Seeking Real Opinions on Elk Rifles
- Thread starter Jacob Watrous
- Start date
Yeah, I’m not sure what I’m doing with scopes. I appreciate the insight and correction. I’ve never shot with one—been using iron sights my entire life but now in dim light I’m not as confident at a kill shot as I’d like.
I’ll check those out, thanks!
I’ve some access to private land in different parts of the state, but if I didn’t I’d completely agree with you.
Pescaphile
Steelhead
Honestly, the venerable 30-06 is still pretty tough to beat for rifle that's used for deer and elk. 119 years young and still going strong!
Fourbtgait
Life of the Party
Or up your stalking game, learn the woods, animals.
Use a bow.
No recoil factor
Use a bow.
No recoil factor
I'll agree with the chorus that I'd probably go at least with a 270 win over 6.5 creed with elk. I think 6.5 at 300 yards will probably be fine but the extra oomph doesn't come at a huge recoil cost having both (well I sold my 6.5 but I do shoot a 6.5x55 which is just the OG 6.5 creed). As far as rifles I'd also add a +1 to the Tikka T3x suggestions, great rifle. I'd add in the CZ 557, which is now discontinued but I'm sure you can still find it either used or NOS, is an amazing rifle, I use one in 270 to walk in the woods to not see deer every year.
For scopes I think a 5-25 might be a bit big/heavy. I use a 4-14 and sometimes I wish I had something smaller. For more budget options definitely check out Athlon, they're great quality for the money
For scopes I think a 5-25 might be a bit big/heavy. I use a 4-14 and sometimes I wish I had something smaller. For more budget options definitely check out Athlon, they're great quality for the money
I’d love to use a bow. Stalking game is pretty good, as is my woodcraft, but I’ve never even held one. I’m quite a ways out from feeling confident taking a living creature with one.
But I’ll consider it.
I love CZ’s hand guns (My only two are a CZ-75 SP-01 9mm and a CZ-97 BD .45). Didn’t realize they made rifles.
I've killed a lot of bulls with a bow and never lost any. Newer bows/broadheads are incredible compared to old school. Still it requires practice, practice, practice, and taking shots at reasonable distances with good placement. Most of my kills were 30yds or less with one being 40 yds in thick timber with bad placement which required an all day effort following a spotty blood trail and other signs on hands and knees. And you won't have a sea of orange to contend with hunting with a bow. Happy hunting.
Went to a range today and tried a few different rifles folks had against my 30-06. Like anywhere, if you don’t talk politics or religion, folks are friendly and happy to chat and share knowledge about the hobby at hand.
Learned the rifle I’ve unceremoniously stored in a Public Storage facility is somewhat rare and hasn’t been made since the 1930s, so it may be my great-grandfather’s gun. One guy offered to buy it off me for a surprising amount of money. Not sure I’m going to do that because it’s the gun my father and I (and maybe my grandfather) learned to hunt with. That said, I could sell it for more than enough to fund one of the two 7mm I fell in love with today:
Fierce Firearms Twisted Rogue
Proof Research Elevation 2
You folks are right about the 7mm. Didn’t destroy my shoulder like the 30-06, which also may be due to the whole “kick pad” thing I didn’t realize rifles had these days (I’m a gun user, not a gun enthusiast).
May have gotten the cart completely ahead of the horse, because I ordered a scope after trying one out but don’t yet have a rifle to mount it on (the old gun is keeping its iron sights).
EDIT: I later tried out a bow one of my new acquaintances has, and completely fucked up my left forearm when the cable (when did bows lose their string?) whacked the crap out of it on my first and only try. Bows are some seriously space-age looking things these days. Cables, pulleys, and all sorts of dangly bits.
Learned the rifle I’ve unceremoniously stored in a Public Storage facility is somewhat rare and hasn’t been made since the 1930s, so it may be my great-grandfather’s gun. One guy offered to buy it off me for a surprising amount of money. Not sure I’m going to do that because it’s the gun my father and I (and maybe my grandfather) learned to hunt with. That said, I could sell it for more than enough to fund one of the two 7mm I fell in love with today:
Fierce Firearms Twisted Rogue
Proof Research Elevation 2
You folks are right about the 7mm. Didn’t destroy my shoulder like the 30-06, which also may be due to the whole “kick pad” thing I didn’t realize rifles had these days (I’m a gun user, not a gun enthusiast).
May have gotten the cart completely ahead of the horse, because I ordered a scope after trying one out but don’t yet have a rifle to mount it on (the old gun is keeping its iron sights).
EDIT: I later tried out a bow one of my new acquaintances has, and completely fucked up my left forearm when the cable (when did bows lose their string?) whacked the crap out of it on my first and only try. Bows are some seriously space-age looking things these days. Cables, pulleys, and all sorts of dangly bits.
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Brian in OR.
Life of the Party
You definitely can't go wrong with either of those two. A 6.5 PRC shooting 156 grain bergers will be plenty for Elk to 300... A good Leupold 4.5-14x40 would fit nicely...
My old 1977 Roger M77 30.06 kicks like a mule at sight in range. Wear an extra recoil pad. Out in the field never feel it. Decided a bunch a years ago I needed a new elk gun that would “anchor” them on the spot. After my wife asked how many elk I had killed (double digits) and how many took more than one shot (1) and how many I had lost (0), I exercised great judgment and slinked away and didn’t ask again lol. And all imshot was Remington 180 gr coreloks. That gun/caliber was/is just efficient. Don’t try and use logic with anyone in trying to “upgrade” from a 30.06. Just be up front and say you want a new gun.
Love the thoughts, thanks!
I don’t consider it an upgrade so much as it is a compensation for my downgraded low light vision and shoulder.
Also, no spouse to confuse the issue with facts. But since we are talking about 1 maybe 2 elk (if I go out of state) and a handful of deer a year, maybe it makes more fiscal sense to buy a recoil pad and stick to the antique—maybe with a scope.
Limbsaver recoil pads work well, can get either the slip-on or have a gunsmith fit a 'flush' mount.
Pescaphile
Steelhead
Use the slip-on type unless you don't care about devaluing the old rifle.
Fourbtgait
Life of the Party
I know you will buy a rifle, but….
They make an arm guard that straps on. I used one on one bow, but didn’t need it on two others. I started with a Bear recurve, went to a compound like you shot because of the ease. Then went back to a recurve for simplicity. It was a takedown so had, 2 sets of limbs. 40 lb for casual practice 65 lb for hunting. Since it was winter and our basement then was open, I had a target set up 40’ away to train with it.
it was sighted in that I consistently broke knock points with the next arrow. Only once did I send the second arrow down the center of the previous shaft.
