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Last time I hunted in Colorado I used my Browning BLR in .308. I may use my Marlin in 45/70 next time.
As Mitch has said, elk are the size of large horses.
Ditto on the 45/70, but use the LeverEvo ammo if you want to hit it beyond about 120 yds. That pointy ammo, though quite "exciting" recoil-wise, is more than a hammer-head blow to an elk bull. The 325gr bullet leaving the muzzle @ bout 2300 does impart quite a kick unless you are using one of the older longer 24" bbl'd Marlins, or if your rifle's ported, or is a Winchester version (1896 is it?) but gol-dang it, An-Deee!... it sure does stop them big ol' elk. And it will also persuasively dissuade a curious black or grizz bear as well!
Otherwise, a 30-06, esp. with the new Superforce or Light Magnum loads, or even good old Federal Premium 180 grainers, will more than stop them. So will the 270, 280, 7 Rem Mag and/or 300 Win Mg (which does a far better job at longer ranges or in a cross-wind than the 30-06...) are all top news.
Or..... try it with the 250-3000 Savage like I did; I hit him in the top-upper neck @ 275 lasered yds (OK, so it was a 250-3000 Ackley Imp; 117 gr @ 3000 fps muzzle..., but still...), he walked forwards about 5 steps and crumpled. Never moved after that, (fortunately...) but it still took me about 15 minutes to get over there. Pant pant.
Then getting him out? The fun stops when you pull the trigger on an elk or moose, let me tell you!
Back in 1975 we went deer hunting near Rifle, Colorado. Elk season had just finished.
My dad dropped me off at a hill side about 5:30 am, no sooner than he drove off I made a small fire and a cup of coffee.
It could not be ten minutes later I heard the brush snapping. Ten feet in front of me a bull and two cow elk walk in and stop in the clearing next to me. I had never seen such large animals in my life, I knew they were elk but never seen one so close. I never moved and they gave no sign they seen me, they grazed off eventually.
Near our camp was a abandoned site with half a dozen elk hides left behind. Seemed such a waste and I often wondered if they returned for them.
Back in 1975 we went deer hunting near Rifle, Colorado. Elk season had just finished.
My dad dropped me off at a hill side about 5:30 am, no sooner than he drove off I made a small fire and a cup of coffee.
It could not be ten minutes later I heard the brush snapping. Ten feet in front of me a bull and two cow elk walk in and stop in the clearing next to me. I had never seen such large animals in my life, I knew they were elk but never seen one so close. I never moved and they gave no sign they seen me, they grazed off eventually.
Near our camp was a abandoned site with half a dozen elk hides left behind. Seemed such a waste and I often wondered if they returned for them.
Location: Approximately 50 miles from Missoula MT/38 yrs full time after 4 yrs part time
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....................This an interesting thread to read................unfortunately there are a few errors in the content............please allow me to put in "my .02 cents" regarding some questionable statements. No offsense intended............just feel compelled to "straighten-out" what appears to me to be "a-little bent". 62 years of big game hunting in CO, MT, BC, the Yukon, Alaska and Kodiak island, has taught me information and factual data that "you might never find in books or sittin' at home in an easy-chair watchin' a video."
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimboburnsy
There exists an enclave of hunters who believe that the .220 swift is an ideal elk cartridge. Others swear by the quarterbores for elk._______Thank God the number of so-called-hunters that believe the above is quite small...........and they also usually show up with a 6 to 24 x 50 scope on their rifle
------------------------------------- it is incomprehensible that a 185 grain pill out of a .30-06 would not be perfectly adequate and your -----------------------------
.........there are no "185gr 30 caliber bullets available in commercial loaded ammo......and to my knowledge (after 60 years of handloading---there are none readily available to handloaders.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by ferretkona
----------------As Mitch has said, elk are the size of large horses.----------
.............the AVERAGE Saddle Horse weighs in about 1175 to 1275 pounds.....The average 'so-called LARGE Horse" could fall between 1400 to 1650 pounds. (I had an un-papered "hunting horse" back in the 1960s that weighed 1440 .....he was 1/4 thoroughbred;...1/4 Percheron;....1/4 Morgan....& 1/4 Quarter Horse.--------------------------------------------------The average Bull Elk in CO or MT will be about 700 to 750 (some may get as high as 825...but this is rare. Cows average between 500 to 600 pounds.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hunter Wold
Can't go wrong w/ a 06', it has been around a long time and Jack O'Connor hunted just abut everything with one.
------------------Jack O'Connor did almost all of his big Game Hunting with a .270 Bolt action rifle........the 270 Winchester is based on the '06 case but necked down to a .277 cal bullet...........
..
....(author unknown)..................."We get too soon old....and too late smart"!!
..................."Experience is the best teacher"...........AND, ..."an open-mind in the best learner".
No doubt Jimbo, an experienced hunter himself, was thinking about either a 165 grain or 180 grain .30 caliber bullet. Either one of which might be an excellent choice.
I think Jack O'Connor did use a 30-06 as well as the .270 that he's most famous for.
Thanks on the specific weights of the animals - although the point about elk is, they are enough bigger than most deer that the dress-out and haul-out is on a more industrial scale than the average deer hunter is used to.
