My first elk hunt

[gsp2west]

Both rifles can do the job. Personally, I'd bring the lighter rifle and expect to be dead tired at the end of each day. If they both weigh the same and both very accurate I'd go with the 6.5 and Hammer or TTSX bullets. My son would say go with the 308. We both hunt elk in Co. every year. He shoots a 300 win mag and I shoot a 338 RUM.

 

[dogz]

I will be hunting elk this year in Colorado. I have a 308 and 6.5. Both shoot very accurate out to 500 yard. I practice shooting from 300 to 500
Are both guns enough for an ethical kill I read ballistics and plan to use 1500 ft lbs of force giving me a range of 400 yards. I will be using Hornady eldx

Michael-exciting times to be able to go on your first hunt, will you be guided or on your own?

 

[Backcountry sports]

I will be hunting elk this year in Colorado. I have a 308 and 6.5. Both shoot very accurate out to 500 yard. I practice shooting from 300 to 500
Are both guns enough for an ethical kill I read ballistics and plan to use 1500 ft lbs of force giving me a range of 400 yards. I will be using Hornady eldx

I'd use the 308

 

[HRM Johnny]

The 300 WM actually excels with elk and these distances....(justification for a new gun )

First elk hunt. What a great reason (excuse) to get a new gun! Just my two cents worth.

 

[73driver]

I'm sure there will be a lot of answers but here's my 2 cents. Any who's ever read my responses knows I am not a 6.5 Credemore fan for long range hunting. In a perfect world 6.5 Crede might be a choice for game under 350 lbs. Just not in mine. I'm not a Gucci guy shooting the newest 6.5 offering because Im a marketing nut. A 308 is just better. Before anyone starts spewing numbers, a 308 is A %^*#ing lot bigger in diameter and will deliver the hate. You can theoretically get any light weight anything going fast enough to make foot pounds of energy. That don't mean it will kill, break big bones, create massive hydrostatic shock or carry that energy thru a large animal creating massive tissue damage.

will a 6.5 kill an elk. Sure. Will a 308 do it better? Absolutely. Do great shots kill elk with 6.5s? Sure. But how many idiots take marginal shots and wound elk every year they never see again? Lots.
IMO the answer to ethically killing an elk from 300-500 yards aint with a 6.5 Credemore.
great deer or antelope guns. Thats all.

Ok "not a Gucci guy"
1) Why pidddle dick around with a 308 when you can use an 30-06?
2) A 308 produces hydrostatic shock?
3) Around the world a lot of Moose succumb to 6.5 bullets, just keep your shots realistic.
4) At one point the 243, 270WIN, 7MM Mag and 308 were all the darlings of the "marketing nuts".
5) The 6.5C is not based on MV and foot pounds of energy it is base on sectional density.
6) In the Fed Fusion line the 180gr 308 and 270 150gr have the same energy at 500 yards and equals the 6.5C energy at 400 yards. Both the 270 and 6.5 have better SD than the 308.
7) The 308 was fine for hunting and is slightly better than the 6.5C, but of course "non marketing hyped" types opt for the 30-06.

 

[michaelfelix13]

Michael-exciting times to be able to go on your first hunt, will you be guided or on your own?

Friend has propy

 

[michaelfelix13]

Both rifles can do the job. Personally, I'd bring the lighter rifle and expect to be dead tired at the end of each day. If they both weigh the same and both very accurate I'd go with the 6.5 and Hammer or TTSX bullets. My son would say go with the 308. We both hunt elk in Co. every year. He shoots a 300 win mag and I shoot a 338 RUM.

If I lived in the west I would be probably shooting the 300. In the east most shooting is 50- 100 yds. If they are across the field maybe 235. Hard to find a range 200 plus. Finally found a 500 us range in Vermont. That's why I shoot the 6.5 creedmoor. I love the challenge of for the east long range

 

[dogz]

Friend has propy

Excellent, hunting private is generally always a way different deal that hunting public.

