I've killed 34 bull elk, don't know how many cow elk, and packed out with my horse string many for others. Additionally, being a gun nut, I've used lots of calibers, .270, 7mm Rem Mag, 30-06, 300 Win Mag, 338 Win Mag, 358 Norma Mag and 375 H & H. They all worked fine. Know your rifle's limitations and your own. Also use high quality bullets. Interestingly, two of three elk that took more than one bullet, I was using the 270 with 130 grain Nosler Partitions, O'Connor's mythical caliber and bullet. Both bulls were hit well with the first shot.

Most important factor putting an elk down? Plenty of practice position shooting and get in good physical shape. Preparation is key. Your first shot is your best shot, use it wisely.

Lightweight rifle? No you are steadier with substance between your hands.

Bolt action? Yes and yes.

Knock down power? Yes, but not too much to handle, fear of recoil is no good.

Favorite model? Elk show up when weather is bad, go synthetic and stainless.

Oh, favorite caliber? Hard to beat a 300 Win Mag. Uses to use 200 grain bullets. Barnes Triple Shock 180's changed that.

All good comments. The .270 is the starting point for an elk rifle. Any of the .30's faster than 2700 fps and 7mm Mags are great; however I prefer my .35 Whelen bolt action for accuracy and penetration. Anything larger is extra oomph, but not needed.

300 Win Mag, 180 gr Tripple Shock. 700 Remington. Very Flat, hits with enough umph and if you happen to be in Grizzly country......no worries.

I use a 30-06. I see those guys out there with .300 RUM and .338 Win rifles and laugh. If you are a decent shot and know your limitations you'll have no problem taking down any size elk with a .270, 30-06, 25-06,or 7mm. As far as the range argument, if you cant get close enough to an elk to use a 30-06 or 7mm with ranges of over 700 yds, you should stick to watching the guys on TV. Also with all that recoil your flinching is going to hinder you more than a smaller cartridge. As far as my favorite model goes, I prefer a Ruger 77 or Remington 700, although th Ruger #1 is also an excellent rifle. If you work on your shot placement and reloading speed you can use a single shot rifle, but if you do have to use a follow up shot a bolt action is nice. The weight factor is up to you. Too heavy and you start to get tired of carrying it around, too light and it will be hard to steady and there will be more felt recoil.

Happy Hunting

I believe the best medicine to take down a mature Elk would be the 7mm rem. mag with 175 gr. Nosler partition, or the Speer grand slam 180 gr. bullet. I would prefer not to by over the counter ammo. If you are a reloader so much the better, if not. I would try to find a very experienced hand loader and put together a load combination of cci large rifle mag. primer, 59 grs. of imr-4350. This is a flat shooting round and the imr-4350 powder provides a softer recoil. I have shot a 7 mag. Ruger m-77r since 1979. Iam a very precise hand loader, and have taken animals from 20 yards to 410 yards all with one shot kills. I have had guys that want to buy my rifle after they see it shoot. What most don't know is that it isn't the rifle but the hand loaded cartridge and the ability to know the balletic behavior of the load over the varied distances. Think about it and give it a try. Elk hunting for most is a expensive adventure and a good load can make or break the hunt. Good Luck. Al

Elk are thin skinned, so you don't really need a huge caliber. A 270 will do the job, though I think I'd vote for a 30/06 or 7 mm bolt action, just to get a bit more power. Weight depends on whether you are going to be on a horse or ATV or if you're hiking.

There are many calibers that will work fine for Elk. The key to me is a quality bullet. I use nothing but Barnes Triple Shock bullets. I have recently switched to their Tipped Triple Shocks. This bullet will make a marginal caliber an Elk stopper. My son uses a 25-06 with 115 grain TSX and it drops them immediately. I use a 8.5 Lb. M700 in 7mmSTW with 140 grain TTSX for hunts that may require a long shot and a 8 LB. Custom Mauser 98 in 338-06 Ackley with 225 grain TTSX for shorter mountain type hunts. Weight and handling is important for any hunting rifle. I bought a Weatherby Accumark 30-378 and I felt like I was carrying a telephone pole. Sold it after one hunt.

Amen Brother Happy Myles!

One thing, I had a 300 Win Mag and sold it for $150 and replaced it with a 25-06 and never looked back. For Elk? I'm spoiled on the 338 Win Mad 225 grain and it has the basic trajectory of a 30-06 165 grain

I do believe a 7mm mag will do the trick.

Sure, you can kill an elk with a .270, but why play that game? I like to see bullets heavier than 150 for something as big as a bull elk. Look at an elk, and look at a .277" diameter bullet. Makes me nervous. Elk are really big, so go with .30 caliber and up so you can use those tougher, heavier bullets.

A .30/06 is great for versatility if you, like most people, can't afford a rifle for every hunt. You have 180 grain TSX's and 200 grain A-frames at your disposal. If the '06 doesn't provide enough range for you in those weights, then maybe you should reconsider your status as a hunter. But on the other hand, a .300 magnum or .338 is in no way too much gun for elk. Wouldn't even call the underrated but crushing little .350 magnum too big. Again, they are pretty durned big.

