Choose one Western big game caliber

[bigngreen]

I've shot and like a lot of smaller cals like 6.5 and 270's and killed a lot of stuff a long ways of with them especially elk BUT I pass a LOT of shots and I pass a lot of days I just can't shoot in, in the timber you'd better be spot on as well because I've seen elk pack themselves a LONG ways with just a little hole in the wrong spot. I personally loath the 7 Mag, I've seen more **** poor performance from it than any other single round, I get many guys rebuilding them into 300's and I get many built into 270 WSM's or 6.5 SS or SAUMs, it's thee more common chambering on the used shelf at the gun shop and they don't even stock anything new in 7 Mag, that speaks volumes in a little town in MT where all of the world comes to shoot elk!
Shooting a 300 is just as easy if built properly as anything else, it maybe easier IMO because your able to run more BC in the wind and they make wind calls much more forgiving. After shooting 6.5's a lot it takes me a little bit to stop over correcting on my wind calls when going to a 30 cal. Of all the guns I build the 300 by FAR is the most requested!!

 

[mpayne]

Someone on this site said that true Elk guns start with a 3 so i'm going with 300 win mag. I've never had to look for an Elk after putting a 180 or 200 in the right spot!

 

[MAGA]

Overall though, I think you guys have kinda convinced me to just go with 7mm rem mag. Kinda the best if both worlds with ammo availability, terminal ballistics, and barrel life.

It's a great round. IMO, the 7mm Rem Mag really shines when you hand load for it.
If you're lucky and patient, you'll be able to work up a load that shoots a 175gr bullet @ 3,000fps. It will take everything in the lower 48.
If I were to go to Alaska to hunt big brown bears, I'd opt for a 338 Win Mag or something bigger.

Personally, I like the 168gr and 175gr bullets for the 7mm Rem Mag.

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

I guess I'm trying to figure out how an elk is going to tell the difference between 2 bullets with similar bc at similar velocities with about 20 grains difference give or take. That doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever. Running the numbers on the 195 eol hunter and the 215 berger hybrid they seem pretty close to me. Am I missing something here? Not an elk hunter and never shot one but this to me doesn't make logical sense.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I've shot and like a lot of smaller cals like 6.5 and 270's and killed a lot of stuff a long ways of with them especially elk BUT I pass a LOT of shots and I pass a lot of days I just can't shoot in, in the timber you'd better be spot on as well because I've seen elk pack themselves a LONG ways with just a little hole in the wrong spot. I personally loath the 7 Mag, I've seen more **** poor performance from it than any other single round, I get many guys rebuilding them into 300's and I get many built into 270 WSM's or 6.5 SS or SAUMs, it's thee more common chambering on the used shelf at the gun shop and they don't even stock anything new in 7 Mag, that speaks volumes in a little town in MT where all of the world comes to shoot elk!
Shooting a 300 is just as easy if built properly as anything else, it maybe easier IMO because your able to run more BC in the wind and they make wind calls much more forgiving. After shooting 6.5's a lot it takes me a little bit to stop over correcting on my wind calls when going to a 30 cal. Of all the guns I build the 300 by FAR is the most requested!!

One point I must argue!
No one comes here to hunt elk, they are all killed and we nothing left but spikes and cows! Id look at Co. Heard they have lots of big elk. Just kidding, well kind of.

 

[bigngreen]

I guess I'm trying to figure out how an elk is going to tell the difference between 2 bullets with similar bc at similar velocities with about 20 grains difference give or take. That doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever. Running the numbers on the 195 eol hunter and the 215 berger hybrid they seem pretty close to me. Am I missing something here? Not an elk hunter and never shot one but this to me doesn't make logical sense.

It doesn't make sense till you watch it through a scope, a lot of us were pumped about the 195 and I still like it but it's no 215 from a 300!!

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I have to agree. I love the 28 nos and 195s. We put one through the heart of a cow elk at 300. I thought it was a miss at first. The herd started to run off and then she slowed down and fell. About a 1.5 hole in the heart and part of a lung with an exit out the shoulder. We went over and had to cut her throat, still sucking air. It certainly killed her but I wanted it to be faster. I killed one with a high lung shot and it was instant drop, but high enough to shock the spine I think. Lung damage was good. I was super pumped for the 195s too, now, ehh. Some friends have had very similar experiences. There must be a reason why the guys like Rhian and Broz who have been around a lot of elk killing recommend what they do. Most the rest of us have a very small sample of experience to speak from.

 

[Bravo 4]

One point I must argue!
No one comes here to hunt elk, they are all killed and we nothing left but spikes and cows! Id look at Co. Heard they have lots of big elk. Just kidding, well kind of.

I will debate (argue) this point.
Seen plenty of elk in Colorado, all on private property! May have to try Montana next year.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I think everyone has that problem. They know where they are safe We have a lot of elk, but all my friends that like to shoot big elk do not hunt locally. I dont care, I just like good clean organic-ish elk meat. It would have to be a good bull for me to shoot it over a cow. Kind of a double edged sword, they dont manage the elk here in that theres plenty of tags, but the other side is there can be 50 cows and a little rag head bull and that bull is not gonna live to grow...

