smallest cal

ishootaRUM300 · May 12, 2011

what is the smallest calibar that you would us if you were going elk hunting. I ask because we were ordering the gun that I will be making a custom stock for next years RMEF banquet. The guy we get the gun from was trying to get us to order a 308 win. We ended up getting a 30-06, but the reason that he wanted us to get the 308 was because it would be a different calibar then what is at the tyical banquet.

B_BOP_A_LU_LU · May 12, 2011

7 MAG/300 WSM would be the smallest but that's just me!

For GAWDS Sakes Guys,We Got Kids on this Site,Some of them are 65 years Old!

I don't care if they're big or small!
If they throw lead I like em all!

greatwestern · May 12, 2011

The .308 is just a slow 30.06...the .300 mags are just fast 30.06

Any of them work fine on elk with strong mid-heavy weight bullets...effective range increases the faster it goes

I like the .300 WSM as well...short action like the .308, fast like the .300 win mag

greatwestern · May 12, 2011

LAST EDITED ON May-12-11 AT 09:01PM (MST)[p]**Sorry, tried to post a ballistics chart using identical bullets here for reference, but it won't work

30Hart · May 13, 2011

270 WSM...harvested one elk at 444 yards with one shot. Nothing wrong with the 308, a very accurate catridge which is normally more accurate than a 30-06. With the new powders everything has gone up a notch. The 308 now gets the same velocity a 30-06 did 10 years ago.

Feleno · May 13, 2011

.243, but I'd keep the range under 500 yards

MaineFlatlander · May 13, 2011

Use what YOU can shoot GOOD. A 30 cal bullet zipping past an elk, or thru the guts, at 3000 fps is a whole lot less dead than one shot through the lungs with a quality bullet from a 243. I would take my 257 Roberts or 25-06 in a heart beat. Having said that this year I will be taking my 270 with Barnes TTSX.

travishunter3006 · May 13, 2011

243 with 100 gr xp3's out to 200 and beyond that out to about 500 if i felt comfortable it's be using 180 gr xp3's in the trust ol 30-06. Thats the combo for my wife this year depending on her comfort level.

It was a big bodied 2 point.

mulecreek · May 13, 2011

Like greatwestern said,.308 and 30-06 are the same caliber. I would say .270 would be the smallest caliber for an elk rifle. That being said .257's, 25-06 and 243's kill plenty of elk and work great with a well placed shot, but if you are trying to make an elk rifle then I wouldn't go below 270. .308 is a great choice and fills the bill of being a little different.

Elkhunter96 · May 13, 2011

I like a one shot elk rifle. I personally will never use anything under 300 win again and without a doubt nothing under a 270 win. Elk can be tough critters and those little calibers just don't do it for me. IMHO, the classic elk gun is the 338 win or RUM.

Coloradoboy · May 13, 2011

Smallest caliber would have to be a 25-06 or a 270. I've killed two cows now with a 25-06 and my dad's killed a pile of them with that gun. 117 sierras or 110 accubonds have always done the trick. But shot placement is key! Other calibers to consider would be the 257 weatherby, 7mm-08, 6.5x284, 25wssm,270wsm, 260, 280... I currently shoot a 300 RUM and in my opinion is as good as it gets. But all the 30 cals such as the 300 win, 300 wby, 300 wsm, 30-378wby and so on are all great elk rifles.
Coloradoboy

NMPaul · May 13, 2011

Feleno, nobody is biting..... yet. LOL

Coloradoboy · May 13, 2011

>.243, but I'd keep the range
>under 500 yards

How about keep the range under 250 yards?

B_BOP_A_LU_LU · May 13, 2011

F'er is f'n with us once again!

For GAWDS Sakes Guys,We Got Kids on this Site,Some of them are 65 years Old!

I don't care if they're big or small!
If they throw lead I like em all!

kilowatt · May 13, 2011

GEE...no one has said a .222 RUM yet?

