What cartridge is better for Elk and Mule Deer...

[Todd DuBose]

I live in South Texas but have family living in Oregon wanting a rifle to hunt Elk and Mule Deer with. Down here, Almost anything will work. I have a step daughter that weighs about 115 lbs. that wants to hunt both. What do you think would be the Best Caliber? Thanks!!

 

[wyoming .260]

.260 rem. or a 6.5 of similar size( Creedmore, 6.5x55)

 

[Jason Boersma]

I would say 300 win mag with a muzzle brake, it will take down any elk or mule deer and with a brake on it the recoil would be very easy to deal with.

 

[Todd DuBose]

Remember Guys, This is a 115 Lb. Girl we are talking about...I think a 300 Win Mag is a little too heavy for her even with a brake...

 

[hogpatrol]

What distances are you shooting? You may be able to get away with a smaller, less powerful caliber if you're shooting 200 or less yds.

 

[Todd DuBose]

I'm sure it would be less than 200 yards. Never hunted up there. Down here, We shoot at any distance but dont have Big animals other than Hogs that are tough to kill at long distances. But there again, I shoot anything from a 223 remington to a 30-378 Weatherby. Just depends on what I feel like pulling the trigger on that givin day. I shoot a bunch of Wildcats but have no idea on what to hunt Elk and Big Muleys with. New World for me. Shot Placement means everything down here...Up there?? No Idea...

 

[Jason Boersma]

shot placement is the most important thing, imo for elk a person should not shoot anything less than a 30-06. what calibers has she shot before?

 

[XTR]

I'm all for getting enough gun, but if she can't shoot it it won't work. The world record Elk hung in a hardware store in Crested Butte Colorado for many years. It was killed by 30-40 Krag, which is about the same capacity as a 308 but loaded lower.

Probably a 308 or a 7-08. They don't have the legs to run with a magnum to 500 yards, for elk, but if she keeps it close and uses 165/140 grain hunting bullets she should be fine. Both would be fine for mulies. Put a brake on one of those and it should really be easy to handle, with the associated hearing protection issues brakes bring. I don't know what you can shop for off of the shelf for hunting ammo, but I'm sure there is some more than adequate ammo out there in those two calibers.

 

[22BRGUY]

shot placement is the most important thing, imo for elk a person should not shoot anything less than a 30-06. what calibers has she shot before?

I saw a vid a couple of years ago of a guy shooting a big bull elk at around 150 yards with a .243. He did a shot that hit the neck shoulder junction. On the vid in slow motion, you could see the eyes of the elk rolled completely back in its head on impact. The elk was literally dead on its feet before it hit the ground. I've made similar shots on whitetail with a 22 250 55gr bullet. They don't run, they don't kick, they don't go anywhere except straight down. Others may disagree but shot placement to me is what IS most important. You can hit a bull elk with 50 BMG in the guts and it will run a long ways or with a much lighter rifle with a well placed shot and it won't move. My suggestion would be as said before, something up to a 6.5 caliber, maybe Creedmoor, and enough time at the range to be able to place shots where they need to go. JMHO
Best Wishes

 

[bheadboy]

most of the locals where i hunt in WY use 7-08, 243, 30-06, 270, 30-30 factory ammo and fill their tags, Rem and winchester do know how to make bullets that work,

friends son took a 5x5 at 240yd with 7-08 corlok - it just dropped.

Bob

 

[lhead71]

I am agreement with a 6.5 something. I have a 260 and a 6.5 swede that my daughter who weighs about the same shoots very well and with a 120 ttsx at 3100 fps, there is not an elk or mulie alive that will keep going after being hit in the vitals with them, even on an Elk they make two holes.

 

[stool]

plain ol' 308 win....can practice with light bullets till comfortable with the rifle, and then move up to a quality 165 hunting bullet.

 

[ShootDots]

I was visiting a "Dude Ranch" between Angel Fire and Red River New Mexico... One of the sites we took in was taking a 4 x 4 into the mountain to look at Elk. The driver of the 4 x 4 worked at a nearby ranch, as an Elk hunting guide. The ranch specialized in hunting Big Bull Elk. As we driving we began talking about the Elk herds and hunting etc... I became very curious and asked him what he thought was an excellent cartridge for Elk hunting. I was surprised at his statement. I was thinking some sort of magnum... His reply: "In my opinion after seeing many Elk taken, a 280 Remington with a 160gr Nosler Partition was the perfect combo".. I asked him why he thought that.. He said that you need an accurate rifle shooting an excellent bullet so you can place the bullet to hit the vitals... He said that a hard kicking rifle normally causes even an experienced hunter to flinch, thereby making a bad shot.. He also stated that a 160gr Partition will get into the vitals and tear the lungs up>>>>then you have your animal... That was the opinion of an Elk hunting guide...

 

[stacy]

IMOP 243 ACKELY IMP. W/105 VLD BERGER OR ONE OF THE 6.5X47 6.5 CREEDMORE 260 ETC

 

[Erik Cortina]

A 7mm-08 with 140 gr. Barnes TTSX would do the trick.

 

[tdoyka]

6.5 creedmoor 120gr nosler ballistic tip

257 roberts ackley improved 115 gr nosler ballistic tip

i use the 6.5cm, and the next is the 257bob ai.

 

[LCazador]

IMHO the best big game cartridge for youth or small female hunters is the 300 Savage with 150g Partition bullets. It offers low recoil, and knock down power similar to the 308 with careful bullet selection. If you can find an old Rem 722 in this caliber, you'll have a collector's piece as well as a great shooting rifle for both deer and elk. I still have one of these in my safe and it easily shoots 3/4 groups at a hundred, and it will be a hand me down for my grand children. I consider the 7mm bullets to be the smallest diameter to use on elk. My other choices would be the 7/08 with 140g bullets or the 308 with 150g bullets at ranges of 200yds or less for both mulies and elk. Here in Arizona, I've been using a 338 RUM for both( nothing better), but now in my old age I learned to appreciate lower recoil, so my next rifle will be a 7mm Wildcat of my own doing. While I have seen a lot of mule deer shot DRT with a 243, 6mm, or 257 Bob, I've seen just as many walk away and never to be found. I have also seen hunter's that killed deer with a 243 like a lightning bolt hit them and then when they went to say a 308 couldn't kill anything! I'd say that whatever caliber you can get your hands (it's not like you can buy whatever off the store shelf these days) that you can get your young lady to shoot accurately. It's going to take some time at the range and hopefully some time in the field shooting some varmints or some whitetails to determine all this. BTW other excellent calibers are 7X57, 280 Rem, 260 Rem, or 284 Winchester. Confused yet ;D?

 

[stacy]

FELLOWS IT NOT WHAT DRIVE IT'S...................WHERE YOU PARK IT. SHOT PLACEMENT IS WITH EVERY CALIBER MAGNUM OR NOT.243 W/SHOULDER SHOT IS JUST AS GOOD AS CUT SHOT FROM ANY MAGNUM BEEN THERE DONE THAT........

 

[BradMT]

300 Mags needed for elk. Funny stuff right there.

You've been given reams of great info.

260, 7-08 or 308.

Pick one and go with it.

 

[savagedasher]

My grand daughter has a 308 savage with a factory off on break. We cut 2 more inches off the youth stock and put a slip on sims pad .She had killed water Buffalo. Several hogs in the 250 lb class. It is not how big the gun is it how well the shot is placed. Recoil is not something kids need to deal with. A proper fitting gun and plenty of practice with lite loads is the answer. Then you site it in with a full bore load. Trust me on this one she will never feel the recoil. A 308 will kill anything in north America. Shot placement is what hunting is about. Grandpa Larry