As i said in my cartridge intro for the 8th edition of the nosler reload guide, if i. Today, there are many superior calibers available for elk hunting. Mar 26, 2003 actually, there have probably been more elk killed with the. I have seen bull elk taken with everything down to a 22250. If anything, theyre a reminder that any good bullet, in a solid caliber, sent on its way with enough speed into the animals vitals can do an excellent job4570 the. You can stretch that a bit if conditions are good, but the 6. In reality, there are many, many good elk cartridges. These are all great mule deer cartridges, and all can certainly do a good job on elk as well. Register log in home forums ask the gunwriters top 3 non magnum elk calibers forums user list calendar active threads. An elk cartridge should recoil comfortably in the lightweight rifles youd prefer to. What to know before your first hunt hunting tip duration. Their principle drawback is that most shooters do mind the recoil and muzzle blast, particularly of the magnums, and simply cannot do their best shooting with these cartridges. That said, my choice would be a 300 weatherby magnum with the full realization that its power isnt needed.
Defending herself the only way she could, twin lifted the rifle she always carried, pointed it quickly and fired. Elk hunting cartridges and calibers randy newbergs thoughts. It doesnt get much press, but it has one undeniable strengthit just works. Best elk cartridge in the world is the one you have in your hands when you find a good bull. Shoot the largest cartridge that you can comfortably shoot and hit your target with, and your good. Moose are bigger in size but they will not take as much of a beating. How to pick the ultimate meat bullet for any big game hunt outdoor. The elk have been taken with many different bullets in every desirable caliber and from distances of 25 yards to 700 yards. I have held that a 900 lb bull elk is easier to kill than a 200 lb jacked up white tail that is chasing a doe.
National shooting sports foundation nssf 284,698 views. Until youre fortunate enough to shoot at an elk, the cartridge in your rifle matters no more than the size of your boots. But with a 115grain nosler partition, it will do for caribou and elk as long as good shot presentations are taken280 ackley improved. The 270 is more common and has more factory options including a good 150gr nosler partition load from federal and. Its been felling elk for more than a century under a wide range of conditions. Youve been hunting hard for five days and this is the first elk youve seen. How to choose a bullet rocky mountain elk foundation.
Our favorite cartridges and rifles for hunting elk. Deer cartridgescalibers, with good bullets, placed. Prior to hunting, hunters must download the etag app to their mobile phone and. Ive taken quite a few cow elk and a couple of bull elk over the past 25 yrs. So when it comes to moose, the word big will pop into most peoples minds, and cause them to eliminate a swath of fine. A 300rum with good bullets is a great elk cartridge at that range. As every seasoned elk hunter knows, theres an ancient fireside tradition in elk camp of debating the best cartridge for taking the largebodied. Big thundering cartriges are very hard to practice with. Ever since the advent of the first metallic cartridge the 22 bb cap in 1845, hunters have demanded rifles, cartridges and bullets capable of terminating everything from ground squirrels to elephants. As elk can be devilishly hard to find, youll want to make good on every chance. Good, bad, ugly june 15, 2016 by ron spomer 5 comments several hunters have asked me for details on how various rifles, cartridges and bullets have performed for me on big bull elk.
I know ive kinda been trumpeting the 7mm08, but what would you say is the best low recoil elk caliber. Ive hunted for my own elk, with family, friends, and clients. I have a tikka t3 in a 300 win mag and after shooting several factory loads in it i have narrowed it down between hornady precision hunter 200g and barnes vortx 180g. For my 2 cents, i have killed 3 elk in the last 3 years. At creedmoor velocity, its also not generous in the energy department. I have taken a lot of deer and elk out to 400 yards with a 165gr bullet in a 3006. My dad has a bad shoulder injury, and while he cant shoot some of of my lighter loads from a nonmuzzle breaked rifle, he can go to town with my 308 due to the break on it. And for those who care how to learn bullet trajectories, the old.
Oct 23, 2010 i have taken a lot of deer and elk out to 400 yards with a 165gr bullet in a 3006. Best elk cartridge gun and game the friendliest gun. With the opportunity and time to spend a lot of time, over many years hunting elk in the western states, and spending time with local hunters and ranchers, many of whom thought the. Best elk cartridge page 3 gun and game the friendliest. Nosler, dakota arms and most custom rifle makers are making rifles for the cartridge.
