Elk Rifle

by RL
(Bozeman, MT, USA)

I grew up hunting in Montana, and have taken about 25 elk in 35 years of hunting. Lots of mule deer and antelope too, with a couple whitetails thrown in. So my experiences are not as varied as some but I've done a lot of hunting and reading over the years and have developed some opinions on rifles.

On cartridge selection, I killed my first 11 elk with a .270, and none of these animals ran more than few tens of yards and several dropped in their tracks. So I don't really buy the notion that a .270 is too small for elk, as some would have you believe. The 150g bullet traveling at 3000+ fps packs a hell of a lot of energy. I now hunt primarily with a 30-06 using 180g bullets, or with a .300 Ultra Mag with 200g bullets. Why? Well,I guess I like the extra little margin of performance. Kind of like a V8 in the truck versus a straight 6, one is adequate but the other leaves little question that you've got the necessary horsepower in a pinch.

I also don't buy the notion that bolt action is the only sensible action as some would have you believe. The aforementioned .270 is a Remington Model 760 pump, arguably the fastest cycling non-automatic rifle around. In those cases where a quick follow-on shot is needed or desired, there's nothing like it. My latest rifle is a Browning BLR lever action 30-06, purchased largely because once the lead is flying I want to put a lot of it in the air until the animal drops. Either gun puts three holes in about a 1 1/2 inch group at 100 yards, so accuracy is just fine for an animal the size of elk at any reasonable = under 300 yard range. (Shots longer than that shouldn't be taken in my opinion, unless the game is wounded and escaping. I'm not much for the 'long range shooting' guys, I have more respect for the animal than that.)

Bolt actions are common and cheap but they're not the only suitable action for big game, and have the disadvantage of relatively slower follow-on shots. When a wounded animal is fleeing thru the black timber, the fast cycling gun could be key to finishing the job. I'll also mention that I do also own a single shot Thompson Center but I leave it in the gun safe for elk hunting, where multiple shots are the rule not the exception. No sense in giving up the advantage of the follow-on shot if you don't have to.


Optics are also key, and I differ from some in my opinion that most high-magnification scopes are overkill: 4X or 6x fixed is just fine, and my favorite is presently a 2.5X8 variable Zeiss. I would choose something like a 2X7 variable Leupold over higher mag scopes any day, because it is light, well-designed product with great low-light capability. The 50 mm objective seems like an expensive waste of money to me, unless you're poking prairie dogs at long distances at dusk.

So take it or leave it, but I'd say a pump or lever action .30 caliber rifle throwing 180 grains of premium lead, with a 2X7 or 2.5X8 scope is about perfect for elk.