what caliber do you like for elk hunting?

[L.Sherm]

Quicker follow up while looking at the animal without having to handle another cartridge and insert it

Your talking 1to maybe 2 seconds.
I've shot plenty of elk and deer on " high" country hunting trips cant think of 1 instance a single shot would have not sufficed. Set up properly a single shot can be shot pretty quick. Even though I dont run single shots hunting I've ran them pretty quick on all my varment rifles.
I'll take accuracy anyday if a single shot is what it takes.

 

[wboggs]

Your talking 1to maybe 2 seconds.
I've shot plenty of elk and deer on " high" country hunting trips cant think of 1 instance a single shot would have not sufficed. Set up properly a single shot can be shot pretty quick. Even though I dont run single shots hunting I've ran them pretty quick on all my varment rifles.
I'll take accuracy anyday if a single shot is what it takes.

I appreciate your skill and experience in making one shot kills. Many members here do not equal you. I trust you are not telling me a single shot is more accurate than a bolt action rifle.

 

[L.Sherm]

I appreciate your skill and experience in making one shot kills. Many members here do not equal you. I trust you are not telling me a single shot is more accurate than a bolt action rifle.

I never said all were one shot kills, ive never said a single shot was more accurate either, simply stuffing a bullet deeper in a case just so it will fit mag length may not be the answer.

 

[L.Sherm]

Put a single shot follower in a repeater you can run one pretty quick, should try it.

 

[Stormbringer]

I'm surprised the venerable '06 was not mentioned. That and the 7MM are the two I have the most experience with. I have seen the 300 RUM fail to anchor an elk along with a 340 WBY. The RUM was a close range shot into the shoulder that had terrible surface splash (Hornady SST). The 340 was just plain poor marksmanship, adrenaline, and recoil induced flinching.

The next time I have a tag, I would like to try my Sako 85 in 260. I have worked up an accurate load with 140 grain partitions at 2800fps.

 

[wboggs]

Put a single shot follower in a repeater you can run one pretty quick, should try it.

I have tried it along with long magazines. It does make a little difference in velocity but not a lot. I thought you said I will take accuracy anyday if a single shot is what it takes. Maybe you can clarify

 

[Dimner]

I appreciate your skill and experience in making one shot kills. Many members here do not equal you. I trust you are not telling me a single shot is more accurate than a bolt action rifle.

Unless it's this one....




I'd go with my Tikka 30-06 on elk. Most likely I'd be hunting out of state and when I travel I much rather use standard cartridges. You can buy 30-06 at gas stations in the sticks.

Otherwise, it would be my Tikka 7x57 mauser.

 

[Dimner]

Also .. this is just me only. I never will shoot an animal past 400 yards not even if a guaranteed kill. Doesn't mesh with what I consider a hunt I'd like to be a part of.

I'm not judging anyone. Hike your own hike, hunt your own hunt. But ELR (or maybe MLR to some) is not for me.

Unless it's vermin. Then I don't care how far. The goal in that case is removal of damaging animals

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Would I be doing myself a disservice by loading them to mag length? They'd be seated below the shoulder/neck junction.

If you dont have a donut your fine. But at some point you will. So long as you pay attention to that. I build them on longs and dont seat them deep

 

[L.Sherm]

I have tried it along with long magazines. It does make a little difference in velocity but not a lot. I thought you said I will take accuracy anyday if a single shot is what it takes. Maybe you can clarify

if you go back to my single shot post it was referring to LVLarons comment on having to seat the 185's deeper because of mag box length. If it shoots better seated out then run it Single Shot its not that difficult, I do it all the time in my Varment rifles. Watch the guys in PRS who have the shell holders right next to there bolt maybe 1 second 2 max longer vrs a repeater cycling a round.

 

[wboggs]

if you go back to my single shot post it was referring to LVLarons comment on having to seat the 185's deeper because of mag box length. If it shoots better seated out then run it Single Shot its not that difficult, I do it all the time in my Varment rifles. Watch the guys in PRS who have the shell holders right next to there bolt maybe 1 second 2 max longer vrs a repeater cycling a round.

