.270 For Elk Hunting
 

This fall I will be going on my first elk hunt in Colorado, currently all I have hunted is mule and white tail deer. For this I have a 700 Rem .270 caliber. But am considering a .300 Win Mag. Scouring the gun shops I am finding guys trading off their .300 Win Mag for the .300
WSM. I also am looking to put on a Leupold 4.5 -14 with the Boone and Crookett Reticle. For this trip should I wait on the .300 Win mag and use my .270 with a 150 grain or will I be underpowered. I am concerned the .270 might be too light for elk. Some have said to try the .270 short mag for all deer and elk and stay with one gun. It gets a bit confusing......elk hutning isn't something I will do every year however. Also opinions on the Boone and crockett reticle would be appreciated as well.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

The 270win will certainly work for elk hunting in most situations as will the 260rem or even the 25-06.Many elk have been killed with all of these cartridges.However,I do prefer a larger cartridge for those times when the angles are not perfect or the ranges get longer.The 300wsm or 300win mag are excellent choices for elk however,I would limit my scope magnification to 3x9 or 3.5x10 in order to have a larger field of veiw at closer ranges..

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

I think the 270 is a great elk gun; if you've got one your comfotable with why not use it? That B&C reticle seems geared toward long shots which is something I'm not in favor of. Most people shooting game at long distances haven't taken the time to practice at those ranges and the results aren't always pretty. If you want to take long shots at elk I'd move up to one of the 30 calibers and practice a lot.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

I would say stick with the .270, and spend the extra time and money investing in good, high quality ammunition, and practicing a lot!!! If you are going on a hunt this year, I think it would be better to have more practice and be able to put the bullet into the vitals with the first shot, rather than spend a whole bunch of money on a new rifle, and not feel 100% comfortable in it.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

A .270 is fine for elk if one uses correct bullets and puts that bullet where it will take an elk out. I would suggest a Winchester Fail Safe, X-bullet or a Nosler Partion. These bullets will work period. When Elmer Keith wrote we needed bigger caliber to do in elk, he was stating we needed better bullets. We have those now. One can find anyone of the bullets mentioned in factory ammunition. If you want to buy a new rifle, great, but you don't need one. Remember, 140 grain Fail Safe a 1/3 to half way up the shoulder and the elk will fall in 12 seconds.

Dr Fatguy

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

Myself i like the 300 mag but if you can shoot it right the 270 will do fine.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

Many, Many Elk Moose and Bear have been taken with the 270. A good sturdy bullet and a well placed shot is all you need to add.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

Sounds like a good excuse to purchase a .300 Win. Mag. to me. :D:D Good luck.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

DID SOMEONE SAY 300 WIN MAG?

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

Very good replies so far. Another 270 bullet to consider is an Accubond. It sure did quick work on the cow I shot last season. Jim

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

I think the common thread in all the answers is, your .270 will harvest elk just fine. You just have to know and understand your limitations, but that will be true regardless of the caliber. The .300 is probably the most popular caliber for elk and it has it's limitations too. You'll find threads on here with folks argueing that a .243 will kill elk and then there are those who want to carry a 416. You won't regret buying the .300. Now the question is....which one?

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

get the 300! It is MUCH better for elk. the 270 will kill elk....blah,blah ,blah... the 300 will perform better period.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

This fall as in many many other falls, elk season will roll around and a lot of hunters who will chuckle over this age old debate, will buy there tags and take their 270's out and take their elk as so many have before. Next year the debate will rage again and the same thing will happen. Nobody will tell hunters who have used the 270 for years that their rifle is to small for elk or that when that so called elk of a lifetime steps out, that they will be out of luck. I venture to say many trophy elk have fallen to the 270, 300 Savage, 7x57 Mauser, 264 win mag, 30-40 krag, 30-30 Win, 35 Rem and the list goes on. If these guys choose one of these other guns, more power to them. They may know what they are doing.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

Naw james, they're just a bunch of CRRAAAAZZZY north dakotans, its not their fault,they just dont know any better:D

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

Could be;)

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

Frankly NVMike... I think that James is WAY OVER-GUNNED...

People have been killing game with stickbows and wood arrows for over 2 millenium... He uses smokeless firearms. Believe you me, many an elk have been killed with a wood arrow and flint broadhead.

Why the need?

