Best Caliber Rifle Elk

[COBigJohn]

I've help a lot of guys kill elk, I always prefer them to bring their deer rifles that they are good with than buy an "elk" gun! Seen way more wrecks from guys over gunned than under gunned. Some of the worst shooting and killing I've seen have been guys with light 338s and 300s that way out classed their ability to shoot them, be honest with yourself about your ability to shoot and choose accordingly, what you shoot says zero about your skills and ability as a hunter! My daughter makes killing elk look easy with a 6.5 Creedmore and 124 Hammers, one shot, one tag all day long!
Shot placement and bullet function are what kill elk, that's it! Foot pounds of energy, cal or size of case all have little to nothing to do with successfully and cleanly taking elk, elk don't magically soak up bullets nor are they particular hard to kill, a bullet behind the shoulder mid way up that will open well and shed weight while making it to the off side is all that is required.

Tikka's are on the top of my list in WSM's bottom of the list with Magnums, the mag is just to short to really get most out of longer magnums even when I have set up an ideal 30-06 I did not have the mag room but with a little bolt stop mod and a magnum box and you have the slickest set up for a WSM!!

Fantastic post... and I will echo... it is all about shot placement. A great bullet, that expands through the lungs is a life-killer. Pound them once and then count to 15 minutes and go get your bull.

Giddy up on your daughter's success.

..........

 

[Stgraves260]

Hi everyone, so I am new Elk and deer hunter. I grew up hunting mostly upland game. I am going on a guided Elk hunt in October in Idaho and I looking to purchase a larger caliber rifle than my 6.5 creedmoor. I've ready many articles debating this topic. I am a big guy 6-3 230. Not afraid of a little sore shoulder or kick. For a new hunter would you go 30-06, .300 MAG or even 300 WSM. I hunter mule deer there last year and the terrain is steep so and rugged so obviously weight is an issue. I was looking into the Tikka superior WSM or lite 300. Would appreciate any guidance! Thank you.

Find a bullet chart in the calibers you are looking at. It will tell you the FPS and the kinetic energy it retains at your max distance. For elk, as long as I have 1,000-1,200 lbs of kinetic energy and my minimum velocity of 1300 FPS for proper bullet expansion Im good. I've taken elk just shy of 1,000 yards with a 260 Rem and a 140 grain Berger bullet. Be honest with yourself on you max distance you are comfortable with. As long as that caliber rifle meets the criteria your gold. A 44 Mag pistol has taken elk. A 30-30 Winchester has taken elk as well. No need for some 300 ultra super mag sending some 500 grain bullet at 6000 FPS with 10,000 ft-lbs of kinetic energy to take a elk at 100 yards. Wishing you the best of luck on your caliber selection and on your hunt.

 

[ElCazador]

I am a 5th generation Idahoan that shot his first elk with grandpa's .30-30 when I turned 12. It got the job done but I quickly moved up to the .30-06 the classic in a pre '64 Model 70 gifted from my other grandfather who bought right after the war. I would shoot an Idaho elk every year for the next 12 years with that rifle (and take many other game). When I started working and saving money, I eventually upgraded to lighter and more accurate rifles. My workhorse rifle is a .280 Ackley Improved. I personally think it's the best one-rifle quiver gun to have for shooting. You get 7mm Mag ballistics without the recoil. Not a lot of factory ammo out there for it, however so probably not what you want to get into right now. I also wanted to have a rifle that could reach out there a bit further with big bullets and be my go-to for AK hunts on moose and caribou. So like others have mentioned, I also run .300 Win Mag. If you don't mind the recoil (it's not bad at all), it will be a one-rifle quiver gun for any possible big game hunting you ever want to do. If you want to tone down the recoil and don't care about shooting long range, the .30-06 will serve you well and with modern bullets, it's still an amazing gun with great ammo options. 180 grain cartridges for either of those calibers. If you get into it, try the .280 AI out some day - and if you really get into it and start hand loading, hopefully powder, primers and bullets will be more easy to come by! Start trying to buy a gun NOW if you want it by your fall hunt. Even still, you may have to buy something off Gun Broker or another online space. Most manufacturers are still struggling to keep up with demand and capacity so see what your local gun shops have on order, how confident the feel about them arriving in time and if you can put your name on one of them in advance. If you want to keep your costs down, I'd look at Tikka and Howa. For a bit more, you can get into Kimber, Christensen Arms, Bergara or occasionally find a good price on Gun Broker for a Nosler. Lot's of options out there and plenty of great people on this forum that have their favorites too. Those are just some of mine. I have Kimber rifles that I love and a custom rifle built on a Bighorn/Zermatt action with two barrels (.300 Win Mag and .280 AI).

