Caliber for elk

Yeah one of my best friends growing up started out with a Mosen to hunt dear and elk. You have to look a little harder to find good hunting rounds but they are out there. His old man was a hand loader too and would make up some lethal rounds for it. I was no problem to shoot out to 250 yards with it, iron sights. It was designed as an 800 meter rifle. We all had to make our bones with old iron sight guns before we could get something nicer. Of course we were only 13 or 14.

Nothing wrong with iron sights that the way it should be when you first start

I've been hunting elk with a .308 for 40 years, long before it become the fad and I've lost count on how many I've put down with one shot. When you hit 'em, they go down!

7.62 x 39 is NOT suitable. THe mosin is a suprisingly decent rifle and IS suitable with soft point amunition. You have to match your bullet to shot placement. A soft bullet like the interbond or cheapo 7.62x54 soft point -heart lungs. Puts em down right now. Hard bullet like the barnes- shoulder also puts em right down. 6.5s too light IMHO
Mininum- 270, 7 mag better, 3006 better 30 mag best.

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Originally Posted by streetglideok

There is no such thing as too big a caliber for elk, but there is plenty of calibers too small for them. Anything that reliably puts the meat in the freezer, and I do not mean using a 223 and popping the critter in the neck. If your shot is off a little, well, you just wounded an animal, and showed a lack of respect towards hunting. Plenty of calibers will kill elk reliably. 45/70 with good loads will drop them at less then 100yard with authority. 375H&H will put them down at nominal hunting ranges.

The most important thing is to pick a gun you will shoot, and shoot alot, and accurately.

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So .50BMG is good to go? 700 Nitro Express? 120mm main gun from an M1 Abrams? I can personally tell you that .50API and 105mm from an M60 tank do not leave much left from cows. (Open range cattle on a firing range at night back before thermal sights, using IR illumination, the old azimuth/elevation days. Getting into the M1 was like heaven)

I always have to smile when I hear about all the 'hand-held artillery pieces' so many people recommend.

I'm originally from western Montana and we, my dad, brothers and I, always had our tags filled during the first week. Biggest caliber in the house was .30-06.

I grew up around a ton of 'old timers' that only owned .270's and their back yards were filled with stacks of racks.

Personally, I've taken 1 bull and 1 cow with a .243, several bulls & cows with .270, a couple with .308 and a few more with my .30-06.

This coming season I hope to take one with a new Quigley Sharps in .45-70.

As others have said, shot placement is the most critical part.

Sure I have a brother that now uses a .338. But it still takes him 2 or more shots and usually at least one shoulder or rump roast is gone.

But that is the beauty of America (at lest for now). We can differ and have the ability and freedom (at least for now) to make choices based on our own needs, abilities and wants.

30-06 is the way to go. 45-70 with Hornady Leverlution I think 200 yards

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Originally Posted by xring

Mininum- 270, 7 mag better, 3006 better 30 mag best.

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Bah! I'd take a 7 mag over an 30-06 any day. Much better ballistics, and plenty of energy for the beast, out a good ways away. The 30-06 is a fine caliber for elk (as is the 308win). I just disagree with your ordering there.

Though I agree with your extremes. 270 minimum, 300mag is excellent (what I shoot for elk). Though if I didn't have the 300mag, I would be OK with a heavy load in my WBY 257 mag, probably more so than a 270win.

I'm hoping to use my grandfather's very early model 70 in 300 H&H to take an elk this season. He lived in Florida, and bought it specificaly to come to Colorado to hunt in the late 40s. I believe its been a safe queen ever since that trip. Unfortunately he died a few moths ago.

I'm sure a magnum is more than enough for an elk, I would be comfortable with .308 or .30-06.

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Originally Posted by armstrong001

I'm hoping to use my grandfather's very early model 70 in 300 H&H to take an elk this season. He lived in Florida, and bought it specificaly to come to Colorado to hunt in the late 40s. I believe its been a safe queen ever since that trip. Unfortunately he died a few moths ago.

I'm sure a magnum is more than enough for an elk, I would be comfortable with .308 or .30-06.

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Im sorry for your loss. I understand that its nice to hunt with a heirloom.
You probably already know this but early model 70s tend to have substantial collector value to the extent that very few of them are in the field for fear of loss of value. Your choice, it may be worth more to you to use the gun

I will be using a 6.5x55 Swede with 140gr soft point