Is a 270 WSM an adequate elk round?

[257Tony]

The 6.5 elk looked like a neck/spinal shot... it dropped instantly. IMO a riskier shot (perhaps a slight miss to the left from wind?) than a lung shot, but it certainly worked. Hard to make definitive judgments about the suitability of the caliber from this one example... the same results would have happened with any deer-capable bullet from a centerfire rifle.

The 25-06 shot was a front quartering shot that clearly penetrated... you can see the exit wound when the elk turns to the right, and the blood sign gets larger quickly. That elk bled out from a shot that likely took out both lungs and exited just behind the diaphragm on the opposite side. The bullet performed suitably, and this is IMO a positive example.

With both of these, what would have happened if the bullet had been 6" to the right? IMO a dead elk but in the first case maybe 5 to 10 seconds on its feet, but for the second case a gut shot elk that would have run quite a ways.

Is there a margin-of-error factor that makes choosing a larger caliber with more energy a better choice? Not for when everything goes right, but when something goes wrong?

No, not with any of the cartridges I've seen. When the first hit is bad, good chance you're gonna have a sh*tshow on your hands.

 

[257Tony]

Sometimes the "wrong end" is the "only end" that you are offered in a hunting season.

Properly placed, little edible meat is lost unless a ham is hit. Still…..75% of an elk is much better than 0% of an elk! Again, the right bullet properly placed, will kill an elk (or any other big gam animal) very quickly!

Or……loosing an entire elk because a long range, shot with a marginal (under less than ideal circumstances) cartridge is used!

Just because it "can" be done …….doesn't mean it "should" be done! memtb

Ok, you're one of those guys. Just get a bullet in them before they hit the trees eh?

 

[memtb]

Ok, you're one of those guys. Just get a bullet in them before they hit the trees eh?

Sometimes I hunt in the trees! An "unguided" hunter on "public land" can't be picky where he hunts elk! He/she must be prepared for any and all opportunities…..open country or heavy timber!

Some folks don't understand these things! memtb