I am just getting into hunting and would like to convert my AR15 to a legal hunting caliber for hunting deer and elk. But I need advice on what what are the most important considerations in selecting a new caliber for these large game. Especially since there seems to be dozens of different options out there.
So far I am most familiar with the technical aspects of:
6.5 Grendel.
6.8 SPC
7.62x39.
.458 Socom, .450 Bushmaster, .50 Beowulf.
.300 blackout
But it's hard to make a decision about what to go for if I'm not sure what aspect of the cartridge is most important to emphasize for elk hunting.
What is the maximum range I could expect to be able to take a shot at an elk? I have the ability to hit accurately, I just don't know if there would be any hunting grounds in western washington that actually give me an opportunity to stretch out to that distance.
Although I plan to initially only learn to hunt in lower altitude areas of western washington (where I generally expect dense vegetation and forest), I wouldn't rule out the possibility of hunting in eastern washington or higher up in the mountains at some point in the future - so having a round that is effective at range would be nice so I can have a more well rounded general purpose hunting cartridge. I'd rather not need to buy multiple specialized rounds for multiple types of big game and multiple different regional landscape conditions.
If long range work is viable, the 6.5 Grendel may be the way to go. Otherwise the 6.8 or 7.62x39 might offer more stopping power at shorter ranges. I don't really know how the Grendel is when it comes to terminal ballistics, I just know it's suppose to be very accurate against paper. The Grendel might be my go-to cartridge if I was convinced that it penetrated and hit just as hard as the 6.8 or 7.62x39, or other similar intermediate range cartridges with heavy grain weights.
I tend to assume the .458, .450, .50 style cartridges would probably be superior one shot stoppers if I'm only taking short range shots (100m or less) in a forest, and superior for going through thick brush without being deflected, but I don't really know for sure how it compares with 6.5 and 6.8. But then by doing that I think I might be giving up a lot of range and accuracy potential. So I suspect it may be more of a specialized dense forest hunting cartridge, but I could be wrong.
What is best when dealing with elk, penetrating ability or expanding stopping power?
Do I want to put an emphasis on the heavier round that goes through brush better without getting knocked off track?
My instinct is that I'd probably rather have a better penetrating round for ensuring going through bone and puncturing of vital areas, especially with longer range shots, as opposed to an expanding or super heavy round that lacks penetration and range but transfers all it's energy into the target - But I don't know how the various rounds really compare in that regard to which is best penetrating.
I'm also curious how viable any AR15 based cartridge would be when it comes to moose hunting. Although it's a rare consideration due to the lottery system, it would be nice if I also had the option of being able to take that on if the opportunity presented itself. Do the dynamics of what you need in a cartridge change completely, because you need something that is longer range, hits harder, or penetrates bones better? Is an full sized rifle cartridge like 308/30-06/6.5 creedmor/etc the only viable route for Moose hunting, or would any cartridge deemed good for Elk be sufficient for Moose with proper shot placement? I've heard a lot about how strong their bones are, that you need something that penetrates well.
Does going with an AR15 platform drastically lower my effective engagement range against a moose compared with full sized calibers, or can proper ammo selection (ie, probably a round geared towards max penetration with a heavy grain weight and high velocity) have just as much reach?
So far I am most familiar with the technical aspects of:
6.5 Grendel.
6.8 SPC
7.62x39.
.458 Socom, .450 Bushmaster, .50 Beowulf.
.300 blackout
But it's hard to make a decision about what to go for if I'm not sure what aspect of the cartridge is most important to emphasize for elk hunting.
What is the maximum range I could expect to be able to take a shot at an elk? I have the ability to hit accurately, I just don't know if there would be any hunting grounds in western washington that actually give me an opportunity to stretch out to that distance.
Although I plan to initially only learn to hunt in lower altitude areas of western washington (where I generally expect dense vegetation and forest), I wouldn't rule out the possibility of hunting in eastern washington or higher up in the mountains at some point in the future - so having a round that is effective at range would be nice so I can have a more well rounded general purpose hunting cartridge. I'd rather not need to buy multiple specialized rounds for multiple types of big game and multiple different regional landscape conditions.
If long range work is viable, the 6.5 Grendel may be the way to go. Otherwise the 6.8 or 7.62x39 might offer more stopping power at shorter ranges. I don't really know how the Grendel is when it comes to terminal ballistics, I just know it's suppose to be very accurate against paper. The Grendel might be my go-to cartridge if I was convinced that it penetrated and hit just as hard as the 6.8 or 7.62x39, or other similar intermediate range cartridges with heavy grain weights.
I tend to assume the .458, .450, .50 style cartridges would probably be superior one shot stoppers if I'm only taking short range shots (100m or less) in a forest, and superior for going through thick brush without being deflected, but I don't really know for sure how it compares with 6.5 and 6.8. But then by doing that I think I might be giving up a lot of range and accuracy potential. So I suspect it may be more of a specialized dense forest hunting cartridge, but I could be wrong.
What is best when dealing with elk, penetrating ability or expanding stopping power?
Do I want to put an emphasis on the heavier round that goes through brush better without getting knocked off track?
My instinct is that I'd probably rather have a better penetrating round for ensuring going through bone and puncturing of vital areas, especially with longer range shots, as opposed to an expanding or super heavy round that lacks penetration and range but transfers all it's energy into the target - But I don't know how the various rounds really compare in that regard to which is best penetrating.
I'm also curious how viable any AR15 based cartridge would be when it comes to moose hunting. Although it's a rare consideration due to the lottery system, it would be nice if I also had the option of being able to take that on if the opportunity presented itself. Do the dynamics of what you need in a cartridge change completely, because you need something that is longer range, hits harder, or penetrates bones better? Is an full sized rifle cartridge like 308/30-06/6.5 creedmor/etc the only viable route for Moose hunting, or would any cartridge deemed good for Elk be sufficient for Moose with proper shot placement? I've heard a lot about how strong their bones are, that you need something that penetrates well.
Does going with an AR15 platform drastically lower my effective engagement range against a moose compared with full sized calibers, or can proper ammo selection (ie, probably a round geared towards max penetration with a heavy grain weight and high velocity) have just as much reach?
