all around caliber from antelope to elk?

Originally Posted By: 2milehighguyFWIW, I always shot a .30-06 because you can get rounds anywhere- discount stores, gas stations and because everyone else uses it too you can mooch rounds off them if needed.

This is the reason. You can find the bullets ANYWHERE. That is a plus when on a hunt. Lost or stolen luggage you can still find bullets for your gun from the sports shop to the hardware store.
 
I too hunt with the 3006. I have hunted with many different calibers. 338,338 ultra mag, 270, 7mm mag and the 300 win mag. I like the 3006 for all the reason already noted here. The ammo is very easy to find and to 300 yards not enough difference between the 300 win mag to talk about. I also like the fact that the barrels are 2" shorter then on some other calibers. I'm not bashing the magnum fans here as I own a few of them myself.
 
Originally Posted By: reb8600The 30-06 is good. I have killed a lot with the 270. Regardless of what you hear, it is not to small for elk. The 7mm is a good choice also.

I also don't consider the .25-06 to small for Elk. I've read lots about Bob Milek who favored the .25 for Elk. Having owned one for 35 years I'll vouch that it will do the job.
 
I've never "heard" a complaint from any of the antelope, or elk, I've killed with my 30'06 - and there have been more than a few. I also never had a problem when I shot a 308 (stolen from me, and replaced with a 30-06)
I've mostly used 165 gr Core-Lokts.
 
Originally Posted By: mark shubertI've never "heard" a complaint from any of the antelope, or elk, I've killed with my 30'06 - and there have been more than a few. I also never had a problem when I shot a 308 (stolen from me, and replaced with a 30-06)
I've mostly used 165 gr Core-Lokts.

They didn't complain to you they complained to me. They drop by all the time complaining of how you shot them with that .30 06. They tell me they wish you'd use something else.
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Originally Posted By: joedOriginally Posted By: reb8600The 30-06 is good. I have killed a lot with the 270. Regardless of what you hear, it is not to small for elk. The 7mm is a good choice also.

I also don't consider the .25-06 to small for Elk. I've read lots about Bob Milek who favored the .25 for Elk. Having owned one for 35 years I'll vouch that it will do the job.

I use the 25 for antelope and deer, I don't believe it has enough margin for error on an elk. I'm not talking about believing an ankle shot with a 30-06 will magically put an elk down and a vitals with the 25 won't, just that if I pull left and grab the shoulder that the 25 will do the job to cover my screw up. Even when I shot a lot I'd still throw one from time to time.

With that scenario I'd prefer a heavier bullet I have more faith in that it will blow the joint and keep going.

Having said that I'm trying barnes TTSX this year. I've never recovered a bullet except my very first deer, but hey might as well try new!
 
Here is a list that will work just fine: 7mag, 280 rem, 3006, 270 win or WSM, 7mm-08, 260, 6.5 x 284, 2506, 257 Weatherby ....... and on and on.

I'd look more at what rifle you wish to carry and go from there.

Some say these are too small for elk, well my boy just dumped a spike bull at 571 yards with my .270 Winchester!

Again it's shot placement and bullet selection more than ft pounds of energy or bore diameter.
 
"Again it's shot placement and bullet selection more than ft pounds of energy or bore diameter."

Finally someone who gets it !!!!
Using a smaller caliber is like bow hunting, you have to have a good shot on the vitals. I use a 243 80 grain for pigs but can't do a shoulder shot as it won't penetrate the 1.5" thick cartilage armor plate, I have to sneak it in behind the shoulder angled forward where as a larger caliber/heavier bullet (30-06, 270 in the 160 grain range)would go thru the plate and hit the heart/lungs. People use a 17 HMR and do a brain shot. Any gun will work if the shot presents itself. The bigger cartridges just give you more options. Bullet selection, not just weight plays a role in penetrating something big like an elk.
I do like the answers on this forum though. Most people just tend pound their chest and recommend the latest ultra giant super magnum.
 
mainly, because it makes up for their shortcomings.....and, if you notice, most that recommend the magnumbs, don't even live in elk country and many have never even hunted, let alone killed one......
 