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

I hunt with black powder as well. I however have never tried a stick or even an arrow. I did however dabble with the spear a bit. I once killed a hog with a spear. Trouble is it was one of my dads. I felt more pain over that one than the hog did.[:'(]:D

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

james, I once read about a guy who hunted elk w/ a slingshot:D. but I would guess that the stone was at least 3-400grains so that may be a magnum in your book?. I dont know how many elk he took w/ it ,but there was one confirmed wounding of the man who tried to shoot it.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

Treeguy,
You were looking for a 300 WSM in a remington,they are making on this year in a TRX,check it out at www.remington.com

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

In all honesty james. If the animal is hit directly in the heart it'll drop quick even if its hit w/ a 22-250. the 270 can take elk in the right hands, VERY skilled hands, but...... very few of the hunters out there are very skilled, even though they ALL claim to be able to blow the ba??s off a bull flea at 1645 long paces w/ a 40 MPH crosswind, in a blizzard, after running miles UP the mountain at 8000+ ft elevation. Now my experience has been that a couple out of a thousand are truely VERY skilled marksmen. More importantly w/ the preasure of a once in a lifetime hunt VERY few guys will pass on the iffy shots. Knowing this its just not wise to advise the use of the 270 on elk. I feel that the 7mag is about the starting point for elk rifles. You 've said that the 06 was your most used for elk and that the 280-almost identicle to the 7mag-is your favorite now, both are bigger than the 270 .;) people need put their pride in their pocket and face facts, if you talk to people who've hunted alot of elk, VERY few will PREFERR(1in 10,000maybe) the 270, roughly half will approve or disapprove of it , but a good share-10 to 20 percent- will ABSOLUTELY not accept it as an elk rifle. the performance of the 270 is subjective and a matter of opinion, The ONLY FACT is that there IS controversy. such controversy tells you one thing, you have to move up the power scale a notch or two for true elk caliber. No one argues the 7mags. Now you obviously have had great success w/ smaller calibers, thats fine for better than average people like yourself, but that wont be the case w/ the average guy, he may take some, but eventually he'll lose animals. I do know a guy from Wyo who year after year takes elk w/ his 243 and the cheapest shells he can find, I know another guy from MT who uses a 22-250 he does hand load , they never wounds em either. That does not mean that either of these are elk calibers, because NIETHER of these are, exceptional guys can get away w/ it.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

Im a big fan of the Barnes XLC bullet especially if you reload. Reloading a .270 with XLCs the muzzle velocity can be increased a good 150fps plus over a standard bullet.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

I have tried a lot of various .270 bullets over the years on elk. The dilemma has always been that the tougher bullets that can break shoulders and handle the angling shots often don't put them down very fast on the broadside rib shot; and the faster expanding bullets that kill real well on the broadside lung shot will blow up in the shoulder. I think these new bonded bullets feature about the best balance of these traits. I have killed elk with the 130 Scirocco, 140 Accubond, and 140 Trophy Bonded. They all worked very well - and the Scirocco seems to be the best of the lot. I honestly don't think a .300 Magnum can put them on the ground any quicker than the .270 with these new generation super bullets - particularly the hotter .270's like the WSM, Weatherby, or AI.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

I think your right. NO, I know your right.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

I just picked up a Ruger all weather 270 wsm, plan on using 140 gr SST's or Ballistic Tips for deer, whichever I can get the best numbers with. For anything larger 140 gr Failsafes or Accubonds again whichever gives better numbers. However having 2 30-06's, I'd probably load a 180-200 Partition or 225 gr Partition in the 35 Whelen. Both of which I would feel more comfortable with on elk. If you want to buy another gun then I'd say think about the area you hunt and then consider which rifle to buy. Magnums are going to be heavier. There are many cartridges that'll do the job. Although a 140-160 gr bullet of the proper construction out of the 270 will perform well.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

2eagles. Remember though you can kill a cow with a stick or a rock. Just don't try the bionic bulls.;)

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

Number of years ago I harvested what has turned out to be my biggest bull elk in both stature and antlers, with a 125 gr pill! [:o] If I remember correctly it was chrono'd around 275 fps, the shot was close though![&:] Darn bull made me work in the track I must say[:@].... trucking it like 50, 75 ..ooohh maybe 80 yards before finally succumbing to his deflated lungs. But like I said that was years ago so I don't know if I'd try it again:eek:........................................ .................................................. ...then again lord willing maybe next falls archery season will be 2nd time lucky:D!

