I would caution against assuming a person's physical size has much to do with his argument.

I had never heard of Elmer Keith nor Jack O'Connor until I got to this website 2 1/2 years ago. I have observed that it seems many folks do vicariously live their "hunting lives" thru these authors however.

If the kid can shoot a .270 it can handle a 06 think about it!!!!!!!!!!!!
end of discusion

u guys are right it is a waste of time to continue this discusion! it is and always will be that people have differant opinions, and some people will not change their minds! like me, u are still an idiot![:-]

You know, I stayed out of this for quite a while (I think since the 1st reply). Anyway, I feel compelled now to get into the argument regarding kids that aren't old enough or "tough enough" to handle a rifle capable of taking elk. "Tough" may not be a word I would use, but OK. I think a better one might be "mature," but feel about the same as EKM does. In Nevada you can start hunting when you are 12 years old. I didn't start hunting until I was 14. My 1st gun (and still have it to this day) is a Win Model 70 .30-06. My dad didn't get me to hunting until he felt I was mature enough to handle it, and understand all of the aspects of it. We were on a remote hunt for deer, and were hiking quite a ways every day. (I believe up to 6 miles one day alone). I got my deer that year. I made a bad shot on the first one, we could not find, but I took that in stride, and understood that that happens. I later got my deer.

Now for the recoil. My cousin shoots a Spanish 7x57 Mauser, cut down a bit, and some trigger work, and safety work done to accept a scope. She is 14 now I believe. She ways maybe 85 lbs soaking wet. She was brought up to hunt with that rifle before anything else, and has killed an antelope so far with it. I started with a .30-06. I have shot a .270 with heavy bullets. I feel that a .270 with 150 grainers kicks just as bad as a .30-06 with 150 grainers if not worse. Its not a matter of a "bigger is better mentality," but the fact that the same size bullet is being pushed down a bore with a larger surface area, thereby reducing the recoil. Put a 150 or 165 grain bullet in a .30-06 (premium bullet of course), and you have something that will kill elk, and will make it to the vital zones with little problem. Another example, is my uncle has taught a 90 lb lady to shoot magnum loads in a full sized 12 guage. Just another fact that you have to have something that fits you correctly in order to shoot it correctly. Now I will tell you, that that 7x57 is the smallest rifle I know of that anyone in my family hunts with. Throw in the mix a 7mag, some .30-06 and a 338WM, and elk, deer, and antelope have fallen to all of them. Do we need anything like the .338 for deer and antelope? Probably not, but if you shoot it right, and have the knowledge of shot placement, then isn't "bigger" really "better"?

Oh, and Manboy, I have a little thought for you. Only fools who have nothing better to say, and know they have lost the argument call other people idiots. Attacking someone personally is not a way to be respected, especially on a discussion board that is only linked by a phone line. You have not personally met EKM, nor have you met most of the people on this board. You do not know their entire list of credentials on a specific subject. You do not know their entire background, or what they do for a living, or any of those key points that give a person his intelligence. I say leave the personal attacks at home, argue with someone, and back it by either facts or your opinion, but do not attack someone against their intelligence.

And BTW, I don't know EKM personally, but he has been a great help on many occasions, and I have crosschecked a few things to make sure it wasn't completely bull, which I would expect anyone to do with any advice they recieve on the internet. He has provided more details on certain things that I have previously not been able to find, which I have checked the other key points on, ie: Alaskan field dress, etc. And some tips he gave for tents have been awesome. There are other people on this board also that have been a great help, and who have given good tips, such as Bigbulls, 8mm-06, and Briman, regarding my Mauser.

You will learn things from people here on the BBS, but treat everyone with respect, even if you disagree, and leave the personal attacks at home, and the tips and tricks, and honesty will come a lot quicker.

My 9 yr old son, which by the way weighs only 64 lbs. Managed to shoot 2 rooster pheasents,2 geese, and several ruffed grouse with a 12ga. Can shoot a 6" group with a .06 at 100yds. If they can handle a .270 shooting at a piece of paper they can handle a .06 shooting at a elk!

i lost respect for elkmaster when he said nobody can use a 270 in his elk camp, and if so u will not be welcome! that to me is a stupid statement. he does not care of what reason u shoot a 270, and he does not care, he is purely not in this thread open minded. he just doesn't like 270's and he does not care what the facts are he will still not allow one in his camp! i do not have to meet him personally to see he and i would have great difficulty getting along! this is not 1970's anymore. the new bullets that are reloaded for a 270, will have just as much killing power as a 30-06 off the wal-mart shelf. so if elkmaster really cares about game and ethical harvesting, he would ask more than do u shoot a 270. that is why i call him an idiot! u may not like it , but i don't sugarcoat anything! have a nice life![8D]

Manboy, let me ask you this. Do you have a limit for anything you hunt? What about deer, what is your minimum requirement? What about large waterfowl like geese? It would be interesting to hear where you hunt and what you hunt, and what you use to hunt those animals with. I am sure that you have some limit somewhere, that is not specifically stated in the hunting regulations.

For example, here in Nevada, you can use a .22 centerfire for big game. Does that mean I would. No, I personally wouldn't want to use anything lest than a .25 caliber for deer. What about large geese or swan. We can use a 20 guage if we want, but I don't think a 20 carries enough punch for the big birds at moderate distances, so I shoot a 12 for everything.

great ? charlie!
1. i have a 66% harvest rate on elk, shot my 1st when i was 14 30-06, also shot a 6x6 bull 339 5/8 p&y, with 60lbs, carbons and nap spitfire, o.k. let me have it!
2. i use a 30-30 for deer on up to a 7mm mag. depending on the shot. this year i harvested a 8x7 muley on 100% public ground with my old 30-30.
3. i don't hunt geese, but turkeys, when i was 12 i shot my 1st. turkey with a 410, it worked but i won't do that again! now i us a 22. mag or a .223.
4. antelope this year i used a .257 roberts, it worked great, it is fastly becoming my favorite for deer, antelope.

and yes i do have certain reason why i use these calibers, but i won't tell u what to use! if u would like to see some of my game my web page www.speedgoattaxidermy.com


270,s i like them , i just don't own one!

I've been watching this post, as it seems everyone is, for a very long time. It seems to me, if the 270 on elk brings up this much contraversey then it has to be a border-line elk cartridge at best. I used this information on the forum to purchase a 7mm Rem. mag. As a first time elk hunter, I need information like this to make an informed decision. As this post points out, the 270 is contraversial as an elk cartridge.

As charlie brown points out, we need to treat everyone with respect. If EKM doesn't allow 270's in his camp then I respect that. If I want to use a 270, then I find another camp. It would be no different than an outfitter prohibiting alcohol in camp, it's his priority.