What is the max range of my elk hunting load?

[hmbleservant]

View the circumstantial data in the image and vote:
Based on your personal opinion...What do you consider the max range to take a mature Colorado bull elk, perfectly broadside, chest shot? Pretend that you have 1 moa accuracy and your aiming for a double lung shot.

Load: Berger Hunting VLD

 

[WildRose]

View the circumstantial data in the image and vote:
Based on your personal opinion...What do you consider the max range to take a mature Colorado bull elk, perfectly broadside, chest shot? Pretend that you have 1 moa accuracy and your aiming for a double lung shot.

Load: Berger Hunting VLD

Personally I'm going for the spine and shoulderblades. That way if I'm low I right on target for both lungs or heart.

I'd put a tentative limit of 1000yds.

That limit would likely be extended though if it were the right bull (Once in a lifetime OMG Bull) under the right circumstances.

Of course the smallest thing I'd be shooting at him would be my 7mm STWgun)



.257 IS a little undergunned at that range for an elk.

 

[hmbleservant]

Wildrose,

No vote?

I know 25-06 isn't the ideal cartridge for the task, but it's what I have and I'm trying to get some advise on the ethical range limit for the rifle.

Some say 1800 fps+ and 1000ft/lbs+ as a limit for the big game, but I wanted to here everyone's personal votes based on understanding/experience.

Thanks for the post!

Nice choice for long range BTW! I like the 7mm WSM from some research, but yours will push'em a couple hundred fps faster.

 

[WildRose]

Wildrose,

No vote?

I know 25-06 isn't the ideal cartridge for the task, but it's what I have and I'm trying to get some advise on the ethical range limit for the rifle.

Some say 1800 fps+ and 1000ft/lbs+ as a limit for the big game, but I wanted to here everyone's personal votes based on understanding/experience.

Thanks for the post!

Nice choice for long range BTW! I like the 7mm WSM from some research, but yours will push'em a couple hundred fps faster.

We discuss lots of things here but the "ethics" of long range hunting is one subject that is verbotten as I understand it.

Personally I feel every sportsman has a duty to do their best in every circumstance to give the game we take a clean kill every time whenever possible.

7mm STW and 7 RUM are the way to go with the 7's for long range. The WSM is a little light once you get beyond 600-800.

For most of the experienced long range guys we don't think of "long range" really until you get beyond 1000yds.

Out to six it's just a matter of marksmanship and knowing your drops.

 

[budlight]

You want to impart energy into the game. The shock wave is like a knock out punch. A bow and arrow is a bleed out where the the animal runs off as far it can. Or like a sickening hunt I was on the arrow shooter actually severed the spine in front of the rear legs and then you have a poor wounded animal running on the front legs and dragging its rear with all horrid death sounds or crying. You just want to blast it to end the misery, but you can't because it's bow season.


Your far column kind of says it all. 591 pounds. Well a big elk might be 800 and smaller bull might be 600+

So you better shoot it about within 20 feet. My opinion 2000 foot pounds is very safe with a placed bullet. At 1000 pounds you are like using a bow and arrow.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

Zero yards. You need to buy an elk rifle.

 

[kcebcj]

Zero yards. You need to buy an elk rifle.

I agree !! Mature bulls are big and tough. You gotta wack-em!

 

[HARPERC]

The words that jump out of your post when I read it, pretend, and not ideal. It sounds like the reality is-it's what you've got, and you're going with it. If what I had was a 25-06, and an opportunity to hunt elk, I'd hope for ranges between 100-400 yards, closer and the angles tend to be less than ideal, game tends towards sensing your presence and moving, farther bullet expansion can begin to taper, wound channels become smaller, and all the variables that effect precise shot placement really start piling up.
My personal opinion is that's where "ideal" would be.
I'd also pretend me up some tracking snow, and a mule for packing at that 10,000 ft elevation you've got dialed in.
I am curious about a couple of things, where your table with weights came from (as pointed out by others bull elk exceed that weight fairly often), and what experience you have had with a 25-06? Is your hesitation experience based?

 

[bigngreen]

I would likely shoot that combo to around 800yrds very carefully, do not shoot it in the shoulder or spine and just tuck it behind the shoulder and let it do it's work. Lot of variable just manage them! By the way I've scaled close to 2000 elk on certified scales that came from the greater Yellowstone area and only one would have hit 700lbs soaking wet. The average elk scales at 250lbs add around 175ish for all the goodies, mature bulls will have a hard time breaking 380lbs on the rail.

 

[danj]

+1 LRH You need a bigger gun for elk.

 

[royinidaho]

Zero yards. You need to buy an elk rifle.

Ditto!!! I wouldn't even carry a 25 cal into the woods, though BB would argue the hell out of this comment.

 

[WildRose]

I would likely shoot that combo to around 800yrds very carefully, do not shoot it in the shoulder or spine and just tuck it behind the shoulder and let it do it's work. Lot of variable just manage them! By the way I've scaled close to 2000 elk on certified scales that came from the greater Yellowstone area and only one would have hit 700lbs soaking wet. The average elk scales at 250lbs add around 175ish for all the goodies, mature bulls will have a hard time breaking 380lbs on the rail.

Are you talking cut out weight or field dressed? I've seen Mulies that FD much more than 250. Northern White Tails can reach 455lbs or more live wt.

 

[WildRose]

Zero yards. You need to buy an elk rifle.

I was trying to be much kinder than that but feel the same.

I really don't think I'd even consider anything smaller than 7mag or 30-06 for elk if I were making an out of state trip.

If I were using the 25-06 I doubt I'd consider a shot at all unless I was sure I could make a good neck shot.

It's really going to take a golden BB type hit with that beyond 300yds.

 

[pyroducksx3]

I agree with the others about getting a bigger gun, the figures show good energy out to about 500 but I noticed you had altitude/elevation at 10,000. If this is a realistic elevation for you then I guess it works but if you hunt lower put the numbers in there, at sea level you lose a few hundred foot pounds which drops you range considerably.