30-06 or 300mag

[kolob10]

The 30-06 is fine for Elk. When I was younger, I used a .308 Win for cow elk up to 300 yards. Never had to do a follow up shot. One shot, on kill. My bull gun was a 7mm mag and 300 Win Mag so I could reach across the canyon if necessary. Shot placement is the key with any caliber. Once you have you gun tuned from the bench, practice realistic field shooting positions. Horsepower doesn't
Compensate for poor shooting. A Texas heartshot with a 300 ultramag is no better than a .308 in the same place. Good hunting!

 

[jjmp]

Welcome to the LRH forum, yes the 30/06 is easily a 400yd Elk rifle . Your bullet choice is a good one , now read all you can on this subject ,preferably here on our forums , many great Hunters & Riflemen tell their hunt stories good and bad, it's Real Experience that helps all up n comming hunters ,no matter what age or gender .plan on shooting your 06 at lot ,& at all different ranges ,especially out to 400 yards . When you can call your shot & put it there your Half way there ! Remember theirs Camp to plan for ,food ,tents gear , many things . The best tip I can give you is Elk are heard animals if & when they get split up they want to re gather and group back up again ,their 5 times the size of deer,& can be noisey as heck,and when they want to be they can be as quite as a mouse, if they lost theirs eyes and ears they could live off their noses alone !!! Good luck n BeSafe !!!

 

[memtb]

Quote: A Texas heartshot with a 300 ultramag is no better than a .308 in the same place. Good hunting!

That depends upon bullet type and weight used! memtb

 

[theodoreh]

First time elk hunter. Is a 30-06 enough out to 400 yards or do I need a new gun.

30-06 loaded with bullets designed for elk hunting are excellent from zero to beyond 400 yard.

If ya handload, I strongly recommend 215 Bergers if they group well for ya. They are elk stompers. Or use the proven factory ammo, I don't know which one to recommend, you got a lot of options.

 

[MajorSpittle]

I'd say '06 is great for elk to 400 if you reload and use a 200+ gr bullet to match velocity. '06 is ok to 400 with GOOD production ammo. 300WM is a true elk cartridge that will give you about 200yards of performance over the '06 with heavy elk bullets. If I saw my trophy elk at 400, I'd want to be holding a 300WM vs '06.
This is my opinion, so it is 100% correct.

 

[Old Rooster]

Huggy I hunt public/private land and here in Montana as a resident you can get an over the counter elk tag EVERY year.
I put in for cow elk every year and get picked most of the time.
I do put in for Bull elk but only get a draw every 10 years or so as I put in for a Big elk area and a low amount of draws are picked.But I still put in for an elk-B tag every year.That means I can kill 2 elk every year if I want.Montana is getting wise about that and are considering limiting elk to 1 per person per year in some areas.
In well over 40 years of elk hunting I have killed big elk and many cow elk as I don't have a recipe for horns I prefer cow elk.
I have had bad health problems for many years now and don't kill an elk every year anymore as I can't walk very far.
Best place to live if you don't need to make a lot of money.
Old Rooster

 

[Wraith Hunter]

Very good insight from all! I hunt Colorado now and my wife and I have hunted here since 1993. Together we have harvested approximately 40 Elk. Most via Archery! I agree, shot placement and accuracy are of the utmost importance. Yes, a 30-06 can and does harvest Elk at 500 yards with app 1250 ft-lbs of energy and a very good shot placement. However, if you are off on the placement the Elk might not evidence a noticeable impact. I have found several Elk that were not recovered after being hit at distances of 500 + yards. The 300 Wby has approximately 2500 ft-lbs of energy at 500 yards! This gives a greater margin of error.

 

[JMB 1911]

I am fairly new to this forum glad to see so many common sense folks. The 30/06 will work just fine the NP or any of the monolithic solids will do awesome. My dearly departed dad killed his elk at over 300 yards with a pre 64 model 70 feather weight NP 30/06. I took my 6x6 at 230 with a .270 130 grain GMX both animals dropped in there tracks

 

[bob peterson]

I put a 165 gr Accubond in the shoulder of a 6 x 6 bull at 375 yds, he took 1 step, fell on his nose. This was fired out of an A bolt built in the 80s, that gun is as accurate as you are, but I do shoot handloads as the recipe makes a difference.

 

[del2les]

Very good insight from all! I hunt Colorado now and my wife and I have hunted here since 1993. Together we have harvested approximately 40 Elk. Most via Archery! I agree, shot placement and accuracy are of the utmost importance. Yes, a 30-06 can and does harvest Elk at 500 yards with app 1250 ft-lbs of energy and a very good shot placement. However, if you are off on the placement the Elk might not evidence a noticeable impact. I have found several Elk that were not recovered after being hit at distances of 500 + yards. The 300 Wby has approximately 2500 ft-lbs of energy at 500 yards! This gives a greater margin of error.

Depends on load. My load of a 180 BT or AB loaded long in my long throated 24" 30-06 leaves the barrel at 2800+fps, and at my shooting range altitude of 8,000 feet and at 500 yards, it is still traveling 2,200+fps with 1,950ft/lbs of energy. Much of my elk hunting is at or above that altitude.

 

[Hardshot]

Both calibers have there place .There always a need for a new gun LOL

 

[mfk]

You absolutely need a new gun. A .30-06 will not kill an elk, and should not be relied on. You can show your wife this statement of fact as complete justification for the purchase. In fact, you may need two new guns, in case one gets lost in the snow . . .

now that's being a good friend . I may need a similar quote from you for my next gun purchase too.

 

[James L Holzhauer]

Shoot well constructed bullets. It is a big target and has a large vital zone. Shoot what you shoot best. Clearly the 300 WM is better but not that much at that range.

 

[Frog4aday]

Wait...is this the LRH forum? Can't be. Where are all the: "Jesus Man, you can't shoot an elk with anything less than a .338 Lapua Mag firing a 300 grain mega-penetrator! They are TOUGHER than a bull elephant in heat and if you have to fire length-wise through them at 1400 yards, that ought-six just isn't going to git 'er done. Even better would be a .50 BMG firing a Hammer 750 grain, because an elk can't be too dead. Besides, you might SEE a bear on your hunt! Do you want to face a bear with anything less than an anti-tank weapon? Lessor calibers are for limp-wristed, vegan, tofu-sucking, tree-huggers who can't hack the 'push-back' of a REAL rifle fitted with a 48" barrel and a 6" muzzle break that'll shatter ear-drums 100 miles away."

I'm just stunned. I mean, people are actually AGREEING that a humble, 1906 derived .30 caliber military cartridge can actually do more than scratch the outer hide of the mighty WAPITI? It boggles the mind ;o)

I vote for 165 grain Nosler Partition in your fine rifle, sir. Good luck. Elk are the best tasting critters. Wish I could have a constant freezer full of 'em.