Load development
Them skinny 1's are slippery

 

[209jones]

Earlier here I mentioned my pre-'64 M70 in .338-06AI for elk. Just came across an old pic of the first bull I shot with it after re-barreling from 30-06 back in 1988.

It was a rainy overcast day, wet ground. The bull was well hidden and bedded in a thicket and let me walk past him from about 30 yards on my right. He rose from his bed, snapped a branch that had me spin around, flick off the safety and get a quick shot off. All I could see was his orange rump and antlers laying back as he jumped. The bullet hit him just east of the poop-chute, broke that large hip joint, traveled lengthwise through his body and broke his off shoulder piling him up 20 yards away.

For the elk hunting I do here in OR in thick timber, I just cannot see the need for any more power than what I'm getting from my load with the Nosler 210gr Partition at 2,770 fps.



Since building this rifle, it's downed five bulls, and I cannot see any changes on the horizon. YMMV

Out in an area where we didn't quite know what we'd see, whiteys and moose down low, mulies and elk up a little high usually, so I took the 338WM that day. Trodding along a seismic trail, decent whitey pops out, 40-50yds, head on, aimed on the throat, below the back line, 210Part, 2950 @muzzle. Hit neck dead inline with centre of spine, travelled to about 12-14" down centre of spine, came out the top just under the hide, stopped. I was kinda impressed, and thought maybe it shud have gone further. Within 1/2 mile of that whitey, different year, had a bull elk quartering away with the 7-08, 140Part @2850, about 180yds, cross the X type shot behind left shoulder, broke the right shoulder and exited. I sorta gave up trying to figure rhyme or reason to the way bullets behave in a critter, as long as they work.

 

[Gary in MD]

I just returned from South Africa and the 30 cal 168 grain TTSX shot right through bull Kudu, Zebra, Blue Wildebeest and a few others. Launched from 30-06 @ 2860 fps. They would probably work on elk also

 

[David Milisock]

Earlier here I mentioned my pre-'64 M70 in .338-06AI for elk. Just came across an old pic of the first bull I shot with it after re-barreling from 30-06 back in 1988.

It was a rainy overcast day, wet ground. The bull was well hidden and bedded in a thicket and let me walk past him from about 30 yards on my right. He rose from his bed, snapped a branch that had me spin around, flick off the safety and get a quick shot off. All I could see was his orange rump and antlers laying back as he jumped. The bullet hit him just east of the poop-chute, broke that large hip joint, traveled lengthwise through his body and broke his off shoulder piling him up 20 yards away.

For the elk hunting I do here in OR in thick timber, I just cannot see the need for any more power than what I'm getting from my load with the Nosler 210gr Partition at 2,770 fps.



Since building this rifle, it's downed five bulls, and I cannot see any changes on the horizon. YMMV

That's an interesting cartridge bullet combination, good energy and sectional density. I can't think of a better choice for where you hunt.