Rifle Elk Caliber and Bullet Choice for 2023

[hank4elk]

1974 Rem 700 30-06 AB 165
NM - 19 elk.
CA - 1 elk.

Or I could go old school...1965 Win. 30-30
MT - 2 elk.

 

[BackofBeyond]

1974 Rem 700 30-06 AB 165
NM - 19 elk.
CA - 1 elk.

Or I could go old school...1965 Win. 30-30
MT - 2 elk.

If my vote counts for anything, I vote old school.

 

[AckleyHunter]

Four pages of thread and where’s that guy? No specific person, but that guy who always shows up on threads like this with “243, 30-30… been dropping elk for me since 1978.”

Somebody said they were thinking about using a creedmoor.

 

[SilverDollars]

Home state MB, Savage 110 270 Win, Sierra Gamechanger 140. What gun do you have in 35 Whelen?

Howdy. I used a basic and older Savage 110 30-06 receiver. Put in a new Timney trigger(set @ 1.5 lbs), 35 Whelen barrel, syn stock, floated the barrel. Shoots approx 0.6 MOA. Love it!!!!! More folks should do this very thing. So smooth and easy to do.

Out of town yesterday, but this is what I have so far. Note: When listing multiple rifles, bullets, and states, I made a choice from your answers like would be necessary before entering the field to hunt. The choice I made was usually what you listed first or seemed most important to you.

Volume, Caliber, Bullet State

1 => 35 Whelen w/ 225 gr Nosler AB - handload - CO 1st
1 => 375 H&H w/ 250 gr TTSX - WY
1 => 300 RUM na - na
1 => 7mm RemMag w/ 160 gr Nosler AB - na
1 => 300 WinMag w/ 166 gr Hammer Hunters - na
1 => 6.5 PRC w/ 156 gr Bergers - CO 1st
1 => 30-06 w/ 200 gr Partitions - na
1 => 338 WinMag w/ 225 gr TTSX - handload - na
1 => 6.5 Creed w/ 130 gr TMK(156 Berger) - CO 3rd
1 => 30-06 w/ 166 gr Hammer Hunter - na
1 => 280 AI w/ 150 gr Barnes TTSX - MT
1 => 30-06 na - na
1 => 50 Cal Encore w/ 250 gr Barnes TEZ - na
1 => 300 PRC w/ 199 gr HH - na
1 => 30-06 w/ 165 gr Nosler AB - WY
1 => 30-06 w/ 180 gr Copper - na
1 => 6 Dasher w/ 109 gr ELD - na
1 => 300 H&H w/ 180 gr Partitions - OR
1 => 30 Nosler w/ 210 gr Barnes LRX - na
1 => 7mm RemMag w/ 150 gr CX - CO 1st
1 => 300 WinMag w/ 165 gr Partitions - na
1 => 7mm RemMag w/ 160 gr Nosler AB - WA
1 => 308 Win w/ 150 gr Barnes TSX - ID
1 => 338 Federal w/ 160 gr Barnes TTSX - WY
1 => 7 SAUM w/ 175 gr Nosler AB LR - na
1 => 7mm RemMag w/ 140 gr Sierra Gamekings - na
1 => 7mm-08 w/ 139 gr Hornady GMX - WY
1 => 6.5 Creed w/ 139 gr Scenar - na
1 => 6.5 PRC w/ 156 gr Berger - MT
1 => 338-06 w/ 210 gr Barnes TTSX - WY
1 => 300 WSM w/ 175 gr Barnes LRX - MT
1 => 300 PRC w/ 212 gr ELD-X - na
1 => 270 Win w/ 126 Hammer Hunters - na
1 => 338-06 w/ 210 gr Barnes TTSX - na
1 => 300 WinMag w/ 220 gr ELD-X - CO 3rd
1 => 300 WinMag w/ 175 gr Barnes LRX - na
1 => 300 WinMag w/ 180 gr Nosler AB - WY
1 => 7 Mashburn w/ 180 gr Scenar L - NM
1 => 7mm RemMag w/ 140 gr Nosler AB - CO 2nd
1 => 340 Weatherby w/ 225 gr Barnes TTSX - NM
1 => 270 Win w/ 130 gr Barnes TSX - WY
1 => 7mm Dakota w/ 180 gr Berger - na
1 => 6.5 Creed w/ 123 gr Hammers - na
1 => 270 Win w/ 150 gr Partition - CO TBD
1 => 7 SAUM w/ 180 gr Berger Hybrid - WY
1 => 280 AI w/ 160 gr Nosler AB - WY
1 => 270 Weatherby w/ 130 gr Barnes TTSX - na
1 => 308 Win w/ 168 gr Sierra TGK - na
1 => 7mm RemMag w/ 175 gr CoreLokt - NV
1 => 270 Win w/ 140 gr Nosler AB - na
1 => 7mm RemMag w/ 160 gr Partitions - na
1 => 270 Win w/ 140 gr Sierra GameChanger - MT
1 => 7mm RemMag w/ 168 gr VLD - na
1 => 300 WinMag w/ 180 gr Win Power Points - na
1 => 300 WinMag w/ 185 gr Berger Juggs - na
1 => 6.5 Creed w/ 130 gr TMK - na
1 => 30-06 w/ 165 gr Nosler AB - NM


