Need some guidance..

[CanardNoir]

Speaking of smaller calibers on large game animals, it can often be problematic:

Hunting ants during elk season near Wyoming's Shirley Basin one morning back during the 1980s. Glassing the flatland about 25-resident elk were spotted crossing from one mountain outcropping to another on the high plain basin.

I had only a Rem 700 Classic chambered in .270 Win with some 130gr bronze point handloads (chronoed @ 3,000fps). So I closed the distance to less than 400 yards by creeping and crawling down a dry wash that angled toward a low-point where the elk would pass.

Conditions were less than ideal with a gusting 10-15 mph crosswind out of the north and a dirt bank for a rifle rest. But within about 20 minutes I'd stopped and slowed my breathing & heart rate to a point where I was willing to take a shot. (Tempering my willingness was the fact that I'd scouted elk for three days before the season, then hunted for two-more days after the opener without seeing a single shooter bull. So on the fourth day I went hunting for ants some 10-15 odd miles below my mountain base camp.)

Long-story short - I hit the slowly-moving herd bull three of my five shots with the .270 Win. But I didn't recovered that animal for another four hours of tracking, and that still required a single head shot from my Mod 66 .357 mag. He was nearly-three miles away, laying in a hillside aspen quakie. Gut shot but not stopped...

We made it back to camp that night, just before 10pm.

The next day I took two of my camp pals back to the outcropping where the elk heard had been headed. One of them bagged a nice young 2X2 bull with a single 150gr shot from a .308 Win. I filled my mule deer tag with a neck shot from my .270 Win, at less than 75 yards...

My 7mm Rem mag was never hunted with on that trip.

 

[Roughwater]

Nice story. It was 1980's I see. Good follow up on finding that bull. Small calibers can be problematic but any caliber can be problematic if an Elk is not hit in the vitals. A gut shot won't do it for sure what ever the caliber. I'm not so much defending small calibers. In this case it might be more about what shot one takes. It's hard to pass up a shot sometimes thats less than ideal when you know if you don't take it you may not get another. Might have been better to have hunted with the 7mm on that trip but might not have made a differance over the 270. The bullet used is also a vital part of the hunt wheather it be a 270, 7mm or 30 cal. There are some heavy bullets that sometimes fail and some very light bullets that are killing machines. I think bullet selection is nearly and sometimes more important than caliber selection. Shot placement will always be the most important factor but everything being equal a larger caliber does have the edge for sure.

 

[Swatman05]

Nice story. It was 1980's I see. Good follow up on finding that bull. Small calibers can be problematic but any caliber can be problematic if an Elk is not hit in the vitals. A gut shot won't do it for sure what ever the caliber. I'm not so much defending small calibers. In this case it might be more about what shot one takes. It's hard to pass up a shot sometimes thats less than ideal when you know if you don't take it you may not get another. Might have been better to have hunted with the 7mm on that trip but might not have made a differance over the 270. The bullet used is also a vital part of the hunt wheather it be a 270, 7mm or 30 cal. There are some heavy bullets that sometimes fail and some very light bullets that are killing machines. I think bullet selection is nearly and sometimes more important than caliber selection. Shot placement will always be the most important factor but everything being equal a larger caliber does have the edge for sure.

I think when I start reloading, I'm going to use Hammer Bullets. I've heard good stuff about them.

 

[BigGrizz]

I think I need to start a thread with the title "Do you know the question nobody really ever asks...." and the following subject will be "Is the 300WM enough for elk?". Because, you know, nobody ever asks that question while for some time now we've been deluged with interrogatives about Hornady's illcapable and illsuited 6.5mm marketing phenom.

 

[Swatman05]

I think I need to start a thread with the title "Do you know the question nobody really ever asks...." and the following subject will be "Is the 300WM enough for elk?". Because, you know, nobody ever asks that question while for some time now we've been deluged with interrogatives about Hornady's illcapable and illsuited 6.5mm marketing phenom.

I'm going to go with a 300WM. Plenty of ammo options, good ballistics and like everyone said.. It's been proven time and time again.

 

[Roughwater]

Hope your brain is getting back to normal after that crash course in Elk guns 101! LoL

 

[Swatman05]

Hope your brain is getting back to normal after that crash course in Elk guns 101! LoL

Yes sir. It was fuzzy for a little while.. Haha.. A lot of opinions from a lot of experienced guy's. But I need to get my feet wet and get experience under my belt.