 

[the444shooter]

I chose 7mm Rem Mag because it's the largest magnum round that I can shoot *comfortably* unbraked. A 160+gr premium bullet with great BC, SD, and good barrel life will insure that shot placement is consistent across a myriad of ranges, especially the ranges that are encountered in the vast majority of hunting situations.

 

[Canhunter35]

I have to agree. I love the 28 nos and 195s. We put one through the heart of a cow elk at 300. I thought it was a miss at first. The herd started to run off and then she slowed down and fell. About a 1.5 hole in the heart and part of a lung with an exit out the shoulder. We went over and had to cut her throat, still sucking air. It certainly killed her but I wanted it to be faster. I killed one with a high lung shot and it was instant drop, but high enough to shock the spine I think. Lung damage was good. I was super pumped for the 195s too, now, ehh. Some friends have had very similar experiences. There must be a reason why the guys like Rhian and Broz who have been around a lot of elk killing recommend what they do. Most the rest of us have a very small sample of experience to speak from.

I thought that was just Berger performance on game. I went back to tipped bullets because of reliability. But I just shot a muley with my 257 using a 115gr ballistic tip and that combo has dropped a lot of deer in good fashion, but I shot this old mule buck just in front of the right shoulder and the bullet exited behind the left shoulder, split his heart and both lungs open and he still ran 200 yds to the next coulee before dropping dead. Had that been my first deer with that bullet I'd be wondering, but I think limited sample size that one hunter experiences is very difficult to ascertain one bullets effectiveness over another.

 

[Canhunter35]

I have to agree. I love the 28 nos and 195s. We put one through the heart of a cow elk at 300. I thought it was a miss at first. The herd started to run off and then she slowed down and fell. About a 1.5 hole in the heart and part of a lung with an exit out the shoulder. We went over and had to cut her throat, still sucking air. It certainly killed her but I wanted it to be faster. I killed one with a high lung shot and it was instant drop, but high enough to shock the spine I think. Lung damage was good. I was super pumped for the 195s too, now, ehh. Some friends have had very similar experiences. There must be a reason why the guys like Rhian and Broz who have been around a lot of elk killing recommend what they do. Most the rest of us have a very small sample of experience to speak from.

I thought that was just Berger performance on game. I went back to tipped bullets because of reliability. But I just shot a muley with my 257 using a 115gr ballistic tip and that combo has dropped a lot of deer in good fashion, but I shot this old mule buck just in front of the right shoulder and the bullet exited behind the left shoulder, split his heart and both lungs open and he still ran 200 yds to the next coulee before dropping dead. Had that been my first deer with that bullet I'd be wondering, but I think limited sample size that one hunter experiences is very difficult to ascertain one bullets effectiveness over another.

 

[dougduey]

There are so many good caliber choices. When I moved to Colorado in 2007, I got bit by the elk bug, and I bought a 300 WSM (since I needed a new rifle and my 30-06 wasn't potent enough!). It's pretty much my dedicated elk rifle. It's light to carry up and down mountains all day. It's super accurate and packs a hell of a wallop on game. I hand load for it and recently moved to the 200gr ELDX from the 180gr Accubond. It did the trick a few weeks ago on a bull elk in NM. Bang, flop.
That being said, I also own a 7 STW, 6.5-284 Norma and a 338 Lapua. I purchased the 7 STW after reading about it on it's own forum on this website. I love this caliber. Recoil is nothing and it's a tack driver. I take it to WY each year for antelope and mule deer. Most shots have been a little over 400 yards, and it was too easy with this cailber/rifle. The 28 Nosler is basically it's ballistic twin. They are both fantastic. I shoot a 140gr bullet at 3400 fps and 175gr bullet at 3011 fps. So, you've got plenty of options. Downside of my rifle is it's 2 lbs heavier than my 300 WSM. It makes a difference hiking at altitude, plus I'm not getting any younger.
The 6.5-284 Norma is also awesome. Another extremely accurate caliber with not much recoil. I wouldn't hesitate taking an elk with it using a 140gr bullet and a max of 400 yards. During load development, I kept getting multiple loads with one hole groups. I'm the weak link and the cause of any miss with this gun. The BC and SD of both the 6.5 and 7 mm bullets are fantastic, so that's something to consider.
I can't tell you much about the 338 Lapua yet, since it's brand new and I've just started the load development process. I can say it is a beast and will absolutely destroy whatever it hits.
But, if I could only have one caliber, I'd go with my 300 WSM.

Good luck choosing. Or don't choose and get a few......like many of us!!

Doug

 

[SHRTSHTR]

One point I must argue!
No one comes here to hunt elk, they are all killed and we nothing left but spikes and cows! Id look at Co. Heard they have lots of big elk. Just kidding, well kind of.

That is funny, I always tell people head west to southwest Montana. Best place for big Elk. I also recommend 7 mags with 10 round magazine for the Berger state.

Ray