Elk Hunters ?

[remingtonman_25_06]

Killed my first spike bull at 13 years of age, 525 yards with 1 shot from a 300 Win and a 180g Partition at 3000fps across the canyon, took the shoulders out, he was done for, slid all the way to the bottom...

Since then I've used the following, 7 Rem Mag with 162 amax at 2950 and 175g sierra gamekings at 2825, 300 win mag with 180g nbts at 3000, 300 RUM with 200g ABs at 3200, and 338 EDGE with 300g SMKs at 2825 and 250g sierra gamekings at 3050.

All have worked beatifully for me from 50-915 yards. Most have been shoulder/high shoulder hits which resulted in them dropping on spot DRT. The couple that were hit behind the shoulder still only went a maximum of 50 yards, all bullets have exited, I have not found a single bullet in any of my elk, ever. And Im having a hard time recollecting the last elk I shot that had more then 1 bullet in it to kill it as well. They are tough, thats why I use a big gun and put the right bullet in the right spot, which doesn't make them that tough anymore...

Next up is a 7 RUM with 162 amaxs or 160 ABs at 3300, which I have no doubt will work out to at least 1000 yards if need be.

I started off using the 7 RM and 300 Win because they would do what I need out to as far as I could shoot. As I got older, learned more, became a better shot, etc... I wanted a RUM to increase my range, hence why I went to the 300 RUM, then eventually the 338 EDGE. I"m going back down to 7mm, however a 7 RUM is no slouch and easily outdoes the 7 RM and 300 Win, and will shoot as far or further then the 300 and 338 RUMS, it just wont have the sheer energy of the latter 2. It will however be a lot easier on the shoulder, shoot a lot flatter, and buck the wind better, while retaining more velocity to ensure bullet to open up at longest possible yardage.

 

[Oldtrader3]

All right, Oldtrader3, you've compelled me to confess--I hunt mostly by braille. If I feel teeth, I hurriedly look for the other end, knowing that I've perfected the Texas heart shot (always carry enough rifle to push through to the vitals, kiddies). I do look for the gleam of nail polish, but there are some strange bulls inhabiting the woods, and occasionally they require thinning.

Those bulls, particularly the ones with the fake fur, Kevlar carry bags (purses) need to be thinned out of the herd. They are definitely past their productive breeding days!

I can see well enough despite cataract surgeries and all but can't walk up steep ridges any more. I have to hunt with the .340 Weatherby or I would never get close enough to kill an elk.

 

[DrMike]

They are definitely past their productive breeding days!

Now, ain't that the truth!

+1 on the heavy artillery for these critters!

 

[crash0ride]

hahahaha

yall crack me up

 

[Guest]

There is a huge difference in shooting Cow Elk and Large Bulls. Muscle mass on a Large bull is significant. I believe if more guys could actually witness how large a mature bull is they may change
their perspective on this conversation, considering the normal spot and stalk distances you normally shoot 300-500 yards.

I witnessed a large bull taken by a good friend in Colorado with a 300 win mag, 180 Partitions. Shot was close to 300 yds. It was while we were quartering to pack him out I witnessed the massive muscle mass this 340 Bull had. I felt under gunned carrying a 7-Rem Mag. I switched to a 300 RUM the next year.

If you can't handle the Magnum rifles, get a 35 Whelen. The 30-06 will never match up to the Whelen. :mrgreen:

Don

 

[Guy Miner]

Don, this mule deer hunter was a little overwhelmed when I walked up on my bull after shooting him. Was glad I had an experienced elk hunter with me to guide me through the process of skinning and quartering the big guy. Mature bulls are HUGE compared to the biggest buck...

My photos:

Happy and still dazed w/success on my first (only) bull elk:

See the black hair? That was ten years ago... Things change...

Feeding station bull, last winter:

Colorado bulls, photo taken by a friend:

Some borrowed from the internet:

Washington bulls, near Hanford:

These are big boys, and knowing that a perfect shot may not be possible in the field, my thoughts tend to run towards premium bullets and reasonably powerful rifles. I've hunted them quite a few times, trying to find a bigger bull, but I think I'm going to have to start trying to take cows and spikes - drawing a branch antler permit in Washington is getting tough, and I'm not having much luck in the "any elk" areas.

Thanks for all the input guys. Good thoughts! Guy

 

[Oldtrader3]

Wow, nice bull that you shot Guy, that is a nice pair of stickers on that guy!

That atomic radiation in the ground around Hanford must be good for something, it appears to help horn growth! Do the horns glow green in the dark?

