Annual elk rifle thread

[Dinkshooter]

Tikka T3X lite in ............

7mm Remington Magnum, the most powerful rifle cartridge known to mankind.

 

[HuntTalk Freak]

I bought a Christensen Mesa in 7mag specifically for western hunting almost two years ago and so far I’ve completely missed a buck with it and lost an elk. Every time I take it into the field something bad/weird happens.

It shoots pretty good though but so does my cheap Ruger American.

 

[Huntmt28]

Switched to 28 Nosler a couple seasons ago and have been very pleased with performance of both the cartridge and rifle. Browning X-bolt Hells Canyon LR

 

[JLS]

Every time I take it into the field something bad/weird happens.

Time for new paint.

 

[HuntTalk Freak]

Time for new paint.

I’m giving it a chance the rest of the year. If I still think it’s bad mojo afterwards, I’m selling it.

I sold the rifle I lost a whitetail with. I may be a bit superstitious though the reality is a loss in confidence often results in a loss of skill.

 

[BackofBeyond]

I’m giving it a chance the rest of the year. If I still think it’s bad mojo afterwards, I’m selling it.

I sold the rifle I lost a whitetail with. I may be a bit superstitious though the reality is a loss in confidence often results in a loss of skill.

Bad mojo is real. If you don’t get a rifle bloody the first season you have it, might as well sell it. It’s got too much bad juju.

 

[Jbotto]

Bad mojo is real. If you don’t get a rifle bloody the first season you have it, might as well sell it. It’s got too much bad juju.

Yep. If I believed in such things, I’d think my aforementioned rifle and I are a cursed unit together. I’ve owned it for ten years. Just two weeks ago I tagged the second and third animals with it. It took me six years to connect with the first. I shoot it well from a bench, but fall to pieces outside the bench. I think it has lots to do with the trigger. If I was a smarter man, I’d change out the trigger and put a real stock on it. I’m just not sure it’s one I’ll keep.

 

[slatebuilder]

Someone mentioned functional, 120 Hammer Hunter out of a 280 Remington in Beretta Mato. 2-10 VX5 on top.

 

[FishN4Eyes]

I'm using a Proof Research Glacier TI in 300 Win Mag shooting Federal Terminal Ascent 180 grain bullets.

For factory ammo, I am super impressed with it, shoots damn good.

Some nice rifles, Gents.

 

[elkduds]

This year for my first elk season, a late cow tag, I’m bringing along my Stevens (Savage) 200, .30-06. I’m shooting 150gr eTip handloads. Monkeyed around with this bullet lots and still haven’t found a load this gun truly likes. 1.5” groups is about as tight as it goes. Maybe someday I’ll buy something nice.

Odd, my Stevens 200 in 270 win shoots every bullet weight sub MOA off truck tailgate. The Timney trigger helps, cause I'm an average shooter @ best. Otherwise, the 200 is stock, tupperware and all. @Jbotto, are your optics and mounting doing their job?

 

[44hunter45]

270 win in a post 63 model 70 Winchester. New Bell and Carlson stock this year. Shooting 130gr TSX.
View attachment 252128

Wait. Not a 9.3x62?

 

[44hunter45]

Ruger tang safety M77 in .30-'06 10 Elk
Ruger MKii in .264 WM - 4 elk. (Needs a new barrel, but still shoots better than I do. )
Winchester M70 Classic Stainless in 7mm RM 1 elk. (This will be a .358 Norma next year. )
Still trying to notch the stock on my .54 T/C Hawken.

I look at this and think about the years I didn't kill in 30+ years of elk hunting.

 

[Jbotto]

Odd, my Stevens 200 in 270 win shoots every bullet weight sub MOA off truck tailgate. The Timney trigger helps, cause I'm an average shooter @ best. Otherwise, the 200 is stock, tupperware and all. @Jbotto, are your optics and mounting doing their job?

Yep, mounts and rings are rock solid. I can go back to an old standby load with the 165gr GameKing and bring the groups back to 3/4” instantly. It’s not the shooter and optics/mounts are good. It’s just a bullet this rifle doesn’t like. Ive shot three deer with this combo this year and it has performed well I just wish it were more accurate.

 

[jbseamus83]

The last 2 elk I shot with my Savage 7mm-08 with 139 gr Hornady GMX bullets. I still have a late season cow tag in my pocket that has had to take wait to be filled this year. My son and I were up in WY on a deer hunt and hit a moo cow one night and did $11k in damages. I'm supposed to get the truck from the body shop this Friday. When I am able to make it out, I will be hunting with a Savage 110 in 7mm mag. I will be shooting 140 gr Sierra GameKings in front of IMR 4350 powder.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

Wait. Not a 9.3x62?

Nah, been rolling with the 270 for cows lately. No particular reason though, other than 9.3 ammo is sparse and expensive.

 

[noharleyyet]

Nah, been rolling with the 270 for cows lately. No particular reason though, other than 9.3 ammo is sparse and expensive.

First the freak outbreak now this?

 

[6mm Remington]

I used my Ruger 1B in 6mm Remington (100 gr. Nosler Partition) with a 6x42mm fixed power Leupold on my mule deer buck so I just continued carrying it for elk. Never had an opportunity this year for a legal bull.

My other two elk rifles are a Ruger 1B in 30-06 using either 165 gr. Accubonds or Paritions. It has a fixed 4x Leupold scope on it. The last one is a Winchester Model 70 Classic Sporter that wears a 4.5-14x40mm Leupold VX3 scope. I bought it as a donor rifle and had my gunsmith make it mine. It has a Shilen match grade 1-9 twist barrel chambered for 280AI, The stock was pillar and glass bedded, the trigger was made perfect at 2.5 pounds, and it was coated in Norrell Arms Moly Resin. I shoot either a 140 gr. Accubond or Partition in it. First year and first animal I killed with my sweetheart was one shot at 450 yards with a 140 gr. Partition. The cow staggered 20 yards and tipped over.

 

[shannerdrake]

Remington 700 chambered in .300 Ultra Magnum. Started hunting with it in 2000. I've killed 17 bulls with it. Most with a 200 grain Accubond at 3200 fps. Pretty nasty elk killer. It's headed for the Smith. New Lilja 9 twist, Gre-Tan firing pin and shroud to get rid of the j-lock and a bedding job. New Leupold Backcountry rings. mtmuley

I’ve read a lot of posts about this RUM and would love to see a pic. Are there any floating around on here?

 

[mtmuley]

I’ve read a lot of posts about this RUM and would love to see a pic. Are there any floating around on here?

Just a regular old elk rifle. Don't know if I ever posted a pic. mtmuley

 

[MLaird]

My do-everything gun this year was a semi-custom 6.5-284, leupold vx5 3-15, Lane suppressor, shooting a 124 Hammer Hunter at 3070fps. My wife and I both shot antelope with it and my 11 yr old son shot his first deer with it. Unfortunately, I only had one day to get out after elk and didn’t find one.