How Many Shots? Your Advice Needed.

#10 6x6 I tracked and shot him bedded, thought why not just drop it in his neck.Was about 50 yrds,340 with 225 partition.He took off which first surprised me.Took 1/2 rugged to find he doubled back a bit with some cow racks.Then went straight up ,which they say they don't when hurt,This is false, as I've had it happen more than once.When I finally caught him he had a big alder in front of him and in the rush hammered his shoulder, well there went my meat saving shot.You could a put 1/2 rebar threw hole in neck that missed spine and juggler
 
Magazine size choices:

I have exactly one wilderness/horseback/fly-in and -out elk trip. (The one before, with the same outfitter, we left from "the end of the road" on horses, also in the Frank Church.) It was a Big Deal for me, both times; so I got into a new gun for the Big Hunt; and the choice was in 2012 between the Savage and the Tikka. It got down to the 2 round mag in a Savage in 300 WSM vs. 3 rounds in the Tikka.It was complicated by the fact that the outfitter (correctly,IMHO) required us to ride with an empty chamber, riles in scabbards in front of the saddle.

So, do you want an over/under capacity under high stress, or a 50% increase in capacity?

I went with the Tikka, 3 rounds in the magazine, and good thing, as when the bull presented itself, literally at opening time, opening day, of rifle season, and we were about to head up the side of the 2500 foot semi-cliff called the Loon Creek, (in the Frank Church,) Idaho drainage, when my best friend, former 3rd Ranger Bn and tail-end charlie, spoke up, and pointed out the 6x6 bull, 300 meters away down a 50 degree slope.
First shot of my life at a bull elk, first I had even seen in the wild; (age 54, hunted deer every year, pigs, etc, since 1967, 3 sniper schools in 3d Batt, served between Grenada and Panama). Steepest shot I had ever taken by a considerable margin. It went clean over the critter's back and hit in the creek behind. Second shot, adjusted, brought it to its knees; third anchored it. I am glad I didnt have to reload, things were pretty western by that time. But if it had gotten up, the rodeo would have been pretty extreme.

If we had not had to ride with an empty chamber, I would have been more torn on which to get, between the Savage and the Tikka (again, this was in 2011 when I made that choice) ; but I really really wanted 5 rounds in the magazine not 3. Or 20.
 
Roadrunner2, Animals respond differently to bullet impact…..whether the shot is heard or not!

About 15 years ago, I shot a walking elk on the edge of timber, nearing dark, broadside, behind the shoulder, at about 30 yards.

At that range, he absorbed about 5100 ft/lbs energy, never flinched (that I could determine) only picked up his walking speed…..one of the reasons I don't buy into the energy fallacy!

As I was about to touch-off another shot, he collapsed!

I concur with the others….continue shooting until they ain't moving! You just don't know if that one shot was a clean miss, or a shot that will soon take him down, or a hit at which he may decide to rapidly leave the country! memtb
You've heard this from me before 😀 There is No Substitute For HP ❗️lol I just bought a 440 mopar to put in a Dodge Dakota ❗😃😂🥰
 
Well I haven't killed a ton of elk like most western folks here, but sadly lost a cow. The shot was broadside at 300 yards with a 185 Berger out of my trusty 300 wsm. I assumed she was dead on her feet and just standing there bleeding out. I could see her bleeding in the scope but as I approached she notice me and bounded 40 yards to a fence line separating properties. I heeded the rancher's warning not to cross any fences. He refused to contact the neighboring landowner, as disputes have happened with hunters not respecting the property lines. I sadly forfeited that elk to the critters and chewed my tag sandwich 27 hours home! Next time I'll pump one in the ceranium to anchor an elk on the spot. A lot different landowner relationships out there in them mountains than here but still deserving their due respect!
You must be hunting in Colorado, it has not happened to me, but I have seen the same thing twice. Remember in Co if you shoot any animal and it walks across the hill and someone else shoots it (no matter how good your shot was) it is the other persons animal.
 
I wasn't taught to wait around for the animal to drop after 1 shot, animals deserve to be put down as quickly as reasonably possible. Unfortunately, the way hunting works, that's not always possible. Hunting elk one time, I came on a bull elk (4×5) facing me in the timber at about 40 yards. I brought up the rifle and shot at the center of his chest. Unfortunately, he was turning, starting to leave. The shot knocked him back on his rump. Before I could shoot again, he left. It was too late in the day to wait for him to lay down and die, so my 12 year old son started following. Shortly, we saw where he had thrashed around on the ground. The snow was bloody. I thought "he's dying now ". Wrong! After that there was no blood in the tracks. ELK ARE TOUGH.

