Elk, take the shot?

[Guy Miner]

The last one was fun, anyone want to play again? My head won't leave big game hunting alone for some reason, though it's the end of February and the fall seasons are far off...

Here's the situation, you have a tag for a bull elk, you've been hunting hard, and were stalking this bull. He had been feeding behind the tree. You've run out of cover. You're at the last edge of the sagebrush, 340 yards from the bull. In front of you is grass, and a few rocks as shown. Fewer rocks towards you, more rocks towards the bull at the base of the slope. There's a slight wind from left to right, about 5 mph.
The bull has just noticed you, raised his head and is looking your way, apparently unsure about what he's seeing.

Obviously not the classic broadside shot most would prefer.

What are your actions? What's your aimpoint? Rifle, cartridge, bullet, scope? How do you steady the firearm?

 

[Guy Miner]

He looks good to me. I'm going to freeze in place, in my background at the edge of the sagebrush, hoping he'll go back to eating or at least look away for a moment.

Then I'm going to put my pack atop a boulder and go to either sitting or prone. I'll have my 30-06 Rem 700 CDL, with a 6x Leupold and handloaded 180 gr Nosler Partitions at 2800 fps. I've got it zeroed at 200 yards, and the next "dot" down in the scope is almost perfect for 300 yard shots.

I'd put that dot high on his shoulder, but not over it. I'd favor very slightly left, compensating a bit for the wind. Am figuring about 4-5" of wind drift at that range. Am trying to drop the bullet onto the shoulder, break it, and get into the heart/lungs. At 340 yards, my bullet should still be doing a good 2100 fps.

Fall of 2016 I did make two shots at about that distance with a 165 gr load from that rifle. For me, 300+ is a shot I'll take, but it demands attention to marksmanship. Too easy to pull a shot a few inches off the intended target at that distance.

How 'bout you? :grin:

Guy

 

[TackDriver284]

With my .300 Win Mag and 180 Accubonds as a modest 3,175 fps. and calibrating the ATACR for 340 yards as 3.25 MOA and I would aim at the red dot I on the posted picture. Adjusted for wind drift by aiming about 3 inches to the left.

 

[Elkman]

The classic broadside shot seldom occurs, this is much more common. This is a remarkably close representation of the elk a shot and lost last fall only he was at least 200 yards closer and angled to the right. I would hold to the at about 4 oclock from 284's dot about 4 or 5 inches out. My rifles are sighted in at 300 so drop is not a factor. I want the bullet to hit the shoulder blade near the front

 

[ShadeTree]

I would lay my rifle on the ground and turn around and pretend to be working on the rocks in front of me. That way the Elk would walk right by me while stopping at least twice to stare and ponder what I'm doing, like wild animals always seem to do when it's not hunting season and you're not trying to kill them. Lol.

 

[c. schutte]

I'd probably not take this shot. Mostly because it is usually a low percentage shot and can result in the bull running for miles. If I had been stalking this bull my fear would be screwing it up because of haste.

Based on the info Guy has given my first action would be to freeze so that he might return to feeding & ready myself for a better broadside shot. If more broadside or something close to that presented I would take it. 340 yards is something to consider for sure but, I practice at that and further so a good broadside shot with a slight wind would not scare me.

300 yard zero at almost sea level so if this bad boy was at 7000' plus elevation that bullet ought to be very close to zero. It does look like both the bull and the shooter is at the same approximate elevation so it would be a flat shot. At the most I would hold 3" high and give the wind 3-4" aiming for the opposite shoulder.

I would be sitting using sticks.
340 wby accumark
240 grain North Fork soft points @ 3027 fps.
Leupold VX7 2.5-10x45
Aim for opposite shoulder......... 1/3rd up from bottom plus 3"/ into the wind 3-4"

 

[Guy Miner]

BTW, I took the photo a few years ago at one of the elk feeding areas outside of Yakima, Washington.

Figured it would be bad form to shoot him with a rifle then and there, so I just used the camera.... :grin:

 

[salmonchaser]

Prone if I can get there. To my eye the bull is angled towards the camera, if that is true I'd be a little less concerned about wind drift, certainly couldn't bring my self to hold on the tree.
If he runs he will almost certainly go straight away using the tree for cover. I might wait for a minute or so but if he remains alert I'd shoot him.
338 Jarrett; 250 gr AccuBond at 2950. 200 yard zero; Leupold VX5 3x15. I'd hold the bottom of the spine if I don't dial the range, should drop right into the shoulder.
Found this herd of 100 or so this morning shed hunting. Didn't find any sheds however.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[HTDUCK]

Hunting elk I'd have my Mdl 70 in 7STW in my hands.
I'd try and get proned out over my backpack as well if possible.
I'd hold the Vertical stadia in the reticle so it covered his right front leg and the crosshairs high on the shoulder.
Rifle is zeroed at 250. Figure it's gonna drop about 7 inches.
A 160 NAB at 3200 and he's done.

