Experienced Elk Killers Pick Your #1 Elk Cartridge

***ERROR- Switch "25-06" and "6.5X284" places, this is a mistake I can't edit - Sorry!***

This is for people that have successfully harvested an elk
(Another poll will be created for those that haven't yet.)

Pretend you get chosen to go on a once in a lifetime Montana elk hunt in a district with all types of terrain, thick lodgepole to wide open plains. Choose the cartridge you take. (if your ideal cartridge isn't listed, pick the closest one to it).

Feel free to explain.

7mm mag since it is closest to the 7mm RUM that I have carried for almost every elk I have killed. I have 15 elk and 12 have been with a 7RUM. 1 was a 7stw and 2 were 300WM. The next one(s) will be with my new 28 nosler. I like the 7mms but mostly stuck with them becuaee of the negative nellys I hunted with in colorado who always said 7mms cant kill elk well. I had to keep showing them they were wrong! Haha!

300 rum since the 338 rum isn't listed but if it was I would pick the 338 over the 300 .. although ive killed a piles and piles of bulls with both I just have an infatuation of how the big 338 ultra hammers from all distances. if I had to have just one rifle it would be the 338 rum!

GERDES G said:

7mm mag since it is closest to the 7mm RUM that I have carried for almost every elk I have killed. I have 15 elk and 12 have been with a 7RUM. 1 was a 7stw and 2 were 300WM. The next one(s) will be with my new 28 nosler. I like the 7mms but mostly stuck with them becuaee of the negative nellys I hunted with in colorado who always said 7mms cant kill elk well. I had to keep showing them they were wrong! Haha!

Click to expand...

I've heard people trash 7mm's, never understood it.

I would take a 7mm rem or 300 win being confident and accurate is more important than caliber with Any elk hunt.

Elk Hunter 338 said:

300 rum since the 338 rum isn't listed but if it was I would pick the 338 over the 300 .. although ive killed a piles and piles of bulls with both I just have an infatuation of how the big 338 ultra hammers from all distances. if I had to have just one rifle it would be the 338 rum!

Click to expand...

You should probably select the ".340 Wby - 338 Lapua" option since your .338RUM is basically identical to the Lapua. You can switch your vote

338's for my pick . Just finishing two more ! A 338 Rum and a 338 Edge in the carbon Barrels !

Rum Man

I have been lucky enough to take a few elk over the years and anything with .308 mag in its name is my pick. I do have to admit with the bullets that are available in today's market a lot of calipers will make excellent choices

Golovkin said:

I've heard people trash 7mm's, never understood it.

Click to expand...

I personally love 7mms and magnum 6.5s for elk.
I think people get way to caught up in caliber when we should be talking about the proper bullets.
I shot my last three bulls with a 6.5 saum.
Inside of 300 yards I use a 140 partition, shot a bull right through the center of the shoulder at 200 yards with that bullet and it shattered the heavy leg bone and penetrated through the off side shoulder.
If you're hunting everything from timber to prairie a 180 from a 7mm is tough to beat, keep a 175 Barnes tsx in the chamber for the thick stuff.

First post..
I live in Montana and in decent elk country. If i had to pick one: my long throated 280 Remington. If it's a Factory Chamber, it's 7RM all day long. Of course on Long hikes I have a skinny barrel 7mm08.. That being said, I've shot more elk with a 308 than any other cartridge. Practice + bullet choice is most important.

Sledhead406 said:

First post..
I live in Montana and in decent elk country. If i had to pick one: my long throated 280 Remington. If it's a Factory Chamber, it's 7RM all day long. Of course on Long hikes I have a skinny barrel 7mm08.. That being said, I've shot more elk with a 308 than any other cartridge. Practice + bullet choice is most important.

Click to expand...

Good first post, and welcome!

Thank you. Long time reader, have learned a bunch here over the years. Figured I'd finally contribute something.

Most guys that i take hunting shoot way too big of cartridge with way too little trigger time.

28 Nosler for me, so I will cast my vote to 7mm mag.

I voted for my wife....she loves her .338 WM. You got my answer, previously! memtb