What caliber rifle for elk? 1st hunt

[rlshrumva]

I tend to have the same input as most have already mentioned:

1. Accuracy
2. Be ready to cover ground at high altitude
3. Generally bigger/faster bullets are better in my humble opinion
4. Hard well constructed bullets are a must

A couple others are:

1. Learn as much as you can about hunting elk, and/or hunt with someone with elk hunting experience. I wasted a couple trips out west because I didn't do my homework and/or get connected with someone that had extensive experience. It's so different than eastern hunting…
2. Hopefully you are able to get a tag. Start applying every year if you already are not doing so. You generally can't just decide to go elk hunting and point yourself to the west…
3. Be ready to spend some $. Everything is expensive - tags, travel, accommodations, equipment, guide or trespass fees, etc.

I'm sure with what you have already you can find the right rifle (with your current options). I shoot a 300 win mag and 168 grain Barnes ttsx's. @ 3243fps. That combo has been very deadly for me (e.g. see my profile pic). I hope this helps you in some way. Good luck - elk are my favorite animal to hunt, and they taste pretty darn good as well!!

 

[Plinker147]

I've watch a good number of big bulls get shot with a 20in barrel 30-06 with 180 bergers. I would take that gun. We have also killed elk out to 550 with a 6.5 shooting 140 Berger elites. So take either with confidence, but the lighter gun will be a lot nicer climbing hills.

 

[VarmintBob]

I don't hunt with Bergers anymore. Have had pronghorns run 150 yds. I've killed elk with 270 win and 300 WM. Partitions, accubonds and ELD-X. No more than 2 steps with those.

 

[lupis]

Get in shape, there isn't much air out here…

I live in Wyo, this is my 50th year of hunting big game here.. killed lots, and have seen lots more killed.. all your calibers will work if conditions are perfect, but it seems that isn't generally the case. There are so many things going on, wind, excitement, animals position/moving..and countless others. Use as big of a rifle as you can accurately shoot with a bullet that offers good penetration

I've killed a lot of elk with 7mm. 243, 3006, 270… 300's work better

Elk aren't just big deer, and a rutting bull is a tough animal.. they can be hard to kill..

My current elk rifle is a 300 win mag, my wife uses a 300 weatherby ultra-lite

There's so many types of elk hunting, that needs to be looked at.. in the desert country, I use a 338 lapua.. it works very well..

Get in shape and shoot lots.. practice odd shooting positions.. get ready for as much as you can

Have fun

 

[med358-boise]

Lot's of good advice, so I will offer my opinion.

I would take the 30-06 and develop a load for it. If you have H4350 it is normally quite easy to find an accurate load with for a quality 165/168 bullet.

With respect to bullets, folks generally fall into two camps 1) deep penetrating with good expansion (partition, accubond, barnes etc) and 2-3 inches of penetration with massive expansion including fragmentation. The preceding can easily approach a religious war. I am personally in camp 1.

A good shooter is a good shooter so I have no doubt with a little more trigger time you will be just as confident in your 30-06. Build your self a good DOPE chart out to 600 and your good.

Get your day pack/back pack scenario sorted out and figure out how that is going to be used to support shooting prone and sitting including rear stock support and practice shooting from those two positions with that set up.

 

[FEENIX]

Get in shape and shoot lots.. practice odd shooting positions.. get ready for as much as you can

This is often overlooked. The OP needs to be able to get to where the elk are. A few years ago, we ran into a guy hauling a game cart on a vehicle trail (however, no motorized vehicles are allowed except for the caretakers and fish and game) to his buddy who had just downed an elk. We can hear him huffing and puffing, and ~ 50 yards away, he is not very happy about it. The trail is a steady climb but not steep. We briefly talked to him while he took a breather. We told him we knew where his buddy was. When we told him he had 6 more miles to go, he resumed hauling the cart and started cussing.

