Annual elk rifle thread

[Arkansas Dave]

Being that seasons are winding down I figured I start a thread asking about everyone’s elk rifle as I enjoy reading what everyone is using and why they chose it. So what was your elk rifle this year and why did you chose that particular rifle and cartridge and what bullet are you using? How many elk have you shot with that combo? Mine was a 6.5 prc shooting 140 grain Berger vlds but it changes year to year for me

Ruger No. 1, in 7mm Rem Mag. With 160 accubonds topped with Leupold 3x9x40 vari-x 2. Looked for this gun for years. Finally got it.

 

[Knight.54]

M77 Mark II All-Weather .338 Win Mag.
Leupold 4-16 X40mm
Nosier Custom Ammunition 225 Partition

 

[noharleyyet]

Ruger No. 1, in 7mm Rem Mag. With 160 accubonds topped with Leupold 3x9x40 vari-x 2. Looked for this gun for years. Finally got it.

Picture?

 

[Arkansas Dave]

Picture?

Picture?

I will send it when I get back home this evening.

 

[2rocky]

From 1991 until 2019 my Ruger M77 wore a Redfield 2-7 Wideview Lo Pro scope and fired .300 Win Mag Cartridges with 180 grain Nosler Partitions.
7/10 bull elk I've gotten fell to that combo. 2 were Archery and this year's bull was a borrowed 30 Nosler CA Ridgeline shooting 200 grain Accubonds.


I won't give up my 300. I've carried it enough that it feels like a shotgun coming up to my shoulder. Now I've got a scope you can dial 15 MOA on it. That will let me hold dead on out to 750 yards on the range. It works, and it will keep working...

 

[Arkansas Dave]

Picture?

 

[noharleyyet]

Best looking rifle made...thanks for the pic

 

[noharleyyet]

@Arkansas Dave

Here's a 7 Rem Mag I carried on an elk hunt 10 plus years ago but I think Walnut and blue looks better. While I was carrying this one I didn't know they were heavy.

https://flic.kr/p/2o5EUeX

 

[Arkansas Dave]

@Arkansas Dave

Here's a 7 Rem Mag I carried on an elk hunt 10 plus years ago but I think Walnut and blue looks better. While I was carrying this one I didn't know they were heavy.

https://flic.kr/p/2o5EUeX

That's a beautiful rifle. Yeah you don't realize they are heavy until later. Lol

 

[Talk2elk]

After three decades of carrying my Winchester Model 70 stainless 300win mag, I am now and probably for the rest of my hunting days I am hunting with a new Tikka T3 Roughneck in 308 Win shooting 165 accubonds. This will be my do everything rifle and it 3.5lbs lighter than my 300.

 

[Mklamme]

Being that seasons are winding down I figured I start a thread asking about everyone’s elk rifle as I enjoy reading what everyone is using and why they chose it. So what was your elk rifle this year and why did you chose that particular rifle and cartridge and what bullet are you using? How many elk have you shot with that combo? Mine was a 6.5 prc shooting 140 grain Berger vlds but it changes year to year for me

I used my 7MM Weatherby Mark V Magnum, 160 grain Nosler Partitions. 285 yards, 1 shot, dropped in tracks. The same rifle and load I used on my Nilgai hunt. Same results. It's a tack driver..

 

[Firehawk54]

My Kimber Montana in .325WSM shooting Nosler Accubonds loaded over RS Big Game is what I typically carry. Didn't get to in 2022 though.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

Sako 85 Finnlight with set trigger in 6.5 killmore. Have harvested 2 cows and a bull with it.

Haven’t rifle hunted elk this year. Did take a pronghorn and mulie buck (possibly the last 4 point in my county) with it though. Ironically this photo was taken in fall of 2020 and is within a couple hundred yards of where I shot my mulie this year.

 

[tommylittle]

Browning BLR
300wsm
Handload 165gr Swift Scirroco

 

[handwerk]

Most of my elk have fallen to my customized pre 64 M70 300 H&H

 

[p_ham]

@Arkansas Dave

Here's a 7 Rem Mag I carried on an elk hunt 10 plus years ago but I think Walnut and blue looks better. While I was carrying this one I didn't know they were heavy.

https://flic.kr/p/2o5EUeX

Walnut and stainless looks good too!

 

[Don Fischer]

I still have my 06 also. Killed my first elk at 12 years old with that rifle and probably the next 20 or so before I started needing more gun. Not sure why, but it sure has been fun.

For the most part I don't think someone with a 243 needs more gun. What is needed is to know how to use what you have! That's the catch. Lot of people believing bigger is better actually go out and get more cartridge than they need. Most seem to feel that a bigger cartridge will make up for their short coming. Knew a guy in the service said the 7mm Mag was no good for elk. he'd shoot at them and they would run off on him. So he sold it and get a 458 Win Mag and couldn't shoot it either. Met another guy up there swear's the 7mm Mag was worthless. Told me about an elk that took a shot right in the lung and claims he followed it 20 miles and lost it. I think we know what really happened and that wasn't it! There should be an obligation to learn to use what you have but it doesn't seem to exist!

You say you killed your first elk at 12 yrs old and then went the next 20 or so years before you needed more gun. may I ask what makes you think you needed more gun after 20 yrs? Getting more gun won't make you a better shooter! I think that after 20 yrs you simply wanted something else.

 

[Misguided]

For the last 3 years used this Christensen Ridgeline in 300 prc, Leupold 5hd 3-15 cerakote to match receiver shooting Barnes 200 lrx. Ultimate rifle sling from Specialty Outdoor Products. 3 bulls.

 

[Salmonchaser]

For the most part I don't think someone with a 243 needs more gun. What is needed is to know how to use what you have! That's the catch. Lot of people believing bigger is better actually go out and get more cartridge than they need. Most seem to feel that a bigger cartridge will make up for their short coming. Knew a guy in the service said the 7mm Mag was no good for elk. he'd shoot at them and they would run off on him. So he sold it and get a 458 Win Mag and couldn't shoot it either. Met another guy up there swear's the 7mm Mag was worthless. Told me about an elk that took a shot right in the lung and claims he followed it 20 miles and lost it. I think we know what really happened and that wasn't it! There should be an obligation to learn to use what you have but it doesn't seem to exist!

You say you killed your first elk at 12 yrs old and then went the next 20 or so years before you needed more gun. may I ask what makes you think you needed more gun after 20 yrs? Getting more gun won't make you a better shooter! I think that after 20 yrs you simply wanted something else.

Yep.

 

[noharleyyet]

Walnut and stainless looks good too!

I see what you did there.