Don Fischer
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2017
- Messages
- 3,141
Cartridge's for elk for someone that's only 125#, huh. Like most are saying, the 270 will work fine and you don't have a problem with recoil. But special trip calls for a special rifle if the money isn't a problem. Having never been a fan f the 270 for whatever reason, I'd be looking at either the 7mm-08 or a 6.5 Creedmoor. My last two elk were both shot with my 6.5x06 and 140gr cup and core bullet's, did a fine job. 6.5's are really over looked in this country but sound's like Europe is in love with them. If I went with the 7mm-08 my bullet choice would be something along the line's of a 160gr bullet, premium bullet wouldn't really be needed. Now I've never had a 6.5 Creedmoor or a 7mm-08 but I've had a few 6.5x55's, have one now and several 7x57's. What those two tell me is about bullet's proformance at certain speed's. You mentioned 300yds, that's the limit I set for myself, not into blasting away at long ranges at big game. But over the years I have never felt the need to take a shot at 300 yds. Did it once on a deer at 330 yds just to say I did ti, pretty sorry reason to take a shot I didn't need to take. Thing to remember about hunting cartridges, they need to used a heavy enough bullet to work at the velocity the cartridge can fire them and need to get inside and destroy vital's to be successful no matter the cartridge. It's really about bullet choice and shot placement, cartridge is no where near as important as those two point's.
I have no doubt in my mind that even a 223 with a good bullet will knock an elk right down with good placement but I would question it in the chest cavity. I'm probably wrong about that! I have a 25-06 that with the load I use in it, 117gr interlock, would kill an elk as fast as anything, but even so, I have more confidence in a heavier bullet. 6.5 is a small as I would go for elk. It has much better bullet's for the job than anything smaller. At the same time everything bigger also have bullet's up to the job. Field is really wide open for you, what do you think you want? Once you figure that out, find one if you can to shoot and see hot you like it. Put thought into the bullet you would use and consider how well you shoot it as to recoil. If you can handle the recoil but just don't shoot it well, it's probably the rifle your shooting, not the cartridge! Become very confident it the rifle your using and place your shot's well, game over. When shooting at an animal, the buck fever excuse for a bad shot or missed shot don't cut it for me. You need complete confidence in yourself and your rifle and at trigger time, you are no lnger a hunter, you need to become a shooter. Do that and what you choose will not matter so long as it's legal.
I have no doubt in my mind that even a 223 with a good bullet will knock an elk right down with good placement but I would question it in the chest cavity. I'm probably wrong about that! I have a 25-06 that with the load I use in it, 117gr interlock, would kill an elk as fast as anything, but even so, I have more confidence in a heavier bullet. 6.5 is a small as I would go for elk. It has much better bullet's for the job than anything smaller. At the same time everything bigger also have bullet's up to the job. Field is really wide open for you, what do you think you want? Once you figure that out, find one if you can to shoot and see hot you like it. Put thought into the bullet you would use and consider how well you shoot it as to recoil. If you can handle the recoil but just don't shoot it well, it's probably the rifle your shooting, not the cartridge! Become very confident it the rifle your using and place your shot's well, game over. When shooting at an animal, the buck fever excuse for a bad shot or missed shot don't cut it for me. You need complete confidence in yourself and your rifle and at trigger time, you are no lnger a hunter, you need to become a shooter. Do that and what you choose will not matter so long as it's legal.
