Colorado Bob

The elk " hunters" I know use 30/06, 7 Mag, 300 Win Mag. All have bolt-actions in Ruger, Winchester, Remington and a few Sako. In use an 06 & have never had a problem. I use 180 grain bullets. You need to hit " em" in the boiler room.


I' ve worked site in days at the local gun range. This is where hunters can re-check their rifle from the trip & locals too. I' ve seen a lot of " flinchers" ----all have the super dubber Mags.

Get a 30/06

oldelkhunter

Boy this is a tougher question than what is big enough for deer. Anything from the 257 roberts up would be better than ok for Elk in my opinion. Bullet construction will depend on a large extent to the caliber being used . Like every other mechanical contraption the skillset of the operator will determine if there is a successful conclusion to the shot. If you can stand the recoil and handle it well then the 300 mag / 338 mag class of cartridges is unbeatable...the 375 will thump them harder but I have never used one on Elk just going on hearsay on this and the track record this great cartridge has. Personally I use a 7 Rem Mag or a 338 and do not think twice about it.

noway

If recoil is not an issue, .300 Win Mag with 180 or 200 grain Nosler Partition. Perfect for short range and the longest ranges.

If recoil is an issue, .280 rem with 160 Barnes X or 160 Nosler Partition, you can also shoot the 175gr effectively if the ranges are not going to be over 250yards.

ths78

Well, the best elk caliber would be a 45-70

However, since you specified bolt action, without costing an arm and a leg, look for a used 270, 308, or 30-06, and like mentioned above...choose a bullet construction that will stick together.

propmahn

id like to have a 35whelen. though remington brought out that 600 revamped and called it the 673 or someting like that and its in 35remington. the 338-06 would be a good choice. and if you cant tell im pushing the 338+cals all in non-magnum configs. buy hey thats just me

clattin

I' m going on my first Elk hunt this fall in Colorado and I' m taking a Howa 1500 in .300 Win Mag loaded with 200gr Nosler Partitions as my primary gun. I haven' t decided which I will take for a back-up....either my Ruger 77 (tang safety) in .270 Win with 150gr Partition or my sporterized VZ-24 Mauser in 7mm-08 with a 140gr Partition. Suggestions? Can' t wait!!

Jorgy

If your just going on a once in a lifetime (or not many times anyway) elk hunt, I would stick with a 30.06. You don' t need a 300 or 338 magnum to kill an elk (but they do help sometimes ) Personally, I use a 300 mag when rifle hunting for elk. I had to go out and buy better ear protection after the first trip to the range since I was flinching so bad after a few shots. When I get to go and do a late season cow hunt, I take my .270, and have never had a probem with them taking many steps after shooting. And that is my backup gun on rifle hunts too, although I' ve never needed it.

You sure can tell the difference at the end of the day between carrying a .300 mag (browning A-bolt) and a .270 (Colt Light Rifle)

thndrchiken

Well, from what' s in my safe the 06 with 180-200 gr partitions would be the first choice then my 6.5x55 with 160 gr RN would be next. As always bullet construction and shot placement would play a bigger role than caliber and speed.

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ELKampMaster

Deadeye,
I respect a man who can admit he has hunted the entire trip without firing a shot. I' ve had years like that - if the shot (or the elk) are not there then they' re just not there - frustrating but sometimes it happens. I refuse to join the yahoo' s that you hear target practicing on the second day of the season because they are bored and want to " shoot" something before they go home on Sunday.

Better luck this year!

Never Go Undergunned,
EKM