Bull elk, shot placement & more

Guy Miner

Guy Miner

Master Loader
Apr 6, 2006
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You've got your bull elk tag, and you're hunting at about 7,000' in the mountains "out west" someplace. It's the rut. The bull is unaware of your presence.

You've moved into position about 200 yards away. There's a 10 mph breeze blowing from right to left, the bull is basically looking into the wind.

Where do you hit him? With what? Which rifle, sights/scope, ammunition choice? Are you in prone, sitting, standing? How're you steadying your rifle?


I'm likely in a wide-leg sitting position because the grass looks a little tall for prone. Will use my rifle sling wrapped around my left arm for stability. Have my 30-06 Rem 700 CDL, with the 6x Leupold, zeroed at 200 yards. Bullets are handloaded 200 gr Nosler Partitions at 2600 fps.

Am hoping to strike that spot where I put the red mark - hoping to take the lungs and the top of the heart, and quite possibly breaking the off-side leg/shoulder.

BTW - the image of this magnificent bull isn't mine - I lifted it from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and just added the red mark.

What's you choice?

Guy
 
Yep I like that shot. Just like high school tackling drills, think through the target.
.338 Jarrett; 250 gr AccuBond @ 2925 FPS. Also zeroed at 200 yards. VX111 3.5x10; in the country depicted probably hunted on six power.
At 200 yards, grass and apparently very little elevation change probably from kneeling with a proper sling.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Good placement Guy, is that red mark where you want to put the bullet? Or an aiming point?

If that is where you want to put the bullet, with a 10 mph right to left wind, I would just put it an inch to the right of the red dot for 200 yards.

Excellent choice of bullet. (y)
 
Guy, I'd prefer to just be a smidge more to the left in the crease with my impact. I could see using my Kimber .300 WSM with a 180 AccuBond or my .35 Whelen with a 250 Partition off my shooting sticks.
 
Hmmm no experience with Elk but the placement looks right. I would have had either the 35Whelen/AI with 225gr PT at over 2900fps or the 338Win with 210gr PT at over 3000fps since that is what I carried when I was in Montana.
Unless the shot is hurried I would shoot with my long bi-pod on top of my pack in a sitting position or sitting with it propped on my knee with a proper sling.
 
It really makes little difference, but I would favor into the wind a little to the right. I would be sitting down shooting off the top of my pack. Since I only hunt wth magnums it would be a 7 mm or .308 caliber bullet. The hardest part of this bull will be the pack out.
 
Rifle would be 30-06 with 180 or 200 grain bullets and I'd be shooting from a seated position with a sling wrap. I'd aim about where that point of aim is with a crosswind, figuring on hitting him in the crease or slightly behind. A lot of lung to work with on an elk.
 
Elkman":29n43r90 said:
The hardest part of this bull will be the pack out.
Click to expand...

Oh, we're going to drive the truck right to him since this is fictional anyway... :grin:

Might even have three or four strong young guys to take care of the elk and get him up into the truck bed too. Long as we are writing the story of this hunt.

Guy
 
6mm Remington":2mzt1vjw said:
Guy it would be my 280 AI with either a 140 gr. AccuBond or Partition or my 30-06 with a 165 gr. AccuBond or Partition. With the slight breeze I like where you have your red dot. That's also a very cool looking bull. I like your dreams!
Click to expand...

Ya, that's one heck of a bull... I don't know what he scores, but he sure looks like a good one to me!

I figured you'd be trying to decide between your 6mm Remington and a .22-250 with a 60 grain Nosler Partition.... :grin:

Guy
 
had both internet and a free moment and saw this

Guy, I think I am missing something as I would be o.k. with your red dot hit on elk, moose, deer, caribou, bear, etc,

If a dedicated hunt, 300 H & H, 200 gr, sitting if terrain allowed, otherwise a 348, 250 gr, probably offhand , but would also try to get closer. Recovery would be no problem as mothers of Indian girls here in the North always advise their daughters to marry large males. "O,.K. I shot him, you bring him home"
 
Lol,
I could say something here Cheyenne, but this is a family
Forum, so I won't................ Lol
 
338 RUM 265 gr ABLR and a VX-6 3-18x44mm scope set with a 200 yard zero set at 6x.
I might hold an inch to the left to accommodate the wind.

JD338
 
OK - Ill play... windage is about right because I'm gonna try and sneak that bullet in behind the leg bone. But I'm also gonna wait for him to move a little further to the right and away. Also hold two inches above the dot. Looking to sneak a 100 gr Partition from my trusty 250 savage through ribs and into the lungs/heart as he quarters away. Through the VX -II on 6X that's do-able. Then hope to heck there isn't a deep brush filled draw 75 yards away..cause that's where he gonna end up.
(really - people used to think the 250 was Elk medicine. Right hands, right shot it would do the job. Not my hands though...) Lets see what you think. CL
 
In my case its usually miles. An easy pack out it is slightly downhill on a trail only a couple of miles back in. To much down is also not so good. Scotty's bull this year I believe was somewhere around 5 miles in and 1800 feet in elevation change, most of which was in the first 3/4 of a mile, down a shale cliff. Killing them is usually the easiest part, getting them out can be an adventure.
 
Gotta love the Blue Mountains Bill. That is why I always have a little salt and pepper in my ear bag.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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