Best combo Elk & Deer caliber

[Greg Nolan]

There can be no doubt that I have chosen the best combo elk and deer caliber and I want a chance to share this knowlege with the rest of you. Unless of course you can show me the error of my ways. So here goes.
My first choice would be the .375 RUM with 260 gr. A/Bs at 3085 fps. But then I thought maybe, just maybe, that might be overkill so I settled on the 338 RUM with 225 gr. A/Bs at 3115 fps.
So, do you agree with my choice?? :lol: :lol: :lol:
It's a long time till elk season Are we there yet :wink:

 

[JDMAG]

Based on a book I am reading right now, There is no such thing as "Over Kill" I believe your choice is suitable for both deer and elk. Especially for those not so perfect shot angles. Of todays "modern" cartridges, I think the two you mentioned would be at the top of my list. How ever, since I don't have either of those, or even a 300 RUM anymore, I'll just have to stick with my 7Mag.
Nope we're not there yet! :wink:

 

[YoteSmoker]

7 Rem Mag is my personal favorite. The 300 win mag is probably most popular. The 270 or 30-06 etc wil be somebody elses favorite. IMO, it's hard to beat a 308 or 284 bullet for deer and elk but even more important factor is matching the cartridge to accurately get the bullet in the vitals at the greatest distance you expect to encounter combined with a well constructed bullet to do the job once it gets there.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

There is no such thing. To many cartridges that can fit that bill and I would say yours are a little on the heavy side for 75% of people out there.

Theres 3 groups the way I look at it.

The first is the "deer hunter" who occasionally goes after elk. They will carry there 270 or 30-06 and be perfectly happy and argue there calibers will do anything they ask. Which they will out to a certain range with a good bullet and good shot placement. Most everybody can shoot these calibers better then magnums so that would make them more efficient in itself.

The second is the guys that hunt deer and elk every year or every other year. They usually carry a 7 mag or 300 mag or maybe even the good ol 338 win mag. They will argue there caliber is the cats butt for deer and elk. Which any of those mags certainly are a great deer/elk caliber. These cartridges tend to be on the virge of most peoples comfort level while still maintaining good accuracy.

The third is the group that totes the RUMS,wildcats, etc.. They believe they can shoot further, faster, flatter then ever before and there round is the best. These guys also can handle the recoil these hammers put out. The average hunter cannot so they will never be proficient with them. So in the wrong hands, they are useless...

I've shot deer with everything from a 22-250 to a 300 RUM and the truth is deer aren't hard to kill. I've shot most deer with a 25-06 and it flat drops them with shoulder shots just like my 7 mag or 300 RUM did. Virtually no difference.

Elk are whole another animal and IMO deserve a whole nother cartridge. Elk can take a good solid hit and keep on going for a while. Anybody whose killed or been around a lot of elk killed will know that. The farther they go, the worse it gets. They go to the deepest, darkest, thickest place they can get to. I believe if a guy can shoot a magnum accurately, then thats where it starts for elk. .264 WM, 7 RM, 300 Win, etc.. These mags will kill elk further then 95% of people could hit them at to begin with. That leaves the RUMS and big wildcats. These are great for long range shots where energy and velocity are still high. They are IMO to much for anything inside of 500 yards. I had a 300 RUM and I'm not bashing it in any way, its a helluva round, I shot a few deer and elk with it, it just doesn't do anything inside 500-600 yards that a 7 RM or 300 WM wont do with a lot less cost and recoil. You usually dont have to many 600+ yard shots in the field unless your looking for it either. Where they really shine is Long range and most people dont know how to use them to there full potential. There are also the guys who just seem to think they need all that power.

If I had to pick 1 caliber for deer/elk, I'd pick up a 300 Win, load a 200g AB at 2900fps or so, and know that I've got a deer/elk slaying machine out to 1000 yards if need be. It doesn't burn 90+g of powder, its recoil is manageable, its accuracy and performance has a proven track record. Heck I shot my first spike bull when I was 13 with a 300 Win/180g NP at 525 yards, 1 shot through the shoulders sent him tumbling down the canyon, my uncle, dad, and I will never forget that moment, it was awesome. Its nothing fancy but its still one of the better all around cartridges IMO.

I think the better deer calibers start at .25-06 and go through to the 7mm's.

I think the better elk calibers start at 7mm mag and go to whatever suits your fancy.

 

[bullet]

The 30-06 with 165gr or 180gr load or 358Win with 225gr load, but for all around and distance I would say the 30-06 for me.

 

[str8meat]

338 means sleepy time for the critters

 

[JD338]

Greg,

338 RUM. It hammers elk and deer. :wink:

The 338 RUM is a spectacular killer on game. Every animal I have shot with my 338 RUM has dropped in its tracks and never moved.

JD338

 

[hardpan]

Well,
If i am after elk, i would pick my .300 wby mag with either ab or partitions, both group very well for that gun and are deadly even at longer distances. If I am after deer, my .257 wby mag is my choice, really flat, accurate, and light.

If i pick a single gun, i go with my 7mm wby mag with 160 gr ABs at around 3200 fps. The gun shoots like a dream, and is my best all around gun for non-dangerous game. It has more than enough knockdown. Also, I don't take questionable shots at long distances. Either I get closer, get a better shot, or the animal gets away. For me, the hunt is more important than the kill, and I usually have one of my kids with me. So, every hunt is a teachable moment.

Just my thoughts,
Hardpan

 

[Guy Miner]

Some well educated answers here. Nice!

It's actually a very good question, because many of us want to use One Rifle for deer, bear, elk etc...

Like Remingtonman 25-06 mentions - it's pretty easy to kill a deer. I've taken mulies with the .45 ACP and with rifles from .223 to .45/70... They all died real easy.

