30 06 or 338 win mag for Elk

gahunter · Feb 27, 2012

Guys I have a couple of questions regarding which rifle to take elk hunting. I have hunted for 20 plus years with my 06, I have taken numerous deer and antelope with it. I am extremely comfortable with it. When my dad passed I inherited his 338 win mag that he used for elk hunting. I have shot it, but never hunted with it. The recoil does not bother me. I just wanted everyone's advice on which gun would be the better gun to take to Wyoming this fall. I drew a unit 7 tag, and this will more than likey be a once in a lifetime deal for me, and I want to make sure I have the best gun for the job. Whichever gun i choose I will practice with all through the summer shooting in hunting positions. I know both will cleanly kill an elk, but I just was curious as to everyone's opinion on what they think is the best and why. Thanks in advance for any input.

"Easy now, keep the croshairs right behind his shoulder & squeeze the trigger"

Cahunter805 · Feb 27, 2012

Id say that since you are much more comfortable with your 06 Id take that. A more important choice might be what type of bullet. Id choose something like a 165gr or 180gr Nosler accubond or partition. If you handload you can spend some time fine tuning which ever bullet you choose. Good luck and congrats on a great tag!

TOPGUN · Feb 27, 2012

As much as I like the 30-06 and use Topgun 30-06 on all the other websites (this one wouldn't let me use the 30-06 for some reason), I would go with the 338. You said the gun doesn't bother you to shoot it and you have a long time to practice with it. Therefore, I would do just that and work up a good load with a bonded bullet that groups well and bust a big bull with it in honor of you Pop. The 06 will take an elk at a ressonable distance with no problem, but if that one time comes up where you need to stretch it out and not have to worry about remaining energy to get the job done would have me going with the bigger caliber.

need4x4 · Feb 27, 2012

I'd take the 338. If you decide not to use the 338, then I wonder when you'd ever use it.

This would be the time!!

bucklover · Feb 27, 2012

Take them both. It never hurts to have a back up, in case Murphy gets involved in the hunt. I do like the idea of honoring your Dad.

trophyhunter · Feb 27, 2012

+1 for the 338 much more long range ability and less drop out to 500yds. sight the rifle in for the longer range shots if your going to be hunting open country. Something like a Nosler Partition or Accubond in 180gr will be a good bullet choice for that 338. Good hunt'n

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Pre64 · Feb 27, 2012

Both, by all means. Don't need to decide which to carry till you get there.

HNTNFSH · Feb 27, 2012

338 win mag for sure pull trigger boom dead elk guaranteed but it doesn't hurt to have back up. Good luck on your hunt

ishootaRUM300 · Feb 27, 2012

trophyhunter why would you go with a 180gr in the 338 that you suggested? I think if he handloads I would go with the 225gr or heavier. Swift has 225gr up to 275gr in their A-frame and a 210gr in the sirocco. Barnes has a 225gr in the TTSX, 265gr in the LRX, and a 250gr in the TSX. Nolser has 180gr up to 300gr in the accubond and 210gr up to 250gr in the partition. I would think that the heavier bullet would be a better choice I am not saing you are wrong just wondering why you suggested that vs these heavier bullets.

http://www.nosler.com/Bullets/Partition.aspx

http://www.nosler.com/Bullets/Accubond.aspx

http://www.swiftbullets.com/a-frame/rifle-bullets/338-caliber.html

http://www.swiftbullets.com/scirocco/rifle-bullets/338-caliber.html

http://www.barnesbullets.com/products/rifle/tsx-bullet/

http://www.barnesbullets.com/products/rifle/tipped-tsx-bullet/

http://www.barnesbullets.com/products/rifle/barnes-lrx®/

YukonDall · Feb 28, 2012

IN MY .338 I SHOOT A 210 GR. NOSLER.....ITS GREAT ELK MEDICINE FOR SURE....................YD.

trophyhunter · Feb 28, 2012

I suggested the 180gr. mostly because of my own personal use of the 180gr. Accubond bullet in our 300WBY Mag's. It is plenty heavy enough to down any elk. The heavier 200+gr. bullets do plenty of termanal damge and are a great bullet. I choose the 180gr. for flatter shooting, faster velocity, less over all bullet drop out to the longer ranges say 500+yds because we are sighten in dead on at 400yds... Where we hunt with a rifle we always have long shoot'n when we see something we are looking to shoot. If a person is hunting country with timber and cover like shots of 350yds or less I don't think you could go wrong with the heavier grain bullet. Just my opinion and the way we hunt.

