How many elk have you been a part of killing?

So I haven't been on the forum in quite a while and I come back and every other thread is about this or that failing on an elk, with that also seems to be better than half the post are about how well this chambering or bullet did on deer or a couple elk. Then you have the guys saying to shoot and elk "cartridge" like that somehow magically kills elk, this just got me wonder how many elk the average guy on here has been up to his armpits in? Go ahead and include elk kills you've been right in the middle of cause spotting and helping check out the bullet damage and gutting adds to your cumulative knowledge on killing elk.

How about some of the higher number guys post at what number point did they really feel they had a good grasp on rolling elk, consistently, with what ever tool was at hand!

Does Archery count?

If its a dead elk heck ya count it!! For myself bow killing elk has played a LOT in how I go about using a rifle.

bigngreen said:

If its a dead elk heck ya count it!! For myself bow killing elk has played a LOT in how I go about using a rifle.

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That's how I think, but this is primarily rifle hunting here!

It looks that way but most of the guys I know long range hunting are pretty accomplished bow hunters also!

Many a time up North in the high country we had 3 bulls down.Remember one time it took 5 days to get them all out.Minus 20 day I shot mine,the others trail was blown in 4 deep with 3' butt on larch and fur.Had to get our logger buddy cut that out real dangerous trees shooting up in air.This big guy bragging how tough he was,mine in steep area pack out,he had drop meat and I do two trips

After the last few years I'm not sure I'll ever figure out the perfect way to kill an elk! **** they are tough!

I thought I had a lot figured out till I started shooting them on an open hay field where you see everything, they don't go over a hill or into timber where you can't see the whole thing play out. The first year I though was a fluke the second year I realized I had to go back to the drawing board!

No hay fields in Arizona.. just hope and pray they don't run!

Appreciate learning from you guys up north that kill a lot more elk than the average guy.

I've taken 7 bulls, two archery, and helped out with another 4 rifle bulls.
I went to archery after my first bull, and in the last few years switched back to rifle. since then I've been 100% and never made a bad rifle shot on a bull, archery is another story...
I hate to admit it but I've lost 2 bulls and a cow due to barely clipping the shoulder, or even having one jump my string.
So I'd say for me personally I felt extremely confident in making a clean quick kill with a rifle from the beginning.
Archery in my experience is much less of a guarantee, you can do everything right and it doesn't take much (an unseen twig, sudden movement etc.) for your shot to become a disaster.

Shot em in a mile long alder patch,at high elevation and a grizz is already on his way when he hears shot.Had em beat me to my elk before

Clifflopez said:

After the last few years I'm not sure I'll ever figure out the perfect way to kill an elk! **** they are tough!

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Yep, had my hands on 12 this year, mostly cows. Did spend a little time tracking a couple, but we got em. Rifles ranged from .25-06 to .338 Jarrett. Some of them barely more then a scratch, fell over dead. Others, shot to ribbons, just kept running. Yep they're tough.

Blackaj
I appreciate your candor. Losing game is never pleasant. Hunt long enough it's going to happen.

Salmonchaser said:

Blackaj
I appreciate your candor. Losing game is never pleasant. Hunt long enough it's going to happen.

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Thanks
After the last one jumping my string I decided it was time to take an archery break.
It's funny though I've found that every bull I've shot with a rifle, or witnessed being shot died pretty easy. All with .308's, and 6.5's from 70 to over 900 yards.
I have seen complete bullet failure with follow up shots in the shoulder though (6.5 Creed 143 Eld-x @ 240 yards)
One thing I've learned is put a bonded bullet in the chamber for the up close encounters, and save the vld's for out past 300 yards.