Spare Elk Rifle?

I'd be just fine with the 25-06 and 120 A-Frames or Partitions. It isn't my idea of perfect, but as long as you aren't trying trick moves on elk, they will pile up pretty neatly.. Bill mentioned it isn't perfect, but I would much rather track an elk with a solid hit with the 25-06 vs a crap hit from a 338..
 
I know people pick their shots with 100 grain partitions at 3200 fps who fair well
 
The 25-06 should work just fine. A good 110 gr. AccuBond or 120 gr. Partition will certainly take an elk. I've taken one bull with the 120 gr. Partition at about 350 yards and lent the rifle to a young lad who shot a nice sized cow at 250 yards. Both were one shot.
 
Yeah, I knew David would chime in but I’d youd take an elk at 350 with a 270 and a 130 what makes a 25-06 with a 120 any less effective? I don’t pack a 25-06 for elk but you can bet a couple paychecks that if that is what I had I wouldn’t stay home not be any less effective. It’s 99% the Indian and 1% the arrow, provided a good Bullet is used and put into the ribs.
 
Elk hunting is a great sport revolving around a great , wild animal. A mature bull can take a lot-of-killing, under certain circumstances.
I would hate to put a smallish bullet into a 1000# , old bull, just to have he disappear into black timber, never to be found.
Always use enough rifle for the job at hand, whether its your "first" gun or 2nd.

My $0.02,

Jim
 
Pee wee, I have taken numerous Elk with my 270win first using 130gr. Partitions and then switching over to 130gr. ABs.
I would not hesitate to take a 270win as a spare or even as my main rifle (y).

Blessings,
Dan
 
I've been following this thread but I still haven't figured out what a spare elk is and why you need a different rifle for it.
 
Bruce Mc":3olhgtj3 said:
I've been following this thread but I still haven't figured out what a spare elk is and why you need a different rifle for it.

:mrgreen: Excellent question!! (y)
 
Bruce Mc":28sarheb said:
I've been following this thread but I still haven't figured out what a spare elk is and why you need a different rifle for it.

I for one when getting ready for a Mule Deer hunt had the O ring start coming out of a Redfield scope I had on my .264 Win Mag so I took my 6mm Rem instead.

I would plan on taking my 300 H&H Elk hunting but if it developed a problem, I would just take the .264 Win Mag.

Yes having another rifle has merit. Even though this has only happened once to Me.
 
I had a quality scope totally fog up after hunting in the rain for several hours. Fortunately, I was in the habit of bringing a spare rifle along.

It would be easier to carry a second scope that was already sighted in but who does that?

My buddy was hunting moose in New Brunswick with a brand new Sako rifle. It was sighted in at home and test fired when we got there. The rifle was leaned against a tree and I actually saw the firing pin and spring drop right out of the bolt. No one in camp knew how to reassemble a Sako bolt. Sako said it was freak incident that couldn't happen again but that didn't help at the time. My buddy borrowed the guide's rifle and missed a huge bull the next day.

We now bring spare rifles on every trip.
 
Charlie - I like that suggestion of taking a spare scope, already sighted-in. I've heard it before, read it before.

Almost did that last year going to Alaska. I was told there was only room aboard the small plane for one rifle, in a soft gun case and that I had to leave my hard case in Fairbanks... Okay, no problem. But... it would have been real nice to have a spare scope on hand, ready to be mounted. Quick release rings & bases can actually work real well I've found.

I think that if I ever hunt Africa, I'll probably haul just one rifle over there, the 30-06 or the 375, and will have a spare scope ready to go. The 375 Model 70 has QR rings.

Guy
 
Are the Leupold QR rings truly repeatable if you set up two scopes for the same rifle? I've never used them or known anyone who did.
 
When I leave Florida for Colorado it's a 2200 mile ride. I've spent $4500.00 for this trip and the Back-up rifle is very cheap insurance in case something does go wrong. One of my hunting buddies from Nebraska uses a .300 Ultra Mag for Elk and had his scope go haywire, missing an easy 150 yard shot. He went into Town (30 miles away) Purchased another scope, had a local gunsmith install it and bore sight it. He then went to a local range and shot it, adjusting whatever was needed to zero it and then got back to Elk hunting. Lost an entire day of his trip. A second rifle would have avoided this issue.
 
Bruce Mc":9ebmxeac said:
Are the Leupold QR rings truly repeatable if you set up two scopes for the same rifle? I've never used them or known anyone who did.

In my limited experience with them, yes. A qualified yes - 'cause the zero shifted slightly, but not much. Not enough to bother me for conventional hunting out to 300 yards or a bit farther. Maybe a half MOA shift was all that I noted. I think being careful to mount each scope the same helps.

I've used both the Leupold, and the Talley QR setups, both worked well. Could be wrong, but it's my understanding that Warne makes the Leupold QR rings & bases. Warne makes a quality product.

Have noticed the same thing when using a Picatinny rail & quality rings. Nice return to zero.

Guy
 
diverdown":2nrevf4h said:
When I leave Florida for Colorado it's a 2200 mile ride. I've spent $4500.00 for this trip and the Back-up rifle is very cheap insurance in case something does go wrong. One of my hunting buddies from Nebraska uses a .300 Ultra Mag for Elk and had his scope go haywire, missing an easy 150 yard shot. He went into Town (30 miles away) Purchased another scope, had a local gunsmith install it and bore sight it. He then went to a local range and shot it, adjusting whatever was needed to zero it and then got back to Elk hunting. Lost an entire day of his trip. A second rifle would have avoided this issue.

Yup! I really wanted to take two rifles to Alaska with me last year. No problem driving them through Canada, but... I was told there was room for ONE rifle per hunter on the small plane - and that turned out to be true. Dang that was a TIGHT fit in the little plane! :shock: Glad my boots weren't any bigger! :grin:

I've brought spare rifles before, but have never needed one. Nice insurance as you say though. One less thing to worry about. Did your buddy get his elk later, after he'd mounted the new scope?

Guy
 
Guy Miner":2rqcb7pn said:
Have noticed the same thing when using a Picatinny rail & quality rings. Nice return to zero.

Guy

For sure, I have taken quite a few off the Warne bases I use with TPS, NF, Burris, etc rings and have had excellent RTZ with them. The Pic rail is probably the best, but the 2 piece bases are real good as well.
 
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