Ive read your article about the best elk cartridges and i feel that you have melined the ever faithful 3006 round in 168gr. Season after season, it performs supremely for those that know how to hunt elk. Les bowman, the cody, wyoming, outfitter who had a hand in bringing us the 7mm remington magnum cartridge, saw a lot of elk shot. Best deer and elk cartridge long range hunting forum. Surveys ive taken of thousands of elk hunters put it neckandneck with the 7mm remington magnum in popularity. There is no substitute for accuracy when hunting big game. There are only cartridges that will do the job under given conditions, and cartridges that will not. For perfection, however, the author prefers more bullet weight and frontal area for elk. The problem with magnum rounds is that they are so difficult to practice with. Our friends at field and stream put together a great breakdown of the top 12 best elk hunting rifle cartridges, which helped to not only highlight the most popular rounds but also some littleknown options, so anyone can find the perfect round for them.
Apr 03, 2017 best elk cartridge,elk rifle and elk scope recommendations. I think it might be wise to divide moose cartridges into three categories as follows. This topic can raise a debate though, as most elk hunters are quite affectionate and opinionated about their favorite elk rifle. There are a lot of excellent elk cartridges out there and opinions vary. I second the post from, l rodgers agreeing with everything stated in his post. This article explores those cartridges that are going to give you an edge in elk hunting, not by being adequate but by being down and dirty, serious, noholdsbarred, removethedoubt, killthemdead elk cartridges. If your aim is true, the elk will be yours, whether youre using a. Deer cartridges calibers, with good bullets, placed in the right place, make excellent elk. The author has designed a test protocol to even the playing field and give hunters a good idea which cartridges they. A 3006 will have tons more bullet choices than the. Elk are hunted in so many conditions, rain forest, desert, sea level, high country, while i like a good.
Bingo a 270 is not the best elk cartridge thank you i was just a simple point i was making for the more novice guys that are going elk hunting. Killing a big bull at a steep quartering angle takes a very good cartridge, topped with a tough, deeppenetrating bullet. Elk hunting cartridges and calibers, at least in randy newbergs opinion, does not require super magnums. The best advice for hunters looking to select the best possible cartridge, then. Jun 24, 2016 elk hunting cartridges and calibers, at least in randy newbergs opinion, does not require super magnums. I wish you a safe, successful and enjoyable hunting season. Best elk rifle, best elk cartridge, best elk scope, 7mm. So if shot placement is good any of the magnum 30s or.
If everyone spent as much time learning what is needed to get that done as they do worrying about what round to use, there would be a lot more bulls killed. Top 4 best elk hunting rifles for an incredible harvest slideshare. Mar 21, 2010 im going elk hunting and i need a gun with low recoil, good accuracy, and good knock down power so im looking for your opinion what is a good cartridge in your opinion and is the 7mm08 a good cartridge in your opinion thank you. Feb 02, 2016 there is no substitute for accuracy when hunting big game. Rifle and bullet encountered their first elk, another 6. The cartridges mentioned here are just examples of typical satisfactory elk cartridges when used with adequate bullets. I will offer that many tried and true elk hunters feel the 3006 class cartridge with a good 180 gr. Many elk hunters seek the perfect elk cartridge the one that will lay the smack down and never fail them in any conditions they may face. The 300 mags carry enough energy out to 500yds and have a plethora of bullets choices. Loaded with a 200 grain nosler partition bullet, this load is perfect for hunting really big game where its really important to use a heavy, well constructed bullet. Naturally, we have chosen the best components to meet the needs of hunters and shooters. Now, that is about as politically correct as i am capable of. For a good analysis, see chuck hawks article elk cartridges on the rifle informationgame animals and recommended rifle cartridges index page.
The best elk hunting rifle cartridges live wild eat wild. Almost every gun maker offers a model chambered for this fantastic cartridge. With proper bullets and good shot placement, even the 257 roberts is adequate for elk and it doesnt need to be a head shot either. The best caliber for short to midrange hunting xtreme. Mar 11, 2018 longrange elk cartridge virtual shootout. Minimum cartridge for yard elk long range hunting forum. Youre hunting in the timber, and an elk offers a marginal shot. Sep 04, 2015 constrained by the onebullperyearperstate limit imposed on elk hunters everywhere, ive used no cartridge exhaustively. Picking the 10 best or most favorable cartridges for hunting any animal is a highly subjective and challenging task. But the fact of the matter is a clean kill depends more on your marksmanship than the cartridge. The nosler trophy grade line of ammo will very likely fit the bill for those looking for some seriously heavy hitting.
