Got my first elk hunt this year - Help me pick a cartridge

[Daisy]

Blaser r8 so same stock/receiver for each.

 

[Jondnov]

300 WM. 180 grain Barnes TTSX

 

[dchum]

Where are you hunting? State and terrain.
Time of year? I voted 30-06 - that 150gr raptor will be perfect from 40 up to 400 yards.

 

[Daisy]

Where are you hunting? State and terrain.
Time of year? I voted 30-06 - that 150gr raptor will be perfect from 40 up to 400 yards.

Colorado. 1st rifle. Mid October

 

[JimP]

I killed my first dozen elk with a old tried and true 30-06 and 150 grain Remington Corloks.

On your list depending on where you are hunting I would go with the .338 Lapua. I have killed a number of elk with my .340 Weatherby and 225 grain Barnes TTSX

 

[mdwest]

My wife and I (along with another buddy) are hunting elk in Idaho this year.. another pair of buddies (Idaho residents and avid (and typically very successful) elk hunters) are assisting us on the DIY hunt..

Both residents have been pretty adamant that they dont hunt elk in their area with anything less than a 30 magnum of some sort..

Its not that something smaller wont kill them.. they freely admit that lots and lots of elk fall every year to 270's and other typical "deer" cartridges... but for them, they find 300's bring a balance of both caliber and range that things like 308, 30-06, 270, 6.5 cm, etc. dont possess..

As such.. my wife and I are both taking our 300 H&H's.. and our third buddy is bringing a 300 WM..

the two "guides" shoot a 300 WM and a 300 PRC respectively..

Mine and my wifes guns are loaded with 180gr TSX that travel at roughly 2900 fps (hand loads) out of both of our guns..

 

[Daisy]

My wife and I (along with another buddy) are hunting elk in Idaho this year.. another pair of buddies (Idaho residents and avid (and typically very successful) elk hunters) are assisting us on the DIY hunt..

Both residents have been pretty adamant that they dont hunt elk in their area with anything less than a 30 magnum of some sort..

Its not that something smaller wont kill them.. they freely admit that lots and lots of elk fall every year to 270's and other typical "deer" cartridges... but for them, they find 300's bring a balance of both caliber and range that things like 308, 30-06, 270, 6.5 cm, etc. dont possess..

As such.. my wife and I are both taking our 300 H&H's.. and our third buddy is bringing a 300 WM..

the two "guides" shoot a 300 WM and a 300 PRC respectively..

Mine and my wifes guns are loaded with 180gr TSX that travel at roughly 2900 fps (hand loads) out of both of our guns..

Thanks for feedback.

Closest to that would be the 175 Maximus from 375. Runs 3k.

All of these loads run over 3k except 225 from Lapua, which is 2900. Ha

 

[BourbonTrail]

30-06 with a 150gr is what I use for deer. I prefer 180-200gr 308 for elk, so I voted for the 338.

 

[poco]

My two bull elk fell to 180gr 300wm
i shoot a .308win with 150gr Norma oryx now and they drop everything I shoot with them ,
so i voted 30-06 even though I would shoot my 375Ruger with 250 cx or 270 Rp-sp
they are great elk size medicine

 

[Elkeater]

I use a .300 Win mag loaded with 199gr hammer hunters at 3060fps exclusively for elk these days. In the past a .300 win mag loaded with 180gr accubonds has accounted for a dozen elk for me.

I picked the .30-06. I’ve seen many elk dropped with that cartridge choice and it should be an excellent round to 500 yards if you know what you’re doing with it. I’ve seen elk taken with as small as a 6.5 creed to as large as the .338 win mag.

 

[dchum]

300 WM. 180 grain Barnes TTSX

180 grain factory TTSX smashed through this bulls heart. Would be a good choice but not one of his options he has.

I wouldn’t want to lug around a Lapua while elk hunting. Notice terrain in background.

30-06 with a mono bullet he listed will be perfect.

 

[Daisy]

180 grain factory TTSX smashed through this bulls heart. Would be a good choice but not one of his options he has.

I wouldn’t want to lug around a Lapua while elk hunting. Notice terrain in background.

30-06 with a mono bullet he listed will be perfect.

All my barrels are 20.5” and same 19mm contour. So all four choices weigh the same (maybe and ounce or two difference with different scopes I have on each)

All suppressed.

I know any would do the job. Just fun to talk about and hear y’all’s feedback.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

A 375 Ruger, or H&H, shooting a 175 gr bullet just doesn’t sound right. Sectional density and BC can’t be very good. Minimum weight that I have used is the 250 GMX. They shot several inches high compared to my 300 gr Swift A Frame loads.

I suggest you take your 30-06 with some quality 180 to 200 gr bullets. I think Swift has 200 gr, .308 bullets available. Get within 300 yards and shoot your elk.

 

[Uncontrolled_round_feed]

The lightweight one

 

[dchum]

A 375 Ruger, or H&H, shooting a 175 gr bullet just doesn’t sound right. Sectional density and BC can’t be very good. Minimum weight that I have used is the 250 GMX. They shot several inches high compared to my 300 gr Swift A Frame .

The bullet he would be using is a solid 1 piece mono metal. SD isn’t a applicable function when comparing two different materials. Mono metal bulllets out penetrate their weight.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Well, young lady. My personal choice would be for a .30-06 Springfield and 220Gr Remington Core Lokts. But I know that you prefer light-for-caliber high velocity bullets.

So my recommendation would be for .338 Lapua with 225Gr ER Raptors.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

In the old days I used 180 gr cup and core 30-06 to take more than a dozen elk. Modern bullets I would consider 165 gr but 150 gr is way too light, especially if hunting heavy cover. I think a blade of grass could knock one of those significantly off track.

 

[dchum]

In the old days I used 180 gr cup and core 30-06 to take more than a dozen elk. Modern bullets I would consider 165 gr but 150 gr is way too light, especially if hunting heavy cover. I think a blade of grass could knock one of those significantly off track.

Do you really think a 15gr difference makes a difference in “brush busting” capability?

 

[grand veneur]

I think the terrain also needs to be taken into account. I have shot several Asian Wapitis/Marals and that above all in the mountains, rarely in dense forest, so I often had to shoot at longer distances.

Cartridges used:

300 Remington Ultra Magnum with 180gr Scirocco
340 Weatherby Magnum with 250gr Game King
9,3x64 Brenneke with 19g TUG

 

[uplander01]

338 win mag , 225 Barnes TSX