Brian
http://i25.tinypic.com/fxbjgy.jpg[/IMG]

JB148 · May 13, 2011

For me .257, but it all boils down to shot placement. All the bullet weight and ballistics in the world will not kill an elk if your shot placement is poor, period.JB

1911 · May 14, 2011

I've tipped over two bulls with a .308 using 180 grain bullets. One with corelokts and the other with silvertips. B-bop recommended the core lokts. I would not hesitate to use it again.

Sure it won't gut, grind, and wrap your hamburger but they both looked pretty dead to me. That said I don't know that I'd go down much from the non mag calibers such as the 308, 270 arena as your margin of error begins to shrink faster than hemroids on a Tucks medicated pad. It's all about energy, ability, and placement.

Next trip I think I'll try giving one a sleeping pill out of my .338 Fed and see what that medicine does just for kicks unless I buy a new toy between now and whenever that happens.

ishootaRUM300 · May 14, 2011

Well I have no control over shoot placement. I was just wondering if you guys would bid on a gun at an elk banquet that is supposed to be for elk hunting that was of said smaller cal. I guess a guy woudl not have to use it for elk hunting and could use it for coyotes or what ever else they wanted. If somebody would like to post pictures for me I can show you what the gun and stock look like that I did last year for my banquet.

Califelkslayer · May 14, 2011

LAST EDITED ON May-14-11 AT 11:43AM (MST)[p]I would buy more tickets if it was a 7mm Mag up to .338 Win. Personally a 7mm WSM or 300WSM because I don't have either and want both. Our banquet gun is usually a .338. One year it was an .06 and nobody wanted to buy tickets. Most folks already have an .06 stashed somewhere in their safe.

My wife's 7mm-08 has taken 2 elk, one died it it's tracks, the other 20 yards downhill. Bullet placement!!! That gun is perfect for her because of the reduced recoil and confidence she has in it. For me it's my .338.

JMO

kawboy · May 14, 2011

Every elk I have hit with my .270 win has gone right down.

I had a bull get away from me this year, but not because I didnt hit him hard enough. He was a smart booger and jumped behind a tree. I was able to harvest the tree though, it taped out at a strong 400 inches

I'll tell you who it was . . . it was that D@MN Sasquatch!

llamapacker · May 16, 2011

The OP's question is really in post #17. If you want to maximize return on this custom rifle, you need to make it in a caliber that will generate lots of interest. I've bought several rifles through RMEF banquests. My current hunting rifle is the founders edition Kimber in 300 Win Mag. I paid plenty for this engraved, customized rifle, and it was still cheap. I love that rifle!
Making a rifle in a smaller caliber will not generate the same interest as a 30 caliber magnum or larger (338?). I've shot elk with 270 and smaller calibers, incuding arrows and muzzleloaders (!), but I would not buy a custom elk hunting rifle in .308. A slick little mountain rifle or whitetail gun in this caliber, definitely, but not a purpose built elk rifle.
Bill

Zeke · May 16, 2011

The smallest gun I would use is a 30 cal mag of some sort. I've killed a bunch of elk and found bullets in enough to know how darn big and dense they are. (I prefer a .323 or .338 dia)

Smaller guns will kill them but..... I will stick with a bigger gun and still work on shot placement!

If my wife wanted to use a .277 cal it would be ok but the two elk she's shot have been with a 325wsm and a 300RUM. Both calibers are near the top of the pile for wapiti.

For a banquet gun the newer WSM's would generate interest and a bunch of folks don't have one yet. Just a thought.

Good luck with the banquet rifle.

Zeke

ishootaRUM300 · May 16, 2011

Last year was a 270wsm.

Zeke · May 17, 2011

What about the 325WSM? It's quite a gun IMHO. I used it on a dozen antelope in Africa (good critter shoot) and on a huge Ut bull elk (wife's elk 2006). She was going to use it on elk last year too but when we hiked away from the truck she didn't want to carry it and she said 1 gun is enough. We used my 300 RUM.

