Building an elk rifle

[bigngreen]

The 9 lb range is far better than the 6 lb range if you shooting anything with some bullet weight, a 7 lb 270 WSM loaded with 170's is absalutely brutal to shoot but sweet with a couple more lbs a 300 need weight, guiding I'd assume using it without a brake due to animals and people around so I would take recoil into serious consideration. A 300 with a 200+ gr bullet will out penetrate a slower but bigger 338 250gr, seen this many times in elk, I honestly don't know any one who still shoots a 338 Win for elk, they were the case for a while but IMO they just don't have the versatility and lethal range of the 300.
Personally I think your optic is more important as a guide, guide guns are crashed and bashed, in and out of scabbards, leaned up on trees and slapped on horses, that is where I'd put my money and as much as possible, an OK shooting gun shoots way better than a great gun with a crapped out scope!!

 

[HARPERC]

.......Personally I think your optic is more important as a guide, guide guns are crashed and bashed, in and out of scabbards, leaned up on trees and slapped on horses, that is where I'd put my money and as much as possible, an OK shooting gun shoots way better than a great gun with a crapped out scope!!....

I've been out with a variety of guides that didn't carry a rifle at all.

I haven't been out with one that didn't have good optics.

 

[The Trinity Kid]

338-06 is pretty gay...

That's a fairly broad statement. Explanation and substantiation would be appreciated.

--TK

 

[RevJim]

He means its just "more manly" to have a 35 Whelan Ackley Improved"!

 

[turkeyfever]

I have no clue what you have as far as binos or spotting scope. As a guide I would make sure that I had the best pair of binos and spotting scope before I spent a lot of money on a rifle. Your outfitter can loan you a rifle if you need one.

 

[The Trinity Kid]

I have no clue what you have as far as binos or spotting scope. As a guide I would make sure that I had the best pair of binos and spotting scope before I spent a lot of money on a rifle. Your outfitter can loan you a rifle if you need one.

That's part of why I have to piece this rifle together over time. I'll be getting those first.

--TK

 

[LoneTraveler]

A good scabbard and cover top also needs to be added to your list of equipment. The Rifle, Scope and Scabbard have to be well fitted system to protect the scope and the rifle. If a scope objective is wider than the rifle forearm , The scope will take the lick. If you get in a horse wreck or tree drag. Getting a scabbard for some big high large objective scope may be an unwanted unseen necessity expense that would upset the money cart.

Thoughts of a retired wildlife officer who lived in the woods with guns as tools too.

 

[WYcoyote]

I have been lucky enough to have taken 30 elk and been in on dozens more, so I have developed a preference on my perfect rifle. (a blend of compromises).

1) Bolt rifle in SS with composite stock to handle bad weather with minimal care.
2) Magnum sporter contour barrel to be light enough to pack, heavy enough to hold steady, and help a bit with recoil. No brake and 24" length to help with handling in the timber.
3) 300 Win Mag. with 200gr or heavier bullets with good BC. Shoots flat, hits hard, and I can handle the recoil fine when the gun and scope are at about 10 pounds.
4) Scope power wide range to handle close shots in cover and long ones also. I like 3-15x, 2-12x would work too. I like bold style reticles to help in low light. Illumination is ideal. Because the crosshairs become to fine at low power SFP is a must for me. Other features I like are low pop up to turn and push down to lock turrets, and no more than a 44mm objective ,both to make scabbard use easier. For example I now use a Zeiss HD5 3-15x42. I like the looks of the Leupold V6 3-18x44 CDS-ZL with a lit reticle.

The fun is choosing a rig that matches how you hunt. It always seems to be evolving, a never ending process. This is where I'm at right now.

 

[fmajor]

I met a fella who had been a guide for iirc for over 15 years. I met him in a non-professional capacity at an informal "camping get-together".

We all had brought our rifles, pistols, etc for some shooting fun and to just hang out and tell lies..... STORIES, stories - they were all true!!!

Anyway, this guy had a beat-up looking Ruger M77 in 7mm Rem mag (i'm thinking it was one of the boat-paddle stocks). It had been painted, taped with a "drops" notes, etc. But, he could shoot that terrible-looking thing very well.

He had a very nice Vortex spotting scope, but used a very, very nice looking binocular (I think Swaro - can't remember for sure) in 8x42mm. I remember that detail as it was the same power/obj as my 30-year-old Pentax binocular so i was kinda proud that i had chosen the same thing as a professional.

Anyway, his opinion was that the 7mm Rem mag had enough bang without being too much and he could get ammo anywhere if he forgot his handloads.

&

 

[fmajor]

I met a fella who had been a guide for iirc for over 15 years. I met him in a non-professional capacity at an informal "camping get-together".