 

[Quintus]

Ok "not a Gucci guy"
1) Why pidddle dick around with a 308 when you can use an 30-06?
2) A 308 produces hydrostatic shock?
3) Around the world a lot of Moose succumb to 6.5 bullets, just keep your shots realistic.
4) At one point the 243, 270WIN, 7MM Mag and 308 were all the darlings of the "marketing nuts".
5) The 6.5C is not based on MV and foot pounds of energy it is base on sectional density.
6) In the Fed Fusion line the 180gr 308 and 270 150gr have the same energy at 500 yards and equals the 6.5C energy at 400 yards. Both the 270 and 6.5 have better SD than the 308.
7) The 308 was fine for hunting and is slightly better than the 6.5C, but of course "non marketing hyped" types opt for the 30-06.

Sectional density begins to change the second a bullet begins to expand and shed weight. That's why bullet construction, impact velocity, shot placement and bullet mass all have their role. In my opinion, shot placement is most important, followed by bullet construction and keeping that bullet selection within it's designed impact velocity window. CNS hits from the 308 or 6.5 creed will have the same result. Vascular disruption can also be very similar between the two with like bullets. Choose the rifle you shoot best. If they are equal, choose the one you'd prefer to carry all day, day after day.

 

[Huntfly]

Thank you I agree I can read many different opinions. As long as I shot straight and use what I believe to be a respectable distance for my cartridge . It is a hunt not a kill so I will do my best to get the best distance and angle.

That's all you can do, good luck to ya.

 

[Muskrat Outdoors]

I will be hunting elk this year in Colorado. I have a 308 and 6.5. Both shoot very accurate out to 500 yard. I practice shooting from 300 to 500
Are both guns enough for an ethical kill I read ballistics and plan to use 1500 ft lbs of force giving me a range of 400 yards. I will be using Hornady eldx

I have heard the 6.5 Creedmore does fine on elk, but you can't argue with the 308's track record. I'll bet 1,000's of elk have been taken with a 308. That is just a guess though, I have never seen any info to prove it. When you look at the 6.5 Creedmore, it's not a lot different really, smaller diameter, but same case. Personally, I'd go with a heavy bullet in the 308 if it was me. All that said, I guided elk hunters for nearly 30 years and I don't recall a single one using a 308.....30-06 either. Marketing does wonders and everyone seems to want either as big as they can get, or the new kid on the block. Elk are as big as a horse and in my opinion, bigger is better when it comes to elk. They can soak up a lot of lead. I would not go below 30 caliber personally, but lots of elk have been taken with 25-06 and smaller.......

 

[dluehrs]

Thank you all for your support and suggestions I will use my 308 and I am researching the federal terminal ascent cartridge 175 grain. Seams to have the right balance of power

That's what I used last year for my elk hunt. I was happy with the results.

 

[22250imp]

From my limited experience with the ELDX (147 gr) in 6.5.......avoid a close range shot! In my tests from a 6.5 Creed, they were extremely fragile, and came completely apart on a 30 yard shot in my test median. And yes, very close shots are a possibility!!

I'd hate to see your first (and possibly your only) elk hunt, end in failure due to the bullet not be up to the task. It will certainly work if perfectly placed where it meets minimal resistance prior to reaching the vitals, but in hunting .....there are no guarantees! memtb

Maybe the reason for that is the 147 bullets are for targets.

 

[dluehrs]

308 with 180 grain Nosler Partition or Accubond or any good bullet. The stories you hear of folks regularly killing elk at 500 plus yards - well I'm not going to call them out on the Internet, but it is rare. Elk are big tough critters who live in a tough environment. You can put a 180 gr bullet through the shoulder at 125 yards and a big old tough bull will shrug and walk off - with a limp, but walking.

True enough they are tough critters. My hunting partner put a 180 grain 06 solid copper slug in a bulls shoulder last fall. He's ran away without a limp and disappeared a mile away. Came back a while later and he was still not limping. (Very unique rack so he knows it was the same animal). This time he shot it properly and took it down. Shoulder meat was torn up from the first bad hit. Very tough animals. Shot placement is critical.