I bought a pretty banquet gun in 325wsm. It was a Win classic with a bunch of embellishments and a beautiful wood stock.

The one we USE is a Win classic with a Synthetic stock though. It's a bone-stock factory rifle except fot the Barnes muzzle brake. I've been surprized with the accuracy from a factory barreled rifle.

Zeke

ishootaRUM300 · May 18, 2011

LAST EDITED ON May-18-11 AT 08:38AM (MST)[p]

Here are a couple pictures of the gun I did last year hoping to make it look much better this coming year

Zeke · May 18, 2011

Sweet lookin' smokepole bro! I see why it generated big interest.
I hope your banquet rifle for this year turns out just as nice.
Zeke

pookiebar · May 18, 2011

Pretty sweet looking gun. I would not do it in 30'06 cause everyone has that already. When you ask a question about "calibur" though you are referring to a measurement of the bullet. i.e. .308 means a 30 calibur bullet. .257 means a 25 calibur bullet. etc. etc.

So if you are looking to do a 30 calibur rifle for the gun you could do a 308 Winchester chambering, or 300 MAG chambering, which would be my favorite.

The 300 WSM has some feed issues with certail re-loads. All the Short Mags are a pain in the A$$ when it comes to re-loading IMO so I would never enter a raffle for any of them. But again that is just me.

LaGriz · May 18, 2011

7MM-08 and the 25-06 In my opinion 100gr bullets (243win & 6mm Rem.) are too light. The shot placement is the key with any load. I just can't see the need for such a light round for elk. To this date my elk have been taken with 160gr. bullets from a .280 Rem. I now have a .325 WSM but have not connected with it yet. On my first guided hunt in 1994 the the staff told me they thought the .280 was on the light side. They all shot .30 cal rounds or larger.

Read Wayne Van Zwoll's opinions in the Bugle rag from the RMEF. He often sugests "elk in the timber" cartridges that most gun writers feel are too light. A solid bulit CE (controled expansion) bullet from most any short action chambering is good for elk in the right condition. That said, the larger rounds will work there aswell and give the hunter more punch and carry energy well down range.

LaGriz · May 18, 2011

I started with a .280 Rem. in 1994. The staff on my outfitted
hunt all said my round was on the light side. I have made clean kills on 3 bulls with the 160gr.loads. I have since purchased a Kimber .325 WSM, but have not connected with it yet.
IMHO the 25-06 and 7mm-08 are as light as I would recomend. I do think the 100gr. bullets in the .243 and 6mm Rem. are the deal breakers. The gun writer Wayne Van Zwoll often describes his
"elk in the timber cartridges" that are much lighter then most might support. In the right situation, a quality hit at close range will harvest a bull just fine from many of the lighter rounds. That said, the bigger, faster rounds will do that and also carry energy well down range in open country. If you can handle the recoil and confidently shoot them, I'd say go bigger.

ishootaRUM300 · Jun 16, 2011

Ok I got the stock back from the guy that cut it out for me. Now this is to be a unique piece of work and I have a lot to do to it if I am still going to use it. It is not what it is supposed to be. The guy screwed up. I think he screwed up big time. So to fix his screw up he put a piece of Padauk on the stock where he cut the forearm too narrow. The Padauk is this orange in color. I am posting this to get your guys opinions. I have a feeling it is going to be harsh, but it is what it is.

TOPGUN · Jun 16, 2011

Not really going to be harsh, but I tell it like it is. With it going to be in just a standard 30-06 caliber and now with this stock screwup, I think you are going to be hard-pressed to make the profit on the rifle that you hope to. That is not saying that it won't come ut nicely though with the work that you do. I hope I'm wrong and good luck!

pookiebar · Jun 16, 2011

You know I would like to see it finished before I go beating you up on it. With the right checkering and finish that stock might come out really cool. Deffinitely a one of a kind!