Elk Hunters ?

[Guest]

Brianwyo,
You have some proven Elk Killers there in your rifle selections. Deadly in the hands of the right person shooting them.

Yotesmoker,
Pulling the trigger can be the easy part Elk hunting, the work just begins after that. Especially if your back in the wilderness 7-10 Miles. Yeah you sometimes need a couple knives skinning and a sharpening stone too. Been in a few white outs trying to pack out elk, couldn't get the horses to the elk the terrain was so steep, Stinkin Elk die in the most miserable places at times.

Don

 

[brianwyo]

Don,

We have passed on cow elk miles from the pickup. Not sure if i am getting older or smarter. Years later the stories told at hunting camp are always the horrible places we shot elk though!

 

[DrMike]

Years later the stories told at hunting camp are always the horrible places we shot elk though!

Ain't that the truth!

 

[Greg Nolan]

I think DrMike hit it pretty well. A standing cow elk hit through the heart/ lungs on a broadside with most normal deer rifles including a 243 at 150 yards will succomb. If you're talking about a cow running for her life through the timber it had better be a more powerfull cartridge. It it's a big bull running at an angle at a distance it had better be the biggest,fastest caliber you have or can handle if you don't want to loose it or track it for miles. The stomachs of a elk can be 3 feet long and full of wet grass and then you get to the heart lungs. If you want to know if you have enough gun for that shot try shooting through that much sopping wet newpaper with another 18" of wet newspaper past that from 200 yards and see what the bullet does to that 18". That's if no bones are encountered like a big rib or a grazing of the back hip. I know I have a heck of a time finding a legal elk and they rarely stand broadside long. The 375 RUM will do just that with the 160 AccuBond on a bull and the 338 RUM will do it to a cow. I'm never going to appologize for using a powerful round to someone who doesn't . My only appology would be to the elk that ran off and died a slow horrible death because I didn't.
Greg

 

[Oldtrader3]

I feel pretty much the same way. Especially now that I am older and do not particularly want to follow a wounded bull elk for 8 hours across three drainages. I do not see many, mature bulls to shoot at anyhow and those that I do have a crack at, I want to make it count, so I use a .340, 225 PT bullet at 3080 fps. Up the odds is my thing.

 

[Guest]

Brianwyo,
Wisdom should come with aging, we hope so anyway, I have, like you passed up many shots at Elk even with my 300 RUM. I am very aware of how Elk can cover ground in the most remote rugged terrains I have encountered. I am very particular about shot opportunity presented my ability to make the shot and the present conditions, if I have any doubt I'm not taking the shot. I'm not to fond of the thought of chasing a crippled Elk 5 miles because of my stupid pride. Respect the animal to much.

Greg,
Your analogy is spot on, some hunters never think about that.

Oldtrader3
That 340 Weatherby is a show stopper, love that caliber, only wish I had one.


Don

 

[FOTIS]

So far I have shot elk with my 378 Bee and 7mm rem mag. I recommend the latter of course or anything close to that (270, 280, 30-06 300 win).
The bigger the better. :wink:

 

[Guy Miner]

Was a little frustrated last year, during mule deer season, watching a large 6x6 bull elk feed across the canyon from me in an old clear-cut late one afternoon.

Believe I first saw him at about 600 yards, was able to close that down to about a quarter mile then sat and watched him for a while. Had my .300 WSM loaded heavy with me, but it wasn't elk season... Dang... Hard to see him in this photo, it was much lighter to the human eye, but my camera doesn't do well in low-light when zoomed out for telephoto shooting:

Failed to draw a branch-antler permit this year too, so he'd be safe from me anyway. It was just amazing though, sitting there all alone, not another hunter anywhere around, and there's the big bull, completely unaware of my presence in his little tucked-away canyon. I passed on a small 3x3 mule deer during that hunt, and was not able to take a shot when a pair of good looking bigger bucks came by. Doggone it! Still, it was a terrific canyon to hunt, and I'll be back there this fall.

Here's the .300 WSM Model 70 I was carrying when I saw the bull:

Maybe the big bull will come out again and I'll get a better photo of him. Was interesting that the shot would have been pretty easy at around a quarter mile, at the same level as the bull over on the opposite side of the canyon. There was virtually no wind. He was feeding peacefully and slowly moving with long periods of no movement at all while feeding.

If I'd dropped down into the canyon bottom, then climbed back up through the clear cut to shorten the range to 200 or shorter, I wouldn't have been able to see him, maybe not until I was really close. And I'm sure I'd have made enough noise doing that to scare him the heck out of there. Going around and coming in on him from above was another option for getting closer, but would have taken at least an hour, maybe two, because of the terrain. The very best shot opportunity was that cross-canyon quarter mile shot. And there I was with a very accurate .300 WSM Model 70 - and no legal way to take him. Doggone it!

I did get out in November for a late elk hunt in some thicker vegetation, no luck. Carried my .375 H&H Number One, loaded with a 260 gr Nosler AccuBond. Nice rifle for thick stuff. Hangs low on my shoulder, and is really pretty short & compact to carry. Fair bit of thump too. I think it would have worked fine if I'd had a shot opportunity.

Best of luck to all you elk hunters, and thanks for your input. Much appreciated! It's been a long time since I shot an elk.

Regards, Guy

 

[DrMike]

Guy,

I treasure the magical moments when I've sat watching a large bull (or a moose, or a grizzly, or a big racked mule deer) while glassing for something else. That is a great account of what hunting is really about. Thanks for the account and the pictures that permitted us to be present with you that day.

