1st elk hunt need rifle advice

[CVCOBRA1]

Even with today's more modern factory ammo you are at a slight handicap by not reloading. Is your 270 a shooter now? Will it shoot sub MOA? Do you have confidence in it when you take it to the woods? If the answer to these questions are yes, you might be just as well off buying new optics and a few cases of ammo to practice with. If you think its too heavy you could always have it bedded in a composite stock to lighten it up. Hornady has a 145gr ELD-X for Precision Hunter line. You might pick up a couple of boxes of that and see how it shoots in your rifle.
You can always get a Sako Finnlight that weights 5 1/2 lbs in 300WM and be good to go. Benching that gun will be hurtful so be prepared.

 

[Go 8mm]

Hello all! I'm new to the forum but have been lurking for awhile.

This coming hunting season I have my first (hopefully not last) back packing elk hunt. I currently have a .270 but would like to set up a new light weight rifle for longer range shooting, backpacking, and elk hunting.

I don't have much long range shooting experience, I usually do stand hunting within 300 yards for whitetail in Georgia.

I have considered:
Weatherby mark V
Bergara premier
Christensen arms ridgeline
CA Mesa (would put the additional funds to better optics)

I want to keep the rifle under $2000. I still haven't figured out my optics as of yet but it would be around the same $2000

As for a caliber I'm considering:
6.5 creedmor
6.5 prc
28 nosler
7mm
300 win

I wanted a "do all" caliber that would work for elk but would also potentially work for deer. I've never hand loaded nor do I plan on going down the rabbit hole anytime soon so I would be using over the counter ammunition for the time being.

Any helpful advice would be appreciated

Thanks
Dan

Nothing wrong with a .270 I have a friend that has killed nearly 50 elk with a 270 and 130 grain sierra. This friend of mine is in his 70's. He has killed many elk with a 270 on an M77 Ruger. I built him a 270 on a 98 Mauser.

I have taken elk with the following rounds 300 Winchester 5-6, 30-06 several, 7x57 SEVERAL, 25-06 QTY 1, 6.5 x284 qty 1, 8mm-06 IMP Several. The furthest shot I made was 550 yards. I killed a cow and a bull with two shots with my 7x57 with 150 grain Sierra Game kings. I was **** lucky I had a rest and back pack that worked like a sand bag.

But if you are set a new gun I would go 300 Winchester. YOu can get a box of shells at wall mart for $25.00 and it is tuff round. Grain of powder per foot of second you cant beat it.

 

[Go 8mm]

Check out the 280AI and let me know what you think. 7mmRM performance with less recoil. Good factory ammo etc. i am with you on the 6.5s - they are fun to shoot. When something is fun to shoot they get shot a whole lot more.

280 AI is a good round. It will keep up with a 7mm RM.

 

[Jared2700]

If it was me, I'd stick with the 270 and use any available funds to upgrade optics or lighten the rifle.

Unless, of course, I just wanted a new rifle, and then it would be probably the bergara premier highlander in 7RM.

I like the Bargara idea. Only in 300 win mag. They are very nice rifles. Mabe check out Athlon optics. Have one they track perfect and have a decent price point.

 

[FIGJAM]

280 AI is a good round. It will keep up with a 7mm RM.

Exactly. I have plans to rebarrel my favorite 25-06 to 280AI as soon as it is shot out...which should be soon! Lol

 

[FIGJAM]

Even with today's more modern factory ammo you are at a slight handicap by not reloading. Is your 270 a shooter now? Will it shoot sub MOA? Do you have confidence in it when you take it to the woods? If the answer to these questions are yes, you might be just as well off buying new optics and a few cases of ammo to practice with. If you think its too heavy you could always have it bedded in a composite stock to lighten it up. Hornady has a 145gr ELD-X for Precision Hunter line. You might pick up a couple of boxes of that and see how it shoots in your rifle.
You can always get a Sako Finnlight that weights 5 1/2 lbs in 300WM and be good to go. Benching that gun will be hurtful so be prepared.

I have had good luck with those .277 ELDX on elk. I have been meaning to try some 150gr ABLR, but haven't had a chance yet.

 

[FIGJAM]

I'm going to take more of a piecemeal approach to this one. There are one or two things here I think need to be unpacked.

I don't disagree with anything you said there. At some point the law of diminishing marginal returns kicks in. I am not saying that the 308s and 338s are poor choices...but if a 6.5 prc or a 270 win kills them just as dead as a 300 wm or 338 wm, at some point the rest is all for show. Shoot what you want, but those little 6.5s with the right bullet and cartridge get the job done. My 270wsm shooting little 145s are bad medicine out a real long ways. My 300 rum and 300 wby never get used anymore...i just sold my 325wsm. I can see myself dumping my 300 mags because I don't see any material improvement in performance over my 270wsm. Thats just my personal opinion based on my experience and results from a lot of dead elk. I am not a little dude who is recoil shy either, so it isn't that I can't take the recoil of the big guns.

 

[35 Whelen]

Do you think sometimes we confuse size with toughness? My experience has been that elk aren't that tough as long as you shoot the right bullet and don't take stupid shots. Moose are the same way - big animals but not that tough. I think some of the whitetails I have seen shot are tougher to kill than elk.

