It makes me laugh looking at the pictures of the polar bear, and grizzly taken with the bow, as well at the story of the little girl dropping the polar bear at 12 feet with the .222. Just because an animal is harvested with a .222 we should use them big game hunting? These stories don't prove a thing. The debate isn't whether a 270 will kill and elk, we all know it will. I'm sure you could kill an elk with a 22 rimfire under the right conditions, but does it make it the best choice. Nothing replaces mass. I'd throw a rock at a charging dog rather than a pea.

I will second that Elkcrazy8, EKM isn't down on bowhunters, it just isn't his thing. Big bores handle big animals well, that is their job. Same with heavy arrows and very sharp broadheads. I shoot 489gr arrows topped with a razor sharp 4 blade 130gr Muzzy. Elk are big animals so my bow is set at 70lbs, I used to shoot 80lbs but I got old. Kill them clean that is your job.
Gselkhunter

I DID'T SAY I WOULD TAKE A 22-250......RE-READ THE POST....I SAID I HAVE SEEN
ESKIMOES DO IT!

EKM Nice line of BS, After 25 years of Elk hunting how could I be so stupid, All those dead elk are a figment of my imagination.

Most of us novices have our mentors or even heroes to guide us along the way. That's what we use this forum for. In the short five months I have played this forum, I have truly enjoyed and learned from EKM and several others. I was not upset with your comments, EKM, but was surprised that you seemed upset.

Pictured below is my "hero", crusty Bill Hoppe of Gardiner MT, after coaching my son through his first elk kill. He is saying, "You got the best gun, son. Learn this .270 and you will never need anything else. Wish I could get that through some of my other hunters' heads"

Now, my sons and I have never taken a bull. Had some small ones in range, but would rather take a female than a small rack male. I realize the cows we have taken are only about 1/2 to 2/3 the size of a good bull.

After the picture, Bill was as "straight" with me as EKM in this topic, jabbing me about my new .300 wsm. "Well, I guess if you just gotta have your big gun, OK, but it won't do anything for your elk hunting". He invited me to come back next season well practiced on my .270. "Learn what you can and can't do with it, that'll make you a hunter. Not buying a bigger gun"

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say there must be a lot of dead eskimo's because of this.

GetLost,

You introduced yourself in my thread "Role Call: Elk Hunters" as using a 45-70 but didn't manage the safety properly and the elk got away.
I compliment you on your line of BS as well, at least now we now part of "the rest of the story."

Again, my audience here are those who use 30-06 and up for elk and have encouraged others similarly only to get a raft of crappola handed back to them.

Actually a pack of dogs holds the bear at bay while the eskimo shoots the bear so it is not as dangerous asit sounds.As far as Fred Bears brown bears are concerned,I read some of his life story and the first two brown bears that he arrowed had to be shot with rifles.As far as the .270 and elk are concerned,yes a great many elk have and will continue to be killed with the 270.A great many elk have also been killed with 243's,257's,30-30's and muzzleloaders shooting round balls,but that does not make any of those cartridges one of the better choices for elk.They all get the job done given the right circumstances,but there are better choices that provide more insurance when the circumstances are not as favorable.If you live in elk country and are able to hunt elk regularly you can afford to pass up all but the perfect opportunities,but if you only hunt elk for a week or so per year,opportunities can be very scarce and passing them up can often result in going home empty handed.As such using a more powerful cartridge is certainly an idea that is worth considering.

As my old drunk daddy would say to the "less is better" crowd.........
if using the least amount of force is your game, then why not just slip up behind them and sprinkle salt on their tail!!!! Catch and release!!!
I once saw my brother shoot a duck out of the air with his .30-.30......but we both figured that our chances might still be slightly better with a shotgun!

Hunt On!!

People will debate what the appropriate caliber is for each game animal until the end of time.It is interesting and fun in a way.For my sense of responsibility I never want to be using something that would be considered marginal for the animal I was hunting.I am a big Jack Oconner fan and do all of my deer hunting with a .270.I have never hunted elk,I am a member of RMEF and have been for 6 or 7 years.If and when I do hunt elk,if it is with a rifle and not with a bow I will use something in a .30 caliber.
I can't possibly dispute,and wouldn't even attempt to try,someones success with a .270 on elk.If they are consistently successful and not subjecting the animal to an inhumane kill then who has a right to question.