 

[cabelasken]

I am a 5th generation Idahoan that shot his first elk with grandpa's .30-30 when I turned 12. It got the job done but I quickly moved up to the .30-06 the classic in a pre '64 Model 70 gifted from my other grandfather who bought right after the war. I would shoot an Idaho elk every year for the next 12 years with that rifle (and take many other game). When I started working and saving money, I eventually upgraded to lighter and more accurate rifles. My workhorse rifle is a .280 Ackley Improved. I personally think it's the best one-rifle quiver gun to have for shooting. You get 7mm Mag ballistics without the recoil. Not a lot of factory ammo out there for it, however so probably not what you want to get into right now. I also wanted to have a rifle that could reach out there a bit further with big bullets and be my go-to for AK hunts on moose and caribou. So like others have mentioned, I also run .300 Win Mag. If you don't mind the recoil (it's not bad at all), it will be a one-rifle quiver gun for any possible big game hunting you ever want to do. If you want to tone down the recoil and don't care about shooting long range, the .30-06 will serve you well and with modern bullets, it's still an amazing gun with great ammo options. 180 grain cartridges for either of those calibers. If you get into it, try the .280 AI out some day - and if you really get into it and start hand loading, hopefully powder, primers and bullets will be more easy to come by! Start trying to buy a gun NOW if you want it by your fall hunt. Even still, you may have to buy something off Gun Broker or another online space. Most manufacturers are still struggling to keep up with demand and capacity so see what your local gun shops have on order, how confident the feel about them arriving in time and if you can put your name on one of them in advance. If you want to keep your costs down, I'd look at Tikka and Howa. For a bit more, you can get into Kimber, Christensen Arms, Bergara or occasionally find a good price on Gun Broker for a Nosler. Lot's of options out there and plenty of great people on this forum that have their favorites too. Those are just some of mine. I have Kimber rifles that I love and a custom rifle built on a Bighorn/Zermatt action with two barrels (.300 Win Mag and .280 AI).

I bought my first 280 AI late last year and just got it sighted in before my Colorado Elk Hunt. I dropped a cow at 420 yds with a 145 Gr Barnes TTSX long range bullet. I have since ordered two more rifles in the same caliber and am waiting to pick them up now. All three are Browning X-bolts as they are just now becoming available in reasonable supplies by some vendors. I agree the recoil is mild - without brake, and the velocity with the 145's is over 3100 FPS. Accuracy with the first rifle has been very good with very little tuning - components have been hard to come by!! The rifle is right at 8 lbs with scope, sling and loaded with ammo. For now, my custom 300 WSM that I've carried for the past 12 years will sit in the safe.

 

[hunter0528]

All of the above posts suggest rifles that will kill an elk. In fact any legal rifle will kill an elk if you are close enough and have a well placed shot. My suggestion is to get any of the big 30 cal rifles in any brand you like. But use the heaviest bullet for the caliber and don't worry about what the gun weighs. If 2-3 lbs is a big deal to you, then you have no business hiking around in the mountains anyway. If your on a guided hunt you'll likely be using horses. The bigger the caliber and bullet will get you more leniency for a poorly placed shot. If you can handle it, get a 338 win mag with a muzzle break, shoot 250 grain bullets. This will also give you some grizzly bear insurance, because where elk live in Idaho, the grizzlies live with them.

One other thing to remember is:
Is this cal avail in the average sporting goods shop. What happens if for some reason your ammo gets damaged or lost in travel, and you have to buy ammo at Walmart or the Local gun shop.

 

[VLD Pilot]

One other thing to remember is:
Is this cal avail in the average sporting goods shop. What happens if for some reason your ammo gets damaged or lost in travel, and you have to buy ammo at Walmart or the Local gun shop.

Don't want to 180° this thread but that's the last thing I worry about. Same could happen to your license, tags, boots, gear etc. Many have cartridges that aren't sold over the counter so that isn't an option. Airline use would or could be the main reason for this issue. Ammo would be my last concern if that happened. My rifle and or other important gear would be more of a concern. I'd buy a new rifle/scope ammo if that happened. Not as easy to buy another license or tag let alone boots or proper fitting gear for a hunt within your time line of the hunt. Especially if it's guided. Good to plan for issues and have additional ammo shipped to the outfitter prior to the hunt and even a rifle if that's a huge concern of someone's. I've heard more problems with rifles getting lost than the ammo. I guess anything is possible with airline luggage.