Speed kills.. and I want my bullet to get there ASAP before the game.. do to a slower bullet takes one step from the shot position which can be the difference between a clean kill and a crippled animal.

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trophyhunter · Feb 28, 2012

Also we are shooting max. loads of IMR7828 powder and trying to keep the chamber pressure down pushing a 180 gr. bullet rather than a 200+gr bullet..

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outdoorsdude · Feb 28, 2012

About five years back, I was hunting with a friend. As he drove 500+ miles, we put up the target and put three in to 'make sure'. And everything was perfect.

Two days later, shooting off a pack laid on a stump, he missed a big bedded bull sunning itself. Missed by two foot. ?what the?

back at the range, yup, 24 in low. off come the caps and 20 clicks later- still 24 in. low. repeat- low repeat-low. Wait! 60 up from center? Yup, he finished his hunt w/ a borrowed rifle.

Long story short; on a hunt where you travel- take two rifles!

Flip a coin every morning, with those two choices your a winner either way.

TOPGUN · Feb 28, 2012

Good advice! I usually have two to four with me when I leave on any trip.

Apexmtnman · Feb 28, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Feb-28-12 AT 03:59PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Feb-28-12 AT 03:11?PM (MST)

LAST EDITED ON Feb-28-12 AT 03:09?PM (MST)
Trophyhunter said
"I suggested the 180gr. mostly because of my own personal use of the 180gr. Accubond bullet in our 300WBY Mag's. It is plenty heavy enough to down any elk. The heavier 200+gr. bullets do plenty of termanal damge and are a great bullet. I choose the 180gr. for flatter shooting, faster velocity, less over all bullet drop out to the longer ranges say 500+yds because we are sighten in dead on at 400yds... Where we hunt with a rifle we always have long shoot'n when we see something we are looking to shoot. If a person is hunting country with timber and cover like shots of 350yds or less I don't think you could go wrong with the heavier grain bullet. Just my opinion and the way we hunt. Speed kills.. and I want my bullet to get there ASAP before the game.. do to a slower bullet takes one step from the shot position which can be the difference between a clean kill and a crippled animal."
"Also we are shooting max. loads of IMR7828 powder and trying to keep the chamber pressure down pushing a 180 gr. bullet rather than a 200+gr bullet.. "

SAAMI maximum chamber pressure for the 300 weatherby is 65,000 psi it doesn't matter what bullet you use its still 65,000 psi, it just takes a smaller powder charge to achieve max pressure with a heavier bullet.
Serious long range shooters always use heavy for caliber bullets, preferably of VLD or HP boat tail design for their higher ballistic coefficient and better wind bucking ability, especially at extended ranges.
I always thought a bullet through the vitals doing as much damage as possible is what kills game animals not necessarily how fast the bullet is traveling. If speed was the only thing that killed wouldn't we all be shooting a 220 Swift with 50 gr bullets going 4000 fps.

To the OP;
As far as 30/06 or 338 for elk they are both very capable rounds, I would use whichever you feel more comfortable with.

gahunter · Feb 28, 2012

Thanks guys for all of the advice. I will definately take both out there. I plan on shooting both throughout the summer. Like I said before I am more than comfortable with the 06, and I ahve shot the 338 off a bench. I will see how comfortable I am shotting it off a bipod, as wella s off of apack, and see what I think after that. As far as elk loads go for the 06, I am leaning toweards the Nosler Partion 180 grain Federals. We'll see. It's gone be fun playing around with all of this over the summer. I think half the fun to these trips is the preperation. Thanks again guys.

"Easy now, keep the croshairs right behind his shoulder & squeeze the trigger"

Apexmtnman · Feb 28, 2012

"As far as elk loads go for the 06, I am leaning toweards the Nosler Partion 180 grain Federals."
Excellent choice, and in the 338 Win Mag this would be a good choice IMO.

[http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/rifle.aspx?id=314]

trophyhunter · Feb 29, 2012

Thanks for the great replys to my posts guys. I was only joking regarding the "speed kills" comment/ That actually can to mind from my old drivers training class movie

Just popped into my head so I wrote it down. Sorry... Things get a little boring and slow on this site this time of year. I knew I would get a rise out of some Statistics/Stats guys. I actually prefer to shoot those elk with a bow. And if I can do that with an arrow I think a well placed through and through double lung shot with that superfast 50gr. bullet would also do a fine job as long as it was going super fast>>>

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hossblur · Mar 2, 2012

I shoot a a-bolt 30-06, kills all the elk I can get it on. Heres my thought though, I would take the 338, not for any ballistic reason but because it was your dads. My a-bolt was the gun my dad bought me(santa) when I was 16. He died 9 years ago and this gun is my way of taking him hunting with me. I personally am not some huge fan of that loud, kicking gun, but it was your dads, and I am a sentimental softy!

