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What kind of round do you prefer for elk?

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What kind of round do you prefer for elk?

Old 10-07-2010, 05:50 AM
  #11  
Spike
 
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if you are keeping your shots under 300yds then the 30/06 with 180 gn. accubonds is good for anything with antlers.and i ALWAYS have a full freezer to prove it.i have used mine on quite a few elk,deer,antelope,blackbears,caribou,and a pile of african plains game.and have always been imprested with bullet performance.
but if you have to have a new "elk" gun then think about the .338 win mag.or for a bit lighter recoil the .35 whelen. there both a real power house and a great insurance policy if you hunt in a grizzly bears back yard.
i think you will find the .325 to expensive to shoot alot and hard to find ammo for. and unless you shoot the 45/70 alot and really know its ballistics that 300 yd cross canyon shot is going to be a crap shoot with a short barrel 45/70. but the up close "dark timber" stuff i can think very few guns i would rather have.
good luck and hunt safe.
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Old 10-07-2010, 09:50 AM
  #12  
Typical Buck
 
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Of the two I would choose the 325WSM. It has a lot better down range performance than the 45-70 and an 8MM bullet is actually a pretty big bullet even by elk standards.

A handloaded 06 with the right bullet is good performer out to 500 yards. I load the 200 grain accubond to 2720 fps and it is more than adaquate to 500.

So I would choose the 325WSM to still hit hard up close and extend your max range a bit compared to the 45/70. Especially since your existing 06 would handle elk with athority at all 45-70 ranges.
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Old 10-07-2010, 11:21 AM
  #13  
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"I am looking into getting a rifle just for elk and am wondering which kind to get." OP

Hope this helps;

http://elkhunter2.tripod.com/index.html
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Old 10-07-2010, 01:10 PM
  #14  
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Personally if it were me, I'd get both! haha

The two cartridges have very different capabilities, even different than your '06.

From my perspective, I'd get the .325WSM first, then if you want a .45-70 brush gun later, then add it on later. From my experience, the .45-70 is a heavy hitter, but the effective range really isn't even as long as your .30-06. Those big ol 45cal pills fly like a jumpshot. I shoot a Marlin 1985 Cowboy .45-70 out to 600yrds, but it took a ladder style flip up sight to get there. The drop for my handloads at 600yrds is about 100" below a 100yrd zero.To be effective with the .45-70, you really need to "pattern" the rifle pretty extensively, taking groups every 50yrds or so and recording the trajectory on a field card, and you need to be able to very accurately estimate ranges on the fly to reference the card.

The .325WSM should fly about as flat as your .30-06, but packs a LOT more punch, pretty close to the same trajectory with a 200grn pill as the '06 in 150grn.

I also have a .45-70 Marlin 1985 Guide Gun that I LOVE LOVE LOVE for short to mid-range hunting. I use an AR-15 style dual aperture rear sight for more rapid sighting, as well as a 3-9x50mm Bushnell 3200 on QD mounts. I can get out to 300 pretty confidently, but the hold over after 400-500 gets to be ridiculous, especially out of the short barrel.

The .325WSM will be an "easier" caliber to range with, while the .45-70 will be a LOT of fun.

For EITHER cartridge, you'll want to reload, or have a friend reload for you. Factory rounds for the .45-70 are loaded pretty mild, and BOTH rounds run about $2.50 per shot for store-bought ammo. There's a lot of powder in both, but reloading will majorly improve your accuracy, plus save you about 50-75cents a shot to boot (maybe more if your brass holds up longer).
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Old 10-07-2010, 02:34 PM
  #15  
Spike
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Originally Posted by salukipv1
big and fast, .340wby, 225grs@3100fps!

If considering a .325wsm, you may consider just getting the more popular .300wsm

I'd probably say anything between the .270win and .375 to be ideal, I'd probably skip the .45-70

The .300win.mag. is probably the ideal/classic, hard to go wrong with it or any .300 mag.
I am starting to look at the 375 as a option, i am just afraid of the recoil. I have also looked at the 338 win mag, does anybody know about rugers 338 rcm?
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Old 10-07-2010, 06:37 PM
  #16  
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375H&H is like shooting a 3" mag in a 12 ga. Ive heard the 338 mags are a sharper recoil vs the 375. From a standing position, I find it very tolerable. If you can handle heavier loads in a scattergun, dont worry about if you can, just do it!lol
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Old 10-07-2010, 07:41 PM
  #17  
RWK
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325wsm all the way
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Old 10-07-2010, 07:48 PM
  #18  
Spike
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Originally Posted by streetglideok
375H&H is like shooting a 3" mag in a 12 ga. Ive heard the 338 mags are a sharper recoil vs the 375. From a standing position, I find it very tolerable. If you can handle heavier loads in a scattergun, dont worry about if you can, just do it!lol
ok, how much more is the ammo in the 375 compared to the 338? is their a certain rifle that seems to "handle" the 375 better than the others?
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Old 10-07-2010, 08:17 PM
  #19  
Giant Nontypical
 
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Why stop there, you're on a roll..........................

Take a look at the .416 Remington Magnum.

http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/416rm.html
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Old 10-07-2010, 08:24 PM
  #20  
bigcountry
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Honestly, I don't think any elk can be stopped by anything less than a 460 weatherby. That or the 500 nitro, would me my goto guns. Elk laugh at 416 rigbys. I have seen stories where a A-10 warthog had trouble downing an elk. But the gatlin gun finally got the beast.
 

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