Best Elk Caliber,is there one?

[406elcamino]

I went elk hunting for the first time last year and took my first with a 300wm 180gr and it worked great the other guys in camp several used 308 and it did just fine as well 165gr. Placement is the key though the elk i had shot was approx 240-260yards from what i remember put it right behind the shoulder broadside and down it went

[Ron.C]

A sharp 3-blade G5 Montec broadhead on a straight shaft total weight weighing about 500-600 gr depending on your bow poundage.

Lethal.

JT,

you're not wrong!!!!!!

[todbartell]

I've seen big bulls hit with 6mm 100gr Partitions and 375 Ruger 270gr Interlocks give near identical death sprints with near identical shot placement. Use a good bullet and place it in the vitals and they die like anything. Poor shot placement with any cartridge can and will result in a long tracking job.

I myself like the 338-06. Four of the last five bulls I've shot have fallen to this cartridge. Average shot distance is around 80 yards

[BigSlapper]

338-06 w/ 210gr. Partitions here ... that being said, my back-up is a .270 w/ 150gr. Accubonds. Both work extremely well ...

[Keta1969]

Poor shot placement with any cartridge can and will result in a long tracking job.


This is true and why even though I could kill an elk with my .260 and 130 accubond WITH proper shot placement, there are lots of variables that can come into play. I use a 35 whelen with 225 gr. partitions for moose and elk and if placement is not perfect(it can happen) I feel the animal will be hurting more and travelling less with the bigger pill. A lot of guys aren't as good a shot as they think when brush, wind, visibility, excitement, shooting position etc.etc. come into play.

[KodiakHntr]

agree with quadra kid, whichever one you shoot best " that is legal for elk"

To be fair, pretty much all the calibers are legal for elk…

[Redthies]

To be fair, pretty much all the calibers are legal for elk…

To be fair, pretty much all the CENTER FIRE calibers are legal.

I, like Ron C shoot 7-08. It’s not a particularly “macho” caliber, and often relegated to the “kids,wives and feeble”, but if you actually look at the ballistics, it’s a very solid choice for deer or antelope (98% of my mammal hunting), and with decent shot placement is very effective on elk. If I were more interested in hunting moose or elk, I would look at a more potent cartridge. I buy a moose and elk tag every year, but I have never done a hunt dedicated to either. If I stumble across a legal one of either at 150-200 yards or so, my feeble mans 7-08 should take care of it.

And while I agree that the .30-06 is a fantastic choice for a “one size fits all” caliber, it really is too big a hammer for smaller deer. We got two coastal black tails with .30-06 and excellent shot placement. They dropped like rocks, but there was substantial meat loss.

[KodiakHntr]

To be fair, pretty much all the CENTER FIRE calibers are legal.

.

Welllllll to be fair, there are no centerfire CALIBERS. And all centerfire CARTRIDGES are legal for elk.

[Downwindtracker2]

I have been called out for a couple of night tracking sorties. The flashlight on leaves looking for that blood droplet sort of thing. Both were unsuccessful . It has me believing in better shooting with a more old fashioned caliber/bullet approach .

[tracker]

The 7mm mag from 40 to 400 yards = dead elk .