John Lentz Posted December 20, 2004 Share Posted December 20, 2004 My name is John Lentz and I live and work on the Apache reservation in Northeast Arizona. I want to go on an Elk hunt next season and need suggestions as to what is the best rifle, caliber and scope size to get that will have the best chance of knocking down a bull. thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tucker301 Posted December 20, 2004 Share Posted December 20, 2004 The 7mm magnum and 300 magnum are popular choices for elk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ande1497 Posted December 20, 2004 Share Posted December 20, 2004 I'm a single shot hunter, when it comes to big game. i love the Thompson Center Encore you can use it as a .50cal blackpowder, or change the barrel out from a .22 to a 375 h & h. You only get one shot with the encore. It all comes down to what you want and what you need. if you want an all around good elk gun buy a 30-06 they are a good all around gun and there alot of them. RG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8 Shot M1 Super 90 Posted December 22, 2004 Share Posted December 22, 2004 Go with a Remington 700 in 7mm mag with a leupold 3x9 this is a great combo that will drop anything from deer to elk, and if you are good, moose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CKuwitzky Posted January 19, 2005 Share Posted January 19, 2005 John, You can hunt elk with a 30/30 if you want to, it just limits your options. I bought a Sako .270WSM last year with the intent of hunting North American large game down to Texas white tail. When I did my homework, I looked at ballistic tables and talked with hunters and sales folks. I came away choosing the .270WSM because I could deliver 1769-2172# of energy @ 300 yds. The highest energy 300 Winmag load delivers 2428# @ 300 yds. The additional 256# of energy wasn't worth the extra punch of the 30 caliber. I felt like I would be more accurate with the .270WSM and that would more than make up for the lower energy. I topped mine off with a Zeiss 3.5x10x44. I am very happy with my setup. Works great. Good Luck! CK [ 01-18-2005, 10:18 PM: Message edited by: CKuwitzky ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mak48 Posted June 28, 2005 Share Posted June 28, 2005 I own a ruger m77 mark2 in 30-06 and i would not hesitate to take an elk if given the opportunity. Great gun it shoots M.O.A. with my bushnell elite scope. 3-9x by 40mm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbeIIfan Posted June 28, 2005 Share Posted June 28, 2005 what is the diffrence betwen 30-30 and 30-06/ i shoot and love 30-30. this is the kid by the way. My 30-30 gives no kick wich i love. Man do I hate 31/2 shells. ahhh brutal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butch-M Posted June 28, 2005 Share Posted June 28, 2005 I vote for the .300 WinMag for the versatility. You can own it for a lifetime and use it on anything in the Americas, no mater what you may decide to hunt ten years from now. Without getting into the custom stuff, I own a Winchester Model 70, a Browning BAR, a Remington 700 BDL and an Encore ... all are excellent guns. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Ruger either. For a scope ... depending on your budget; Leupold is good, Kahles is better: Zeiss and/or Swarovski are the best. Personally, if you have it ... I'd suggest investing any extra money you have in the scope ... you won't regret it. 3-9x40mm is enough scope and they're very common, but anything from a 2-7 to a 3-12 will work fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mak48 Posted June 28, 2005 Share Posted June 28, 2005 sbeII, the 30-30 is usually a lever gun and short range because of the shape of the bullet and less powder in the case. my -06 could bring a deer down at 500 yards depending on ammunition, but it kicks a lot more than a 30-30, then again im only 15 and i shoot a .338 win mag pretty often and the recoil doesnt really bother me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tucker301 Posted June 28, 2005 Share Posted June 28, 2005 I was a Remington disciple for a lot of years. Last year, I bought my R1. Last month, I bought a Savage varmint rifle. In out-of-the box performance and value, Savage cannot be beaten by anyone. Mine is without a doubt the best shooting mass-production rifle I have ever owned, at any price. The cool thing is, that's pretty much the rule with Savage. Downside, Savage factory stocks suck in a huge way. I just ordered my third aftermarket stock in an effort to find something I like. I think I got it right this time with Bell & Carlson. sbeIIfan, Jr. Shot placement, confidence in the weapon, knowledge of its capabilities, and a lack of fear of getting the crap kicked out of you are all more important than shooting the biggest calibers. Consider a 270 or 308 for your current needs. Bolt action for stand and still hunting, or a semi-auto for driven game. Either caliber, with good shot placement and proper load selection, will easily drop anything in the midwest in its tracks. Spend time on the bench, but also practicing off-hand shots. If you can, get into varmint hunting as a means by which to sharpen your skills. After you dump a few woodchucks at 250-300 yards, a whitetail will look like a fat elephant. Learn the ballistics of your chosen load, and push the limits with varmints and targets. I have even used a printed sticker on my stock of my new varmint rifle until I've commited the charts to memory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdkidaho Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 Originally posted by tucker301: Shot placement, confidence in the weapon, knowledge of its capabilities, and a lack of fear of getting the crap kicked out of you are all more important than shooting the biggest calibers. Biggest does not equal best. I fully agree with the statement above. Where I am from the 30-06 is a very popular weapon for elk, and I am definitely in elk country. I grew up 40 miles north of Jackson Hole Wyoming, and so I'm familiar with elk, deer and moose hunting. A 30-06 is a well rounded weapon of choice, and I would have to agree that the 7mm or 300 mag are as well. But, with this exception: As I have mentioned in other threads, I really dislike being kicked while I shoot. So, while the 30-06 is a great weapon, I killed my first elk with a .243 and since then I have never been of the opinion that I needed the biggest caliber anything to be an efficient or effective hunter. Were it me buying a new hunting rifle I would seriously be considering a 280, and as Tucker said, Savage Arms. They make a good gun at an affordable price. Of course if you don't mind the kick, by all means, go with a larger bore and choose the 30-06, 7mm, or 300mag. As for me... I'll be sticking with my feathered friends for one reason: Once their dead, the fun isn't over, and I can carry several back to the truck without breaking a sweat. Big game hunting is a blast, I really have enjoyed it in my life, but, my wife and daughters won't eat the wild game, and it's too much like work once the critter is dead. I suppose if I was concerned with trophy hunting I would get back into it, but... I'm not. These aren't mine, well, the antelope is, the rest are Dads: Left to right: Pine Martin. Rocky Mtn. Bighorn. 6x6 Bull Elk. 14"+ Antelope. 30 pound Lake Trout. We did plenty of hunting, fishing, and trapping growing up. Good memories. Good luck with your choice of gun. Oh, and were it me, I'd go stainless and synthetic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbeIIfan Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 My dad shot his with a 30/30. If you want to shoot one shot then do so, but I like to keep an extra one in the magazine so if I miss I **** the gun real fast and shoot it. Then I can say I shoot an elk that was running and elk are veryfast! I have bragging rights for a year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbeIIfan Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 My dad shot his with a 30/30. If you want to shoot one shot then do so, but I like to keep an extra one in the magazine so if I miss I **** the gun real fast and shoot it. Then I can say I shoot an elk that was running and elk are veryfast! I have bragging rights for a year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbeIIfan Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 My dad shot his with a 30/30. If you want to shoot one shot then do so, but I like to keep an extra one in the magazine so if I miss I **** the gun real fast and shoot it. Then I can say I shoot an elk that was running and elk are veryfast! I have bragging rights for a year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbeIIfan Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 They cursed out c*ck. LOL! You know what I mean though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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