Elk/Deer Caliber

[soundwaves]

Nothing wrong with the good old 30-06!

take this guys Word. ^

 

[Coulee kid]

Shot lots of animals with a 338 but the 300 is hard to beat.

 

[Westernhuntr]

Iove it
6 year old thread and no one can resist giving chamberings advice

 

[Jerrywoo]

Hmm..if i were buying a Remington 700 and planning on spending money on it like you are i would definitely go with a desirable round..for elk..deer..moose.. carabou..bear a 7 mag would definitely more than get the job done..

 

[sodakota]

I've used a 338 Win Mag with 250 grain Nosler Partitions. That worked well, however I think that would be top as far as power range. I shot a 7 point bull who was walking into thick stuff at first legal shooting time. The shot was through it's Democrat port. The bullet lodged in his neck and destroyed no meat.
I think most anything from 30-06 to 338 in power range would be very good for elk, generally. I believe in premium bullets for the magnums. I like the 7mm Rem Mag a lot.
But for me the next time I get a tag, I'll probably use a 300 Weatherby with partitions (preferred) or possibly Accubond bullets 180 grain or heavier. The reason for this much power would depend on where I'd be hunting. I think in WY where I've hunted that 300 B would be perfect.
A friend who hunts New Mexico a lot says most elk he's shot were less than 200 yards. There a 30-06 or equivalent would be fine.
I built up a 350 Rem Mag on a 600 action for hunting in thick timber. That combination seemed perfect.
The cartridge and bullets a person picks should either be a good all around choice or if the location is known a "more perfect" cartridge - bullet combination might be better.

 

[Otiro]

Nothing wrong with the good old 30-06!

This

 

[pig ranch deadeye]

7 mag works great.

 

[pig ranch deadeye]

I've used a 338 Win Mag with 250 grain Nosler Partitions. That worked well, however I think that would be top as far as power range. I shot a 7 point bull who was walking into thick stuff at first legal shooting time. The shot was through it's Democrat port. The bullet lodged in his neck and destroyed no meat.
I think most anything from 30-06 to 338 in power range would be very good for elk, generally. I believe in premium bullets for the magnums. I like the 7mm Rem Mag a lot.
But for me the next time I get a tag, I'll probably use a 300 Weatherby with partitions (preferred) or possibly Accubond bullets 180 grain or heavier. The reason for this much power would depend on where I'd be hunting. I think in WY where I've hunted that 300 B would be perfect.
A friend who hunts New Mexico a lot says most elk he's shot were less than 200 yards. There a 30-06 or equivalent would be fine.
I built up a 350 Rem Mag on a 600 action for hunting in thick timber. That combination seemed perfect.
The cartridge and bullets a person picks should either be a good all around choice or if the location is known a "more perfect" cartridge - bullet combination might be better.

What do you mean by "Democrat port." I am a Democrat. Please explain.

 

[SamuelBerryhill308]

If it were me and in remington 700 models I'd look at the 5r models that have been mentioned and xcr models or like was said also if you want threaded barrel also look at the ltr or aac sd models all in 308 win of course.if your not dead set on remington id look at bergara ridge or hmr or christenson arms mesa

 

[LRNut]

I see the OP was made in 2014, but I'll respond anyway with my thoughts since it has been resurrected.

Started elk hunting in 1982 and have missed only one year since. Have taken my share of elk (14 since 2000) and all but maybe one or two could have been taken with a .308 Win, 7mm-08 or .260 Rem. Most could have been taken with my .257 Roberts, as only four that I can think of were taken past 350 yards. More than a few could have been taken with my .30-30 or even my .44 Mag carbine.

Started out with a 7mm RM and 160g bullets, which worked flawlessly for 20+ years. Took my last elk in 2015 with my buddy's 7mm RM and the same load I used for all those years. Daughter started elk hunting 3 years ago using a .308 Win and a 130g TTSX @ 3045fps. She has used this on antelope out to 350 yards and I wasn't worried that it would work on elk given her self-imposed limits on range (400 yards).

This year I bought her a .270 Win and worked up a 150g Nosler ABLR at 2912fps. If a .30-30 is good to 100 yards, the .270 is good to 700 (at 7000 feet altitude), retaining over 2100fps and almost 1500fpe at that range.

