New Elk Hunter Needs Help

[Jon Wills]

I am a waterfowler but am planning on going back to CO next year with a couple buddies. I need rifle / scope and binocs. what caliber? scope power? binocs? do i need a spotting scope? it is a guided hunt. thank you!

 

[Litch]

.300 Win Mag, 3x9 variable scope, 10x42 Binocs. Without specifics on how much you want to spend, it is hard to recommend any brands.

 

[JNDEER]

7mm rem mag 175 gr bullet. 4-12 vortex scope and 10x42 vortex bino's.....best set up around!

 

[outdoorsman35]

i would recommend a 300 win mag. i use a 30.06/185 grain but am going to buy a 300 win mag when i can. elk can be tough and large and i hate following blood trails. practice shooting long distances also. shoot decent 300 yard groups.

i wouldn't buy a spotting scope. they are expensive and your guide should have one if you need it. let him do the work.

i have 10x42 swarovskis but you can get by with 8.5. I like 10 but the 8.5 gives you wider exit pupil.

remington 700 is a good gun. my howa 1500 can't complain and i have it dialed in well with rounds I make myself.

more import than anything is to be in shape. if you can hike 15 miles a day at 11000 feet in changing weather conditions you can get an elk anywhere. or - use a horse. you will need it to pack it out anyway. don't count on packing your meat yourself.

good luck!

 

[Kentuck]

Do research. Plenty of elk get killed with .270's and '06's but may or may not go right down. As with any game, it's all about shot placement. 7mm or one of the 300's will be fine but shoot what you can handle. Not everyone can take the punishment a 300 can dish out accurately.

Buy the best glass you can afford. Save up if you don't have it now. Nothing worse than needing to see something at last light and not being able to because your glass wasn't good.

Get in shape. Hunting elk is the easy part, getting one back to camp is the hard part. The hardest thing I have ever done is pack an elk quarter out. I've been in on two elk kills and both took three guys two trips and over 4 hours just to get the meat out. We are less than a mile from the truck. I never knew the true meaning of work until then.

 

[7mm RM]

Congrats on the upcoming Elk hunt. Lots of choices. I would suggest first figure out your budget. Buy the best glass you can afford. The old saying is true "put a 100 dollar scope on a 1000 dollar rifle and you have a 100 dollar rifle". Caliber, they all kill. Shot placement is the key and what was mentioned earlier is true, if you think you want a 300 mag, go find and shoot one first before you buy. You will not go wrong with the 30-06 or 270, an elk will not go any farther if the shot placement is good, just because someone shoots a 300 mag or bigger does not make up for poor shot placement. Just my thoughts. Good luck. Post up on what you get and let us know, I love getting new gear.:JHO rocks:

 

[One Track]

Boots! Buy them now. You might not like the first or second pair you buy. Danner, Meindl (Cabelas,) and other high quality boots are available. Get them now.

Socks: Buy a half dozen pair of synthetic socks.

Scope: I love the Leupold VX II. 3-9x40. Matte finish. $299. I don't think anybody needs any more than that in a scope, 'cept maybe for yotes in the dark.

Bino: 10x42, the best you can afford. Buy the bino strap system as well. Cheap.

Rifle: I think a 7mag is a great round for elk and deer. I love the Rem 700 BDL. But, there are a lot of great rifles to choose form. Depends on your budget, and what feels good in your hands.

Rifle Sling: Get one with the sticky rubber backing. If you are wearing a backpack, you need a sling that won't slip off the backpack shoulder straps.

Ammo Belt Thingy: I like the one that fits over the butt of your rifle. Cheap. Easy access.

Spotting Scope: You don't need one on a guided hunt.

Backpack: Get a decent waterproof daypack or a big fanny pack. Badlands, Eberlestock, Blacks Creeks and others. I have the Blacks Creek All American Fanny pack with suspenders. I love it. You should not have to take a big pack or a packframe for packing out a critter on a guided hunt. The guide will have one for you, if you want to participate in the packing, which you should. However, you will want something to carry a jacket, gloves, beanie, food, water, headlamp, and survival kit (matches, lighter, gps, firestarter, space blanket, whistle, signal mirror, flagging tape, etc.)

Shooting Sticks: You might buy some Stoney Point Shooting Sticks, 36" that are telescopic. Fits in a holster on your pack belt. Worth every penny. $40 or so. Practice shooting off of them at the range.

Get in shape and you will have a blast!

Brent

 

[Jon Wills]

I am thinking of either a browning x bolt or weatherby rifle. Leopold scope, swarovski 10 x 42 binocs. I still am not sure on caliber. I have shot .300 Win Mag and .338 Win Mag and the recoil doesnt bother me. I have a tikka in .300 WSM that i picked up for Hog hunting but it isnt set up for elk. ANy suggestions between the browning and weatherby? Is .338 Win Mag too much? I was just thinking that the .338 I could use if I head up to Canada or Alaska for Moose or Larger animals

 

[sidepass]

Whats wrong with the Tika, it's more than enough gun for Elk. If it works on pig it would work on Elk. Unless you want another rifle for Elk, Can't have to many as far as i'm concerned. Good luck!

sidepass

 

[Jon Wills]

yea i just want another rifle and so i dont have to change scopes and all that

 

[Jon Wills]

what do you guys think of weatherby .30-.378 weath mag or a .338-.378 weath mag? is a 4.5 x 14 a good scope?

