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Elk season and the other fall hunting seasons will soon be here , in light of that I have read a few articles lately that tag the 7mm’s and .277’s as “marginal” for Elk hunting. I would assume that a blanket statement such as this includes magnum 7mm’s and .277’s.

Still others say nothing smaller than .30 Cal is acceptable. So a .30-30 or .308 Win is “better” than a 7mm Rem mag because it shoots a .308” bullet instead of a .284? And yet in the same sentence say 90% of Elk hunters cannot handle the recoil of .300 and .338 Magnums without flinch? Pure crap I say. .

I will also say this, I have never myself hunted Elk with a rifle, but my basic understanding of how rifles work and knowledge gained from those who are experienced with rifle hunting Elk leads me to believe otherwise. In fact, most guys I know who do and have done a fair amount of Elk hunting use either a 7mm Rem. Mag., a .300 Win or WBY Mag., or a .30-06.

I don’t buy that a .270 WBY or 7mm Mag is “marginal” I do think the .270 Win is probably the smallest I would consider, if I had no other option. I know of one Elk killed with a .243 Win, which is the smallest legal caliber in many states for Elk.

Obviously, Elk have been killed with guns from the .243 Win to the .416 Rigby and above. I don’t consider the .270 Win “ideal” by any means for Elk but I do think it is capable with premium bullets such as the Barnes Triple-Shock and others.

To my thinking I would say the .30-06 Sprg./ .280 Rem. Along with and up through the 7mm, .300, 8mm and .338 Cal. Mags are about “ideal” or the most capable rifles.

We all know that the “best” gun is the one you shoot most accurately and have the most confidence in for the task at hand; as well as the fact that Elk or any other game animal having taken a bullet through the boiler room will soon expire.

My personal take on this is that the best gun is the most powerful one you can shoot well. If you can’t handle the recoil of a .340 WBY or .338 Win mag (I would guess most guys who are not serious shooters cannot) but you shoot a .30-06 ok, use the ’06. In my own collection, I could choose from either the 7MM Rem Mag or the .30-06, I shoot MOA groups or better with both guns and I think either are capable of killing Elk as far away as I care to shoot them. Considering that, I might take a stab at the .338 Win or .375 H&H some day, just because I can.

What are your thoughts on this? I am not looking for advice on what to buy for an Elk rifle, just venting at some outdoor writers and some fish and wildlife departments BS.

Good question.I live in Montana and talk to Elk hunters and guides all the time.A 270 win in the hand of a true marksman will work as long as distances are kept at a decent level,I have seen a bullet start in an elk broadside at 388 yards and wind up in the neck,that was a 30/06 and the elk died pretty fast but the bullet didn't seem to have enough power to totaly penetrate.
A starting faster velocity might have gone through as expected,thats why I switched to 300 Weatherby mag and 300 Win Mag.
That being said a good friend and a very successfull elk hunter has taken all but a couple of elk with a 7mm mag and some at distances I would not even try.
Many arguments have started over elk cartridges and most have their own opinions but a guide asks such questions as,what caliber do plan on bringing and how well do you shoot it?
Can you shoot it well under stress such as walking uphill and then shooting off hand?

Responses to this could get interesting!
While I've never hunted elk, I think that a cartridge like the 270 would work okay as long as you know your limits.
I've read more than one story about folks using their 243s and 25/06s successfully also.
Some of these "know it all" writers would be better named as "sales reps". All any of them do is jump from one side of the fence to the other now-a-days according to what company is paying the bill.

HWD

Like HWD - I've never hunted Elk, but obviously hope to scratch that itch someday. PA sets the minimum on Elk at .27 Even if given the choice of something smaller - I think that the 270 is the smallest I would use .... with a premium bullet of course. But probably would keep myself at the 300 Win Mag/WSM area.

I have recently fought off the desire to get a Hill Country Rifle Elk rifle in the 35 caliber Hill Country has made popular.They call it a 35 HCR.
I have long seen the 35 caliber as a quick killer and now the 35 HCR has taken it to a new level.It is a 35 cal in a 338 win mag case that has become a fairly long range cartridge and accounted for a number of animals in Africa and now here in North America.
One elk was taken in Northern New Mexico at around 400 yards and fell as quick as any animal could possibly fall.
What do you guys think of the 35 HCR for an Elk rifle?

