KYHILLJACK
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2013
- Messages
- 117
Shooter, head on up to Cripple Creek and win some $ for that dream rifle. Or lose it all like I usually do.
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Build My Elk Rifle
- Thread starter shooter7
- Start date
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shooter7
Well-Known Member
I'm ahead $27 dollars in my career winnings at casinos. I don't want to go negative
You've had lots of advice, and I agree with most of it.
As you have a smaller caliber rifle already I would look to a larger .30 or a .338 as a dedicated elk rifle.
I love the Weatherby Mark-V rifles, not just for looks or wow factor but because the stock design makes shooting a magnum rifle well quite easy. My nickel plated .300 Weatherby Mark-V has much less felt recoil than my Browning A-Bolt in 7MM Rem or my Rem XCR .270 WSM. In fact I would say the felt recoil is about half as great with the Mark-V.
I believe the best elk load ever developed is the .340 Weatherby mag. This is also about as much rifle as people can shoot without a muzzle brake. Hunting with a muzzle brake means hunting with ear protection — unless you want to be deaf in a few years.
Yes, I recommend you look for a used Weatherby Mark-V. I bought a nickel plated Mark-V in .300 Weatherby in perfect condition for $800. I bought a Weatherby Accumark in .338-.378 with a Kahles scope, as-new condition, for $1,500. I may be picking up a nickel plated .340 for less than I paid for the .300. These guns will hold their values, are meant to hunt HARD, and are often in great condition because owners care for them. They are available used because they are purely BIG game rifles and once someone stops hunting big game they often go on the market.
As you have a smaller caliber rifle already I would look to a larger .30 or a .338 as a dedicated elk rifle.
I love the Weatherby Mark-V rifles, not just for looks or wow factor but because the stock design makes shooting a magnum rifle well quite easy. My nickel plated .300 Weatherby Mark-V has much less felt recoil than my Browning A-Bolt in 7MM Rem or my Rem XCR .270 WSM. In fact I would say the felt recoil is about half as great with the Mark-V.
I believe the best elk load ever developed is the .340 Weatherby mag. This is also about as much rifle as people can shoot without a muzzle brake. Hunting with a muzzle brake means hunting with ear protection — unless you want to be deaf in a few years.
Yes, I recommend you look for a used Weatherby Mark-V. I bought a nickel plated Mark-V in .300 Weatherby in perfect condition for $800. I bought a Weatherby Accumark in .338-.378 with a Kahles scope, as-new condition, for $1,500. I may be picking up a nickel plated .340 for less than I paid for the .300. These guns will hold their values, are meant to hunt HARD, and are often in great condition because owners care for them. They are available used because they are purely BIG game rifles and once someone stops hunting big game they often go on the market.
Totally agree with the 340 being a great elk round, if not the best, and the most you can shoot without a brake. My personal favorite is the win mag version, and I dont think an elk will know the difference between the two. But certainly based on numbers the 340 has more go-juice.
2footroper
Well-Known Member
I have a tendenacy to lean more to a round you can find at most gun shops or Wall Mart. Yea alot of you have special loads you work up for your paticular rifle but I still want that option to run to the nearest supply when the airline looses my luggage. 300 Win mag.
Since you're right out of college, go get a rifle you like and make sure it has a good stock on it or glass bed it. You can make a great 600 yard gun out of most rifles.
I bought a remington 700 long range this year. It's was okay right out of th box. Put a better trigger in it and it's a great rifle.
If you are hunting elk and bear, stick with a .30 caliber choice. Bear don't go down very easy and elk are pretty large.
davkrat
Well-Known Member
I say get a 7mm Rem Mag. Easily capable of taking any animal in North America out to 600 yards (also MYpersonal max). I really don't have any need for more horsepower. Maybe if I were a dedicated elk hunter I would lean towards the .300 Win Mag but I'm more likely to shoot a half dozen pigs and deer for each elk so the 7mm is perfect. Plenty of guys on here pushing the heavier .30 cal bullets at high velocity which at the far end might give the .300 a slight edge.
I have a total of $900 in this gun. It will hold 1/2 MOA all day long. And it is FULLY Cerakoted to eliminate the need for cleaning and the potential for rust on long hunts.
(The synthetic stocked rifle)
It was a factory weatherby vanguard with a VX-1 and a bell and carleson medalist stock.
I used the factory trigger and got it to 3.5 pounds and extremely crisp!
For most hunting adventures, this is a pretty ideal setup for me out to 400 yards. The scope has standard duplex reticle and tension adjustments. So it is not capable of going past 400 for me.
(The synthetic stocked rifle)
It was a factory weatherby vanguard with a VX-1 and a bell and carleson medalist stock.
I used the factory trigger and got it to 3.5 pounds and extremely crisp!
For most hunting adventures, this is a pretty ideal setup for me out to 400 yards. The scope has standard duplex reticle and tension adjustments. So it is not capable of going past 400 for me.