While my .338WM is very effective on elk, my 7mm RM has dropped them just as fast. A more powerful cartridge will rarely help in the event of poor placement. Penetration is important so I prefer monos, bonded and other premium construction methods. TTSX/LRX, AB/ABLR, Scirocco II and A-Frame are my favorites. Partitions work great, although I've never used them myself. Ditto Trophy Bonded, Trophy Bonded Tip and Edge TLR from Federal. That said a SIL took his first elk with a 180g Winchester Power Point at 382 yards. It was on the ground before we could see though the mirage caused by muzzle blast.

Over the years I've seen grown men blast away at elk, missing them entirely in some cases, wounding multiple in others. One thing they had in common was they couldn't shoot the rifle they had in hand.

I've seem more elk wounded and lost by people using a .243 Win that probably all other cartridges put together. The idea that it is a good choice for young elk hunters is at odds with my belief it is better in the hands of experienced hunters.

I've also seen what a girl 12 years old can do with a .25-06 ad a 117g cup-and-core bullet. Trophy mulie buck, trophy bull elk and a cow, all in one hunt. All one shot affairs. Her dad said the bull dropped faster than any he had seen.

While I've hunted elk with a .30-30, .375 Win, .44 Mag (rifle and pistol) and .45-70, I did so knowing they limited the range at which I could/would shoot. My .257 Roberts with a 120g A-Frame is good out to at least 350 yards (at 7000 feet altitude), other cartridges i shoot are good well past my limit of 600 yards.

The thing new hunters need to ask when choosing a cartridge are:
1. What is my tolerance to recoil?
2. How heavy a rifle/scope/ammo combo can I carry all day?
3. What is the maximum range at which I am willing to shoot?
4. What is the minimum legal cartridge, if any?
5. What is the performance envelope for the ammo of choice?
6. What is the experience of others with a given cartridge and bullet selection?

Numbers 1 and 2 are related, as rifle weight affects recoil. Number 3 should be based on the range at which the person actually practices and the point blank range for a given cartridge and zero. Number 4 may be based on bullet diameter, energy, or other factors. For number 5 I use retained values of 2000fps and 1500fpe as rule of thumb minimums for elk. This helps ensure reliable bullet expansion and penetration. Some bullets (monos in particular) may perform better with higher impact velocities. Number 6 may not be answerable. Recoil and ballistic calculators are your friends.

Once those questions are answered an informed cartridge decision can be made. What is best for one person my be a horrible choice for others.

All that said, I'd be happy with a wide variety of cartridge and bullet combinations. Placement trumps cartridge. For a noobie I prefer a minimum of something like the 6.5 Creedmoor and a maximum of a .30-06. That includes 7mm-08, .270 Win, .280 Rem, 7mm RM, and.308 Win. One thing I tell people making the election is to compare ammo costs - I recommend they practice until they are expert with their rifle and cartridge of choice.

My sons-in-law got .30-06 rifles for wedding presents.

Pretty much sums it up IMO

 

[Redrockhunter]

Either 270 or 6.5 creedmoor for deer and antelope and 30 caliber or larger for elk.

 

[fmetz]

I'm going to give a 7mm SAUM a try. Having a gun built at SAC based on the Anti-X action. Should be fun!

fmetz

 

[zach_destroys]

Awesome, thanks guys. I think, with a little bit more research, I can safely make an informed decision based off the info you guys have given me. I definitely think ill be staying with either a 308 or 300.

You will be hard pressed to beat a Tikka in 308. I still see ammo all over, fairly tame recoil. Plenty of rifle to kill elk and deer

 

[gbett308]

I'm brand new to the world of bolt action and have limited experience hunting anything outside of a blind. I am in the market for a new gun capable of hunting deer and elk. Fairly positive I'm gonna get a 700, the last thing is which model and caliber. At some point, I do want the ability to put a suppressor on there, and I'm pretty sure the SPS TAC AAC is the only one that comes with a threaded barrel. Let's say I went with another model, is that something that could be easily done by a smith for less than $300? i honestly have no idea. The other thing, is if I did go with the SPS TAC AAC, would you guys recommend i get the barrel floated? Any advice is greatly appreciated, thanks guys.

P.S. I searched the forum for a thread like this, couldn't really find anything good. if this is the wrong place, or there's a thread like this already, please point me in the right direction.

Did you ever get to elk or deer hunt with a caliber recommendation? Were you successful?