Hello
I live here in the great state of Oregon , I am 44 and have been deer, elk, bear, and couger hunting since I was 13 .
I started out with my fathers 1960 300 savage beatween him and me we took alot of deer and elk with that gun , great little shooter.
Soon I got my First Remington semi auto 30/06 and that to killed many deer and elk .
you mentioned the 270 that is a great round its all on the placement of the shot and knowing your limits and that of the gun .
I did have a 270 pump for a short time , I used it one year elk hunting but did not like the feel of it when I would pull it up .
Now days I hunt with a 338 mag and a BFR 45/70 pistol I enjoy them both and have had great luck with them the past few years .
I would say its all about what feels and fits the best when you pull it up and shoot it , and its all about bullet placement , although I would never pass up shooting a 30/06 elk hunting they are in my mind the best all around deer/elk gun and can take down the biggest bull elk to a nice little fork mule deer no problem , but as before its all about your shooting and placing the bullet in the kill zone .
so on that note hope you get out in the woods and have a safe season and enjoy , and if you have a chance to take someone new out in the woods do it and sare the experiance of the great out doors .

I live in Louisiana and have never had the chance to hunt elk. I love my Rem. 7400 .270 I have had for more years than I can remember. I have killed 2 deer with it at over 300 yds but I wouldn't use it for elk though. I'm sure it would kill it but how far would it run and would you be able to recover it. If I had the chance to go I would take my .300 Weatherby. Why take the chance of being underpowered and just wound an animal. Then again a .416 won't do the job either if you don't place your shot in the right place. Thats just my opinion Everone is intitled to ther own though.

Like several others who have posted here, my next elk will be my first.

That said, I have talked to others at the range where I do most of my shooting who hunt elk regularly with .270 win, 30-06, and 300win. They generally shoot those elk inside of 250yds. I also know someone who owns a ranch in Wyoming who a number of years ago got his mule deer, elk, and a moose all with the same 30-06.

My general opinion is to repeat what others have stated as common sense, use the biggest cartridge from .270 and up that you can shoot well for bulls. In my case, I happen to have a .300wby Vanguard that would be my first choice, and I have a Rem 700 in 30-06 that I would take as a backup. If I didn't have the weatherby, I'd probably take the 30-06 as the primary and a Win mod 70 in .270 as the backup...

I have elk hunted for over 20 years and my longest shot at an elk was in the open at 300 yards, In my experiance most shots are with in 150 yards in the brush and thickets.
I have had some open range shots but have to say most of my elk were killed with in that 150 yards and I have killed most of my elk with a Ramington woodsMaster30-06 shooting 180 gr round nose silver tips.
Although I do pack a 338 mag and a BFR 45-70 Revolver now elk hunting I still have the old 06 as a back up in camp .
So wheather you use a 270 or a large bore its all about bullet placement, timing and knowing your and your guns limits.

Elk rifles are an interesting subject...in the 40 years I have hunted elk here in S. Wy. the change has been from 270's and 06's to flatter shooting more powerful rifles...are elk getting tougher..no, but they are found in more places than they were when I shot my first one years ago..then they were mainly found in the mts. with steep timbered hills sides, and open parks or clear cuts..some long shots were always possible...in the early days, some guys used the .25-06, and a few still do..but they are mostly very experienced riflemen, who have lots of "time" to make a clean kill...one rancher used a .25-06 and a govt. hunter, both went to a .300 because, "they were tired of tracking elk"....while some are shot with a .243, most of these guys never shoot beyond 100 yards and shoot for the ear...I doubt a visiting hunter or most hunters would want that restriction..while a .243 can kill an elk, how far will you have to track him with a lung shot?????right now I have a great spot to hunt elk...if the elk are killed and go down with in 25 yards, the job is simple to load them and pack them out...if they get off in the brush, the job is horrible...so I use a pretty heavy rifle...and try for high shoulder shots or a shot that will down the elk right there....243's dont cut it for me.. Now elk are found in many sage brush canyons, and very open country..long shots are pretty common..the flat shooting mag. rifles take much of the guess work out of shooting elk across canyons, and have more punch when they get there...Bob Hagel felt the core of the elk rifles...began with roughly the 280 and went through the 338's...he recommended premium bullets...bigger calibers shoot flatter and hit harder...maybe the country you hunt this year will be perfect for a 30-06 with a 200 grain part., but next year a 300 with a 180 would be required...generally, my three favorite rifles are the 7mm mag, the ,300 mag. and the .338's..

The topic of how many angels can dance on the top of a pin will be figured out long before a consensus is reached on what is the "best" elk rifle or rifle for most any other critter for that matter. That is all part of what makes the forum so interesting and to hear a wide range of opinions and experiences.

Due to budgetary constraints and practical concerns, I have pretty much settled on my Wby V'guard in 300 Winnie Mag and Winnie Supreme 180 grain Loads as my elk and primary combo for about everything. That combo drops things for me like Thor's hammer and I enjoy hunting with that particular rig. I'd be willing to my lad's 7 mag or 30-06 as a back-up or even a primary if that was all I had for elk. Sometimes you got to go with the tools you've got and I've used a 7-08 (when that was all I had) but that was as low I personally would want to go.

Hey D-shot, is there any info on the 35 HCR? It sounds interesting and I've been hankering for a 35 bore for when I'm able to get back to repopulating the gunsafe.