Exactly Howler, No one here can say that a bull hit with a .338 "nearly anywhere" will put down an elk. You could shoot one with a 50BMG and if you don't hit it where it counts, guess what you are going to be in for a long tracking job and maybe still loose the animal. And how much room for error do you want. The kill zone doesn't grow just because the bullet gets bigger. Yes the mag calibers have a little more range than the "standard" calibers but while the rifle and cartrige may be up to shooting 500 yards or more can most of us shoot that far in the real hunting world. A .270 has about a 300 yard range for elk and if I can't get that close then I probably wouldn't be able to make a lethal hit on it anyway after chasing them around in the mountains at 9000 - 12000 feet.

According to "The Hunter's Guide to Ballistics" the "Federal 150 Game King HE" (High Energy) is traveling at 3000 f/s, 2995 lb/ft for what it's worth. Good luck.

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Robert Scott I'm glad you brought up the point about 80% of the elk are taken by the same hunters year after year, I was going to bring it up in my earlier post but didn't have the exact numbers. I'm going to have to completely disagree about all the old timers using the smaller calibers. Now I can't speak for everyone in Utah, just my little corner of it. However I come from a family that has been hunting for generations on both sides and I'm not exaggerating when I say everyone one of them have upgraded to the bigger calibers for elk.

Now I will be honest I called a few of my uncles(old timers) last night and most of them did say they would feel comfortable hunting elk with a 270. However they hands down prefered the bigger calibers because they give you more range and that is necessary in getting an elk year after year which they do. They said the elk are getting smarter and getting one year after year depends on your brains AND your equipment. But I do agree with you that someone not living in elk country should not go out and shell out a bunch a money for a rifle and just one hunt, thats not practical. My only advice to smokpole was try and find a larger one if you can because it gives you more options. The fact that it is only one hunt is more reason to give yourself the best chance you can. But if a 270 is all there is and he can't borrow another then I'd say enjoy your hunt.

And yes Howler you are correct, shot placement is still important but I guarantee a .300 win mag will give you more room for error than a 270 and a lot more range.

Again just my opinion, nothing more.

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WOW!!!! DG I am impressed and I'm not saying that sarcastically. If you have been huntin everything from squirrel to moose for 35+ and nothing has ever gone more than 20 yds from where you shot it(the only one that got out of it tracks)then I would say you genuinely would not benefit from anything bigger than a 270. I'll be straight in telling you even with a mag I find myself tracking a wounded animal once in a while, I guess they made those guns for guys like me. I've heard of guys that only take one shell in the field cause they say you should be a good enough marksman to hit it with one shot. Unfortunately I'm not an expert. If you shoot that straight with a rifle then you definitely shouldn't take advice from me, cause I'm decent but I miss my mark once in a while and I would except any shooting tips you would be willing to share. But I'll be honest I don't personally know anyone that can shoot that well and thats where I got my opinions from. Thanks for sharing your opinions, its made me think a little.

Just to clarify--

I didn't mean to imply that just because I hunt with .338 I take every shot I get. I just feel that stalking elk through Montana wilderness requires quite a bit of skill and everything I can do to increase my chances of a successful hunt, I will. I don't hunt with a bow, not because I don't have the desire, but because I get buck fever bad, and I'd lose alot of sleep if I gut-shot a nice mulie and never got him. My caliber selection reflects more on me as a hunter than on what is truly "necessary" out in the field.

The confidence factor is a huge part of hunting, and while I still pass up shots that I feel are too risky, the .338 reduces the "buck fever" element (or in this case bull fever). Having the kind of confidence that I have in that gun goes a long way in the field.

For what its worth... my grandmother shot a .243 and killed 15+ elk in her days. My grandfathers gun, a .270, killed more than twice that many. Needless to say I ate more elk steaks than beef growing up.

I think that you may be thinking 150 Grain Noslers. I do not think that they even make 160 Grainers for .264 only when you step up to the .284 caliber do you get the 160GR. option( .280 Remington, 7 Mag's) Noslers are very good bullets but the most important thing is bullet placement. I have my mom shooting 150. Grain Speer Nitrex factory loads from her Remington 700in 270. She has killed every elk with one well placed shot for the past three years.
If you show up with a tree stand your guide is going to have you sleeping on it. Elk hunting is similar to whitetails in the sense of the animals cunningness but that is it. You have to travel light and be prepared to hike. Colorado has alot of elk but they often move due to hunting pressure. Last year I spent three weeks in the Williams Fork chasing them with a bow and each day I covered at least 6-8 miles. Do your guide a huge favor and get into shape before showing up. You and your guide will both have a much more enjoyable time plus the odds of getting an elk will increase drastically.

I am a 100% stalking hunter. The only time I sit is first thing in the morning or when I hear bugling. Then it is time to dig in and watch very closely. I hunt both with a bow and a rifle and am 100% for bringing home elk meat each year. I killed my first elk with a 30-30 in dark timber and my last elk fell to my 7mag using 160 Gr Noslers. I just bought a cannon though and will be using that come 9/15. It is a Remington 700LSS in a 300RUM with a Burris Black Diamond 4-16x50mm AO with Mil-Dot reticle and Posi Lock. It is my baby. I had a trigger job done to it, muzzle brake and Pachmayr decelarator recoil pad added and topped it off with a Harris bi-pod. I am shooting sub 1 inch groups at 300 yards using Remington 180 Gr Noslers.
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I've read on here that a 270 is the min caliber for Elk. Well, I'm gonna be in Gunnison this October to see if I can fill my either sex tag and I'll be taking my Sako 270. Should I use 180 Noslers or bigger? Is this adequate to drop a bull without having to track him for seven counties? Should I chance a shot through the shoulder blades or should I just try and hit him behind the blades?

I've always shot whitetails throught the front shoulders and I've never had to track deer for more than a couple hundred ft. But, I imagine that an Elk's shoulder blades are probably a little tougher.
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