How many elk have you been a part of killing?

Never pulled the trigger on one myself yet but I'm up to 7 now having been in on Mario's a couple of years back.

I may get to change that next year though. I"m seriously considering a DIY hunt in CO taking a chance on one of the OTC eastern plains tags.

I think a guy really turns the corner on how easily they perceive it was to kill an elk when they finally realize that they don't have to shoot at every elk on the mountain, I find I hunt for the one shot as much as the animal to shoot anymore.

1980 I was hunting in hells Canyon, for the record it is much deeper and steeper now then it was 40 years ago. Hit a bull 4 times in front of the diaphragm with 180 gr. Partitions out of an 06. 350 yards+/-. Never crushed any big bone. He was hurt, made it to the ridge top, died and slid over 1000 feet down towards the snake river.
Next year had an 8mm Remington, intentionally drove 220 grains through the heart of a rag horn at 100 yards. When I got to where he was standing there were chunks of heart as big as my thumb all over the snow. He went 200 yards w/o a heart. Maybe Dad and Gramps were right. Aim to break the far shoulder, works every time.
That's what I do. If I get both shoulders that's ok too.

Just in the last 4 years about 30. Enough that I can't count. I checked between 50 and 100. Most have gone well Some have been less than desirable. Solid lung shots is where it's at. Although Last year I shot a cow that had extremely large lungs that were hard. They did not bleed like normal. Otherwise she seemed healthy and had a calf. Lungs were attached to the ribcage. Pretty weird.

Had a tough one with archery once that just would not die. Emptied the quiver and every shot hit the lungs and every major organ had a hole through it. Other than that one, a sharp broadhead in the lungs kills faster than you would think. Generally a few seconds.

Salmonchaser said:

1980 I was hunting in hells Canyon, for the record it is much deeper and steeper now then it was 40 years ago. Hit a bull 4 times in front of the diaphragm with 180 gr. Partitions out of an 06. 350 yards+/-. Never crushed any big bone. He was hurt, made it to the ridge top, died and slid over 1000 feet down towards the snake river.
Next year had an 8mm Remington, intentionally drove 220 grains through the heart of a rag horn at 100 yards. When I got to where he was standing there were chunks of heart as big as my thumb all over the snow. He went 200 yards w/o a heart. Maybe Dad and Gramps were right. Aim to break the far shoulder, works every time.
That's what I do. If I get both shoulders that's ok too.

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I don't find that hard to believe. I shoot a lot of big wild boar and I've seen a big boar run 400-500yds with everything in his chest turned to soup.

I once put 5, 240gr 44m into the chest of a boar that ran a good 400yds and still had enough fight left in him to inflict wounds that took over 300 stitches to close up on my dog.

Particularly when a bull/boar/buck is pumped up on testosterone and adrenaline it can take a long time for them to figure out they're dead if all you are hitting is the heart/lungs.

I've had 3 tags and killed 3 bulls. One was 50 yards with 140 gr. in a 280, staggered and fell, clipped heart. Came in behind me, while glassing some others out front, we were both surprised.

#2 was 420 yards with 140 AB in 6.5-284. Reared up and fell over backwards, heart & lower lungs.

#3 was 440 yds with 168 Berger in 7RM. First shot right in the crease, he was wobbly but started down the mountain, so he got a second. All were DIY hunts on public.

Been in on 10, or so, other kills. The good placements, in crease, dropped them all pretty close. The shoulder and gut shots often led to long chases and a couple of lost animals. I'm more into muledeer, than elk, they're easier to pack out.

I personally rarely will deliberately take a first shot with a shoulder on entrance, definitely will blow through the off shoulder but I really, really look for that quartering away shot. If I'm putting a bullet into a wounded elk that is about to cover some country the shoulder gets it but I will pass up anything quartering to me unless it's hard enough I can put it between the shoulder and neck.

blackaj said:

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.

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Just yesterday one of our guys took a cow at 425 with a 6.5 creedmore. He is very experienced waited for her near leg to move forward to expose the vitals. She ran a 100 yards and tipped over.
My closest elk was a raghorn 5pt at five feet. I was 12 years old, hiding behind a big fir as a herd ran by, just reached out and shot him. My furthest is 481. My 06 and .338 Jarrett have taken most of them. 06 I still like 180 partitions.338 I've been using 250 gr Accubond.

