Elk/Deer Rifle performance

[sable tireur]

Good for you.

 

[Barehandlineman11]

I got enough experience killing elk. Ill stick too the 338. Nothing wrong with 7mm but its not the ideal elk gun sorry.

 

[sable tireur]

Don't be sorry. Your experience merely varies from many of the rest of us with difference experience. No one said anything about the 'ideal elk gun'. The poster is simply soliciting opinions and experience to help guide his search. Everyone here is just trying to help by suggesting variety.

Enjoy the process!

 

[Barehandlineman11]

Anyway if your going 24" I would go 30 nosler it will shoot 2900 with 215 and shoot comfortably with a ti pro 5 port. I just built exact gun not long ago for a guy. Mesa and anti his was 24" suppressed but it was shooting 205 elites around 2950.

Edit. Should note if you dont reload id go 300 prc they have better factory ammo.

 

[memtb]

We all know that this is most likely attributed to the hunter making a poor shot. Read the thread above about hunter abilities.

You're entitled to your opinion but so are the rest of us with experience to back it up.

Have a great day!

Poor placement, it "can" happen to anyone…..even some of us! "AND" a poor bullet choice….if shot placement is less than desirable!

It doesn't hurt to carry a little insurance with both cartridge and bullet selection……especially if the hunter doesn't have the opportunity to elk hunt every year! JMO memtb

 

[cabelasken]

I got a buddy that tracks wounded animals in arizona with hounds. He tracks a few hundred a year. Number one cartridge? 7mm.
Not saying a 7mm 6.5 or 6mm wont kill a elk. Heck i bet Ive killed 15 as a kid with a 25/06. Shot placement is critical. But your a fool if you hunted enough elk to say you can guarantee a perfect shot every time thats why bigger makes things nice. I might be different but i can shoot my lapua just as good as a creedmoor. Elk are tough I personally shoot them in the shoulder first shot it demobilizes them. Ive seen many elk make it a long ways without vitals.

I've taken two elk that were wounded by others in my hunting party first. The bull was hit by a 338 lapua just under the spine but above the shoulder. he had made it 3/4 of a mile down the canyon and going away from me I shot it just in front of the near ham - the TTSX from my 300 WSM lodged in the far side front shoulder. The second was a cow shot with a 300 WSM at 400 yds with a back then $30/ box shelf ammo. It wasn't a particularly bad shot placement, but the bullet had exploded just under the skin and I found it the next day and placed the TTSX thru the middle of both lungs. Although the 300 has performed flawlessly for me, I have now gone to a 280 AI for my trips to elk and deer country. With the same optics, all three of my guns in this caliber are 1/2 to 1 pound lighter than the 300 and with the right bullets do the job. I am a believer in selecting a well constructed bullet for elk, one that penetrates no matter what the caliber.

 

[Hoss50]

8lbs and big 30 cal or 338 sounds painfully.

Build a good 7mm something and send it. I am in the process of putting together a 300 win mag for long range, but it will be a 10-12lb gun.

I have an 8.5lb 338 win mag with a small brake that I am going to work on for mountain type rifle but it isn't fun to shoot. I changed the recoil pad so hopefully that helps, but with a pencil barrel and small brake it hits. It was pushing 225gr bullet at almost 3k though during load development. I have a suppressor now so hopefully that helps too, but that adds 1lb to the rifle. The plan for this gun is a sub 500 yard type gun, but is easier to carry and will hammer.

 

[Barehandlineman11]

You cant help a bullet not perform or bad shot placement. Why i shoot otm out of my lapua and not the elite hunters i had too many failures out the elites. None with the otm.

 

[cabelasken]

8lbs and big 30 cal or 338 sounds painfully.

Build a good 7mm something and send it. I am in the process of putting together a 300 win mag for long range, but it will be a 10-12lb gun.

I have an 8.5lb 338 win mag with a small brake that I am going to work on for mountain type rifle but it isn't fun to shoot. I changed the recoil pad so hopefully that helps, but with a pencil barrel and small brake it hits. It was pushing 225gr bullet at almost 3k though during load development. I have a suppressor now so hopefully that helps too, but that adds 1lb to the rifle. The plan for this gun is a sub 500 yard type gun, but is easier to carry and will hammer.

I have a Pre 64 action 338 wm built by Brown Precision with a 24" shillen match frozen barrel that weigh 8 1/4 lbs with scope but with no brake. It shoots tiny groups, but my go to gun now is a 7 1/4 lb 280 AI.

 

[Barehandlineman11]

I can shoot my lapuas and xc in same day 50 plus times each no problem they are both 11lbs 30 Nosler isn't painful at 8.5. Ti pro 5 port tames them down a ton.

 

[bretterath]

Here we go again

Why do you need 3k fps? Is it required for your range needs to keep your selected bullet above impact velocity threshold or is it a magic number you want?

It's always been the velocity I shoot for when building a hunting rifle

 

[memtb]

I have a Pre 64 action 338 wm built by Brown Precision with a 24" shillen match frozen barrel that weigh 8 1/4 lbs with scope but with no brake. It shoots tiny groups, but my go to gun now is a 7 1/4 lb 280 AI.

My wife's 338 WM @ 9# even ( scoped/fully loaded/slung ) with no brake….. is fine when shot from hunting positions. But, jumps a little when shooting from the bench @ 8.6#! memtb

 

[Barehandlineman11]

It's always been the velocity I shoot for when building a hunting rifle

Id pick a caliber thats easy to get components. Another reason I suggested 30 nosler. Id shoot for accuracy not 3k deer elk dony know difference

 

[bretterath]

Anyway if your going 24" I would go 30 nosler it will shoot 2900 with 215 and shoot comfortably with a ti pro 5 port. I just built exact gun not long ago for a guy. Mesa and anti his was 24" suppressed but it was shooting 205 elites around 2950.

Edit. Should note if you dont reload id go 300 prc they have better factory ammo.