No doubt Jimbo, an experienced hunter himself, was thinking about either a 165 grain or 180 grain .30 caliber bullet. Either one of which might be an excellent choice.
I think Jack O'Connor did use a 30-06 as well as the .270 that he's most famous for.
Thanks on the specific weights of the animals - although the point about elk is, they are enough bigger than most deer that the dress-out and haul-out is on a more industrial scale than the average deer hunter is used to.
Egad, you have brought back memories and they ain't good ones. A buddy shot this huge bull crossing a jeep trail with a .30-30 like 3 times in poor locations. We tracked it all day and found it the next in the bottom of a ravine about 1 mile from any road. Vertical and nasty. That was a couple days of grunt to get that beast out.
Egad, you have brought back memories and they ain't good ones. A buddy shot this huge bull crossing a jeep trail with a .30-30 like 3 times in poor locations. We tracked it all day and found it the next in the bottom of a ravine about 1 mile from any road. Vertical and nasty. That was a couple days of grunt to get that beast out.
Yeah, you can hunt uphill from the truck and drag downhill, or the other way around, for about the same money.
The hell of it is, and I may catch some flack for writing it, but *used correctly* a 30-30 will do what needs doing with elk. A hunter who gets close, say 100 yards or less, uses a good bullet, and both knows the animal's anatomy well enough to know where to aim, *and* is able to hit within say 4" of desired point of impact - and any 30-30 that's working anything like right can do this - should be able to pull off a 1-shot kill with no problems.
That said I would not suggest a newbie go out and buy a 30-30, particularly not the grand old Winchester 94 carbine, to go elk hunting. But an experienced hunter who has a good 30-30 and both hunts well and shoots well does not need to skip elk season just because he does not have a heavier rifle.
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
8,309 posts, read 38,782,175 times
Reputation: 7185
Quote:
Originally Posted by Montana Griz
....................This an interesting thread to read................unfortunately there are a few errors in the content............please allow me to put in "my .02 cents" regarding some questionable statements. No offsense intended............just feel compelled to "straighten-out" what appears to me to be "a-little bent". 62 years of big game hunting in CO, MT, BC, the Yukon, Alaska and Kodiak island, has taught me information and factual data that "you might never find in books or sittin' at home in an easy-chair watchin' a video."
.........there are no "185gr 30 caliber bullets available in commercial loaded ammo......and to my knowledge (after 60 years of handloading---there are none readily available to handloaders.)
.............the AVERAGE Saddle Horse weighs in about 1175 to 1275 pounds.....The average 'so-called LARGE Horse" could fall between 1400 to 1650 pounds. (I had an un-papered "hunting horse" back in the 1960s that weighed 1440 .....he was 1/4 thoroughbred;...1/4 Percheron;....1/4 Morgan....& 1/4 Quarter Horse.--------------------------------------------------The average Bull Elk in CO or MT will be about 700 to 750 (some may get as high as 825...but this is rare. Cows average between 500 to 600 pounds.
..
....(author unknown)..................."We get too soon old....and too late smart"!!
..................."Experience is the best teacher"...........AND, ..."an open-mind in the best learner".
Grizz, you're right - my bandoliers actually have 180 grain spire points. I must, however, assert that my mistatement had nothing at all to do with sitting in an easy chair or watching a video. I've skinned and eaten a lot of cervids. Just felt compelled to say that much.
Location: Approximately 50 miles from Missoula MT/38 yrs full time after 4 yrs part time
2,308 posts, read 4,123,568 times
Reputation: 5025
[/u]
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimboburnsy
Grizz, you're right - my bandoliers actually have 180 grain spire points. I must, however, assert that my mistatement had nothing at all to do with sitting in an easy chair or watching a video. I've skinned and eaten a lot of cervids. Just felt compelled to say that much.
.....Hey jimbo.............
Sorry that your interpretation of a portion of my post looked like it was directed to you personally......................that was not my intent. My intent with regard to the "bullet weight" was to simply correct a "point-specific" statement that was in error.
My intent regarding my statement about my: " 62 years etc,etc,etc etc........", was a "generalized statement" (not directed at you)..but to those to whom it may apply.
In "hind-sight" I will openly admit that I should have used the word "one"....and not used the word "you" further along in that sentence......Thus:...."one might never find in books or sittin'..etc,etc,etc..."........instead of;.."you might never find in books or sittin'...."
My use of the word "you" instead of "one" was not intentional at all.
I hope this explains this misunderstanding and my un-intentional "wrong choice of a word."
I might add, that the many years of "time spent" & huntng in CO, MT, BC, AK etc,etc,...was the result of my 40 years of working in the Mining Industry and having to travel to all those areas on a repeat basis..at all times of the year. Naturally I made many, many "hunting friends" and contacts......and utilized them to the maximum benefit both during my 40 working years and in my 16 years of retirement. Yes, I was (and still am) a "lucky guy" to have had that type of job. The travel away from my late wife and child for all those years....was not the greatest, but she understood and in our retirement years did go with me on a few occasions.________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________
Other subject(s):
How are you coming along with your (AR 15) project.?
That type of rifle & caliber are totally new to me.........I have sure learned a lot in the last 6 weeks or so about "the Black Gun" and the subtile differences between: the .223 Remington and the "5.56x45 NATO......
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