Only been involved on four elk. The one my friend shot this year lived a long time. He shot him at 300 yards Center line few inches back from the crease. Was crossing a hay field. After the shot the bull ran into a creek bottom. Waited 20 minutes and he still tried to get up. Don't know how with both lungs hit. But he was still alive. Was shot with a 300 Win Mag 180 gr bullet. Don't know which bullet. Factory federal.

dok7mm said:

I've had 3 tags and killed 3 bulls. One was 50 yards with 140 gr. in a 280, staggered and fell, clipped heart. Came in behind me, while glassing some others out front, we were both surprised.

#2 was 420 yards with 140 AB in 6.5-284. Reared up and fell over backwards, heart & lower lungs.

#3 was 440 yds with 168 Berger in 7RM. First shot right in the crease, he was wobbly but started down the mountain, so he got a second. All were DIY hunts on public.

Been in on 10, or so, other kills. The good placements, in crease, dropped them all pretty close. The shoulder and gut shots often led to long chases and a couple of lost animals. I'm more into muledeer, than elk, they're easier to pack out.

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Amazing how long a gut shot elk can live and how far they can go. Certainly in the crease, 1/3 of the way up gets it done.
I often wonder regarding poor performance on shoulder shots if the hit was too high, or the bullet failed. Elk bones are tough. Always like it when they tip over.
Best performance on Elk was moms .257 bob. She didn't kill too many but every one was shot between the ear and the eye.

I think it all clicked for me after maybe my 4th or 5th year guiding elk hunts full time, somewhere around the 50+ mark, just counting the bulls. What I learned is what we've been taught since we were kids, shot placement is everything for bug game hunting. A .243 through the ribs beats a .338 in the ham every time.

dok7mm said:

I've had 3 tags and killed 3 bulls. One was 50 yards with 140 gr. in a 280, staggered and fell, clipped heart. Came in behind me, while glassing some others out front, we were both surprised.

#2 was 420 yards with 140 AB in 6.5-284. Reared up and fell over backwards, heart & lower lungs.

#3 was 440 yds with 168 Berger in 7RM. First shot right in the crease, he was wobbly but started down the mountain, so he got a second. All were DIY hunts on public.

Been in on 10, or so, other kills. The good placements, in crease, dropped them all pretty close. The shoulder and gut shots often led to long chases and a couple of lost animals. I'm more into muledeer, than elk, they're easier to pack out.

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Big mule deer are my dream animal. 3 tags 3 bulls, good work.

I've killed 21 elk by myself 14 bulls seven cows no idea how many I've been apart of four archery bulls the rest rifle all my rifle bulls either taken with a 7mm rem Mag or 300 win I've killed mature cows with a 223rem up to 300 win Mag . I agree with above shot placement is everything all the bulls I killed with a bow died within 30yards of being shot that being said I've never shot at a bull over fourty yards with a bow. I've watched my old man make a lousy shot on a cow with a 338 win Mag and not recover it. That being said a larger caliber does allow for a larger margin for error but is not a solution for a poor shot or lack of preparation and practice!

It's probably over 100 with friends and family but I will vote 50-100. Only 3 this year so far but 5 the year before and 8 the year before that. Been hunting elk since '90 and have only had 3 years that I haven't killed a elk with a bunch of 2 and 3 elk years in there for me personally. I wish I would of kept track how many I've actually killed. I use to keep the ivory's but got tired of cutting them all out. My hunting buddy, myself and my dad all have cow tags starting Jan 1st to add to the tally.

If we are talking calibers it's hard to beat a 375 or 416 for dumping elk. I shot 5 with a 358STA, 6 with a 375-358STA, and 4 with my 416 Rem. Everyone but one of the 375 and 416 elk collapsed at the shot. It was before laser rangefinders and I thought he was 500yds. He was closer to 650yds and I hit him in the ankle. Still got him though. Shot a mess of cows with a muzzleloader too. Plus have killed elk with a 6.5x47L, 6.5-300wm, 7-300wm, 7STW, 30-338wm, 300wsm, 300wm, 30-8mm, 308 Baer, and 338 Baer in addition to the ones mentioned above. Watched a mess of them get killed with quite a few calibers besides the ones I've used too. I personally prefer .30 or bigger on elk. It just seems like once you get to .30 magnums and up the on elk performance increase substantially.