Originally Posted By: huntsman22mainly, because it makes up for their shortcomings.....and, if you notice, most that recommend the magnumbs, don't even live in elk country and many have never even hunted, let alone killed one......

I agree, by and large that seems to be the trend (not here specifically, just on forums). I shot my first elk with a Rem 788 243 at 80 yards in the neck...bang flop. But I probly wouldn't choose it again. Lol. An '06 isn't a bad voice, neither are most of the ones that were reccomended.

Personally I think Huntsmans Kimber 260 set up would be slick.........
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7mm Rem Mag. I don't even have one but it is a great cal. Recoil on pair with 30-06 & shoots flatter at long range.
My battery
.22 LR
.17 HMR
.223 Rem
6mm Rem
.264 Win Mag
300 H & H
 
Bigsky songdogs,

My little brother used to kill elk every year with his .243 winchester, until he earned enough cash to buy a bigger gun.

It always worked just fine for him too.
 
The largest bodied bull elk I have ever personally seen killed was shot at a range of about 75 yards with a 243 Winchester chambered rifle fired by a person other than myself. The shot was a double lung shot, and the elk ran about 40 yards and ran head-on full speed into a large pine tree, literally dead on his feet, before piling up at that point.

With that said, a 243 Win would not be my first choice if I was going elk hunting, but with good bullet placement and shot selection in terms of yardage (in essence what might be called a "perfect shot" for a 243 Win on elk by some people), a 243 Win with a good stout bullet will kill an elk every time just as dead as will any other more powerful cartridge/bullet combination. But a good stout bullet is a requirement.

My personal choices with an elk hunt in mind would begin with a 264 Win Mag and go on up in bore diameter from there using either a non-magnum or a magnum cartridge that you can shoot well. Read "shoot well" to mean a cartridge/rifle combination that does not make your eyes glaze over when the trigger is pulled. If the ability to do that stops for you at a 243 Win, then it might be YOUR best choice.

With all due respect, notice that I do not live in a state where elk abound in huntable numbers, but where I live we have airports and roads that are both capable of easily taking me where I want to go to hunt elk. That being something which I have done numerous times in my life.
 
I took my 1st deer with a .243, biggest deer I've ever seen, and haven't been a fan ever since. Bullet hit a rib right behind the shoulder and failed to penetrate, rode the rib up, clipped the spine, rode the other rib down and lodged in the meat. It didn't penetrate at all. That is no hole what-so-ever inside the body. Good shot placement at maybe 150 yards, likely closer.

The deer dropped from the spine but seeing that was mostly luck and the round essentially failing has left a bad taste in my mouth for it. Definitely wouldn't try the round on anything larger.

Admittedly I have 0 idea what bullet was used, it was a long time ago, but I know my dad was a big fan of core-lokts and speer basic BT's back then I assume it was one of the 2. I know it's a fairly successful round and the odds of what happened happening again are really remote, but I can't get past it when the odds of one of the larger calibers doing the same thing drop substantially even from the low odds of the .243 doing it again.

So for me, the .243 is absolutely maxed out at mule deer. And the lowest I use even for antelope is the 25-06 and bigger.
 
I gotta say 30-06, I have a 7mm rem mag and that is my big game rifle but a 30-06 is so universal that its hard to go wrong with. I like that ammo is available everywhere, brass is not to expensive, and if your will to sacrifice some range to can throw a 220+ grain projectile down range. 30-06 all the way...
 
As someone whose name now escapes me said, (maybe paraphrasing) "A 30-06 is never the wrong answer when big game is concerned".
 
I'm a 30-06 guy also but my next rifle will be a .300 mag short or long magnum.

A .300 is getting a little big for antelope but if you stay with broadside shots and stay away from the shoulders you wont have a problem.

I have taken elk with 165gr from 30-06 no problem but I believe one of the magnums could help you out of a jam a little better.
 
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