In the trees, use a Marlin lever gun in something that starts with a 4.

carney-you're correct. but pumps and levers aren't my idea big game rifle. levers are okay, pumps-NO. they're fast, but like WA said, PUMPS AND LEVERS ARE CHAMBERED IN CALIBERS THAT YOU WILL NEED FOLLOW UP SHOT. bolt actions are a more reliable shot, better calibers, yeah. with a bolt, you shouldnt need a follow up shot if you've been practicing.

It's been said the .30-30 has taken more animals in North America than any other round out there. So as for Elk(and ex guide)I'd say START in the .30 cal. range and move up as needed.
Worked for a guy in Colo. that took them(regular) with a .243 but would'nt let anybody hunt with anything smaller than .300 Win. Mag. The "Great Eraser" he called them.

According to Handloads.com recoil calculator, the .35 Whelen puts out 26.7 ft Lbs of recoil in an 8 lb gun. The .358 Norma has 37.4 ft lbs of recoil at a faster rate in the same weight rifle. No thanks. I'll let the manly men shoot that one.

Yep, I like my .35 Whelen for elk just because I'm too big a wimp to shoot the .338 mags and ultra mags. It works for me and I tend not to fix things that aren't broke! I never had the opportunity to take an elk with the 250 grain loads, either. Just one with a 200 grain Remington before the 225 gr TBBC came out. I also used some 225 gr A-Frame's from Superior Ammunition that worked fine, but were a little pricey. I handload now, so if I run out of 225 gr TBBC, I'll cook up something else.

WMH

Best medicine for elk on a hand load (correction)! the Speer grand slam bullet is 175 gr. not the 180 gr. as mentioned. This was a typo. error Speer does not make a 180 gr. grand slam in 7mm Rem. Mag. So both the Nosler partition and the Speer Grand Slam bullet are 175 gr.All the rest of the info is correct. pardon my error.

Basicly what Mr. Boddington is saying the .30 cal is a better starting point. Don't forget he was a sniper instructor and they(military) use the .308 in excess of 1000 yds on human targets.

Thin skinned or not, I believe it's essential for shot placement, hitting the vitals. My last bull was quartering away from me. I held a bit to forward and took him through the left shoulder. That just seemed to PO him. Next shot jelled his lungs and that put him down for keeps. I hunt with a 270 Rem., shoot 150 gr. handloaded grandslams. Last 5 buuls have been shot with that load and has worked well for me!

I couldn't agree with you more. HONESTY about your true self as a hunter is very important. A lot of guys want to buy the big magnums, just for "statement", but can't even hit a barn for their life. I live in the Pacific Northwest and have used my "06 and 300 Win Mags for elk.

During my 4 year tour in Alaska, I’ve witnessed more on any given Saturday either out on the Tundra or on the Range than some of those in a lifetime. One of the questions I’ve been asked is, what is the best rifle? What are you planning to hunt and are you able to reliably able to hit a pie plate at the maximum range of you ability. I can hit a target just as good with my 338 Win Mag 225 grain as my 30-06 with a 165 grain. I don’t take offhand shots, all are either sitting or kneeling using a Military 1 ¼ sling NRA High Power style. The key question is, does the rifle fit you, is the length between the butt and trigger is correct and proper eye relief on the scope etc etc, is the cartridge suitable for the game and above all can you shoot “MOP” (Minute Of Pie plate) at the maximum range you plan to hunt. In my younger years and 60 pounds ago, I wouldn’t give a second thought using a 25-06 with a 120 grain Nosler. My choice now will be my Browning A-Bolt 338 Win Mag tried and proven.

Savage 111 in .30-06, it gets the job done. Mine is easy to carry, accurate and didn't cost an arm and a leg. You can go fancy and all of that but .30-06 ammo will always be available (unless the current administration outlaws it) and it can take just about any NA game animal.

I own and hunted Elk with a Sako 338 win mag for years, successfully in the 80's and 90's. Put a muzzle break on it, and now hardly ever use the rifle due to th noise. I won a Browning X Bolt in 338 at an RMEF Banquet last year, took it to the range and it was very accurate and not near ae bad recoil as my old Sako Fiberclass.Lately, I have been using a 300 WSM in a Weatherby (howa)action with their sub moa barrel. A fine shooter, stout and heavy enough, along with a nice recoil pad, for practice in positions with out developing flinches. So that Weaterby 300WSM, sub moa rifle is my favorite round and rifle for Wapiti, though the new Browning is also making a stron case for my field time.

Many good posts on this topic, and I agree with 268bull; Shot placement is vital. I also agree with many here that the minimum caliber for Elk is the .270 Winchester.
I Like a bolt gun, in general,but I have used my lever 45/70 when I know I will be working the close cover/brush patches.
My bolt action is a .270, but now I have added the .35 Whelen to my battery of weapons. I think the .35's larger bullet can deliver a harder punch when everything is said and done a bigger bullet gets it done better with Elk!