 

[Roughwater]

Yes sir. It was fuzzy for a little while.. Haha.. A lot of opinions from a lot of experienced guy's. But I need to get my feet wet and get experience under my belt.

Gettin your feet wet is the fun part. Opening the box and putting your hands on your new gun, putting some bullets down range. Then later get out into the field on the weekend and do some hiking and scouting in the high country when possible. Build up your lungs and legs and bring a camera and GPS. All fun and necessary things to do before hunting. I never saw Elk hunting as just ordinary hunting. It's always been an adventure to me that I look forward to so much even in my older age. The mountains have always been a place I look forward to going to even when I wasn't hunting. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

 

[Swatman05]

Gettin your feet wet is the fun part. Opening the box and putting your hands on your new gun, putting some bullets down range. Then later get out into the field on the weekend and do some hiking and scouting in the high country when possible. Build up your lungs and legs and bring a camera and GPS. All fun and necessary things to do before hunting. I never saw Elk hunting as just ordinary hunting. It's always been an adventure to me that I look forward to so much even in my older age. The mountains have always been a place I look forward to going to even when I wasn't hunting. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

I really think I will! I love being out in nature and enjoying it. Getting the chance to fill the freezer with some delicious meat would be a big bonus! I need to find a good pair of binocs or a spotting scope for some pre-season scouting.

 

[Roughwater]

I really think I will! I love being out in nature and enjoying it. Getting the chance to fill the freezer with some delicious meat would be a big bonus! I need to find a good pair of binocs or a spotting scope for some pre-season scouting.

You will probably eventually want to get at least one of each. But look out, I already feel all the recommendations starting to fly your way. Some from me as well. Most want to get the most powerful binoculars they can get but the more powerful they are the harder they are to hold steady. I find and 8 power to do very well and fairly easy to hold steady. While hunting I carry a pair of 8X28 Vortex Viper binoculars. They are light, compact and I wear a rubber strap that holds them tight to my chest so they don't dangle or bounce around. They don't get in the way of shooting and I can just pull them up and look when I need them and they go right back into place and out of the way when not in use. I hardly know they are there. Sorry I couldn't resist! Ha!

 

[Swatman05]

You will probably eventually want to get at least one of each. But look out, I already feel all the recommendations starting to fly your way. Some from me as well. Most want to get the most powerful binoculars they can get but the more powerful they are the harder they are to hold steady. I find and 8 power to do very well and fairly easy to hold steady. While hunting I carry a pair of 8X28 Vortex Viper binoculars. They are light, compact and I wear a rubber strap that holds them tight to my chest so they don't dangle or bounce around. They don't get in the way of shooting and I can just pull them up and look when I need them and they go right back into place and out of the way when not in use. I hardly know they are there. Sorry I couldn't resist! Ha!

Haha.. I've been looking at Vortex either in the 8X or 10X power range.. Not trying to break the bank either.. Haha.. I forget the name of the one's I found but I think they run $400 or so..

 

[sp6x6]

Used a 340 wby for most of my hunting,killed piles of bulls with it.Was shooting them at 500+ 25 years ago.Now my son is doing same with said rifle ,he shot old bull with it this year

 

[Roughwater]

Haha.. I've been looking at Vortex either in the 8X or 10X power range.. Not trying to break the bank either.. Haha.. I forget the name of the one's I found but I think they run $400 or so..

I had looked at the one's I got for a good while and finally found them on sale for in the low 300's or high 200's but can't remember. There are lots of good one's out there.
I won't comment on a scope but if you get a scope you will want a tripod too. Vortex makes a great one that telescopes real small and light so is easy to backpack too. I use it at the range a lot too to spot my shots on paper. When you start reloading you will find it handy as well. Reloading. More money. Ha Get you a Forster Co-Ax press. Is my best advice there. Cost a little more than other single stage presses but you need no Shell holders and it gives you more leverage too. Forster dies are some of the best as well.

 

[Swatman05]

I had looked at the one's I got for a good while and finally found them on sale for in the low 300's or high 200's but can't remember. There are lots of good one's out there.
I won't comment on a scope but if you get a scope you will want a tripod too. Vortex makes a great one that telescopes real small and light so is easy to backpack too. I use it at the range a lot too to spot my shots on paper. When you start reloading you will find it handy as well. Reloading. More money. Ha Get you a Forster Co-Ax press. Is my best advice there. Cost a little more than other single stage presses but you need no Shell holders and it gives you more leverage too. Forster dies are some of the best as well.

You're gonna get this flooded with more opinions!! Hahaha..