 

[Guy Miner]

Thanks! I've been searching unsuccessfully for a bull to top him. Giving up on that for now and have been trying to draw a doggone cow tag. You'd think that wouldn't be too tough, but with the way Washington reconfigured their draws, it's tough to draw a even a cow tag without a gazillion points! Perhaps next year...

I don't know who photographed those Hanford elk, but the photos were making their way around the net like crazy a few months back. Apparently they're living on the nuclear reservation, where no hunting is permitted, and that's unlikely to change... I have no idea what those monsters would score, but they're impressive, no doubt!

Guy

 

[Guest]

Guy,
Love the pics, thanks for sharing them.That's a dandy Bull you shot, someday I'd like to get one of that caliber. I agree with you and we do think alike. You have to use premium bullets with a gun that will drive the thing through a Large Bull especially if the shot is angled and must go through 3-4 ft of the bugger. Then take into account the distance shooing him if it's 300-500 yards! You can't have to much Gun.

Love my 300 Ultra Mag, think the 338 Ultra like JD shoots is awesome as well for Elk. A 225 smoking out of that thing would put the smack down on a Bull.

Don

 

[YoteSmoker]

324 Yards by range finder, BULL elk, 180 AccuBond, 30-06 zeroed at 200 yards with cheap Leupy Rifeman scope: Heart shot with complete pass through and quarter size exit= Dead BULL elk

Yes BULLS are bigger than cows but they are not bullet proof and for sure not 30-06 proof with the right bullet in the right place. You also get about 18" vitals to shoot at for anyone doubting its effectiveness.

My personal choice is 7mm Rem Mag with 160 Partition zeroed at 250. Ultra mag killers are neat but not necessary in the real mountains imo.

 

[Guest]

Yotesmoker,
Nothing wrong with that, I agree. Good thing you hit him in the heart. It's just a matter of preference for the individual. Not every hunting situation is the same either.I just prefer the extra power of the Ultra. Toting the gun does not present a problem for me. Agreed, nothing is bullet proof. The 06 has killed a lot of game over the years as the 270 and other guns have too.

Your choice to shoot the 7mm Mag and my 300 Ultra Mag tends to shoot flatter and faster than the 30-06 at greater distances. Again just preference, there is no debate there.

Bullet placement is still a must no matter the gun used. Good luck hunting this year, I'll be there second season chasing some bucks around. :mrgreen:

Don

 

[Wapiti Slayer .270]

I'm in the camp that elk aren't bullet proof. Using moderate cartridges it should go without saying that a guy needs to stay within the limitations of the cartridge. Having said that I've shot several bulls with the .270 and 150 gr. partitions. None created any issues and they all died quickly. Also shot several cows with the same load. Shot one bull with a .300WM at a shade over 330 yards and there was no magic there. Only difference at this point was the louder muzzle blast. There is nothing wrong with using the bigger mags for elk. However it should be said that using moderate cartridges isn't an issue either. Patience and some common sense go a long ways. In my camp the .30-06 is the most common rifle and my dad has killed several dozen elk with one using 180 gr. Core Lokt's. Although nowadays its so cheap to load premium bullets we do so.

Got pass through's on a very large bodied bull (650-750 lbs) 300 class 6x6 with 150 gr. partitions. Can't ask for much more than that. Average shots on elk where I hunt in CO is 200 yards or less. I've only had to shoot one over 300 yards once. I chalk that up to I choose to hunt in places that keep distances shorter and if elk are outside my 350 max range I let them walk and try to get closer. Everyone's mileage will vary though and by all means hunt within your means and your cartridge of choice.

At the moment, I am setting a .243 and 85 gr. TTSX's that will see elk duty for a day or two this fall. I'll be keeping my ranges under 150 yards on broadside only shots. I've got an either sex tag for CO's 1st rifle season so that means it could be cows or bulls that receive a dose. Of course I'll have my .300WM along with the .270 in camp as they all see use for me during every elk season. Then again, I'm strange like that. :mrgreen:

 

[Guest]

WS270,
I like your theory keeping the variety of guns in Camp. The Elk don't stand a chance, puts the odds in your favor. 8) Agreed, one must keep within their limits and within the cartridge limits. Also just because some of us choose to shoot Magnums doesn't dismiss bullet placement.

I have passed up some shots on large Muley Bucks and Elk while toting the 300 RUM ,knowing I couldn't get steady enough to pull the trigger and couldn't close the gap to make it possible as well.