Last time I looked PRS shooters were shooting low recoil rifles, not some of the typical elk cartridges. Let them try that with a 7mag, .300 mag of some type, .338 and see if it is 1-2 seconds and they are still on target.

 

[wboggs]

if you go back to my single shot post it was referring to LVLarons comment on having to seat the 185's deeper because of mag box length. If it shoots better seated out then run it Single Shot its not that difficult, I do it all the time in my Varment rifles. Watch the guys in PRS who have the shell holders right next to there bolt maybe 1 second 2 max longer vrs a repeater cycling a round.

I believe the subject of the original post (calibers for elk hunting) changed from seating magazine length to seating bullets longer and running them single shot. Both will work but are both practical in elk hunting situations? Pay your money and take your choice.

 

[L.Sherm]

Last time I looked PRS shooters were shooting low recoil rifles, not some of the typical elk cartridges. Let them try that with a 7mag, .300 mag of some type, .338 and see if it is 1-2 seconds and they are still on target.

I offered a solution to a member if he didn't want to seat the bullets deeper nothing more nothing less.
Alot of people run suppressors and brakes that turns a big magnum into 243 recoil.

 

[AndyA]

I've shot elk with:

7mm Rem Mag 175gr Berger Elite Hunter
270 WSM 150gr Accubond LR
6.5-284 Norma 140gr Elite Hunter

Shot placement is better than caliber. Have had to track down elk shot by other group members using a 300 win mag 180 gr, 300 wby 180gr,. 28 Nosler 165gr.. 338 win mag 180 gr.

Again shot placement and confidence in placing that shot are key.

 

[long40shot]

Any of the 300 or 338 magnums are my choice. 300 PRC would probably be a good all around choice. Its being supported well by the industry and isnt going anywhere. I knid of like to have 2. A lighter 300 for packing, and a heavier 338 for the longer shots. Just depends on the type of hunt and the terrain your in. I really like a 300 WSM with the 185 Berger. Same recoil as a 7 saum or 280 ai, but will out shoot both, stay in tune better, and makes a bigger hole.

The 185VLD or the 185 Classic Hunter?

 

[LVLAaron]

I'm gonna assume the Juggernaut.

 

[MTlager]

if you go back to my single shot post it was referring to LVLarons comment on having to seat the 185's deeper because of mag box length. If it shoots better seated out then run it Single Shot its not that difficult, I do it all the time in my Varment rifles. Watch the guys in PRS who have the shell holders right next to there bolt maybe 1 second 2 max longer vrs a repeater cycling a round.

My main elk rifle , 7 saum, is single shot stiller predator action. 338 Edge predator single shot. Curtiss 6 creedmoor single shot. These are all Hunting rifles that I pack. Magagines are a pain in the ass on some calibers !! Could never understand the 5 round ones hanging out the bottom of a rifle . I can do a follow up shot in seconds if I need too .

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Yep, I have killed more elk with a single shot than repeater. I prefer them.

 

[Dan Hall]

.338 Win. mag. I used to shoot Federal’s high energy loads. 250 Nosier Partition at 2680 FPS out of my S/S Model 70 With BOSS. The 338 bullets are made much tougher than lighter bullets. I’ve shot 5 bulls with this combination. All one shot kills.
]

 

[jds holler]

I guess I don't need a cartridge that's more powerful than my 270, because I might not be a good enough shot to hit a 4 or 5 hundred yard elk with a kill shot -- and I know it. There are a lot of guys who aren't any better than I am but they just don't know it. And a "Magnaboomer" isn't gonna help a lot.

It's been my experience that most guys don't shoot much better than 2 MOA with their deer/elk rifles. And that's off a concrete bench at the range. Take away the sand bags, or lead sled, and put them on a bog-pod, or a sketchy rest in natural conditions, and that is probably gonna double or triple. That's gonna make for a 16 + MOA group at 400 yards,, and then enter the error of wind and trajectory miscalculations.

Now I know that most of the members here wouldn't have much of a problem in this regard, -- I'm just thinking of the guys like me who aren't as good as some of y'all. jd