 

[Don Titus]

I tend to have the same input as most have already mentioned:

1. Accuracy
2. Be ready to cover ground at high altitude
3. Generally bigger/faster bullets are better in my humble opinion
4. Hard well constructed bullets are a must

A couple others are:

1. Learn as much as you can about hunting elk, and/or hunt with someone with elk hunting experience. I wasted a couple trips out west because I didn't do my homework and/or get connected with someone that had extensive experience. It's so different than eastern hunting…
2. Hopefully you are able to get a tag. Start applying every year if you already are not doing so. You generally can't just decide to go elk hunting and point yourself to the west…
3. Be ready to spend some $. Everything is expensive - tags, travel, accommodations, equipment, guide or trespass fees, etc.

I'm sure with what you have already you can find the right rifle (with your current options). I shoot a 300 win mag and 168 grain Barnes ttsx's. @ 3243fps. That combo has been very deadly for me (e.g. see my profile pic). I hope this helps you in some way. Good luck - elk are my favorite animal to hunt, and they taste pretty darn good as well!!

I'd second that. This Sept. in WY, I shot a nice 5X5 at 60 yards with my 300WM using 180 gr. Barnes ttsx @2960. Right through both shoulders and DRT.

 

[nwwanderer]

Most durable, least issues and the one you shoot best and have the most confidence shooting. Practice.

 

[cajun]

Since you already have a load worked up for the 140 ballistic tip swapping to a 140 Accubond is the easy button. The load you have should be real close. The other option is work up a load in the 06 with a 150-165 grain bullet. Not a bad idea to bring a back up gun as well.

 

[Perman5]

All will work great. Just shoot the one that when you take it out you have the feeling that no matter what you are going to hit what you shoot at. That's the confidence level you want with an elk rifle. The one thing is be very careful with unbonded bullets that have tips. These are elk and figure your shot is going to be the last evening at 375 yds and he's quartering away about to leave for the next zip code once he goes. Pick the bullet you would use them and you'll be fine!! And enjoy the hunt!!!

 

[ShootnMathews]

Thank you everyone so much for the responses. I think taking all suggestions into account I'm going to look for either some 160ish grain Barnes bullets or 180 accubonds (probably try both) to work up a load for the 30-06 and I'll swap the scope over to the 6.5-20x44 so I can dial for distance and once I refine a load with one of those two bullets I'll work on my drop data and hit the ranges.


One thing I KNOW I'll struggle with is the physical part. In 2022 I almost died from covid pneumonia and severe sepsis and since have gotten in horrible physical shape. As soon as the weather breaks some I plan to start on physical training but with the lung damage I have I know no matter how good of shape I get in it won't be enough r when I get out there. But I'm not getting any younger and am determined to give it by best go. Thanks to everyone who replied. Please feel free to add any tips or info that you feel may help as I prepare through out the year. This is supposed to be a combo hunt for antelope, mule deer and elk for a group of us. Some of us will likely draw 1 or 2 tags (optimistic here) or potentially none but I will be prepared to draw all 3 none the less. For the speed goats and mule deer I plan to take the 6.5-284 with the 140 Nosler BT bullets the way it is because it works fantastic on deer here and I know I can hit baseballs at 600 plus yards with it if needed. I'll set up the 30-06 for the elk in case I draw it. Or in case a friend does and needs a backup rifle on the trip.

 

[Bill28]

So I'm planning to go on my first elk hunt (first hunt out west period) next year and I'm stuck deciding what caliber to use. So I'll rattle off some of my guns that I am considering taking and maybe you elk guys can help me decide. I don't really know what is needed to efficiently bring one down or what ranges I'll most likely need to shoot. So which ones of these rifles will be sufficient or should I just be looking at buying a 7Rem mag or 300WM? I'm sure we'll be doing a lot of walking which is why I included rifle weights

6.5-284 with a 6.5-20x50 scope. Shooting 140 grain Nosler ballistic tips. This rifle is extremely accurate and I'm confident with it to shoot to 800 yards. Weighs 10lbs 9oz
View attachment 628403

308 Winchester shooting 168 grain Amax. 5-20x50 scope. This gun is pretty darn accurate but I don't have as much trigger time on it so I'll say I'm confident with it to 500 yards.
View attachment 628404