I'll organize and group these once I reach some yet to be determined deadline to enter your data.
______

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

Somebody said they were thinking about using a creedmoor.

And I don’t hold that against them either. That’s just the way they are and who am I to judge another? I’m sure I’ve used the same public bathrooms as Creedmoors and don’t matter none to me.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

—

 

[woods89]

And I don’t hold that against them either. That’s just the way they are and who am I to judge another? I’m sure I’ve used the same public bathrooms as Creedmoors and don’t matter none to me.

We lurk among you undetected........

 

[Wind Gypsy]

WY

Choice 1: Black Eagle rampage 300 spine w/ 50 gr HIT insert, IW 25 gr collar, and 100 gr QAD exodus broadhead
Choice 2a: 300 WM seekins havak w/ bartlein 9 twist. 215 bergers (If not hunting in thick shit)
Choice 2b: 300 WSM browning xbolt. 200 eldx (If hunting in thick shit)

 

[AckleyHunter]

We lurk among you undetected........

Oh, we know

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

Somebody said they were thinking about using an Ackley.

I have only killed a few elk with a .260 Ackley, but hammered a holstein steer. DRT. I was able to sneak in really close. Some might say bait was involved.

260 Ackley, I like the refinement of saying it like that. It’s like saying West Coastline of Florida instead of Tampa.

 

[rtraverdavis]

Mrs. Krinklesworth loves her Creedmoor.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

Oh, we knowView attachment 281672

And 270 is a cute chick with small yitties. 338 anything (with exception of 338 Fed) is a brickhouse in heels.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

But woah, in defense of the 6.5, we should acknowledge the 6.5-300.

 

[BAKPAKR]

View attachment 281508
Hope this one shoots. mtmuley

Is that the 30 cal 203 HHT?

 

[mtmuley]

Is that the 30 cal 203 HHT?

Sent you a pm. mtmuley

 

[ballplyr6]

Whats wrong q

Somebody said they were thinking

Somebody said they were thinking about using a creedmoor.

What's wrong with the Creedmoor. My 9yr old now 10 harvested a elk last year at 526 with his youth rifle on a youth encouragement tag in New mexico. My now 19yr old killed 7 cows and 1.bull with a 243 and none went more than 10 yards

 

[ballplyr6]

300wm 180 accubond
7saum 168 vld
Back up rifle will be 300wm 180 accubonds
3 bull tags new mexico

6.5cm youth 143gr bondstrikes
1 youth cow tag this year

 

[nhenry]

If I had an elk tag it'd be a 280AI w/ 131gr Hammer Hunters. Max of 400 yards.

 

[AckleyHunter]

300wm 180 accubond
7saum 168 vld
Back up rifle will be 300wm 180 accubonds
3 bull tags new mexico

6.5cm youth 143gr bondstrikes
1 youth cow tag this year

What is wrong with the creedmoor? Ask yourself why you are using magnum calibers while relegating the creedmoor to a youth rifle? My 2 cents, not enough bullet mass, not enough frontal energy, and not enough energy to reliably kill an elk on a quarting shot or if you have to put it through the shoulder. Under ideal conditions, the creedmoor fine. Ideal shots are hard to comeby where I hunt. Individual results may vary.

 

[buckbull]

.300 wm 180gr nosler partition.