We all had brought our rifles, pistols, etc for some shooting fun and to just hang out and tell lies..... STORIES, stories - they were all true!!!

Anyway, this guy had a beat-up looking Ruger M77 in 7mm Rem mag (i'm thinking it was one of the boat-paddle stocks). It had been painted, taped with a "drops" notes, etc. But, he could shoot that terrible-looking thing very well. I don't remember the scope, but i'm thinking it was a Burris of some sort.

Incidentally, he had a very nice Vortex spotting scope, but used a very, very nice looking binocular (I think Swaro - can't remember for sure) in 8x42mm. I remember that detail as it was the same power/obj as my 30-year-old Pentax binocular so i was kinda proud that i had chosen the same thing as a professional.

Anyway, his opinion was that the 7mm Rem mag had enough bang without being too much and he could get ammo anywhere if he forgot his handloads.

So, 7mm Rem mag good enough for a professional = good enough for me (except for the LONG, LONG shots where a big 338 is required). He said he did most of his guiding on elk hunts and then mulies.

 

[Mike 338]

As a guide, you'll be doing far more carrying than shooting so "dream gun" specs may not line up with humping a rifle all over creation for an entire season, multiple seasons in a row. Also, although cool, wildcats are more complicated which, for a person in a somewhat remote areas, limit options for unanticipated circumstances. Standard calibers can do anything you ask of them, within reason and you can find components and even a box of ammo if needed. It's never a bad idea to have a box of ammo around that a client could use if necessary and reciprocally, if your reloads gink up for some reason, you might be able to snag a few rounds from somebody in camp. I'd be inclined to get the shortest barrel that would do the job you expect to encounter. A magnum action and a 28" barrel don't ride all that well on a horse or anywhere else. Barrel profile... remember the clients don't expect their guide to be the first to crap out even though the guide is worked much much more than the clients. You'll only be making one, maybe two shots at a time so a heavy profile only complicates things and the other 99.9% of the time you carry your rifle and also a heavy rifle unbalances a saddle an annoying amount. Your scope will take more abuse than anyone elses because it's in the field more. Gonna want a good one that isn't to heavy with a rock solid reputation and warranty.

To many ways to fill in all that criteria and most all of them would be fine. Here's just one.

300 WM, 24" magnum contour, stainless, 9 or 10 twist depending on intended bullet, no brake, stainless, steel rings, Leopold VX3i non-illuminated, laminate stock/stress free pillar bedded/ free floated. About 9 lbs. all up. Kinda boring.

 

[Antonio m]

I worked as a game guide for quite a while and I generally only took a rifle retrieving game or Grizzly hunting. Most times I had my hands full loading pack horses,riding horses ,cutting trail to bother carrying a rifle unless we needed it in dispute over an elk with a bear. For this I would get a lightweight,large bore iron sighted lever gun. The Browning BLR rifles are ideal imo.They are chambered in some big ones-.450 marlin and the .325, but I carried a 30/06 with a box magazine and takedown if you choose.Good luck

 

[The Trinity Kid]

Lots and lots of good information here guys! Keep it coming!

I still haven't quite been able to get into the school yet, but I'm working on it. Part of the reason is that I have been getting acquainted with the term "hell in a handbasket." I won't go into too much detail, but basically I had a swarm of stuff happen all in the past couple days. Stuff like my truck crapping out on me, best friend's car needing the transmission rebuilt but not able to afford it and having been laid off. But wait, there's more! Order now and they'll throw in needing to get the dog spayed: a $200 value for just $250.
I'm a little strapped for cash and time right now, so we'll just call it "hump number one" to getting ahead in life.

--TK

 

[fmajor]

Lots and lots of good information here guys! Keep it coming!

I still haven't quite been able to get into the school yet, but I'm working on it. Part of the reason is that I have been getting acquainted with the term "hell in a handbasket." I won't go into too much detail, but basically I had a swarm of stuff happen all in the past couple days. Stuff like my truck crapping out on me, best friend's car needing the transmission rebuilt but not able to afford it and having been laid off. But wait, there's more! Order now and they'll throw in needing to get the dog spayed: a $200 value for just $250.
I'm a little strapped for cash and time right now, so we'll just call it "hump number one" to getting ahead in life.

--TK

Become utterly, absolutely, unshakably focused on *accomplishing* your dream. Don't just dream it - DO IT.

NEVER stop working towards it.

Let nothing and no one distract you from making every effort in your life lead to the accomplishment of your dream.

Do not fall to the temptation to wait a bit until "things"/life relent a bit. That is the beginning of the death of accomplishing your dream.

Insist that everything else that is not a part of you accomplishing this goal is nothing more than a temporary, passing moment.