Help chosing an Elk Cartridge.

[WildRose]

Honolulu. I plan to practice long range in Montana and hunt Elk in Oregon

Isn't there a lot of public land over on the east side where it is dry and pretty desert like? Can you not shoot on any of it?

What about the lava flows on the south side?

I know there's some pretty big ranches up there too with a lot of hunting opportunities have you tried talking to any owners about access for shooting?

 

[kai]

Honolulu. I plan to practice long range in Montana and hunt Elk in Oregon

John, Aloha from Kailua.
I'd like to find a place to practice long range without having to fly at least 2,500 miles to get there.
I have shot at Puuloa (military range) but they only allow military cartridges.

 

[John Spadaro]

Isn't there a lot of public land over on the east side where it is dry and pretty desert like? Can you not shoot on any of it?

What about the lava flows on the south side?

I know there's some pretty big ranches up there too with a lot of hunting opportunities have you tried talking to any owners about access for shooting?

You must be referring to the Island of Hawaii, aka Big Island. I live on Oahu, with a city of 1 million population.

 

[WildRose]

You must be referring to the Island of Hawaii, aka Big Island. I live on Oahu, with a city of 1 million population.

Ahh, my mistake. I was confusing the two.

 

[Diamondback]

I am looking to build a lightweight rifle for mountain hunting. Primary game will be Elk with a maximum range of 400 yards. I also plan to use the gun at the range and would like to keep the recoil low.

A Tikka T3x in 270 Win
150gr Hornady Interbonds or bonded bullet

Kimber Montana 84M stainless in 270 Win
Hunter or Mountain Ascent
150gr Hornady Interbonds or bonded bullet

Old school is a Rem 700 stainless BDL 24" barrel.
It weighs more, but weight offsets recoil.

The 270's I own are inherently accurate.

 

[e1harris]

I am looking to build a

-Lightweight, Primary game will be Elk.
-Maximum range of 400 yards
-Plan to use the gun at the range
-Would like to keep the recoil low
-A short action cartridge would be nice
-The option for factory ammo is desired

Dude, you just defined a .308 Win. I'm good out to 364 yards with a 20" barrel loaded with 180gr Swift A-frames at 2536 fps.

Make that a 22" barrel and you're easily above 1200 ft/lb and 1800 fps at 400 yards.

 

[Badgerclaw]

Back to original post, A cartridge that gets over looked is the 264 win. If you want lighter recoil than a 7 mag, with available loaded ammo, and enough power to kill elk, the 264 is great.

I believe it gets over looked because it's an old cartridge, and now a days there's this 6.5 craze. If you took the same cartridge but renamed it the 6.5 creed/nosler magnum, then had hornady put out articles all over the Internet... a lot of people would jump on that bandwagon.
It outperforms the creedmore, the 6.5-284, 6.5-06, and with certain bullet weights I believe it outdoes the PRC (I don't have the reloading manual in front of me so don't hold me to it). Long story short, it's a great cartridge. It just isn't new and shiny

 

[jacobdewey]

Buy the biggest caliber with the most power that you can comfortably carry and accurately shoot. I would recommend a 7mm-08 or .308 if recoil and weight are an issue.

I personally like a heavier gun for stability. My 7mm rm mountain rifle weighs 12lbs fully equipped with bipod, loaded mag, and 4 extra rounds on my sling.
I packed it over 100 miles this season and was fine. (I'm 5'6" anda150lbs, so I'm pretty weak compared to a normal sized dude.)
Its cumbersome and I cuss it when crawling through thick brush or steep mountains, but when it's time to actually make all that hard work pay off by dropping that elk or deer that first shot... I'm way more steady and comfortable than most, and at the end of the day, I'm there to fill the freezer....not to have a nice comfortable hike.

 

[USAF Marksman]

I opted to get a Tikka T3 in 300 WSM when I moved out to Utah this year. I had a 270 WSM in a Browning A Bolt growing up, and loved that rifle. Didn't shoot an elk this year, but did enough shooting during load development to get a good feel for the round. So far, I like it, but the recoil is significantly more than the 30-06's I've had. The recoil doesn't bother me, but I wouldn't recommend it to recoil shy people. Would probably go with the 30-06 out of your list. The cost of factory ammunition or reloading is just a bonus over the 300 WSM or other WSM rounds.

 

[John Spadaro]

I opted to get a Tikka T3 in 300 WSM when I moved out to Utah this year. I had a 270 WSM in a Browning A Bolt growing up, and loved that rifle. Didn't shoot an elk this year, but did enough shooting during load development to get a good feel for the round. So far, I like it, but the recoil is significantly more than the 30-06's I've had. The recoil doesn't bother me, but I wouldn't recommend it to recoil shy people. Would probably go with the 30-06 out of your list. The cost of factory ammunition or reloading is just a bonus over the 300 WSM or other WSM rounds.

How much difference is the recoil between the 270 WSM and the 30-06? I am guessing that they are about the same.

 

[Phillygunner]

I would humbly suggest always shooting the gun and caliber that you like, have confidence in and that supplies enough of whatever it is you need to get the job done. If someone really likes a gun that has a lot of recoil and it's a concern for them, I would suggest managing the recoil as opposed to replacing the rifle or caliber you like. Find a good efficient brake or suppress it and manage the recoil impulse. That way you will truly enjoy your favorite gun even more.

 

[jacobdewey]

How much difference is the recoil between the 270 WSM and the 30-06? I am guessing that they are about the same.

The .270 wsm seems like more of a quick sharp hit, while the 06 seems like a hard push if that makes any sense. Both are very manageable imo.

 

[kai]

John, I have a Tikka Superlite T3 in 270 Win with a muzzle brake and a Limbsaver Airtech recoil pad that you're welcome to try.
I need to take it to Koko Head to test the 117 gn Hammer bullets I loaded for it.

 

[ranger3]

Having shot a moose at 425 yds, I would look hard at a 300 WSM, 300WM and if a brake is necessary so be it. 280 AI would also be a consideration and if you got to a Browning BAR, 30-06 is a good choice with heavy bullets.