Elk rifle minimum question.

[duckhunter175]

If you can carry and shooter a larger cartridge I would.

Simply put- "there is no kill like over kill"

Not doubt a .260 will put down an elk... right conditions, right distance, right animal position, right shot placement, etc

But things dont always go as planned... too easy to be out of range, quartered hard, slightly off on placement after humping it hard at 8-10k of elevation...

Jeff Brozovich of Long Range Only has seen hundred of elk killed by rifle and he says nothing can be compared to a .30 cal with proper bullet. Doesn't mean other choices wont kill... but he knows what will work every time...

[bpa556]

Pretty easy to do when you live where the elk are and have all season to get it done.

Little different when it’s a 9 hour trip and you may only get to go once...



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You’re right. The locals’ ability to scout and confer with other local hunters saves them a lot of boot leather locating the elk.

Once they are located, however, the playing field is now level between locals and non-residents. A modicum of patience, semi-stealthy movements and a good eye will get you within easy rifle range pretty handily.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RattlesnakeDan]

I guess there are enough responses here that you don't really need another, I will just say that I have killed more than a dozen elk in Colorado and Montana most with a .270, 135gr pill and have never needed a follow up shot. Personally I do not know how a .260 compares but if it is close to a .270 I would have confidence that I had enough gun.

[Phillip Fields]

The high sectional density of .264” bullets are some of the highest there is and what is needed for penetration. A 160gr 6.5 bullet will most likely drive deeper than a bullet out of a 300 wm. The lowly 6.5x55 has been killing moose since the 1890’s.

160 grain 6.5 bullet is Sectional Density is .328, top load for .260 Rem I found was 2597 fps

220 grain .30 bullet is Sectional Density is .331, top load for .300 Win Mag I found was 2883 fps.

I like the 6.5s, mine happens to be a .264 Win Mag which will drive a 160 gr bullet at 2886 fps.

[Trevor73402]

Yeah I’m just stopping by to see what all the Google certified ballistic experts were saying....
Give me just a min and let me find the video of the little girl dropping an elk at 700 yards with a .243 shooting a 105gr Berger.

[Trevor73402]

Yep....found it.

[ame="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hY0w1c-gf18"]Kasandra Cow elk 688yds.mp4 - YouTube[/ame]

[Phillip Fields]

Yep....found it.

Kasandra Cow elk 688yds.mp4 - YouTube

Impressive, but no one ever videos the times that the bullet fails.

[Raypo]

As I projected many post up- consensus will not be what you get on a question like this. Valid points on both sides. Like I said, from an outfitter standpoint if I tracked a wounded elk for 2 days and the client used a 260 on a bull, I would blame them. If that is the largest caliber you have, then take it. If not, I wouldn’t take it.

[Sasqy]

I will be up there and can help finish your elk off with my 300 weatherby mag when he comes running down the mountain no worries !
You can kill a grizzly with a .22 if you hit him in the eye .
Wouldn’t you rather have a little more horsepower to get the job done?
I’m just saying !!

[Trevor73402]

The 6.5 Swede (6.5x55) is a .264 cal (same as a .260 Rem) and it was developed in 1894 and has been taking elk and elk sized game ever since. It is and has been considered the standard cartridge for hunting this size game over seas. I could drive an F550 to work everyday just because I can and it’ll get me there the same as a F150.....doesn’t mean I need to though.

[Phillip Fields]

The 6.5 Swede (6.5x55) is a .264 cal (same as a .260 Rem) and it was developed in 1894 and has been taking elk and elk sized game ever since. It is and has been considered the standard cartridge for hunting this size game over seas. I could drive an F550 to work everyday just because I can and it’ll get me there the same as a F150.....doesn’t mean I need to though.

The 6.5 Swede seems to have been surpassed by the .30-06 in popularity for moose hunting overseas. The numbers will bear out that the 6.5 Swede is a very effective cartridge. I just found it interesting that an American cartridge had supplanted the Swedish cartridge even though the numbers are still close.

This sample is from Norway:\

This is not about bullet construction. Here are some of the
numbers from the Norwegian moose survey:
Code
Cartridge Animals # of Shots Moose Travel*
6.5x55 2,792 1.57 43
7mm Rem. Mag. 107 1.32 40
.308 WCF 1,314 1.67 41
.30-06 2,829 1.57 47
.300 Win. Mag. 27 1.83 16
8x57 575 1.53 57
.338 Win. Mag. 83 1.20 31
.358 Norma 219 1.16 19
9.3x57 134 1.50 41
9.3x62 449 1.50 34
.375 H&H 211 1.33 31

This sample is from Sweden survey:

CARTRIDGE: MOOSE TAKEN: # CARTRIDGES TO DOWN: METERS TO DOWN

6.5 x 55....1,717.........1.5....................41M

270 Win.........7.........1.4....................64M

7mm Rem M......75.........1.4....................47M

308 Win.......943.........1.7....................38M

3006........1,938.........1.5....................4 3M

[bphillips]

Funny thing about opinions from “oufitters” also is lots of times they aren’t any better at knowing much.

I literally had one tell me I needed at least 300wm because a previous hunter had used a 300wsm and it took multiple shots and was never recovered so it needed to be bigger than that. Haha

The guys I have hunted with in Alaska would let me use my 6.5saum on anything up there but would want to know what bullet is being used.

Which outfitter do you trust? The one who thinks it’s about caliber or the one who wants to know about the bullets construction?

[Guest.1]

The heaviest object traveling at the fastest speed has the greatest destructive power.

Kenetic energy

It's about the blend of speed and bullet weight

A quality bullet is the other part of the equation

I've taken elk with .270. You'll be fine with .260

Besides

Who wants to hike at 8k feet lugging a cannon?

Not me

After the first day you'll be ditching unnecessary weight out of your backpack

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

[Chad C]

Plenty of gun! I've killed Elk with my 25-06 shooting 120 grain Nosler Partitions.

[Texans42]

I will be up there and can help finish your elk off with my 300 weatherby mag when he comes running down the mountain no worries !
You can kill a grizzly with a .22 if you hit him in the eye .
Wouldn’t you rather have a little more horsepower to get the job done?
I’m just saying !!

Id rather be honest with my ability to handle recoil. I’ve seen a lot of animals of a life time missed because of the same advice you just gave. One being a 226” Mulie. Funny what happens when the verified 1/2 moa 300 RUM is put away and the same hunter was given the outfitters 6.5-284 to use.