elk hunt
 

Finally going on a guided elk hunt. I plan on using my Ruger 77 300 Win Mag. with Leupold VXIII 3.5x10
I've taken a few moose with this gun using 200 gn Nosler Partitions and Accu Bonds.

My hunting buddy, who also hunted this area last year, thinks I should use my 06 and tells me we may be shooting out to 600 yards.

He also sugested I go with Berger bullets. The elk he harvested last year at 526 yards went down like a rock from his 280. Ofcourse a new scope would be nice too, but new turrets would be a must. Really????

I was just wondering what others thought of his suggestions. I'm very comfortable with my gun and feel comfortable shooting out to 400 yards with my current settup.

I've been doing quite a bit of reading about long range hunting and shooting and well I'm just wondering how the heck they ever ate back 100 years ago.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

i killed a 380 bull last year..my only advice is shoot straight..and try to get close..i snuck to within 80 yards of my big bull

Unless you become proficient at greater range,the above is what you should follow.

Exactly! Go with your present setup and stay within the maximum range that you have practiced and are comfortable with. IMHO these long range shooters should stay with paper targets and gongs and quit these 1000 yard animal shots because that isn't hunting, it's just shooting!

400 yards
 

I've shot about twenty elk in the past twenty-five years, first with a .270 with 130 grain bullets and now with a .300 mag. shooting 168 grain nosler hand loads. I have taken a shot over 400 yards only once - last year on a cow hunt. Shoot the gun you're comfortable with and don't worry about long range shots. They hardly ever happen, especially if you're hunting the rut.

Use the gun you are comfortable with and shoot out to 400 yards. Great elk medicine. If you really, really want to shoot farther, there is still no reason to change guns. But if you want to shoot farther couple of questions: Where can you shoot out to 600 yards 2-3 times weekly? That is what it would take as well as having a good chart on wind effects, angle of the shot, etc. Are you a great judge of windspeed or are you taking a windmeter? What about swirls of wind in the moutain? You really that committed? If you aren't, you are doing the game an injustice.

As stated, it is very rare to need to shoot over 400 anyway.

I can't believe in 25 years you haven't figured out that the rut is over during rifle season.:hit:

If you are comfortable out to 400 yards, use your current setup. You will be fine.

If you want to shoot out to 500 or 600 yards, you have months to practice. Nothing wrong with a shot out that far if you know YOU can make the shot. Just because the rifle is capable, doesn't mean you are.

Shooting an elk at distance is cool but getting close and smoking one at 15 yards, is about the coolest thing in the hunting world.

Good luck and good hunting!!:party0005:

Actually after 25 years of Colorado Division of Wildlife trying to sell as many possible elk tags as they can and putting a ton of pressure on elk in Over the Counter units. The main rut in a lot of area's in Colorado has moved back from the middle of September to the first two weeks of October. Which starts 1st Rifle season and part of 2nd season in which the elk are in full rut. It has become easier to actually get a bull elk to step out of cover using a call during rifle season than it is during archery season in multiple heavy pressured units. Only once in the last 15 years has the elk rut started the 2nd and 3rd week of September in the southern units that I hunt. Main reason I believe for that was a cool and heavy wet month during that time. The cow elk dictate when the rut is and they have changed habits to start the rut during the 2 1/2 weeks between the end of archery season and the beginning of rifle season. At least that's what's happening in my neck of the woods.

I have only been elk hunting for the past 6 years. I have taken 3 elk and the furthest shot has been 50 yards (40 and 25 on the other two). Although far shots are always possible, you should be able to get into a reasonable range if the wind is in your favor.