Which Cartridge Has Killed The Most Elk? (Poll)

[Flatlander3]

The 270 thread (https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/best-270-ammunition.296719/) has got me thinking, which cartridge does everyone think has killed the most elk since the beginning of time (firearm wise), sorry bowhunters. Now I know this doesn't include everything, but just getting the more popular rounds, and it's not expanded by the different calibers (300 Rum, 300 short, etc.)

 

[AggieHunter]

I shot a 308 but with the popularity of the 30-06 I bet it has.

 

[Bigjay73]

Yeah, wouldn't be surprised if it wasnt 45-70, .50 black powder or something along those lines. 30-06 is a strong possibility

 

[dirtclod Az.]

I would think that possibly the 30-30 may have killed a few in the late
1800's and early 1900's.Lots of settlers and explorers crossing the frontier.
Although Elk numbers more dispersed back then.〽

 

[Flatlander3]

I think it's very likely you've left off the actual answer.

Great. Knew i would forget something, and I can't change the poll awnswers. Thansk for the heads up though.

 

[Bigjay73]

I wouldn't be surprised if post 1900 it's the .30-30.

I thought that, but wasn't sure when it was mass produced. Definitely possible

 

[thusby]

Gotta be 30-30, followed by 30-06. Hawkens probably dusted a lot of elk in the 1800s but I think we got a lot more efficient in the 1900s.

 

[2rocky]

10 best selling Centerfire Rifle Cartridges

USA (Averaged 2015 sales rank)

1. .223 Remington
2. .308 Winchester
3. .30-06 Springfield
4. .30-30 Winchester
5. .270 Winchester
6. .243 Winchester
7. 7mm Remington Magnum
8. .300 Winchester Magnum
9. 7.62x39mm Soviet
10. .22-250 Remington

• Honorable Mention: .300 WSM, 7mm-08 Rem. and .338 Win. Mag.

 

[Deleted member 38069]

Timeline?

 

[Bullshot]

I am no expert but elk were distributed across the country, even in the east. I read there were 10 million estimated and they extirpated from most states and were reduced to less than 50,000 before the turn of the 20th century. That would preclude any of those cartridges from being involved. I'll leave it to the real history buffs to put a timeline on the wipeout of the historic elk herds, and the overlap of available cartridges and also to put into perspective the total # of elk killed to wipe out almost 10 million. Obviously, its a much higher number than that as it didn't happen overnight. And then that number - vs- how many total elk have been killed under more "modern" game management since 1900 or thereafter.

 

[Bigjay73]

This is turning into an interesting thread. We have to imagine that whatever was the most popular cartridge when the herds was reduced by 9,950,000 elk would be the top caliber

 

[lastlight]

I still think its 30-06 over 30-30. Think about the last 30 years, dead elk dominated by the 06 right?

 

[golfer]

Another vote for the 30-30

 

[diamond hitch]

30-40 Krag ?

 

[Irrelevant]

Can anyone propose a method to actually determine this? I'm struggling besides interviews with old game wardens.

 

[Phaseolus]

30-40 Krag ?

I know that John Plute’s Elk shot in Colorado was the biggest for a very long time. He used a 30-40 Krag on The Dark Canyon Bull.

 

[Hem]

My speculation..
Fewer hunters in the Hawken era.
More people were hunting explicitly with a 30-30 in that era.
In the more present..many calibers getting utilized ...some with man buns.

 

[44hunter45]

6.5? 6.5 what? Swede, Mannlicher,Carcano, Arisaka, 264 WM, Needmore?

 

[diamond hitch]

The documentation would be tough. Availability for the early years may correspond to whatever the government surplused and the availability of cheap ammunition.

My father started with an 06 during the war years when his brother shipped home ammo from the pacific. I'm still reloading a lot of that brass. I remember a lot of 25-35 in the used gun racks in the late 50s. Over the years I've seen a lot of lever action rifles of obsolete black powder cartridges.

This will be a tough one to come up with.

 

[Roughwater]

Of the available choices, I would imagine the 06 would be the winner. But some have already stated more Elk were surely killed off before the 06 was invented. Of course the 06 was invented in 1906 but most of the Elk were gone by that time. The 30-40 Krag began to be used around 1892 so wasn't used a long time before the 06 came along.