FL/GA Hunter

Hi guys, thought I' d open up a discussion, since this is what I' m thinking about nowadays...

If I were going to buy a new elk gun (with ammo), what would it be and why?

Points to consider:
-best caliber (how it gets downrange and how it acts inside the animal)
-best caliber/recoil ratio
-best ammunition available (speed/power/bullet performance)
-best gun (size/speed/handling/feel/etc)

Here are my parameters:
-between .30 and .34 caliber
-must be a fairly available, relatively inexpensive rifle (I' m not going custom shop with this one)
-bolt action rifle with a high-power scope on it - I' m not looking for a lever action or anything here.

You can answer any or all of these questions for me:

1) What' s your favorite caliber? I' m thinking of sticking to magnums, probably .300, .338, or .340.

2) What' s your favorite gun? I' m thinking of going with Remington 700, Winchester 70, Weatherby.... what should I be looking for?

3) What' s your favorite ammo for your favorite caliber?

Thanks guys!

FL/GA Hunter

Sorry, I thought I' d cover a couple of points:

-I already have a .270 Rem Model 700, so I' m looking for a gun that is definitely bigger. I want a gun that I will go to without hesitation when it' s game other than whitetails. That' s why I' m thinking large magnum - yes, I could get elk with a rifle just a little bigger, but I' m thinking of making this my big gun; no doubts with elk, moose, bear, mutated 400lb bunny rabbits....

-I want a rifle that handles quickly and smoothly, but more importantly a fast, accurate bullet in a sweet-shooting rifle.

-I want quality, so no el cheapo guns, but I also can' t spend a fortune. Keep the $3000 rifles to yourselves.

stubblejumper

For your needs a 300winmag would be hard to beat.

Vapodog

your parameters only leave a couple entries.....300 mag or .338 mag.....if elk were found where griz bears aren' t, I' d pick the .300 mag.....but since they cohabitate I' d pick the .338 win mag in a Model 70 and fire 225-250 grain Swift A-Frames bullets.

FL/GA Hunter

Yeah, at this point my thinking is somewhere in:

.300 Win Mag, .300 WSM, .300 Wthby Mag, .300 SAUM, .300 RUM, .338 Win Mag, .338 RUM, and .340 Wthby Mag.

Anybody want to convince me that I could/should go higher? Or maybe a non-magnum somewhere along those lines?

Actually, after I typed up this question, I went out to one of the area gun stores and worked a few of the bolts... I found out I like the Model 70 action almost as much as the Model 700 action I already work in my current gun, and that I don' t really think I like the Weatherby action. Other options?

stubblejumper

If you like the 700 I would consider a 700bdl ss in 300win mag.Almost all 700' s that I have handloaded for will group into an inch with some much better.The 300win mag is available in a great variety of factory loads if you do not handload and prices are more reasonable than the weatherby cartridges. I have owned two weatherby' s and was very disapointed in the accuracy considering the high pricetag they carry.

whelen36

if cost is a big point , i don' t think you' de want a .340 weatherby , as they aren' t cheap rifles and the ammo is kind of pricey too , as i don' t know of anybody else who loads for the .340 other than weatherby but , i' m not really up on the ammo makers , as for cartridges , any of the .300 will fit the bill , if it' s fast pointing you want , then a short magnum in a compact rifle is what you' de want , and the remington model seven is available in the .300 saum caliber , winchester makes short mags in thier model 70 but not in the compact ,
as for calibers , why is .34 caliber the biggest you want to get ??
the .35 caliber is one of the best meat getters you can get , the model 673 available in the .350 mag is very capable for big game and is in a short compact rifle too , ( i just got one , i like them ) then there' s the .35 whelen , it' s not as short but it has plenty of whomp for big game , and you can find them used at places like www.gunsamerica.com , and while we' re on the subject , why do you have to have a bolt action ?? the .358 win. is available in the browning 81 blr once again and it is a fast handling carbine. it' s not bolt action but the .358 has also taken it' s fair share of elk allready , in fact , even the .308 winchester is capable of taking elk and it' s available in all of the bolt action carbines. there are so many capable cartridges out there that it' s hard to pick just one.

but if those cartridges you mentioned above are your absolutes and a quick handling rifle is what you want , then i' de have to pick the .300 saum in a model seven , or even in a model 673 ( it' s available in both rifles ) and they are both offered in all weather configurations ( blued / laminate , stainless / synthetic )

FL/GA Hunter

Hey whelen,

I' m not trying to start a bolt vs lever/automatic debate, but I simply have more faith in the bolt action as an accurate, long-distance shooter, plus I' m far more comfortable with them. Pumping a lever or letting the gun do the work for me feels weird, so I' m just going to avoid that situation altogether. I have no problem with reload speed, so there' s no need to change from a bolt. Not to blow my own horn, but about three or four years ago, my dad was hunting near me when I put two shots into a nice 8-point. When he heard the first shot, he thought it was me, but the second shot came so quickly afterward that he figured there was no way it was me (with my bolt action). I' ve learned how to jack that bolt as fast as I can recover from the recoil.

As to why I held myself to .340 and lower, I don' t see the .35s as long-distance guns. I figured the next logical step over .340 Wthby Mag was a .375, and there' s no way I' m getting myself a .375. Got any ballistics tables for the .35s? I' d be happy to check them out.

Also, great point with the .340 Wthby Mag (and the same with the .300 Wthby Mag). I really wanted to give them a shot, but the difference in price is pretty significant. Looks like I' m sticking with a Winchester or Remington round, so far.

Oh, and regarding the .308... I know it' ll handle elk just fine, but I wanted to stay away from the ' 06, .308, and the like, since I already have a .270 and want to get substantially bigger.

Thanks for the advice!

handloader1

Weatherby Mark V Accumark .340 Wby. Mag., .338-378 Wby. Mag., .300 Wby. Mag., or .30-378 Wby. Mag. Good luck with your decision.

James B

I shot a model 70 that belong to a friend a while back. It was a 375 H&H mag. The rifle was very light and not very long. He just had a 1.5x5 scope as he hunts Africa every other year and long range shooting is not needed although the 375 is no slouch in that department either. If you wany to go big, why mess around with anything smaller?