What caliber rifle would you buy for elk?

My .338 is a Ruger M77 MarkII. I replaced the canoe paddle factory stock with a Hogue, and had a muzzle brake added. After the trigger job and having the action trued and the barrel lapped it shoots .375" goups at 100 yards with .225 Hornady's.



I wouldn't trade it...................
 
I would list the .35 Whelen and the .338-06 in the list of "non-magnums". Both are based on the .30-06 and offer excellent results without "all" of the recoil of a magnum.

As I posted above, the .35W is almost a "magic" round in my opinion.
 
I have an old mossberg .30-30 lever action that's a notorious one shot killer. Took an elk with her once too. Had it since I was 12, so I've been shopping around for awhile, on the off chance that I get the money to buy a gun sometime. I really enjoy the lever action, but I've thinking about going up to the ought 6.
 
25-06, 03-06, 270, 300swm Any of there would be fine. Take the time to get to know the gun and how it shoots. Get comfotable shooting it. A box of shells in my mind is not even close to enough.
 
Of the 680 some elk I have had a knife in the .338 win mag is the best for one shot knock downs on elk period. good luck, Al.
 
Quote:
imskippy
Good advice here. However, since you are coming out of New Jersey where there isn't a lot of room to hunt, I would make a couple suggestions.

1) I wouldn't buy a magnum cartridge as your first centerfire rifle. The recoil can be a real eye-opener if you haven't shot a centerfire very much.

2) I'd suggest something in the 30-06 family (.270, .280, 30-06) or the 308 (including the 338 Federal)

3) I'd suggest a lot of range time in order to become familiar with ballistics, recoil and distance estimation.




DaveD made a good point on the first page. There are allot of guns out the that will work for elk. but if this is your first centerfire you should stay off of the big boys. You have shot the 30-06 but I sense from your post the recoil was stout. Well it is. 30-06 and .308 are pretty much max for average sized deer, with excessive meat damage, but make perfect deer/elk rifles. If youve changed your mind and are just looking for a deer gun then Id say the .243 is minimal for a first deer gun. 260/ 7mm08 will give you a little more room for error.

Good nonbigbadmakeyouflintch magnums for elk enclude the .308, 30-06, and wsm familys. .270win as a MINIMUM.(the 270 has always been iffy but with modern bullets (ex. tsx and partition its now a contender) .270, .270wsm, 7mm wsm, 7mm08, .280, .308 marlin, .308, .30-06, .300wsm, .338 federal, and .338-06. You could even add the .350 rem mag and .35 Wheelen but recoil starts getting sharp.

You wont find allot if any outfitters that will let an Eastern hunter bring something smaller than a .270 win. If you do the the 6.5mm cartridges could pull it off at lesser ranges. .260 rem, .264 with properly constructed bullets ofcoarse. Like the tsx or partition.

That all being said my elk rifle of choice is a .58 cal flintlock. My second choice is my .325 wsm.
 
I have taken several elk in colorado and new mexico with my .270 great all around caliber. perfect on deer, antelope,elk,black bear and for years it was my calling gun for yotes
 
I´d go with a 30-06, as many before me said it´s a capable caliber.....

///Fredrik /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
The more popular the make, model and caliber the gun, the easier and longer you or your aires will be able to find ammunition or components to shoot it. Also will affect it't resale/trade value in the future.
 
I shot two bulls in Az with a 7 Mag, dropped them like a toilet seat falling. They did not run one step.

I would have to say, that If I were starting from scratch, I would buy a 300 Winchester and shoot the 180g Sierra BTSP with a Max load of IMR 4350 at 3100+ fps. A Muzzle break really helps on a 300 Win Mag!
 
Hell my 12 year old girl shot her first goat with a .280 and shoots a 12 ga for a trap gun you guys should be able to take at least that much recoil. My sons 270 wsm kicks harder than my .300 win mag.
 
My son had a Model 70 Winchester rebarrelled from 30-06 to 35 Whelen for me a few years back. I would probably use that on Elk with a 225 grain Nosler. My old standby is a 1916 Enfield in 7mm Mag with a 160grain Nosler Accubond load I developed for moose in Alaska. It will put three rounds in one hole at 100 yards if I do my part. If all else failed I'd use my Encore rifle with the 30-06 barrel and 165 grain spirepoint.

No matter which gun and caliber you decide on, you've gotten some pretty good advice. Practice with it a lot from hunting positions...not just off the bench. I put 150 rounds through the 7mm Mag before I took it to Alaska for moose. You have to know your rifle,your ammo and your skill level. Good luck on your choice.
 
I take 2 rifles elk hunting i carry a 444 marlin when i hunt the timber,short shots not always perfect placement so the extra oomph is good.then i carry a300 win mag when watching the meadows or walking more open country where far shots are a possibility
 
Well,I'm either taking a Tikka 7 Rem Mag next fall,or a Tikka 30/06. I've carried the 300 RUM and had a spare rifle in 270 WSM in camp. Pick a rifle brand,model,and action you shoot well and are happy with. Chambered in one of the '06 based rounds or light magnums. Heavy magnums like the 300 and 338 Ultras,338 Lapua,7mm Ultra and the like are hard hitting on both ends. Expensive to opperate,and heavy. If you are in my age group,or not particularly fit and used to thin air. A light mountain weight 270 or 30/06 will be a God send about day 3. Trust me on that one,lol.
 
I'm in love with my Kimber Montana in 325 WSM. It's never let me down and is more than enough accurate for elk hunting to 400yd.

Now my next gun will be the Kimber Ascent in 280AI. For the longest time now I've wanted a 270/7mm classs rifle for hunting and this is the one I will definitely go with. It costs a pretty penny but for my style Im sure it'll be worth it. So on that point I would suggest a 270/7mm class rifle, leaning more towards the 7mm Mag/280AI/280 Express.
 
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