What is your favorite firearm and bullet combination for elk?

[Snowrun]

Mine is 300 Winchester Magnum with 180 grain Nosler Accubonds.
I get about 3015 FPS out of them from my Remington 700 Sendero.

I am curious to see what others have found to be great combinations.

Also if anyone needs a ballistics chart worked up for hunting season let me know. (I need the bullet type and muzzle velocity as well as the altitude you plan on using it)

 

[Mendocino]

340 Weatherby with 275g Swift A frame, 90g of R25 @2886 fps. This gun and load have killed many elk, caribou, and moose. Last year I decided to put a brake on it and glad I did. I took a raghorn last November in AZ at 743 yards with it.

 

[Snowrun]

340 Weatherby with 275g Swift A frame, 90g of R25 @2886 fps. This gun and load have killed many elk, caribou, and moose. Last year I decided to put a brake on it and glad I did. I took a raghorn last November in AZ at 743 yards with it.

340 Weatherby is an awesome cartridge. Have you seen the new 300 grain hunting bullet from Berger? I was telling Kevin about it for his .338 the other day. The thing has a G1 BC of .818 (g7 of .419) which is super impressive.

 

[AHorseThief]

I shoot a Ruger M77 in 7mm Rem Mag.

I've been using Sierra GameKing 175 gr bullets with 58 grains of RL22 powder.

In our group we've got 3 guys who shoot 7mm Mag and 1 gal who shoots a 270. They seem to get the job done.

 

[wesintl]

odd six 180gr nutin fancy. tried and true years before me.

 

[Caribou Sandstorm]

What Larger has....I think it is a Sig

 

[4Mogger]

Accuracy International modded, AAC suppressed, Remington 700 in 300 Blackout. 220 grain BTHP's. Just finished the build. One deer, no elk yet.
My gunsmith has taken many elk with his. I have enough brass now so I will be loading up some 200 grain subsonics from Lehigh Defense.

 

[Snowrun]

Accuracy International modded, AAC suppressed, Remington 700 in 300 Blackout. 220 grain BTHP's. Just finished the build. One deer, no elk yet.
My gunsmith has taken many elk with his. I have enough brass now so I will be loading up some 200 grain subsonics from Lehigh Defense.

That is a great setup. A 300 Blackout with a can in on my bucket list.
How uncomfortable is it to shoot without muffs? BTW if you up around Denver and want to do a shooting day give me a ping. (I am a member of a private club with a 1000 yard range)

 

[4Mogger]

That is a great setup. A 300 Blackout with a can in on my bucket list.
How uncomfortable is it to shoot without muffs? BTW if you up around Denver and want to do a shooting day give me a ping. (I am a member of a private club with a 1000 yard range)

I was about 50 yards away across a corn field when my son shot his deer with it... I saw him walking toward me and assumed he had not gotten one until I saw the big smile on his face. I never heard the shot.
I would compare it to a pellet gun-- the bullet striking the target is louder then the report.
It takes some getting used to with the bullet drop. I put a nightforce on it with the new MOAR reticle and with a rangefinder it is pretty quick and easy to figure out and shoot confidently. Some expanding bullets would definitely help though as even a subsonic OTM bullet goes right through.

 

[4Mogger]

and thanks for the invite! I am also a member of a private range about a mile from my house but it tops out at about 800 yards. I have a 1700 yard range off my back porch though...
So if you are around Montrose, come over and shoot!

 

[LXBRADY]

I shot an AK47 a couple of weeks ago....me thinks a Russian made assault rifle would work.

 

[Snowrun]

I shot an AK47 a couple of weeks ago....me thinks a Russian made assault rifle would work.

Should we start calling you AKBRADY?

 

[Corbet]

I'm a fan of the old standard .30-06 mine is a Browning A-bolt stainless stalker model. I have not started reloading yet but will this winter. Got all the ingredients just need to sit down and give it a go. But I like 180g bullets for Elk.

I shot an AK47 a couple of weeks ago....me thinks a Russian made assault rifle would work.

If you want in the game I've got your hardware. Russian VEPR .308 I'd part with mine as I don't shoot it much.

 

[Red_Chili]

Browning A bolt 300WSM here, 180gr. Nosler Ballistic Silvertips with 69gr. H4831SC. I don't have a chronometer but figure ~2900fps as a guess. Shoots extremely accurately. Not that I had a chance this year to test that out on an actual elk though...

For antelope, 150gr. BST do nicely.

I also have a bedded thumbhole stocked M77 MkII .308 with trigger work and a 4.5x14 Burris BallisticPlex scope. Shoots dimes. Just a bit more drop than the 300. Less punishing (not nearly as light as it was with the fugly plastic stock). Lately it seems I've been letting other (new) hunters use it... something wrong with this picture.

I am having a lot of fun with a Savage .243 too, just need to work out loads for it. It likes Federal factory 100gr. and hates Remington. Quite a difference really. Too light for elk though. Dandy for deer and lopes.

 

[JadeRunner]

Standard Remington Express Core-Lokt 30-06 165 grain for me now. 19.99 a box and my standard. I have good consistency now in the range and field just from standardizing. Should have done that a long time ago..

For years I played around with different fancy bullets and for my first 10 years or so I used 180 grain. Then I realized long shots (over 300yrds) weren't for me. Too much inconsistency. I was tired of either missing elk or wounding them. Also, the comfortable shots I did take around 200 yards easily went right through the elk and it took multiple shots and a while to take them down. 165 grain bullets stay in the animal and they go down easier in my experience with the closer shots I have been taking.