Hello I was wondering what the best caliber for elk is. I prefer a bolt action, and cannot spend a truckload of money. Any suggestions are appreiciated. thanks
There is no one best cartridge for wapiti.
I personally prefer a 338 WinMag. Have used a 375HH to good effect.
I wouldn' t recommend going below 30-06 power.
If you' ve hunted deer, just remember elk are not deer: triple weight double tough.
The cost between the same rifle in standard and magnum cartridges is seldom more than a couple hundred dollars.
If a couple hundred dollar difference in rifle cost is prohibitive then I recommend against wapiti hunting.
Even with resident licenses and six hour travel time it just is not a cheap thing to do.
Never Go Undergunned
EKM
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Anything from 6.5mm up to .375 have been and continue to be used for elk with excellent reliability. I personally have used seven cartridges ranging from .270 Win to .338 Win Mag and they have all worked well. I' ve seen elk killed with a few more, the smallest being the .257 Roberts.
Right now, I' ve settled on the .270 Weatherby Magnum as my " go to" elk rifle. It hammers elk out to all ranges, and I' ve shot five bulls with it and none have taken another step, even at 325 yards.
That being said, I am currently in the development stages of having a custom .338-06 built that I hope to use as a thick timber elk rifle. The .270 Wby really isn' t necessary for close range work, as it shines when you have some real estate to cover. I like the idea of the heavier bullet for the thick stuff, especially since there is a slight chance I may encounter grizzly where I' ll be hunting.
Whatever you choose, use heavy-for-caliber, well-constructed bullets of the premium variety and be sure of your shots. And don' t choose a rifle chambered for a cartridge that is so powerful and kicks so hard that you develop a flinch from shooting it off a bench. I' ve seen more elk lost to poor shot placement with big cannon than for any other reason. I' ve also seen many elk die after being hit fairly with a .270 Win. In fact, the elk I saw shot with the .257 Roberts didn' t go far before piling up real nice (although I don' t recommend the .257 Roberts as an elk round). Bottom line: It you can' t put the shot where it needs to go, you shouldn' t be shooting at all.
Although calibers from .243 on up(and in some cases even smaller calibers) have been successfully used to take elk on a regular basis I consider the 7mm to be the minimum caliber that I would personally use for hunting elk.The smaller calibers will certainly work but I just don' t have the confidence in them that I have in the 7mm and larger calibers.
I would say to get a rifle that you can shoot well whatever the caliber. If you are recoil sensative then a 338 mag probably won' t be your best option. Something more like the 7mm-08, 308, 270, .280. or 30-06. Many people feel that elk are somekind of super animals but the fact is if you put a bullet into the lungs or heart then it' s going to die. I would however use a " hold together bullet" like the failsafe, barnes, nosler, A-frame no matter what the caliber as they do have heavier bones than deer but they are not super animals. These bullets will blow through shoulder bones and get into the lungs and in almost all cases they will exit the other side. If you are on a budget and already have one of these caliber rifles then you will be just fine with elk.
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a good elk gun would be 30-06 and if you don' t have alot of mony to spend look at a savage I have one like it very will and a 30-06 is grat for a lot of other game you mit hunt good luck
interesting.....I agree that the number 1 issue is using a good bullet regardless of the cartridge you pick. For me it' s a bonded bullet.....and I like A-frames...
Next, it' s the gun itself.....I' m very fond of light weight rifles and the Model-70 featherweight in .30-06 is a very elkworthy rifle. It' s almost as powerful as the .300 Mags and is available in a light weight gun. It is a fine elk rifle.
The 7mm mags and the .280 are the lightest calibers I' d recommend and the .338 mag is a high ender. Remember, it' s far more important that you can shoot it well and use a good bullet than the cartridge itself. A buddy uses a .300 Savage and it works for him!!!
Best Caliber For Elk