 

[Calvin45]

One other thing to remember is:
Is this cal avail in the average sporting goods shop. What happens if for some reason your ammo gets damaged or lost in travel, and you have to buy ammo at Walmart or the Local gun shop.

This is a legit concern IMO…in my neck of the woods the rural hardware stores that stock ammo always have .223, .22-250, .243, .270, 7mm rem mag, .303 British (every other backwoods Canadian has a lee enfield .303 it seems ), .30-30, 308 Winchester, .30-06, and .300 win mag. Some increasingly have .25-06, 7mm-08, and .338 win mag but I wouldn't want to depend on them having those even haha. Almost universally in the silver box Winchester super x power points.

Obviously some of those are not remotely considerable for elk (though sadly the .22 centerfires are now legal for big game in Saskatchewan with the exception of the hornet…i always thought it made good ethical sense to draw the absolute minimum line at the .243 but that's just me). But yeah if I was travelling somewhere in the middle of nowhere and I wanted good odds of having back up ammo being somewhat acquirable I'd probably go with .270, 308, 30-06, 7 rem mag, or .300 Winnie (and my actual preference is the .300 - but lots of guides cite the .270 as a sensible minimum for elk and it sure can and does get the job done, but if I'm on the hunt of a lifetime which for some this would be, "minimum" isn't what I'm after haha)

 

[moto213]

I've been an elk hunter for forty years and lately I been seeing a lot of elk shot with a 6.5 creedmoor, largely because that is an excellent caliber that women and kids can shoot well. Shot placement is key.

 

[VLD Pilot]

I've been an elk hunter for forty years and lately I been seeing a lot of elk shot with a 6.5 creedmoor, largely because that is an excellent caliber that women and kids can shoot well. Shot placement is key.

Better bullets, powders and accuracy doesn't hurt.

 

[hunter247]

Hi everyone, so I am new Elk and deer hunter. I grew up hunting mostly upland game. I am going on a guided Elk hunt in October in Idaho and I looking to purchase a larger caliber rifle than my 6.5 creedmoor. I've ready many articles debating this topic. I am a big guy 6-3 230. Not afraid of a little sore shoulder or kick. For a new hunter would you go 30-06, .300 MAG or even 300 WSM. I hunter mule deer there last year and the terrain is steep so and rugged so obviously weight is an issue. I was looking into the Tikka superior WSM or lite 300. Would appreciate any guidance! Thank you.

I like the 300 Remington Ultra Magnum (RUM). I'm a retired gunsmith and have used many different cartridges (factory and wildcat), but I finally settled on the 300RUM. I especially like the Barnes Bullets in my hand loads or factory loads.

 

[Grizzly60]

Why get a new rifle? He can get a whole lot more target practice in with the rifle he already owns....

Because. Wait, did you really ask that guesting? Perfect excuse for a new rifle. Told my wife yesterday, I want a new rifle. She said ,OK. I didn't say another word.

 

[Paul4]

Me and my sons have killed several elk here in NM and have never used a 30 caliber. My preference is the 280 ai but the 6.5x284, 6.5 prc, 270 and 243 worked just fine.

 

[ultimag43]

the best is what ever one you shoot accurately, for some thats might be a 6.5cm for others it might be a 416 rigsby
I've personally killed them with everything from 243 to 340 weatherby mag elk just like every other big game animal in north america or africa are not bullet proof, take out the vitals and their dead

 

[The elk slayer]

The BEST caliber for elk can cover a WHOLE LOT of opinions, for as many different reasons. If you are new at elk hunter, I think it's important to establish a minimum caliber. A little over 20 years ago, when my two sons were approaching the age of 12, I started looking for the perfect "junior" elk rifle. I decided that the minimum caliber I wanted them to start elk hunting with was the 7mm08. They both still have those rifles, and use them as adults. But, they have both joined the "heavy breather" fan club, and now prefer the 300PRC, and the 338 Norma. You will get a host of opinions from the members here, and they are ALL valid. Think about what the members say, and pick a caliber that sounds the best for your needs, or wants.