Longest range?
 

Whats the longest range you would shoot at elk at with a 30-06??

RE: Longest range?
 

40 - 50 yards, but then again that .30-06 would be a bow so...;)

RE: Longest range?
 

If you were using Remington Premier Core-Lokt Ultra I'd say 300-350 yards. But that is only if you can comfortably shoot that far.
Good Luck


GO CANADA

RE: Longest range?
 

out maybe to 375, I don't like taking long range shots on elk.

RE: Longest range?
 

200 yds. w/06 and 30 w/bow.
I like to stalk close or call them in close.
Elkshed

RE: Longest range?
 

With 180 gr trophy bear claw my max range would be 400 yds BUT I would do all I could to cut that distance in half at least before I took the shot.

RE: Longest range?
 

Depends on situation... on a reasonably calm day without any other factors hurting accuracy and a good rest or while prone i would say up to about 300 yards if the elk was in a good position. The closer the better though.. especially if it is a large elk. Every person has his/her own limitations. I would not try that 300 yard shot if the season opened tomorrow because I have not been shooting much lately.

RE: Longest range?
 

350 yds. Good luck.

RE: Longest range?
 

IF the person shooting is up to the task the 30-06 is capable of taking an elk to 500 yards of so.

Does this mean that we should all go out and shoot at elk 500 yards away? Heck no. But an extremely skilled marksman under the right conditions could take elk at that distance.


Personally I won't take a shot past about 300 yards with the 30-06 unless it was laser ranged and If I had been practicing I would extend that to about 400 yards.

RE: Longest range?
 

I would hold it to around < 350 yds because of the gun. Like BigBulls said, you could take one further, but I personally don't like the 30-06 at long range. Not a flat gun. You go and put a 180 gr bullet on the tip and that thing will drop like rock rolling off a cliff after 400 yds. That is plenty of bullet for Elk and probably too much for a 30-06. It's like hucking a boulder out there, it will drop like a brick, but if it hits them, yes.. it will drop them too!

I would suggest a bullet in the 160-165 gr range. Even that bullet will already be dropping at 300 yds. (6-10 inches). I would site it in at 250 yds and go from there. That gives you some room at 300 yards to still hold a little high, but be confident. The 30-06 is a great all around gun, but just doesn't hang with the magnums at long range.

If possible or someone in the family has one. Go shoot a 7mm or 300 win mag and compare the drop at set distances. You might end up buying you a new Elk gun. Better yet, go buy a 7mm Ultra Mag... oh wait... I'll leave that for another day. (look at my signature) :D

RE: Longest range?
 

A somewhat relevant article in August's Field & Stream. Four hunters/authors set up 4 trials, one of them being a set of long range targets. The others were a tower shot, a snap shot, and a running shot. They were using "regular deer rifles" (their words) and "up to 300 yards we were a real threat to deer. But our best at 400 yards was more misses than hits."

RE: Longest range?
 

One thing I've noticed is the different perspective most "Western" Elk/Muley have vs "Eastern" Whitetail hunters.

I know Whitetails are smaller and hunting them can be night and day vs Elk/Mulies, but I rarely hear of anyone taking long shots for them. I grew up in "big country" in Wyoming and we all took very long shots at game. This is still very common and everyone I know practices it. If a monster bull/buck is out there at 500 yds the lead flies. Plain and simple, nobody even questions it. I'm curious if I'm the only one who grew up in this type of country or not? I'm still comfortable shooting long ranges today, but try to avoid them and get closer (if possible).

RE: Longest range?
 

I simply do not practice enough at extreme distances to feel like I can reliably take a 500 yard shot on game. I sight my rifles to give a point blank range (+-3 inches) of about 300 yards. At 400 yards I know I can hold at the top of the back on an elk and hit the vitals or just over the back on a mulie. At 500 yards three feet of drop is just more that I want to try on a live animal.

Besides, I have never had to shoot over 150 yards at any animal.;) Where I hunt the terrain simply does not allow too many 400 or 500 yard shots. A few here and there but not many.


Also judging distances accurately in some of our terrain with out he use of electronics can be extremely deceiving.

RE: Longest range?
 

Around 250 yards. I don't practice enough at 300 yards to be absolutely sure at range and I'd hate to bungle it.

RE: Longest range?
 

BowElkFreak, Yes there are a few that have grown up like that...Around here if you see a legal bull elk you better be shooting at it because if you don't someone else will, usually no matter what the distance. I'm not saying ppl take outrageously long shots (800 yards) (though I have seen it, lol) but if it's the closest you can get and it's still 500 yards then like you said, the lead starts flyin' and no one questions it like you said as well.

RE: Longest range?
 

With premium bullets I would limit my shots to 300-yards.
IMHO The 30-06 is the jack of all trades, but master of none. I think the 30-06 makes a great "parent case". I like the 25-06, 270, 280, 338-06 & 35-Whelen. I just never did build a bond with the 30-06.
The only two rounds out of this case I would elk hunt with are the 338-06 & 35-Whelen. I prefer to hunt elk with my 300-win mag.

RE: Longest range?
 

No more than 400.........just my .02

RE: Longest range?
 

With an '06 I would limit my shots to 350 yards. That's when the '06 starts to give up too much ground to the Mags. Use a stout bullet designed to penetrate, NOT a plastic tip varmint bullet loaded in Big Game Calibers (SST< Ballistic Tip).
Use a Fail Safe, Barnes X, Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, Swift A Frame, or any BONDED bullet in 165-180gr, and you should be just fine.