 

[SJB358]

I don’t think I’m too much different than the rest, I’d get down prone if possible and get on the gun ready to shoot but as Elk, they don’t seem to stand still for long but if I thought he was going to break away from me I’d plant the reticle on his front leg, favoring into the wind a bit and make sure I was calm before I let a 175 fly from my Mashburn. If I was shooting the 338 I’d likely put a .5 mil in or just hold a .5 mil on the reticle. Either way, I see more angles like that than classic broadside shots, so I don’t tend to worry about if I have enough gun to get it done.

 

[6mm Remington]

If I had my 6mm Remington in had with a 100 gr. Nosler Partition in the chamber I'd probably wait and hope that he gave a bit more of a broadside presentation so I could tuck it in just behind his shoulder. I have confidence the little Partition would penetrate as is, but if that is what I had I think I would wait just a bit.

Now with my 280 Ackley Improved or my 30-06 I would feel comfortable with this presentation. Currently shooting 140 gr. Partitions in the 280 AI and 165 gr. Accubonds in the 30-06. My 280 AI has the B&C reticle in the 4.5-14x40mm scope on it so I would hold between the 300 and 400 yards hash marks and hold tight to the tree branch but no directly on it about 1/3 of the way up from the chest bottom. With the 30-06 it's sighted dead on at about 250 so I would hold for about 6" of drop and hold just a bit higher up on his chest. Same for left to right.

If I can I like to get prone or sitting and I'd try and use my pack to shoot off of.

 

[270elk]

I would be hunting with, 1) 270 win, 140gr AccuBond, 2) 30-06 with 165 Interbond or Nosler Partition, or 3) 300 win mag with 165gr AccuBond. At that range and base on the angle I would try to get prone over by daypack. Then I would pass on the shot. It is not a high percentage shot. Bull elk are special animals, worthy of a clean kill.
All of my rifles are sighted in for 250 yards and have Leupold scopes with CDS adjustments systems. All of the rifles are capable of hitting the bull at 340 yards but the angle and the brush on the bulls left hand side would keep me from pulling the trigger.

 

[Guy Miner]

And not taking the shot is a very good decision too.

Who knows? In a moment he might just come right on out into the open...

Which is exactly what he did!

 

[c. schutte]

What a brute!

 

[Europe]

Charles, I think Guy works out at a gym and also snowshoes and hikes a lot is how is able to stay in such great shape

or were you speaking about the Elk ?

What happen to my post from yesterday on this thread. I dont remember saying anything that would upset anyone, but we do have a few thin skinned fellows here, so maybe.

Anyway, Guy, I had said yes and no. Maybe before I was 50, but definitely not after I was 50, as by that time I had had the opportunity to hunt a fair number of Elk and it would not be worth the risk to me, in case I didn't finish the job right there, and had to track him.

 

[1100 Remington Man]

I would take the shot with Model 70 300 H&H with 3.5x10 Leopold CDS with a Nosler 180 gr AB while resting it over my backpack prone or sitting.
For what it’s worth when practicing with my 300 H&H it averages around 3.5inch groups with either 180gr. Partitions or AB.
A Elk is a large target compared to most things I shoot with my Rifles.

 

[Guy Miner]

I would take the shot with Model 70 300 H&H with 3.5x10 Leopold CDS with a Nosler 180 gr AB while resting it over my backpack prone or sitting.
For what it’s worth when practicing with my 300 H&H it averages around 3.5inch groups with either 180gr. Partitions or AB.
A Elk is a large target compared to most things I shoot with my Rifles.

Is that a 3.5" group at about 300 yards?

Ya, the elk have a large kill zone. The shot presented in my first post is a little tricky, and not the best look at the elk. But, I'd think it should work, with careful shot placement and enough bullet to get through that hide and shoulder.

Guy

 

[c. schutte]

Charles, I think Guy works out at a gym and also snowshoes and hikes a lot is how is able to stay in such great shape

or were you speaking about the Elk ?

What happen to my post from yesterday on this thread. I dont remember saying anything that would upset anyone, but we do have a few thin skinned fellows here, so maybe.

Anyway, Guy, I had said yes and no. Maybe before I was 50, but definitely not after I was 50, as by that time I had had the opportunity to hunt a fair number of Elk and it would not be worth the risk to me, in case I didn't finish the job right there, and had to track him.

April,

I'm sure Guy is a brute and all that but, I was speaking of the bull. :lol:

 

[270elk]

Now the second picture; dead elk! Still not a great angle but busting the front shoulder will end it. Fire up the barbecue .

 

[6mm Remington]

What happen to my post from yesterday on this thread. I dont remember saying anything that would upset anyone, but we do have a few thin skinned fellows here, so maybe.

.

April,

I'm sure Guy is a brute and all that but, I was speaking of the bull. :lol:

Sounds like a lot of bull going around here! :grin:

Now April what happened to your post? I'm not sure how that works that it would just disappear unless it was a moderator who pulled it? I've never seen anything you post as being offensive in the least. Surprised if anyone here would think otherwise.

That is a nice bull Guy. Now he walked out I can take him with my 6mm Remington!