Find a tough cartridge for one of the most prized and toughest hooved big game animals around. The cartridges mentioned below are examples of satisfactory moose cartridges. As i said in my cartridge intro for the 8th edition of. And id say in real life there is no best, just dam good compromises maybe i would add that you could argue that the. What three dozen elk cartridges taught me gun digest. Its only drawback is the same as with all shortaction cartridges. If long actions are the way you go itd be hard to beet the good ole 3006. To kill an elk, colorado parks and wildlife says 1,500 ft. If a cartridge is not listed it does not mean it is no good. Statewide memorial hunts are available by draw for deer and elk page 36. Purchase a pdf download of the guns magazine june 2019 issue now. Any big game rifle will kill an elk if you make good shot placement within range of the gun you are using. There is a lot of cartridges that will kill an elk you just need to hit them in the boiler room.
I like the well balanced, sensible replies ive seen here to this question. The author has designed a test protocol to even the playing field and give hunters a good idea which cartridges they should spend their hardearned money on. Just as long as you can shoot it well, any rifle will kill an elk. Download your free storm tactical printable target pack. Longrange elk cartridge virtual shootout skyaboveus. My thinking is that same 250 yards is a sensible limit.
Our favorite cartridges and rifles for hunting elk outdoor life. If your looking for a reason to buy a new rifle your not gaining much with the 06, and i do agree that the 7mm mag is not exactly light kicking. A double lunger kills, but you have to be willing to track and search after. Id personally rather have a 338, but would not feel under gunned with a 300rum up to 800yds or so. The roster of top elk hunting cartridges along with some sage advice from robert ruark. Bigger isnt always better when it comes to picking a cartridge for moose hunting. Pick the right calibre for the hunt outdoor canada. D the question of which rifle cartridge is the best for hunting rocky mountain elk has long been debated. It aint a laser beam like the big belted ubermagnums, but i defy anybody to step up to a black powder cartridge silhouette match and tell them theyre playing with a shortrange cartridge.
The bigger the animal, the more heated that debate tends to be. The nmdgf information center is open yearround, mondayfriday, 8 a. Best elk cartridge, elk rifle and elk scope recommendations. Poor cartridges for long range hunting the real gunsmith duration. This cartridge has owned a lot of longrange shooting records and its one of the top picks for longrange hunting. My elk cartridge choice would be my 300 rum or my 30338wm. Pretty much anything within reason will work if you do your part. I am not exploring cartridges that will simply kill elk here, nor is this an article about adequate elk cartridges. Light rifle and easy to shoot 338 win mag cause it works great for me on the elk mountain and kills poor littler deer just fine as well. Ask any hunter to name the best cartridge and bullet combination for. What are some good bullet choices for 7mm rem mag on elk.
It can easily reach out to 300 yards if needed, so stash those notions its a short. These are good cartridges to consider if you are buying a rifle specifically for elk hunting and dont mind substantial recoil and muzzle blast. In a recent safari club magazine, there was a whole article devoted to elk cartridges. He said more were hit badly by hunters using magnum rounds because these fellows didnt shoot as well as. Well i couldnt find any real good elk hunting threads, at least none that i thought had the right to be considerd an all around elk hunting thread, so i thought i would start one, that hopefully wont get closed. Even if by sunny good fortune you were directed to test one cartridge on elk and permitted to take several bulls in a season, youd have a hard time drawing unassailable. But weight alone fails to make a good allaround elk bullet. These 10 cartridges and favorite rifles will bring down bulls anywhere. As others have said the 06 with 150 grain bullets for deer and a wellconstructed 180 grain bullet for elk, black bear and moose.
Since hunting elk usually involves shooting up or down hill at some pretty good angles, you had really better know what you are doing if you shoot more than 250 yards. It would be too cumbersome to list every adequate elk cartridge and i would inadvertently leave out someones favorite. With good bullets, it can be used on smallish big game in north. Deer cartridgescalibers, with good bullets, placed in the right place, make excellent elk. Best elk rifle, best elk cartridge, best elk scope, 7mm, 7mm. Both rounds group great out of rifle but which one would be a better choice for elk. Unlike a lot of the popular cartridges of the day, it delivers good energy to the target.
New mexico elk hunt with randy newberg rifle, scope. Elk hunting cartridges and calibers randy newbergs. The best rifle calibers for hunting elk gone outdoors. You have mere seconds to shoot, and you realize that, because of the elk s position, your bullet must drill through the heavy shoulder bone to hit the vital.
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