Best Caliber Rifle Elk

[Craig Arthur]

You can kill an elk with sharp stick, a musket ball or a frying pan if you hit him right

You dont want a wounded animal or a long track if you can avoid it - hit it with at least 1500 ft lb E an SD


280 Ackley with 168 Bergers @ out to 500 yd and 28 Nosler with 175 Bergers to 1000 yd

Both at 3000 fps and 10.000 ft, elevation take 200 yd off each at sea level

 

[Craig Arthur]

- cut it short - ab SD above 0.300 behind his front shoulder

 

[30378wbymag]

.300 Winny and be done with it... Can find ammo most places if you don't reload, just about the most bullet weight range out there, good for any N. American game animal as well

 

[Ldigio21]

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.

All the above are solid choices. Having both a 300 WM and 300WSM the performance difference is negligible. I prefer the short action so that tips the scale for me in favor of the WSM. More importantly than which caliber is the bullet choice. Federal Trophy bonded tip, swift A frame, Nosler partition.
I have no experience with all copper bullets

 

[DWier]

Consider Hornady Superformance 185 gr SST in 300WM. Devastating!

 

[Gobbler256]

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.

Consider recoil, weight and accuracy! Caliber is not very important if you can't shoot it well and are confident in your shooting. All the calibers listed are good but all have their strengths and weaknesses. Before you buy a big magnum find a friend that has one and buy a box of shell and go shot 10-12. If you can handle the recoil, shooting accurately then go buy one. And practice with it A LOT!

 

[436]

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.

Obviously, take what you can shoot well with, which provides you with the energy at the distances you're planning on connecting at. So, I've hunted more than a few years in Idaho, I'd say to try and stay in the .338 to .350 class of cartridge, not that the other won't kill Elk, but it's a "B" to run up and down those hill in Idaho chasing hit Elk that just doesn't want to lay down.
Just my 0.2 good luck on your hunt. Cheers.

 

[WYhuntn]

Elk suck up lead like nobody's business. I like to hit them with a good heavy bullet and keep it coming until they stop. Elk can cover a lot of ground wounded, you waste a lot more meat finding them late or never than the damage a big bullet of a few shots will cause. That being said I like heavy 30s. 180-225gr eldx or m is my vote. More than anything pick a gun that makes you happy more than one season and a cartridge you can shoot accurately. Then worry about finding the bull worthy of ending the hunt. Don't shoot one with an underpowered cartridge just because someone said it can be done, that isn't fair to you or the animal.

 

[VLD Pilot]

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.

.284-.338, in long action cartridges(or magnum SA) IMO would get the job done very adequately.

 

[Onehorse]

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.

All of the rifle and caliber suggestions given here are perfect ... for the guys who use them, but they are not you. Everyone tends to believe their setup is the best. Here's my advice, but it won't be about specific caliber or rifle.
Since you are new to big game and elk hunting, I would recommend that you refrain from getting any of those calibers that hurt in both directions and/or tend to weigh a lot. Even big guys are influenced by heavy recoiling rifles, and it's much better to shoot straight than hit harder. Also, even a horse hunt requires lots of walking, so a rig that weighs a lot might not be the best way to go. Get a rifle that fits YOU and that you feel confident about shooting. I have had no trouble killing elk with the .270 Win,. 280 Rem and 30/06. And, although I wouldn't recommend it, the biggest dead bull I ever saw was killed with a .243 Win using a Barnes bullet, and it dropped in its tracks. So, be sure you use a well-constructed bullet. Good luck on your hunt!

 

[cornshank]

Elk suck up lead like nobody's business. I like to hit them with a good heavy bullet and keep it coming until they stop. Elk can cover a lot of ground wounded, you waste a lot more meat finding them late or never than the damage a big bullet of a few shots will cause. That being said I like heavy 30s. 180-225gr eldx or m is my vote. More than anything pick a gun that makes you happy more than one season and a cartridge you can shoot accurately. Then worry about finding the bull worthy of ending the hunt. Don't shoot one with an underpowered cartridge just because someone said it can be done, that isn't fair to you or the animal.

I agree, with the ( hit them with a heavy bullet, and keep it coming ,until they stop )
Not only is the meat loss minimal compared to not recovering the animal ,like he said , but the time.
The time the hours and hours of tracking wounded elk can pile up fast ,I have helped friends track cripples , then go back the next morning and track for 4 more hours, hey if you are on a 5 day hunt ,you used up a day ,just tracking ,
So like he said shoot until they go down.

 

[COBrad]

Colorado Parks and Wildlife specify a rifle minimum caliber of 24, minimum bullet weight of 85 grains, and minimum energy of 1000 lbs at 100 yards. Over several decades of guiding elk hunters here in Colorado I found the best advice I could give clients was to shoot the rifle you are most familiar with. For most that meant their trusted deer rifle. My main elk rifle is a 7 lb .284 Winchester shooting 160 grain accubonds at about 2600 fps. It's been good to 380 yards and I wouldn't hesitate at 500 assuming a good shot angle. My long range rifles are my only magnums. There's a good argument that a big magnum could be better on a marginal shot but I feel good shooting and discretion in not taking marginal shots to begin with is more effective than a magnum sized poor shot. No doubt the mag's are killing machines in the hands on one who has mastered the increased recoil, but unless your shooting out around 500 yards or beyond they're not really necessary, IMO.

 

[.338 RCM]

My opinion If we're talking perfect that would be 225 grain .338-06, or .338 RCM..

 

[Bill28]

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.

With the way ammunition is right now I would go with a 30-06, I've killed over 35 Elk with mine only 2 required a second shot ( happened to be the 2 closest) the farthest shot was 467 yards quite a few over 400 yards. The 30-06 will get it done