20ga for elk
03-29-2012, 10:06 AM
#11
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Western Nebraska
Posts: 3,393
How do you know you can get a shot at 100 yards or less?
I have killed plenty of elk with shots less than 100 yards. But why would you want to limit yourself? If that cow is out there at 150 yards and that is as close as you can get, you could very well be under gunned with a 20 ga. At 200 yards you would under gunned for sure.
Again I ask, why would you want to limit yourself?
Take the 30.06 and the .270 as a backup. Take the 20 ga and use it to hunt the timber during late morning or early afternoon. The 20 ga would make a great brush or timber gun.
I have killed plenty of elk with shots less than 100 yards. But why would you want to limit yourself? If that cow is out there at 150 yards and that is as close as you can get, you could very well be under gunned with a 20 ga. At 200 yards you would under gunned for sure.
Again I ask, why would you want to limit yourself?
Take the 30.06 and the .270 as a backup. Take the 20 ga and use it to hunt the timber during late morning or early afternoon. The 20 ga would make a great brush or timber gun.
03-29-2012, 03:00 PM
#12
Spike
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Northern Indiana
Posts: 52
I hunt deer with slug guns, and i never have to worry about chasing after them, if i make any vital shot, never had one go farther than 40 yards, and for elk in the terrain you hunt them in you want them down quick, slugs have just as much if not more kinetic energy than a 30-06 or 270. They are fast handling and with today's slugs and guns. They have just the accuracy of rifles out too 150 yards. Bigger hole, more blood loss, more knockdown power.
03-29-2012, 06:44 PM
#13
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,834
I have killed 7 elk with a bow and did not have one worry about whether or not I had enough to do the job.
The 20ga, with a rifled barrel and scoped, will shoot side by side, with any modern inline muzzleloader in todays standards, taking the time to find the most accurate slug combo possible.
03-29-2012, 07:42 PM
#14
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Huntin' In Colorado
Posts: 2,910
I'm not saying a 20ga won't kill an elk. It will smoke the piss out of one.
I'm saying a 20ga is a very poor choice for elk hunting during rifle season, unless you are on private property and have a very easy hunt laid out in front of you. Or, you want to use it for a timber gun.
There is not a single real elk hunter in the world that would argue with that.
03-30-2012, 04:20 AM
#16
Typical Buck
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Colorado
Posts: 797
In later elk seasons after the elk have been hunted hard for a month or so stalking elk in snow through the trees has always been a thrill. I'll be the first to admit unless you are really adapt at throwing up a scoped rifle and making a 3 to 5 second shot. (better have your scope on low power). You'd be just as well off with a shotgun with slugs or more preferable 30-30, 444 or 45-70 or any other open sighted rifle. But most hunters don't hunt elk like that too much. They tend to watch large open area's and let hunters push elk across saddles and down canyons. Most cases unless your a tree hunter solely your going to wish you had something that would give you 300 yard capability at least. Especially if a 300 class bull or bigger steps out. Opps that will make you almost cry. Yeah it is what it is. Rifle hunt with a rifle unless you've killed so many elk that your into playing a chess game vs putting a rack on the wall and filling your freezer. I can't blame you I'm kind of in the chess game mode now.
03-31-2012, 05:04 AM
#18
Spike
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Florida
Posts: 72
I am a shotgun enthusiast and love to hunt deer with a shotgun in the brush using buckshot but I have to agree with some of the others pertaining to a longer than football field range, this happens ya know. Why in the world would someone hunt an elk with a shotgun slug over a large caliber rifle round? please enlighten me.
03-31-2012, 05:44 AM
#19
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Warren County NJ USA
Posts: 3,899
todays 20ga. (with slugs) is just as good as a .50 cal muzzleloader, but people will hunt elk with the muzzleloader but question the 20ga., even hunt elk with a bow now I too love to hunt deer/bear with the bow, and shotgun, and think the 20ga is more then enough to take down a elk, shot placement is the key
03-31-2012, 12:12 PM
#20
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Huntin' In Colorado
Posts: 2,910
todays 20ga. (with slugs) is just as good as a .50 cal muzzleloader, but people will hunt elk with the muzzleloader but question the 20ga., even hunt elk with a bow now I too love to hunt deer/bear with the bow, and shotgun, and think the 20ga is more then enough to take down a elk, shot placement is the key
They will very rarely come to a call during first rifle and they won't come to a call hardly at all after that.
Go ahead and use a 20 ga during rifle season. You will come home with tag soup more than you will come home with elk meat.
If you arguing this point you either...
A. Only have dense timber in which to hunt. Or...
B. You don't know squat about elk hunting.
I have to figure it's B.