HEHE.....[>:]

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

Your 270Win. will do just fine. No need for the magnums, unless of course you just want a good excuse to buy another rifle;). Just get/use the better premium bullets for the 270, such as Trophy Bondeds, Nosler Partitions, or Core-Lokt Ultras. And, as always, and no matter the cartridge, shot placement is key, so practice!
Now, that scope? A 4.5-14x? [:-] Are you planning on going after prairie dogs too?
Better choice would be a good 1.5-5x or a 2-7x. Elk are BIG targets, even out to 300yds.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

Just real quick, try not to get excessively involved with other's 270 threads, but thought you ought to know that....

Treeguyus (originator of this thread) posted the following on a different thread on this Forum:

So, I'm thinking the decision may already be made, just FYI.
================

BTW, I think I kinda like ole Treeguyus, might have the makens of a good elk hunter what with that "being a student of the sport" --- evaluating every option --- etc. Seems like an analytical, planning, maximizing, don't "skimp on the bucks", "go get 'em" kinda guy.

Good Luck Treeguyus.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

Its nice to see that someone would explore every option.;) I think most of us do. However that does not mean we will all reach the same answer. From what I have seen in the field, the 270 and 280 are not marginal elk cartridges but instead are very capable rounds. If I could not get it done with those rifles, I would maybe take up knitting or checkers for sport.:D But Hey thats just me. I keep thinking that if its worked great for me, why change it? Now I will have to check with my friends to see if I am a Go Get It type of guy.:) Maybe I can be a elk hunter too.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

Nohing at all wrong with using a 270.win for elk -many have used in for many yrs with great success including me- no need for a 30. cal or a mag as someone else said.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

This is elk country and without a doubt the .270, .06, and 300 mag are all well represented. Use a good cartridge, shoot at a range that will take advantage of the the particular caliber and cartridge, and shoot enough that placement will assured. No matter what caliber you shoot, you need to mentally prepare yourself to pass on any marginal shots no matter how magnificent the animal is.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

Don't change just because someone told you to. The .270 is all you need, and forget about playing with that B&C scope. By the time you screw with that, the elk will be gone. Get a good 4x , 2x-7x or 3x-9x Leupold and you have a rig for everything but big bears. Practice in hunting positions and find where the elk are. Stay calm and get close. Good Luck!

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

Bear Wallow, good advise!

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

Use what you can shoot well. Take only killing shots. There's no need to ask if a cartridge is adequate only that how well you have practiced with the individual rifle. A person with a standard cartridge that is a good shot is just lethal as the one with a cannon without practice. Knowing your individual rifle is the best way to have 100% one shot kills. Forget the data base and start practicing. If your a hunter of wildgame you owe that to the animal.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

The Speer manual says it in just exactly my own thoughts. " Loaded with the Speer Grandslam 150 grain bullet, the 270 will readily take all North American big game with the exception of the Grizzly and Brown Bear" That statement would be just at true with the accubond, Partition and Barnes X bullet. The big bears have been taken with the 270 as well but I would opt for a little more bullet weight. Having seen the 270 perform on Moose, Elk and Caribou I would agree with their assement big time. Having seen the 25-06 take these same animals I would say the 270 is a bit more than really needed for Elk.;)

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

If you are thinking of buying a new rifle. Buy a 338 win mag. Best/most versatile cartridge for Big game.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

Shato, you're my kinda guy...
Best buckle your chin strap, if you haven't already....
Folks here get real excited about that kind of talk.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

Nothing wrong with the 338. I had a couple of them. I wasn't impressed with them but they were ok. My 30-06 filled the same need for me both calibers shot 200 + grain bullets with plenty of velocity to get it done. Both calibers are good for elk. Both calibers are more than needed for deer and antelope. For me the 280 is much more versitile.

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

Thanks Rebel

RE: .270 For Elk Hunting
 

To compare the 338 to the venerable 30-06 is like comparing a pick up truck to a dump truck. Yeah, you can haul stuff in both but when you need to do some heavy work I know which I would choose.

I am not running down the 06. Its a great round. The 338 in my opinion is leaps and bounds above the 06. According to my data the 30-06 can push a 180gr. bullet at 2650 fps. (180 is as big as I have info on) where a 338 can push a 180grainer at nearly 3100 fps. At the muzzle the 06 delivers approx. 2900 ft/lbs of energy while the 338 is at 3600. At 250 yards the 338 is still delivering 2500 ft/lbs of energy while the 06 is below 2000. Now I don't have the data to support this but I am quite certain the 06 will perform even less admirably with heavier bullets, where the 338 really is just starting to shine.

My point was, if he was considering a new rifle, he should consider buying something that is significantly more powerful than his 270. With the 338 he could hunt anything on the continent including Brown bear.