 

[SJB358]

Great story Guy. I'm sure he was a monster! Scotty

 

[Guest]

Guy,
I appreciate fellow hunters like you, we have a lot in common. It's been 10-years since I last killed an Elk, had a few close opportunities though, but that's hunting. I love to hunt the Colorado Wilderness with nothing but an occasional Air Plane heard going overhead. No one around but you, lots of game to pursue.
That's a fine looking 300 WSM you have there. That will put a hurtin on an Elk for sure.

Don

 

[Powerstroke]

I was born and raised in the north west corner of Colorado - we had nothing to do but hunt.
The first pic is back in 1976 when I was 5yrs old - I remember standing in the back of my Dad's truck with that bull like it was yesterday. What caliber - 7-Mag. Over the next several years I watch both my Mother and Father take Bulls, Cows & Mulies with that same gun. Up until not too long ago, that has been the largest caliber in the safe.
The second pic was just a couple years ago with my Son @ the age of 6.

I don't think I've missed an elk season since I was 5. Some fantastic seasons, and some I'd like to forget. I've come to a point that hunting season is about filling my tag, not about killing somehting or even putting meat in the freezer. I enjoy my time in the outdoors, and now at a point I hope I can pass what my Father shared with me to my Son.

These creatures are not bullet-proof. There are numerous factors in my opinion that come into play - as long as one keeps these checks and balances in place, there is generally a faborable outcome.
1. How comfortable is one shooting their "elk rifle"?
A. There had better be some trigger time with the chosen fire stick and one should be
quite profecient with it.
2. Have enough respect for what you're hunting to do a slight amount of research on the animal.
B. Vital area - Bone mass etc - Can I take a quarting to shot and get through the shoulder
3. Set your own limits - Don't be shooting for hair - hair doesn't get it done! Remmy already said
it. A day "OR MORE" can be waisted chasing one of these wounded animals. Keep your shot
distance to "your" known effective range and put the bullet where it belongs. It's that
simple.

What is my favorite elk round ? I honestly don't think I can answer that - My family & close hunting buddy has taken them with .25-06, 257Bee, .260, 7-08, 280, 7-Mag, & 300RUM. ( Oh, have also killed 3 bulls with 27in of carbon tipped with a 100gr Muzzy Broadheads :grin: - All three combined have not gone over 100yds ) What determines what I use - generally where I'm hunting and what kind of weather and terrain.

4 more years and my Son will be able to hunt - caliber of choice will be the Rem .260 & 130gr Nosler AccuBond.View attachment Nov_21_09_b.JPG

 

[6mm Remington]

Good stuff Powerstroke! Unfortunately most of my pictures are old 35mm stuff. It would be neat if we could somehow compile a library of photo's both old and new. Maybe we should have one new section or something dedicated just to pictures with just a simple short line or two description of approximate dates, folks in photo's, and rilfes, bows, or what was used to take the animal, and where taken. I love looking at pictures of families getting together and enjoying the outdoors. It would not even have to be hunting, but fishing and anything else outside with friends and family.

 

[DrMike]

Mark,

Some good points. Thanks for the pictures.

 

[Guest]

Powerstroke,
Great pics, thanks for posting them. Here's to snow this year, hopefully second season. I'm hunting Colorado again this year.

Don

 

[crash0ride]

I think the 30-06 is the best all-around rifle to use.

So many people online say you need a cannon like a .338 or bigger to take down an elk which is a bunch of b.s.

It all comes down to bullet placement and you shooting within your rifles range.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

Sure I could use a 3006 where I hunt, but then I'd have to limit myself to about 500-600 yards and that would not be good where I typically find those spikes across the canyon.

When you typically only get 1 chance at elk, you try to capitalize on it, whether its 50 yards running through the timber or 800 yards broadside, I want 1 rifle that can handle both tasks, the 3006 im afraid is not up to the latter, which is what the magnum is for.

Notice I said the women use 270s and 3006s with great success, there not shooting over 300-400 yards either.

Depends on how and where one hunts as always.

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

Crash, there is a difference between need and prefer:

Elk are BIG, TOUGH, and HARDY animals, they really deserve the biggest/powerfull cartridge you can shoot well, that is my theory, and keep shooting them even if there hit untill they are down. Chasing wounded elk isn't to much fun and usually results in either a lost elk or a very long day.

It always easy to spot the armchair elk hunters. They are the one's who've never had to chase a wounded one.

 

[Guest]

Crash,
You are correct. Any rifle in the hands of a competent marksman is deadly, given bullet placement and other factors considered. Sadly not everyone is that good so there will always be margin for error.

I own a 30-06 and have killed a lot of game with it, all Whitetail Deer. Yes it will kill Elk, hands down. But I believe it has it's limitations too.

When I consider Elk Hunting in the High Country with difficult terrain, shooting 300-500 yds. I typically want some horsepower in my rifle selection to take that large Herd Bull down, quickly. After all you may only get one shot.

I find my 300 Ultra Mag has the velocity at 300 yds that the 30-06 has at Muzzle with a 180 grain bullet. Take a look at the foot pounds of energy comparing the two at that distance too.

Which rifle would you prefer considering the ballistics? Now I will say too not everyone can handle magnum rifles and be comfortable and accurate. Then shoot whatever gun you are most accurate with and use a premium bullet like the Partition, AccuBond or E-Tip.

Don

 

[GooseHunter Jr]

I have shot all my elk with my .338 Win Mag using a 225 grain AccuBond. All the animsl went doen very quickly. Shot one at 355 yards she went 30 yards and was done....then I shot one at 55 yards and she ran 100 yards but she nver knew what hit her....hits like a tone of bricks!!