Yep I will be the first to admit that but little room for errors the smaller the caliber, the 223 at 600y only has around 500lbs of energy, pretty small amount for a deer much less a elk. oh well still dreaming of hunting them and will really worry about choices if it happens lol
Elk rifle
- Thread starter cecil30-30
- Start date
Ive killed sixteen bulls with a number 1 ruger single shot 7mm mag. 160 grain noslers. Also sev with a bow. If an arrow kills em, most any rifle will.
7mm08
Well-Known Member
Glad it found a permanent and deserving home..
I love keyboard warriors telling people with more experience than them in something how they should do it. Bet you'll never have a guide recommend a 223 that takes people elk hunting for a living. Its just that simple.
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Ridgeline300
Well-Known Member
How many were wounded never to be found though, yes they will kill if shot placement was perfect every time but how many hunters are perfect. I'm a great shot and would feel confident putting my skills to the test against anyone, not saying I'm better but just as good as anyone but I'm humble enough to know that in the heat of the moment I'm not perfect every time and for that reason alone I would never elk hunt with anything less than a 300wm and would probably carry a .338 which I've killed several animals with. You can accidentally be off the mark a few inches and still kill animals with these rifles and no way that happens with .243, 6.5's etc.
Ridgeline300
Well-Known Member
I was buying a box of .338 one time and the guy in line behind me had some smart remarks about it and how a 243 is all you need. I ask him how many deer he lost in his lifetime, he said a few and that anyone who has hunted long enough has lost a few I said I haven't and he shut up.
JK19902
Active Member
I have a Bergara in 28 Nosler if interested….no wood stock though.I've got a hankering to buy a new rifle. Just can't settle on one. I'd like it to be for elk and mule deer if and when I get those hunts started. It's a good excuse to buy one.I want it to be in 300 win mag. I'd like to get one of the new Remington 700 cdl. But I can't decide if they are worth a flip or not. I keep seeing Bergara B-14 pop up in my search. I have no experience with bergara. I want one with a wood stock. Personal preference. The bergara has a 24 inch barrel. Would I be hurting myself with a 24 inch barreled 300 win mag?
Same could be said for any caliber, if you cant hit the lungs the size of grocery bags, should you even be hunting
Ridgeline300
Well-Known Member
How many deer/elk you lost, lol. I agree anyone should be able too but we know a lot don't. Yeah same could be said for any caliber but how much you want to bet that way more are lost to small calibers. Name your $$$ and I'll bet you!Same could be said for any caliber, if you cant hit the lungs the size of grocery bags, should you even be hunting
Game is lost with small cals because people don't shoot them where they are supposed to. A good friend of mine went to the .243 win last season. The old timers warned him it don't have "knockdown power" the bullets will blow up on a shoulder, etc.
He shot a buck right "behind the shoulder" and it ran like it was not hit. He hit again and accidentally hit it right through both shoulders folding it like a cheap towel as the bullet broke both shoulders. His first shot "right behind the shoulder" so it wouldn't blow up was the rear of the liver and through the front of the guts. He was told the small cal just couldn't handle a deer shoulder, lol.
Listening to people that have no idea what they were talking about just about cost him a nice buck.
His nephew made a similar shot on a deer that was walking with a 30/06 and 180gr RN, one through the guts and then had to hit it again as it was leaving so the larger cal didn't make up for poor shooting.
A good friend has lost 1 deer in his life, he made a poor shot with a 7 rem mag and 150 corelokts.
Poor shooting is poor shooting
I'd also bet of all the deer/elk lost, they were "shot perfect."
No other way to say it! Doesn't matter what you hit them with if you ain't putting it where it counts.
I was there when my friend was trashing the 243 win on his first shot. I told him before we got to the deer he made a terrible shot, "double lunged him." Imagine his surprise when we opened him up, lol.
Lots of people don't know anatomy of animals, they don't take angles into consideration and for some reason they are terrified of a shoulder bone so they usually hit them 4-6" farther back than they should then naturally it's the fault of the cartridge.
Every animal lost and not found was hit perfect no matter the weapon. Bow, rifle, spear, fixed head, mechanical, etc
As a kid, when we'd miss a deer we always got asked, where was you holding lol. Never failed, behind the shoulder!
Ive lost two with a bow due to the river, 1 with a muzzle loader which was completely my fault, zero with a rifle(have missed a few along the way
) bullet selection and shooter error has lead to more lost animals than any caliber selection.
Me too
i used to have a bad oroblem of lifting my noggin to see if i hit it a little to quick
We wanted to watch that poor Bambi fall!Me too
. We all grew up with a 30-06. I had no business shooting one and I'd guess most people today don't either. I'll agree with what someone said a month ago on this same thread, shoot as much gun as you can handle, problem is most people are shooting too much and won't admit it.
Very true ! Got a 300 win i can almost one hole five shots , but i have a 270 and 243 that i wouldnt be afraid to shoot anything in the US with the proper bullet selectionWe wanted to watch that poor Bambi fall!
We all grew up with a 30-06. I had no business shooting one and I'd guess most people today don't either. I'll agree with what someone said a month ago on this same thread, shoot as much gun as you can handle, problem is most people are shooting too much and won't admit it.
Ridgeline300
Well-Known Member
I agree but still doesn't mean you're right and I'm wrong. Fact is hunters will make poor shots regardless and many times IF they had more firepower in their hands it would have still resulted in a recovered animal. You can lie to yourself and whoever else you want to but it will never change the fact that more animals are lost due to underpowered rifles. Facts are facts. Yes, a 243 will kill every animal you shoot at IF you wait for perfect shot angles and IF you put the bullet where it is supposed to be but we all know that doesn't happen.
So the animal that my friend lost with a 7 mag would have been recovered with more firepower? I'm not lying to anyone. People that think that extra horsepower makes up for yugo shooting would be the ones telling tales.
Facts are facts, people hit animals poorly. You can lie to yourself all you want but that doesn't change the facts. Poorly hit animals may or may not be recovered regardless of what they're hit with, that's another fact.
As for waiting for perfect angles, no. There isn't an angle I would pass with my 243 that I would take with a larger cartridge. I shoot stout bullets that will get the job done in everything I shoot. That's more of BS touted by people, having to wait for perfect angles.
Again, poor shooting is poor shooting. One guy around here went away from his .338 Win Mag because it just didn't kill good and he lost a few deer. Last I heard he was using a 375 H&H, he also invested in a dog to help track. Apparently hitting them in the guts and in the ass isn't super effective with anything, it's almost like you need to hit them where you're supposed to.
All this to say.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... .308. Easy on the shoulder and enough "umph" to kill an elk