Not on this one. Caribou are big two but not as tough as elk. I have heard a lot of old well experienced hunters that have hunt elk, moose and other big game all their lives and they will tell you big bull elk are the toughest to take down. Yes a good bullet and a well placed shot is a must with any caliber/cartridge. I have also seen deer being tough and not go down to a single well placed shot with a good bullet. The OP has a .270 witch is a very good cartridge (my first an still one of my favorites), so by going to a 6.5 or a 7mm he is not gaining much. The 30 calibers will offer him a lot more, so he may as will go with what's going to give him the most advantage. I had the same decision to make when I move out west, the big game rifles I had were 30-30 and 270 Win. I look at a lot of them, talk to a lot of the older hunters and the .300 Win. Mag made the most sense. Another friend of mine how had hunt with a .270 did the same thing, he had hunted for years with guys deer and elk hunting with the 7mm's and seen little advantage over the .270. He wanted a rifle to hunt every thing with and went with the .300 Win. mag and has never regretted it.

 

[planetwaves]

This coming hunting season I have my first (hopefully not last) back packing elk hunt. I currently have a .270 but would like to set up a new light weight rifle for longer range shooting, backpacking, and elk hunting.

I don't have much long range shooting experience, I usually do stand hunting within 300 yards for whitetail in Georgia.

I have considered:
Weatherby mark V
Bergara premier
Christensen arms ridgeline
CA Mesa (would put the additional funds to better optics)

I want to keep the rifle under $2000. I still haven't figured out my optics as of yet but it would be around the same $2000

As for a caliber I'm considering:
6.5 creedmor
6.5 prc
28 nosler
7mm
300 win

I wanted a "do all" caliber that would work for elk but would also potentially work for deer. I've never hand loaded nor do I plan on going down the rabbit hole anytime soon so I would be using over the counter ammunition for the time being.

Any helpful advice would be appreciated

Thanks
Dan[/QUOTE]

I have both a 270 Win and a 300 WM. I have killed 5 elk in the last 5 years. 3 with the 270 and 2 with the 300 WM. They were all just as dead. I haven't had to make what this forum would consider a "long range" shot. The furthest was 410 yards, taken with the 270. Basically the 270 with 130 gr bullets and the 300 WM with say 180 or 190 gr bullets have roughly the same trajectory, but of course the larger bullet from the 300 will carry more energy at longer ranges. If you can keep your shots within 500 yards, the 270 will ruin any elk's day. If you are skilled enough to make longer range shots the 300 with the larger bullets would be better. Some folks who use the 270 prefer a 150 gr bullet for elk. I haven't gone that route. The guide I elk hunt with uses and recommends the 270 Win with 130 gr Nosler Ballistic bullets. I tried those and became a believer and have stayed with them. Your 270 will be fine, but if you feel the need to get a new rifle, the 300 WM would be a good prospect. Several friends of mine also have 7mm RM and are really happy with them. I would much rather carry a 270 than a 6.5 CM, so wouldn't build one of those if I already had a 270.

 

[Chippewa]

I started planning to hunt elk diy about 3years ago. Figured its to far away not to get some gear that help the odds. I started reloading for my rem700 30-06 with 178g eldx and vx3 scope. A kestrel, 1200yd range finder and lots of hours practicing and reading and feel good to 600yds. Then I thought, if I drive 30hours from PA to CO mountains with a deer rifle set up an fancy glass to elk watch like birds cuz I can't quite get to them, then what... So saved up an went with a Ridgeline 300rum with bipod and NXS. The thing is fun to shoot. I load 212g eldx at 3050fps an the sideport brake makes it kick less than the 06. Its a .5moa gun off a Harris spiked in dirt. I did bed the action and optic rail which seemed to help. But nice rifle to carry even with heavy NXS.
Take your time an try an go see the rifle an optic before you buy it. The carbon work on CA barrel will sell its self. But if your really going this year you should use what your most comfortable shooting I would think.

 

[operator1]

I shoot the .270 well and have had time shooting a .300. I planned on using a muzzle break and I'll have to look deeper into the app



I knew a .300 would be a good choice I just wanted to dive deeper/get feed back before getting a .300



I know and Ive also considered changing my scope on my .270 to an adjustable turret. I currently have a browning Xbolt hc speed.

I guess I was using this hunt as an excuse to get a new rifle

Browning X bolt is all you need in 300 wm. Best all around cartridge and the x bolt is a very nice rifle. I own a 300 wm x bolt medallion. Have been hunting elk for 50+ years and the 300 wm is great for ballistics and knock down power. Also the 30-06 is a good choice but the x bolt 300 ,would be my choice.

 

[buck8541]

If you can handle the recoil, 300 Win Mag. Elk are tough animals and I personally use a 338 Win Mag with 250gr Accubonds. Then again, I hunt elk in NW Montana and there is nothing worse than an elk running after being shot and going down in blow down timer or snags. It makes an already hard job of gutting, skinning and quartering an almost unbearable job.

 

[bigngreen]

The best thing to shoot for elk is a rifle you'll shoot accurately a LOT, shot placement gets an elks attention first and foremost, anything that stands in your way of shoot a lot and shooting well compromises killing elk clean!!
Plan on losing your cool the first few times you have elk in range, I've seen hardened deer slayers reduced to drooling morons the first time they are in range and actually have an elk to shoot, having a rifle that you can kick into auto pilot kill mode is the best thing to have regardless of the chambering. An elk can go a LONG ways with a 300 bullet through its guts, they will go steps with a 243 bullet tucked behind the shoulder!!

 

[operator1]

I have Swarovski 10x42s and a new kuiu pack. I have been slowly gearing up for this hunt with the proper equipment. Even if it costs more I believe in the phrase "buy once, cry once". I'm getting all first lite clothing (I have a crazy good discount code). So when it comes to gear I won't be going cheap.

What it broke down to is i wanted to get a rifle that I would have zero doubt in. As i can clearly see .300 is on the top of 90% of people's recommendation. So if I do get a rifle it will probably be a .300.

Great choice!