What to use for elk?

[Wjesswheel]

308 and 175 SMK? (Gun love these)
308 and try berger 175 vlds?

284 win and 168gr bergers?

338 lapua and 300 gr berger vlds?

All the choices I got right now, my wife shot down building another gun. I dont have a 30 cal in the 200gr to 230gr range...

The lapuas Heavy (35lbs) and cant be packed any, so kinda x's that choice for most applications. I really dont have much carry rifles big enough for elk.. the 284 would be the lightest...

308 with 178 grain eld-x’s at 2825fps most impressive damage I have seen. Loved the smk’s just didn’t know about using them on game, now shoot the eld-x’s in the matches I shoot. If you don’t want to buy a box I can send you a few to try.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

The 168 vld is one of my favorite elk bullets for mid range and in. Put one in the heart or lungs and you will love it.

 

[tstowater]

A lot of good input. The elk I have shot have been killed with a 300WSM and 180 Nosler Partitions. Don't know what makes them tick but those Partitions really work well on elk. I wouldn't have an issue using either the 284 or 308 with a Nosler bullet.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

Wrong answer...

The best place to shoot an elk is right next to a pickup truck!

BINGO,.. Gal, you are, one smart "cookie" ! They even taste better when shot, close to the Truck ! Shot my Elk last Month, about, 1/3 of a mile, up one SMALL hill, away from the Truck ! Best tasting Elk,.. EVER LOL. Oh, and the .270, 140 grain AccuBond,.. "worked" really well, too !

 

[Brians356]

The best place to shoot an elk is right next to a pickup truck!

If you get him that far, just lure him up into the pickup bed, and drop him right there.
-

 

[jds holler]

Trouble with shooting one too close to the truck, is that you'll decide to load the carcass -whole- into the back of the truck. And that isn't easy.

I think I've pretty much made a pact with myself to never move a whole elk again. jd

 

[A_Gamehog]

Use the .308 with the 180 Barnes TTSX, Varget or R-15, federal match LR primers.
Sierra does not recommend matchkings for game, and you don't want to feed your family lead do you?

 

[North Fork]

That's why i have horse's they do all the work

 

[ImBIllT]

I’d use the .284 and a Berger. I’ve never had kills as quick as with Bergers. Just killed my first elk with a 140 Elite Hunter. A light gun is nice on an elk hunt, so personally I wouldn’t use the Lapua. The .284 will have a flatter trajectory than the .30 cal and 168gr is plenty.

 

[nmkid]

I was a Nosler Partition fan for years, until the Swift A-Frame came along. Best elk bullet I ever used.

 

[284winner]

I was a Nosler Partition fan for years, until the Swift A-Frame came along. Best elk bullet I ever used.

The Nosler partition is suppose to retain only 65% of it's bullet upon recovery. The Swift A frame is a 95% recovery bullet. Both entirely different. The partition is great for anything North American. If I were going to use a bullet on heavier thick skinned or heavier boned game, the A frame is what I would prefer. African game would be a good fit for it. It definitely works well on elk as well but not the same bullet as the Nosler

 

[mike a]

Use something built for hunting, which eliminates the Sierra Match Kings. I use the Sierra 180 grain boat tail bullets in any 30 cal for hunting. They won the Wimpleton 1000 yard match years ago.

Wimpleton??? Hahaha. Piss some Marines off.