Henry, elk have thick skin, not thin. That being said I feel that the .270/.25-06 are a little on the light side. I've used the .30-06 with great success, moved up to .300 Win. Mag. for more range. The one you feel most comfortable with is the one you need to use, but weight can add up, up in the mountains.

Yep, the same guys who fish for big trout with 2 lb test leaders.

R Jones-
Marlin is changing the game of lever actions with their XLR series of lever calibers. Longer range lever evolution ammo will definately fit in Elk country applications, and you know how much us American hunters like our lever guns!
By the way, not ALL LEVERS ARE CHAMBERED IN CALIBERS THAT NEED A FOLLOW-UP SHOT. Just ask the ELK that fell to my 45/70! Oops, that's right he dropped on the spot!

RJ-
Yes, the 30-30 is by far a very popular lever caliber but keep your eye on the up-coming Marlin calibers;.308,.338,and possibly a 7mm or .270 caliber in the near future for the Marlin lever?

I read an interesting article the other day about a modified Wildcat sort of cartridge loaded by Hill Country Rifles. The parent cartridge,.338 Win Mag, necked up to .358 caliber. This round is twin to the .375 H&H in ballistics with a slightly flatter flight path. Granted it probably kicks like a mule, but with a .35 cal bullet it can't kick as much as the H&H, and still remains a good choice for all North American game.

I have fired a .358 Norma Magnum with 250 grain bullets from a M-70 Winchester (formerly a .300 WM) rebarreled for that cartridge. It clearly identified all the potentially loose fillings in my teeth. An uncle who shot a .338 Win Mag for years refused to fire it again. The M70 was about an 8 pound rifle ....ouch. I'll stick to the .35 Whelen. Most rifles chambered for the .375 H&H seem to be on average much heavier.

I'm not sure that an elk is that much tougher than a moose, having never shot a moose. Elk have the tendency to run long distances in rough terrain if poorly hit. From the TV shows, it looks like a moose likes to find a deep pond or lake to die in. The cartridges listed by 'libertyfirst' will darn sure drop elk at the ranges he mentioned, no doubt.

Those rifles will keep the makers of 800 mg Motrin in business for years!

I was rummaging around my safe last night and came across 2 boxes of Remington .35 Whelen 250 grain soft points. Only 1 was missing from the one box. The price on them was $18.95, so they have been there a couple of years. As I recall, they will put an owee on you, too. I used them to hunt dark timber where shots would be less than 100 yards. Real effective on any beast at that range. I would never want to face a mad grizzly, but that load would be as adequate as anything else that is man-portable.

Ralph

Right you are! I don't know if the 250 grainer would be any more effective than the 225 grain load at the higher velocity. It just sounded better at the time and maybe it still is. I got those when the only other factory load was the 200 grain Core Lokt. I had the Whelen zero'ed for 200 yards with the 2oo gr and 100 yards for the 250 gr. Never shot a game animal with the 250 gr, only one unfortunate coyote. I shot one deer and two cow elk with the 200 gr and they didn't go far since shot placement was good and the range was fairly close.

Good hunting!

ALL GOOD COMMENTS...WILL THROW IN MY 2 CENTS TOO...I USE A 30-06
MILITARY A-3..03..W/A SPORTER STOCK AND 26" BRL...HAVE A 3-15 SCOPE AND SHOOT A 180 GR NOSLER PART ON ELK...HAVENT HAD A ELK RUN AWAY IN ALL THE YEARS I BEEN HUNTING..WENT DOWN ON THE FIRST SHOT...BULLETT PLACEMENT IS THE KEY TO ANY BIG GAME OR ANY HUNTING...KNOW YOUR WEAPON AND USE IT WISELY....

159%? Do I hear 160%? OK just kidding RJ-You are righ, of course-- shot placement is very important indeed to take any animal cleanly!

Sounds like all is forgiven for ole' JZ

300 WSM Vanguard SS in EDGE stock with Timney trigger and GubKote, by Hil Country. Shoots everything less than an inch. it's light enough, and don't wail on me so use it for everything now, sheep, moose deer elk

I have never hunted Elk, but would be very confident doing so with a 180gr Hornady lightmagnum load in my '06.

I've never been elk hunting but I do know that on any game it is far more important where the bullet goes than how big it is.

If you can handle a 300 or a 338 mag great, you can shoot from farther away than you could with a 270 or a 308.

If that big gun makes you flinch and miss it is of no help to you at all and a 270 would be better for you.

BE HONEST about what you can handle and practice with it until you find your max range you can accurately make a kill zone shot.

If I was going elk hunting I would not hesitate to take my 270 and I would keep my shots on elk like I do on deer to no more than 200 yards.

7mm Rem Mag on the light side for elk? What a bozo! Anyone who makes that statement either is looney or not been around many elk camps. I guess if the sponsors are paying you to use the Uber mag of the day on guided canned hunt, anything is possible.

Boddington was a USMC reservist and an officer. I doubt he was ever a sniper instructor having read lots of his hot air.

He is a hot dog fer sure. I gave up reading 'Hunting' magazine because of his contradictory articles from year to year. Listen to some of the dumb things he says on Guns & Ammo TV.