We followed for another 3 hours till dark. Started again at daybreak. By the time we found that bull dead, it had gone 9 miles as best I could tell on the map. If the animal is still on its feet, I usually keep shooting. They don't deserve unnecessary suffering. The bullet was a 160 gr. Nosler partition, 7mm Rem. mag. Federal premium. The shoulder deflected it some.
 
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While recently hunting the grasslands of Montana, I took a large bull at 700 yrds (no apparent wind, 308 180gr). Now I have been reading here for years how animals properly shot at long ranges just don't react because the gunshot noise is so far away. I was on top of a very pointy grassy hill and the bull was on a ridgeline standing broadside with his head to the right and his right front leg forward as if about to take a step. When I fired all he did was lift up his right front leg and hold it up, so I know that I had made contact. Remembering what I had read here about animals not reacting, I waited for what was probably about 15-20 seconds (maybe more or maybe less-hard to tell in the excitement of the moment). The bull was with about 8-10 other bulls, and they slowly began to spook, so fearing that I might lose the animal I (mistakenly) took a second shot.

I found the bull about 100 yards away, and upon quartering it I discovered that both shots had entered the chest about 4-5 inches apart and lodged on the inside of the left shoulder (no exit wound) and caused massive damage to the muscle there.

The second shot was totally not needed and just added so much damage to the left shoulder meat that most of the meat there was ruined. Had I not fired the second shot I would have preserved a lot more meat.

My question to y'all is what do you do when you've just shot an animal at range, you know that you've hit it, and it's just standing there about to run off. Not wanting to wound an animal and cause needless suffering and have to track it for miles, do you take another shot and ensure a quick kill and possibly ruin a lot more meat, or do you just need to be patient? Your suggestions please...
You did not make a mistake taking the second shot!! On my bull at 740 I saw the first go into the vitals and he staggered back quartering way be the second was on its way within 3 seconds and folded him where he stood. Shoot until they are on the ground. An elk can go miles on one lung or a liver wound. Loose the entire animal and sleep or loose a couple pounds of meat? Shoot the gun that's why you brought it.
 
You must be hunting in Colorado, it has not happened to me, but I have seen the same thing twice. Remember in Co if you shoot any animal and it walks across the hill and someone else shoots it (no matter how good your shot was) it is the other persons animal.
I would think that if an animal is still on his feet, then whoever puts the shot in him that puts him down, owns the animal!
 
I had a guy from work that I got him interested in hunting.
Long story short we both ended up with cow elk tags for the book cliffs. While we were standing next to some really steep hill with cliffs all the sudden we hear rocks rolling down the hill. Next thing I know a whole group of 15 or 20 elk are busting up over what I thought only sheep would be in. My friend looks over at me and says what do I do. My reply was shoot one!!
He shot and I shot I seen mine go down and heard a smack from his shot. I told him to stay their and help guide me to where the elk dropped.
I found my cow and told him to come on up.
By the time he made the climb I had the guts out and told him to go look for blood from his shot. He found blood and we both started to track blood. After about 300 yards it just became thin and we lost the blood. I said we have to get my elk off the hill and cooled down before it starts to go south and will be back at 1st thing in the morning to look for his.
Next morning we found crows feeding in the flat by the road. We walked over to where the crows were and found a gut pile from a elk.
My guess that cow circled back over 600 yards and knew she was mortality wounded and headed for the flat ground and someone else put her down. At least I hope they did and we didn't have a elk die off to spoil.
The shot was up hill at 350 yards and with the elk moving he told he couldn't keep track of the one he shot at.
I've seen elk drop with the 1st shot and I've seen elk take multiple hits and just stand their and take a few steps before they fall.
 
In any hunting situation
In any hunting situation
If someone shoots a deer elk or whatever and it is a killing shot and I shot it not knowing it had been shot, when the first shooter show up its his or hers and I'll help get it out. That gust me, everyone to their own.
 
I'd would much rather it go to someone else then the crows and coyotes. Unless you're like the douche nozzles brother that Ron Spomer has on that would write articles about the ethics of long range shooting.
And horn in on a woman hunter and shoot the leg off the deer. Douche bag, him and his brother. Sorry I'm not letting it goes because someone wants to make money off of hunting. They are Douche Nozzles. I'd rather watch shed crazy or some one else that is relevant. Sorry Ron your college educated bull **** writing don't cut it anymore.
 

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