Elk... Really big deer. Tenacious of life. Gotta respect 700+ pounds of muscle and bone and determination to escape!

On the other hand they're not bullet proof. I'd say a typical deer cartridge, set up with "elk bullets" is a great way to go. The .30-06, .270, .300 mags, 7mm mags etc... Not brutal to the shooter, yet capable of fine performance on even large elk.

Good stuff! Regards, Guy

 

[Greg Nolan]

Thank you all for the responding to my "toung in cheek" questionaire.
I have to agree with all of you on your points. The best rifle is the one you like and can shoot best. No doubt elk will fall to most calibers if shot within the confines of the shooters ability. I still like my 375 and 338 RUMs for elk. The 7mmRUM, 300 Wby and 257 Wby for deer but I've killed most of mine with a 270 and 308 Win. I still have faith in the RUM's ability to anchor the game quicker due to the massive shock. I'm not sure why but every animal I don't drop in their tracks seems to know the shortcut to the deepest, steepest canyon in the area :?
Good Hunting :grin:

 

[nomosendero]

Rem hit it perfectly, no need to add to it.

 

[hardpan]

Greg,
Here, they tend to run into the nastiest thicket of whatever will puncture me! Or, just into the creek. My best story will get posted onto the main page.
Hardpan

 

[DrMike]

+1, Greg. No need to track a wounded elk; just head for the thick stuff. He'll be waiting for you there.

 

[FOTIS]

CARRY THE BIGGEST YOU CAN HANDLE!

MY PHILOSOPHY!!!

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

Yep, Rem hit it.
In that spirit, .338 Win with 200 gr BSST's work well on both.

 

[Alaska]

7mm Mag with 160gr Accubonds

 

[HunterJim]

Another vote for .30-'06 as the general answer.

This year though I am using a .300 RCM for my hunts, I usually think of it as an '06 Improved.

jim

 

[jmad_81]

I have taken elk with only three different rifles, a 270 winchester, a 338 WM, and a 375 Ruger. All of these rifles have taken deer as well.

The 270 was my first rifle, it was a stainless M70 classic. I was shooting 150 gr. NP golds at about 2800 FPS. A herd ran out in front of me on a hill and after searching for some antlers and not finding any I pick out a cow standing broad side. The shot was only 150 yards, and by the time I shot she was quartering away. I shot and nothing happend, no thump of a bullet hitting, no limping elk, nothing. Seeing this I picked out another broadside cow and shot again and missed. By this time the first cow I shot at was broad side again so I shot at her again. Hit her right through both shoulders low and through the bottom of the heart. When I was skinning her out I felt somehting hit my hand and fall to the ground. It was the bullet from the first shot! I had hit her just in front of the rump and found the bullet behind the off shoulder. I had just barely mushroomed. My fisrt "cow" elk turned out to be a calf that weighed 117 lbs hanging at the butcher. Now before everybody picks me apart for doing several things wrong on this hunt keep in mind I was 14, it was my first elk hunt. I admit that things should have been done differently and that the 270 will kill elk. But... It drove me nuts that I could not tell if I hit her or not.

Two years later I figured if I was going to shoot something that kicked bad (for somereason that 270 kicked hard) I was going to shoot bigger bullets. I bought my 338 WM my Jr. year in high school and have never looked back. I shot my first bull my senior year with a 185 gr XLC on the same ridge that I shot my first calf on. He ran out and I dropped him at about 200 yards. He fell not more than 50 yards from were I had killed my first calf. From that moment on I have been in love with bigger than required guns. I have killed bulls with 225 ABs, and another cow with a 225 TSX. On every single one of them the elk went DRT, or was shocked enough for a good standing fallow up shot. I thouhgt I had the best elk gun in the world!

After my trip to africa I convinced myself I was going back and I needed a bigger gun! Hornady and Ruger had just come out with the 375 Ruger and that was just a touch better than the 375 H&H I was looking for. Getting used to the recoil of the bigger gun took a bit but now I'm fine with it. The first bull I shot with it was 240 yards away down hill and quartering away. I hit him a bit high in the rump and the bullet travled all the way up through the front shoulder. I will never forget the sound it made when the 260 gr. Ab smacked him, it was the most deffinate thump I have ever heard. The bull staggered sideways a few steps put his head down and just stood there swaying back and forth. Not wanting him to suffer or roll farther down the hell whole my bro and I were in, I put one through both front shoulders and ancored him. We found both bullets under the hide on oposite shoulders. Blood shot meat was very minimal. The second elk I shot was this last season at about 40 yards. I cow called trying to locate my buddy when this spike ran over the ridge and ran right to me! I led him a bit and let him have it. DRT! 260 gr. AB entered just in front of the close shoulder and exited right through the off shoulder, rolled him and he never twitched again. Again even at 40 yards no blood shot meat.

Every deer I have shot with these rifles has died, some ran farther than others. only four were shot more than once, and only two needed it. I'll chalk the ones needing more than one shot up to being 15, and hunting in the mountains for the first time.

Every elk I have taken could of been taken with a lessor round, I'll admit it, I don't need huge guns. But I sure enjoy what they are capable of doing when they get there! I'm with pop Shoot the biggest gun you can handle...for everything, and be sure to use good bullets!

 

[JDMAG]

Great Read jmad_81!

 

[taylorce1]

Another vote for .30-'06 as the general answer.

This year though I am using a .300 RCM for my hunts, I usually think of it as an '06 Improved.

jim

While I like the 06 cartridge, I prefer the .270 Win. If I could only hunt NA with one rifle I'd probably stick with that rifle. However I think my .338-06 with a 200 grain bullet or 210 gran NP would give any .30-06 a run for best all around rifle.