Whats your elk rifle

brooks

Member
Aug 3, 2011
134
0
New Mexico
I would really rather have an archery tag but I don't so I'll be loading up some 160 grain Nosler AcuuBonds in .284 and I'll be taking my faithful old tack driver... 7 mm rem mag... My nephew hunts elk with a 300 ultra mag and while it puts out more horsepower I really like the 7 mag. Whats your rifle/cal./bullet of choice for elk?
 

Bitterroot Bulls

Veteran member
Apr 25, 2011
2,326
0
Montana
I like both bow and rifle, and hunt both season here in MT. I just built a 7mm mag myself, and start load development on the 160 AB and 168 LRX this week. Scope is a Swarovski Z3 BRH reticle.

You can see it here:

http://www.eastmans.com/forum/showthread.php/2072-Savage-7mm-Rem-Mag-Project

I still have my previous elk rifle and fully intend to put her in the field again. I lovingly referred to her as the "Elkinator." She's a Remington Sendero SF2 in 300 RUM and she has accounted for three bulls. She has worn a Leupy Mark 4, Swaro Z3, and soon either a Vortex Viper HS LR or SWFA SS.

I enjoy calling bulls and hunting with a bow, and I know it isn't as "cool" to be a rifle hunter right now, but I still love it.
 

tommyp

Active Member
Jan 11, 2012
181
0
Cleburne Texas
elk rifle??? kimber montana 300wsm with talley light weight mounts, leupold 3x9 ultra light and loaded with federal premium 180 grain accu bonds sighted 3" high at 100 yds
 

hvfd21walker

Active Member
Dec 18, 2011
483
36
Bitteroots
Remington 700 custom in a 30-338 topped with a leupold mark 4 tactical. Shooting 180g Nosler accubonds. Love archery to but dont care what I am using as long as I am hunting.
 

bigshot

Very Active Member
Apr 14, 2011
538
1
Crestline, CA.
I just bought a new elk rifle, a Remington 700 SPS in 300 RUM and loading it with 200 grain Nosler Accubonds (RL-25). My backup elk rifles are a Custom Remington 700 in 7mm SAUM spitting 160 grain Nosler Accubonds (RL-17), and my old faithful a Remington 700 DM 7mm Rem Mag with 160 grain Nosler Accubonds (IMR4831). All rifles are topped with Leupold VXIII's with CDS.
 
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All three of my rifles are good elk rifles. My 30-06 was handed down to me by my father who took an elk in '71 off the Snake River in Idaho just before he suffered a massive stroke. My other two rifles are 700 Remingtons that I have had blue printed by a top notch gunsmith. One is 7RM with a Leupold 4x12x40 shooting 160 gr Accubonds and is an absolute tack driver. The other is a .300 Win Mag with a Nikon 4x14.4x40 with BDC, that I shoot 180 Accubonds. I have killed most of my Elk with the .300, the last two at 297 and 350 yards in their tracks. My first Elk was a beautiful 6x8 Tule Elk here in California in '96 with the 7RM. I love all three rifles, the 7rm I got for xmas when I was 15 the year my father took that elk in Idaho so I have had that one for quite a long time.

And as mentioned above, I love to hunt archery, but have only taken mulies with a bow. The only elk I ever tried to take with a bow was that Tule Elk hunt in '96. Opening day I missed a broken tine 6x6, ended up taking teh 6x8 two days later with a rifle.
 

mcseal2

Veteran member
Mar 1, 2011
1,172
196
midwest
At the moment I'm down to my custom 264WM shooting 140gr accubonds, and a Ruger M77 shooting 160gr accubonds. The 264 is really more my pet deer/antelope rifle that can step up to elk if need be. The Ruger M77 is an old one with the tang safety that I have plans for. I want to use the action to build a custom 300WM to shoot the 200gr accubond for everything that my 264 is on the light side for. I find that I need a 3 position or better a tang safety or the safety can rub into the fire position on my pack, I switch shoulders alot carrying a rifle slung. Packing it on my left side puts the safety against my pack.
 

Colorado Cowboy

Super Moderator
Jun 8, 2011
8,299
4,665
83
Dolores, Colorado
I'm pretty much old school (I guess it reflects how old I am!) when it comes to my hunting rifles. My main elk rifle is an old Stoeger commercial mauser(60's vintage) in .300 Wby. I have rebarreled it with a Shillen match SS barrel, restocked it with a B & C composite stock. I have a Leupold 4 x 14 VX III that has a ballistic turret made for my hand loads. I use a 180 gr Nosler partition and Reloader 25 that leaves the muzzle at 3200. My backup in my faithful old customized 03 Springfield. Still has the original barrel, custom stock, Timney Trigger and Leupold VX III 3x9. I use my reloads with 4831 and the same Nosler I use in my .300.

Both shoot <minute groups and have filled my freezer for years!
 

MuleyHunter

Active Member
Mar 23, 2011
347
49
Fruita, Colorado
Elk Rifle

Mine is my Remington Sendero in the 7MM RUM topped with the Burris Black Diamond 4-14x50 with the ballist plex. I am running 139 gr Hornady Interbonds and H1000.

 

Timberstalker

Veteran member
Feb 1, 2012
2,242
6
Bend, Or
I use a Winchester model 70 in .300 Win Mag w/ a Leupold 4x12 VXI . Its not anything special but it works for me, longests kill shot on elk was about 75 yrds the closest ,which is my biggest bull, was 28 yrds. I never seem to find any elk in open country, there always in the thickest stuff I can find. I hand load for it now but have killed all my previous bulls with 180gr Remmington Core-lok bullets. Wild set up huh! View attachment 28
 

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packer58

Very Active Member
Aug 24, 2011
916
0
Loma Rica, Ca.
At the moment I'm down to my custom 264WM shooting 140gr accubonds, and a Ruger M77 shooting 160gr accubonds. The 264 is really more my pet deer/antelope rifle that can step up to elk if need be. The Ruger M77 is an old one with the tang safety that I have plans for. I want to use the action to build a custom 300WM to shoot the 200gr accubond for everything that my 264 is on the light side for. I find that I need a 3 position or better a tang safety or the safety can rub into the fire position on my pack, I switch shoulders alot carrying a rifle slung. Packing it on my left side puts the safety against my pack.
mcseal2,

It's nice to hear that the good ole .264 WM is still being used by a few guys, i also have a 60's vintage Rem .264 WM in a Rem 700, factory anodized stainless barrel.............after all these years it's still a tack driver!!!!
 

buckbull

Veteran member
Jun 20, 2011
2,167
1,352
My shoulder hurts after reading about all these super magnums being used.