New Member, First Elk hunt. School Me !!

[Elky Welky]

I just have a general elk tag. I did not really look into cow. in GMU 335 is the tag not also good for a cow elk?? I will be hunting near Clancy, MT.

Also my other choice for a gun is 257 weatherby magnum loaded with 100 grain TTSX bullets. I figure that is too light. Its a hammer on deer.

I am bringing an older 30.06 as a backup gun. It shoots 165 grain hornady interlocks. It hasn't been out of the safe in 10 years. I am gonna shoot it a few times before I go.

Here in Missouri, I have been shooting the 6.5 grendel for deer. It drops them cold. I do own a creedmore but we wont talk about that!!

That .257 would kill an elk with a well-placed shot, but what you are using will be just fine. I wouldn't get hung up on the gun, though. You've got a couple months to get your lungs and legs in shape if they aren't already, and those two things will help you close way more distance than your gun/ammo selection!

I haven't checked the regs for 335, so will defer to others here.

 

[brymoore]

I just have a general elk tag. I did not really look into cow. In GMU 335 is the tag not also good for a cow elk?? Several people told me to take a cow esp on the last day. I will be hunting near Clancy, MT.

Also my other choice for a gun is 257 weatherby magnum loaded with 100 grain TTSX bullets. I figure that is too light. Its a hammer on deer.

I am bringing an older 30.06 as a backup gun. It shoots 165 grain hornady interlocks. It hasn't been out of the safe in 10 years. I am gonna shoot it a few times before I go.

Here in Missouri, I have been shooting the 6.5 grendel for deer. It drops them cold. I do own a creedmore but we wont talk about that!!

I and my family have killed elk using a 257 Roberts and 110 gr Accubonds.

However, unless there are issues with the 30-06, I’d use it.

 

[Braveheart]

I figured 200 grain eld-x would work from a 300 win mag, but you guys think the eld-x will fragment on an elk???

 

[Elky Welky]

I figured 200 grain eld-x would work from a 300 win mag, but you guys think the eld-x will fragment on an elk???

That's going to smack them down dead no problem. I use a 300 WM and shoot 180 grain trophy coppers. My dad uses a 308 and shoots whatever is cheap. I've seen them taken with a 30-30 at 200 yards. I also use a bow shooting 125 grain steel broadheads at 300 fps. Placement, being in shape, knowing how to stalk and play the wind, and getting in close for a good shot are going to matter more.

 

[jpcoll01]

I figured 200 grain eld-x would work from a 300 win mag, but you guys think the eld-x will fragment on an elk???

ELD-X will flat kill an elk. You may not get a pass through (likely won’t) but it will do massive internal damage. Stick with what you shoot a lot and are comfortable with.

 

[huntnpack]

ELD-X will flat kill an elk. You may not get a pass through (likely won’t) but it will do massive internal damage. Stick with what you shoot a lot and are comfortable with.

Its an interlock bullet with a fancy tip and ogive. Use it accordingly (I'd be comfortable with 200 gr) @Braveheart

 

[NDhunter43]

Eldx will do fine. I shoot 180gr Sierra game kings out of my tikka 300 win mag and they work great. Put a 300wm through the boiler room and they are not going anywhere. My advice would be to start hiking with your pack on now. And I. A few weeks add some weight to the pack and keep hiking. Decent glass and being able to move to a more advantageous position. To avoid sent are more important

 

[Elky Welky]

I'll get off my high horse after this one, but focusing just on the bullet, to me, misses the mark for what elk hunting is.

The only elk I haven't recovered I shot with a 200 grain bullet moving at 3400 FPS out of a 300 RUM at 100 yards. Pencil-holed the lungs so fast there was no blood trail, and it ran a long ways from Montana into Idaho. Didn't find it until the crows led me to it the next day, and the coyotes had done their work already.

Anything from 80 grains to 250+ grains moving at the right speed in the right spot is going to kill an elk. You have 7 days. Covering ground, learning the animal, the terrain, etc, is going to serve you better. Getting in shape costs far less and helps more in the long run. Be a hunter, not just a shooter.

It's fun to get caught up in the shooting aspect of what we do, but elk hunting requires more than just wondering if 175 or 180 grains is going to make a lick of difference.

It won't if you can't hunt.

 

[4ohSick]

I just have a general elk tag. I did not really look into cow. In GMU 335 is the tag not also good for a cow elk?? Several people told me to take a cow esp on the last day. I will be hunting near Clancy, MT.

Also my other choice for a gun is 257 weatherby magnum loaded with 100 grain TTSX bullets. I figure that is too light. Its a hammer on deer.

I am bringing an older 30.06 as a backup gun. It shoots 165 grain hornady interlocks. It hasn't been out of the safe in 10 years. I am gonna shoot it a few times before I go.

Here in Missouri, I have been shooting the 6.5 grendel for deer. It drops them cold. I do own a creedmore but we wont talk about that!

Being familiar with MT hunting regulations is definitely more important than bullet selection, but you have plenty of time to brush up before you get here. That unit is part of the 394-00 antlerless tag which you had to apply for - with 0 points, draw odds were ~15% this season so you probably didn’t miss out by not applying. General tag is good for browtine bull or antlerless elk during archery, only good for browtine bull during rifle and muzzy seasons. Spikes are off limits.

 

[rogerthat]

One thing that hasn’t been said or maybe I missed it but if the private has elk using it I would treat that like a sanctuary area and hunt it very carefully as to not blow the elk off. They can go a long ways and easily may not come back during the week you have but if done right you could be in elk every day waiting for the right opportunity to drop the hammer per se.

Also I would be looking at access points to the national forest and come up with the optimal access routes that allow you to maximize the advantage you have with your private access. I’m sure you know but public land hunting is really competitive and can be a bit of a zoo so that private land might be your ace in the hole. Be prepared to treat it as such. It may not be too so be prepared with additional game plans on the public lands as well. Good luck

 

[Hunter4Life78]

Welcome to the Forum!!!

Most importantly have fun bring your camera take pics!!!

 

[Salmonchaser]

Very likely the rancher will caution you not to hunt it but to sit and wait, don't blow them off the property. Listen to him. 900 acres is not much when it comes to running elk off. As has been stated treat it like a sanctuary, may not be as cool as sitting on a ridge top but hay bales make a great blind. Elk often rotate around on a property. That is they use a different area day to day be patient.

 

[Braveheart]

Thanks for all the great comments and advice. I have been corresponding back and forth with land owner. He seems like a straight shooter and will update me on what he has been seeing when I get there in 83 days.

He has been sending me several bear pics of a huge black bear that is on his place a lot lately. He also sent me pics of a grizzly that was on his place this week.

I did buy a hoochie momma. Apparently there is a slight learning curve. I am not sure what to think of elk calling as it is a foreign to me as duck calling!!!

 

[Braveheart]

Here are the bear pics

 

[beaston]

Goodluck to you!