I appreciate your comments, no one can argue with those results. Final answer, Dead Elk. :wink:

 

[Oldtrader3]

Kelly, we are still in different camps on elk calibers, but different styles makes the world go round and everybody is entitled to do things their way. At least as long as the elk end up DRT. I wish you luck this year and hope that the camp that you have planned for others works out well for you.

 

[Wapiti Slayer .270]

Charlie,

No worries as I know you and I believe differently on this. I don't know if you and I ever spoke of this but as a teenager I gave myself a bad case of scope eye leaning into a hot loaded .308. I invariably had a bad flinch for years. Took me a long time to get rid of it. On top of that I don't like big recoil. I don't shoot well with it. In all honesty the .300WM is about as much as I care to shoot. Maybe in time I'll work my way into bigger calibers but for right now I'm good. Thanks for the well wishes and I wish you the same. Won't be long and we can possibly be discussing you heading to CO for some elk. :grin:

 

[Oldtrader3]

When I was 22 years old (1965), I lost an elk to a bad bullet design in a 7mm Rem Mag at about 120 yards broadside, with a shoulder shot. The bullet was a 175 gr Corelokt at a velocity of 2900 fps which blew up. The bullet blew up on the shoulder and the elk has never been seen since. My response was to go out and buy a Browning Safari .338 WM and a Mod 70 .375 H&H. Every elk that I have shot with the .338 WM caliber died in their tracks.

Recoil has never bothered me in the least but losing game does, especially in Washington, where a bull elk tag drawing is like winning the lottery. We can agree to disagree and remain friends. I just like my .340 Bee and if I even draw a bull tag in this state again. It will be dead with the .340. Just different solutions to the same problem.

 

[Wapiti Slayer .270]

When I was 22 years old (1965), I lost an elk to a bad bullet design in a 7mm Rem Mag at about 120 yards broadside, with a shoulder shot. The bullet was a 175 gr Corelokt at a velocity of 2900 fps which blew up. The bullet blew up on the shoulder and the elk has never been seen since. My response was to go out and buy a Browning Safari .338 WM and a Mod 70 .375 H&H. Every elk that I have shot with the .338 WM caliber died in their tracks.

Recoil has never bothered me in the least but losing game does, especially in Washington, where a bull elk tag drawing is like winning the lottery. We can agree to disagree and remain friends. I just like my .340 Bee and if I even draw a bull tag in this state again. It will be dead with the .340. Just different solutions to the same problem.

Charlie,

First, that sucks losing an animal. I've only lost one elk and it wasn't the bullet that did so. She just had enough steam to make it up a small rise and on the other side happened to be 6 guys sitting there. They would hear nothing from me about a solid hit and huge blood trail.

Second, I don't disagree with you at all. I am someone who just can't shoot well with heavy recoil. Its my limitation and I have to live with it. Although, Bill has me interested in the .375 and says it won't kick like my .300WM does. More of a shove than kick.

As to you and the .340 Bee I understand you situation and how few and far between tags are. That Bee will shoot straight and long for you and hope elk meat ends up in the freezer for you.

 

[DrMike]

I've never lost an elk, but I was with a friend that lost one. Solid hit in the lungs, and the bull turned and ran. We saw froth indicating a good lung hit and tracked him into some thick bush. A friend went rushing in and pushed him over a hill. We tracked that elk until dark into the river bottom and never did find him in the thick bush. It was a terrible feeling. No luck the next day either. It made me want to ensure that the elk is hit hard and goes down quickly.

 

[Wapiti Slayer .270]

I've never lost an elk, but I was with a friend that lost one. Solid hit in the lungs, and the bull turned and ran. We saw froth indicating a good lung hit and tracked him into some thick bush. A friend went rushing in and pushed him over a hill. We tracked that elk until dark into the river bottom and never did find him in the thick bush. It was a terrible feeling. No luck the next day either. It made me want to ensure that the elk is hit hard and goes down quickly.

That is a terrible feeling. Don't blame you in the least for your feelings on the subject. Afterall, we all strive for the cleanest, quickest kill possible.

Last year we found a huge bull coming out of the high country due to snow pushing him out. I figure that he was coming from his summer/safe zone and plan on getting in their early in our 5 day season to see if I can't find him this year. While doing so I will be carrying the .300WM as I know a bull of this size isn't going to give me much time nor space to put him down. Other than that this license is a either sex tag so with only 5 days to hunt I think I'll look for the first available elk after the first 2 days. I'll pull out the other 2 rifles then. In the mean time I've got some 180 Gr. Partitions to load for the .300. Expected range date is the 9th of July.

 

[DrMike]

It sounds as if you have everything under control. Best of luck to you.