30-06 or 300mag

[pfeeney]

Really appreciate all the thoughts. Very informative and entertaining. Thanks to all.

 

[Tony Formicola]

06 works great. I loaded 168 grain Barnes ttsx. Took a nice Colorado bull this past October. I agree with the guy who said to buy boots.

 

[floyd kittrell]

Plenty of gun , choose your bullet wisely . I like and so does my 06 the new Federal 175 edge TLR , very interesting bullet , I will shoot it to my self imposed limit of 650 yds, still above 1800 FPS recovered a bullet stuck under far side hide of bull elk and weighed 147 1/2 grains . would prefer the 168gr Barnes TTSX but dont have a sub 3/8 MOA load for it yet and the federal is 3/16 so it was my choice . I know some do not like factory ammo and I do not prefer factory but after shooting two sub 1/4 MOA groups after break in , I bought a case of them from Crow supply .

 

[ducky]

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

My first question do you already own a .30-06, and if so what is it and how is it set up? If not then by all means consider a .300 WSM/WM, but don't discount the .30-06. If you already own the 06, consider some upgrades for your old rifle.

Upgrades might be something like new optics, mounts or a lightweight synthetic stock. This could definitely be money better spent for hunting elk than a new rifle in a different cartridge. Just a few ideas for you to mull over.

 

[Dry Heat?]

The 06 will work just fine. I've never desired to own one but loaded ammo for a best friend that just loved his. My Dad bought a Rem 700 in 7mm RM in 1962, which was the first year that iconic combo was offered. Naturally, when I acquired enough $ to buy my first rifle, it was a 700 BDL in 7mmRM and I never met a 7mm RM shooter that clamored for an 06. They are just too vanilla for me. I'd get the 300 Win Mag but you should get what you are comfortable shooting. And whichever one you choose, shoot it. Experiment with Load combos until you find one that sings a sweet enough melody. Have fun

 

[Huggy]

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

Old Rooster, like you I have medical problems, one of which is a replacement knee (old Army injury) that wasn't made any better than before the replacement. So I can't go afield if there isn't someone I can hunt with to assist if my knee blows out again.
So that has put a complete halt on my big game hunting unless I can convince the VA docs to just remove the lower leg and give me a GOOD prosthetic. Chances aren't good for that, unfortunately, but I could look into "road hunting" here in AZ since I'm pretty sure I qualify. Oh, well.
I sure do envy your circumstances insofar as Montana and their (current) liberal bag limits. Heck, I'd GIVE my right leg for that kind of opportunity. Besides it might take care of my leg issue, too. LOL
So nowadays I get to do my "hunting" of prairie dogs in season and enjoy the chance to knock them out at fairly long ranges.
Fact of the matter is, I am considering selling my long range guns as I cannot put them to good use hunting any more. But all the gear I have for reloading (not so much the .300 WinMag but also my .50BMG, considering the press, dies, TONS of cases, primers powder and projo's) would make some guys some seriously happy shooters but if and when I actually do it, I sure won't be GIVING any of it away, even though they like me to.
Time will tell.
Anyway, thanks for the info, Sir. If you happen to have an overabundance of spare Elk meat you need to divest yourself of, gimme a holler. I'll send you my address. Wink, wink. LOL
Like you, I never cared for hunting horns since they are tough to eat. I'd MUCH rather have a freezer full of cow elk meat given my druthers. I'll eat elk meat ANY day over beef, given the chance.
Take care, Sir.
Overnout

 

[memtb]

Dry Heat?, My uncle was just the opposite. When the Rem. 700 came out in 7 MM, he got one as soon as possible and he wasn't overly impressed.....within a few years, went back to his '06! I guess that's the reason, we have more than one caliber! memtb

 

[chronic]

30-06 for sure. Hunted many large species in Africa with it. One example, Waterbok at 435yds, one shot and done. Always using 208g ELD-M.

 

[TOM H]

I moved to Co 1977 and shot first bull used 7mag and around 1986 I switched over to 30 cal mags and biggest one was with Lilja barrel 300 mag. Some of the drainage I hunt are more than 400yd across.
I use Shilen barrel 30-06 on cow tag if I draw and most of my hunting is public land.

I've got pretty nice 30-06 with 26" Bartlein barrel and as much I as I like that rifle it's never been on public land hunt.

I think I'm old enough to pick what I like to hunt with and if you think 30-06 is good enough then hunt with it.

 

[ducky]

Old Rooster, like you I have medical problems, one of which is a replacement knee (old Army injury) that wasn't made any better than before the replacement. So I can't go afield if there isn't someone I can hunt with to assist if my knee blows out again.
So that has put a complete halt on my big game hunting unless I can convince the VA docs to just remove the lower leg and give me a GOOD prosthetic. Chances aren't good for that, unfortunately, but I could look into "road hunting" here in AZ since I'm pretty sure I qualify.

Lump me in there with leg problems! I fell off a ladder in 2015 and destroyed my ankle. It's now fused and while I can walk okay on flat ground if the terrain becomes uneven it becomes a bigger problem. Trekking poles and hunting buddies are pretty much a must have these days, and since my first season back in 2017 all I've hunted are plains deer and pronghorn.

http://imgur.com/e5Dp7oA
http://imgur.com/bBcNvsV
http://imgur.com/39w1n6i

I'm going to try my best to get my daughter on a ML bull this fall. I definitely need to strengthen my right leg and shed a few pounds I've gained since my injury. My advice, pay people to work on ladders it's cheaper in the long run.

 

[wobly]

I use a Marlin XL-7 .30-06 with 180 Fusions and it has dropped many elk at 400+ yards. Most were closer, but 400 yards is completely resonable with my rifle.

 

[Don A Parsons]

The old school has filled our family needs for many years.

I'm a firm believer in the 180 to 190gr bullets with compressed loads """so long as accuracy""" is not compromised...

The Ought-6 is the middle grounds for most shooters since its still a chunk of change in the recoil department less the muzzle breaks,,, and just enough to reach out there in the game of tag to take home...

Of course the big cartridges have an advantage,,, but in todays world of the best powders and endless bullets makes the old dog look pretty good.

The heavy boolitz are super consistant in flight,,, even the 208's and 210 gr'ers take advantage of this with a power house of energy at the delivery end...

Yes the 350 to 400+ yards is still a loooooong shot,,, this is most likely not the case for the average hunter... That's not saying that it isn't impossible to reach out there past that,,, but most of the time the boolitz travel a conservative distance since critters normally fall into the 40 to 140/ 170 yard range for Harvesting,,, up here above the 49th that is.

Any Who,,, find the cartridge,,, rifle,,, optic, boolitz and get at it,,, learn the drop and play the winds,,, success come to those that put in the time...

That's another thing the old school does well,,, full time plinking all year long that won't break the bank.

Load down in the off season,,, then bump it up at harvest time,,, use the ballistics data for those charges as the critters will fall... And yes,,, this can be done with most rifles that go Bang. Ha

Cheers from the 49th

 

[del2les]

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.

Well, he did say 400 and under, so this is short range for us LRH guys/gals.

 

[Dry Heat?]

Dry Heat?, My uncle was just the opposite. When the Rem. 700 came out in 7 MM, he got one as soon as possible and he wasn't overly impressed.....within a few years, went back to his '06! I guess that's the reason, we have more than one caliber! memtb

And now I've heard of one.