When they came for the road hunters I was not one so I said nothing. When they came for the oppurtunists I was not one so I said nothing. When they came for the public land hunters I was not one so I said nothing. When they came for me there was no one left to say anything!

idropdead · Mar 3, 2012

My son and I drew unit 7 also, we both shot the 338 wm, his is a A-bolt and mine is a TC encore. He hand loads and uses barnes. We are going bow hunt first and If we do not connect will go to the rifles. We always take extra bows and rifles.Good insurance.

beech18 · Mar 3, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Mar-03-12 AT 06:23PM (MST)[p]+1 on the 338. If you dont mind the recoil its a elk killing machine.

AIROHUNTER · Mar 6, 2012

To simply answer your question take the .338
Now for the why's
Because hitting an animal with 225 grains kills em dead everytime i've tried it without fail. if your gun will shoot an accubond the bullets BC is .55 and superior to the -06-.I hunt with a guy who uses an 30-06 and he's had to pump rounds into deer and bear, couple years back he had two well placed shots behind the shoulder of a mule deer at 400yds and didn't penetrate the bone, I was there and I wont agrue with anyone about it dont try. Most important- it was your dad's.

My favorite hunts are because they were with friends and family not just because "I got one".

NORKALNIMROD · Mar 6, 2012

I am and always have been an advocate of the 06. I have several of them, and if I could have only one "high power" rifle the 06 would be it. That said: in 1980 I moved to Alaska and was given a 338. I only own the one 338, it is my elk rifle and it has never let me down. I shoot 250gr Sierra GameKings that I hand load. To this day I have never recovered one of them as they have all been "pass throughs". I also believe in always taking a back up rifle, mine is an 06 with 180gr partitions or grandslams.

Norkal

INVEST IN LEAD FOR THE TIMES AHEAD!

Gator · Mar 8, 2012

338 every time, With pops looking over your shoulder how could you miss.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

gahunter · Mar 8, 2012

Thanks again everyone for all of the advice. I am really looking forward to this fall and this hunt, and y'alls advice is a great start in my preparation.

"Easy now, keep the croshairs right behind his shoulder & squeeze the trigger"

gahunter · Oct 31, 2012

Thanks again guys for all of the advice. I ended up shooting my elk with my 06. I shot both guns throughout the summer, and I just couldn't get the 338win mag to group good. I tried several different loads, and nothing really worked. I ended up shooting my bull with Barnes Vortex TSX 180 grain bulletts. I did a number on my bull I was very impressed. Anyway thanks again guys for all of the advice, and I just thought I would give everyone an update.

"Easy now, keep the croshairs right behind his shoulder & squeeze the trigger"

hossblur · Nov 2, 2012

Another elk season, another bull for my '06 as well. I am always amazed at all the magnum guys, I wonder how many of them acutally kill elk. I hunt public ground, and in the deep dark forest. The bull I killed this year was the longest shot I have killed an elk at, 75 yrds. To most of us that hunt elk in the timber( and most of the public elk country in the west is that) down range ballistics mean very little. My abolt is light weight, short(22" ) and that is much more important than what the gun does out at 300 plus yrds. Also, the chest cavity, and the vital organs inside are huge, MOA at 75 yrds means nothing. In Utah Deseret land and livestock is the preiminent outfitting service, and if you draw a tag with them you have to hit a paper plate at 100yrds. My 06', and for that matter my open sighted .35 rem will do that. I think a lot of times we discuss guns based on range data, from a bench. If your hunting public ground for elk in the west(Utah) you need a fast on target, fast cycling(sorry mag. guys, but I have seen cars hit elk and not kill them, you might need more that one shot)gun that can hit a target about 1ftx1ft usually inside of 100 yrds. To get to that shot you get to carry that gun up hill and for days, so I think light weight is very important. The 06' kills, has done so for a hundred years, and is all you "need" for elk. But like I said earlier, I am sentimental, I would have taken the .338, because it was dads!

When they came for the road hunters I was not one so I said nothing. When they came for the oppurtunists I was not one so I said nothing. When they came for the public land hunters I was not one so I said nothing. When they came for me there was no one left to say anything!