 

[weekender21]

what do you guys think of weatherby .30-.378 weath mag or a .338-.378 weath mag? is a 4.5 x 14 a good scope?

Certainly overkill in my opinion but it will get the job done. Those calibers are designed for long distance big game hunting.

I have a Leupold VXIII 4.5 x 14 on my .270 WSM, great scope for the money.

Have you considered a .300WM, .300 weatherby, or .338WM? If I had to recommend an elk specific caliber I'd have to go with one of those. All three offer more than enough energy past 300 yards when combined with a good quality, well built bullet.

 

[Kentuck]

If I remember correctly an article I read on the 30-378 when it first came out called it a Hand Held IBM Missle. Same velocity at 500 yards as a 30-06 has at the muzzle.

 

[Jon Wills]

Yes I was looking into a .338 win mag. Is a 4.5 x 14 the scope I want?

 

[jerryt]

You don't need a lot gun to kill elk because just like all animals it is shot placement that counts. I've killed 4 elk in the last 4 years in Colorado and all were on public land. I shot a 30-06 with 165 grain bullets and a leupold 3x9 scope. First year I dropped my elk in his tracks from 315 yards, year after that I dropped one at 420 yards with a single shot, last year I dropped one with a single shot at 20 yards, and this year I killed one with a single shot from 517 yards. My father also shoots a 30-06 and he killed his this year at 318 yards. The other guy hunting with us this year was shooting the 300 mag and dropped his with one shot at 620 yards. There was no blood trails to follow either except where they tumbled head over heals into the canyons on a couple of them. It is all about what you feel comfortable shooting. As far as binoculars go you get what you pay for and if you have never had great optics get them and it will change your world. I run with Zeiss 10x42 and it has made a huge difference for me. Here are pictures of my 2007 and 2009 elk along with my buddies to get your heart pumping. Go get a big one.

 

[Redneck75]

I personally hunt elk with a .338 Win Mag. That said...I killed a bunch more with my .30-06 than I have with the .338. I've had some go right down with the -06 and some run off when shot with the .338. Shot placement is certainly key.

If you're talking about a universal gun that can be used for other animals, including a one-time elk hunt, there's no reason for anything other than a .30-06 or a .270. Then again, just use your .300 WM. Then again...if you're asking on the "best" rifle for an elk hunt (in my humble opinion) I would go with a .338 WM. I would think the .325 WSM would be a great choice as well but it's easier to find ammo for the .338. I also have hunted extensively in Alaska and the .338 is an excellent choice for that since you mentioned going North in the future.

The post about getting a good pair of boots is probably the best advice in this entire thread though. Lace-em up and get after it. Good Luck!

 

[weekender21]

Yes I was looking into a .338 win mag. Is a 4.5 x 14 the scope I want?

I think it's a great match for that type of bolt gun. There are quite a few opinions out there when it comes to optics but you will certainly not regret buying that scope.

Just remember to keep it on 4.5x while you're walking around in case you get a close shot opportunity!

I think they make a VXIII in 2.5x10 too, that would be my second choice.

 

[weekender21]

jerryt is right on with his post. Shot placement and good bullet construction are much more important than the caliber. In reality, anything .270 or better would get the job done. Hunters kill elk every year with .243's but you would be limiting yourself with that caliber for sure. You're on the right track looking at the 30 caliber magnums for an elk specific rifle.

 

[sagebrush]

I have four Browning A-Bolts. If I ever buy another rifle, it will be an X-Bolt. Great accuracy right out of the box and you can adjust the trigger pull yourself down to about two pounds with just a screw driver. My elk set up is a .338 Win Mag with a Leupold VX II 3-9X40. I shoot Federal factory loads with the 210 gr Nosler Partition. Fairly flat shooting for a .338 and well constructed for good penetration. I use Cabela's 10X42 Euro's for binoculars. Made by Meopta, who also makes the glass for Swarovski. Good glass for $899. Get your rifle and set it up ASAP so you can be totally familiar with how it performs. I would want to be prepared to shoot effectively out to 450 yards before next season and that will take some time on the bench. I prefer a day pack to a fanny pack. I have a hard time getting all the layers of clothing into a fanny pack. On my elk hunt in NV this year, I had temps from 9 to 64 degrees and that means a lot of layer changing in the field. I believe there is no finer pack than those made by Kifaru. Mine is ten years old and still going strong. The gunbearer system is superior to anything else on the market. If you do buy a different brand of pack, you can still purchase a gunbearer system and install it yourself. Check it out at www.kifaru.net. I also advise you to get your boots ASAP. I use Cabela's Outfittter series 9 inch 200 gram insulated with their lifetime socks. I've had two pair and didn't need any break in with either, but I wouldn't bet the success of my elk hunt on it. I think your boots and socks are the most important part of your gear. You can't hunt with blisters or sore feet created by sidehilling all day in poorly made or poorly fitted boots. The best rifle, scope, ammo, pack and binoculars will be absolutely worthless if you can't reach the elk on foot. A lot of guys buy good boots and don't really get good socks to go with them. Most people that have bad experiences with high quality boots are because they didn't get the proper socks to go with them. My $.05 on elk gear.

 

[FoCoHugh]

Jerryt, How did you ever get that second bull out of the field? That on the side of the hill drop is a killer!