The next rifle I'm considering is much lighter weight so it'd definitely be easier packing at 7lbs 12oz. It's a 30-06 with 20" barrel and 4-12x40 scope and shooting 125 grain Nosler ballistic tips right now but I can work up a heavier load for it if I need to. I'm only confident with this rifle to about 300 yards because I set it up with light bullets for 100 yard deer shots.
View attachment 628408

Next is another light weight rifle at 7lbs 8 oz. 7mm-08 with 139 grain SST bullets. This gun is decently accurate and prints submoa groups. It only has a 3-9x40 with no dialable turrets so I'd be stuck with just holding over. However I do have a 6.5-20x44 scope here that I could easily throw on it and dial for distance with some practice and load work. No pic but it's basically the same rifle as the 30-06.

Thanks for any input here.

With the guns you listed I would go with the 30-06 and 180 Accubonds, I've killed over 45 elk with this setup farthest shot was 467 yards one and done. I did shoot this gun regularly out to 500 yards, that's the distance I was comfortable with taking with my 06.

 

[birddog 68]

Thank you everyone so much for the responses. I think taking all suggestions into account I'm going to look for either some 160ish grain Barnes bullets or 180 accubonds (probably try both) to work up a load for the 30-06 and I'll swap the scope over to the 6.5-20x44 so I can dial for distance and once I refine a load with one of those two bullets I'll work on my drop data and hit the ranges.


One thing I KNOW I'll struggle with is the physical part. In 2022 I almost died from covid pneumonia and severe sepsis and since have gotten in horrible physical shape. As soon as the weather breaks some I plan to start on physical training but with the lung damage I have I know no matter how good of shape I get in it won't be enough r when I get out there. But I'm not getting any younger and am determined to give it by best go. Thanks to everyone who replied. Please feel free to add any tips or info that you feel may help as I prepare through out the year. This is supposed to be a combo hunt for antelope, mule deer and elk for a group of us. Some of us will likely draw 1 or 2 tags (optimistic here) or potentially none but I will be prepared to draw all 3 none the less. For the speed goats and mule deer I plan to take the 6.5-284 with the 140 Nosler BT bullets the way it is because it works fantastic on deer here and I know I can hit baseballs at 600 plus yards with it if needed. I'll set up the 30-06 for the elk in case I draw it. Or in case a friend does and needs a backup rifle on the trip.

Sounds like you have a good plan for the rifle.
As for the physical part, you will definitely struggle. I'm at a little over 1000' and train before my trips and still struggle.
If possible I would try to arrive a few days early and do some hiking at elevation. It does help.
Good luck

 

[FEENIX]

Thank you everyone so much for the responses. I think taking all suggestions into account I'm going to look for either some 160ish grain Barnes bullets or 180 accubonds (probably try both) to work up a load for the 30-06 and I'll swap the scope over to the 6.5-20x44 so I can dial for distance and once I refine a load with one of those two bullets I'll work on my drop data and hit the ranges.


One thing I KNOW I'll struggle with is the physical part. In 2022 I almost died from covid pneumonia and severe sepsis and since have gotten in horrible physical shape. As soon as the weather breaks some I plan to start on physical training but with the lung damage I have I know no matter how good of shape I get in it won't be enough r when I get out there. But I'm not getting any younger and am determined to give it by best go. Thanks to everyone who replied. Please feel free to add any tips or info that you feel may help as I prepare through out the year. This is supposed to be a combo hunt for antelope, mule deer and elk for a group of us. Some of us will likely draw 1 or 2 tags (optimistic here) or potentially none but I will be prepared to draw all 3 none the less. For the speed goats and mule deer I plan to take the 6.5-284 with the 140 Nosler BT bullets the way it is because it works fantastic on deer here and I know I can hit baseballs at 600 plus yards with it if needed. I'll set up the 30-06 for the elk in case I draw it. Or in case a friend does and needs a backup rifle on the trip.

In 2021, I had double-lung pneumonia also due to COVID-19. I was out of work (mostly did remote work) for 4-months and was hooked up to an oxygen tank/machine for half the time. I worked on my cardio and physical conditioning tirelessly. I have been back to my old hunting grounds and am now back to normal, but I approach things more cautiously these days. Good luck!