Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting What is your rifle of choice this season

I doubt I shoot an elk this year since I drew a buck tag for my Colorado hunt. And I have a special archery deer tag on the other side of the state during my local early elk season. But my son is hell bent that he’s shooting his first elk this fall. So we’ll be after them out in the hills for the early youth season and again during the later seasons if he doesn’t score during the early one.

He’ll be shooting his big gun, Remington 760 in 300 Savage. Probably with 150 Hornady spire points in front of 4895.

My first year elk hunting in 21 years. Never went during my time in Alaska. It will have to be the 400 Whelen. It has moose and caribou to its credit. Now it’s deer and elk time.

Pre64 FW

Will probably be grabbin' the aperture sighted 6.5x55mm a little more this Season.

Got the load worked out, and a poke of the Norma Professional 140 gr. NP as well.

And, for still hunting with an aperture sighted rifle, it's a bit nicer carry than an M1 if the .30 is not necessary.




GR

Tikka T3X Lite in 6.5 Creedmoor shooting 143gr ELD-X.

I have too many guns and too few tags to really say.

I can only get a spike only otc tag this year so probably an '06.

If I get frisky I might try a magnum of some sort. Most likely the .338.

I do have a new to me M70 pushfeed in .300 Weatherby I am loading with 200 gr NPT loads. It would work too.

My go to elk rifle is my .300 Weatherby Vanguard wearing a Leupold VX 3i 4.5-14x40 CDS scope and shooting 180 gr Barnes TTSX bullets. But because I put about 100 hours of work into it's AA Fancy walnut stock, if it's rainy or snowy wet outside, I'll use my Stainless 7mm RM, Rem 700 that I put into a Wby Vanguard Griptonite stock and also wearing a Leupold VX 3i 4.5-14x40 CDS scope and shooting 160 gr Accubond bullets.

Alamo Precision Rifles Maverick in 300 Weatherby shooting 200 grain Nosler Accubonds at 3090 fps!

270win or some something 338 cal.

I'm going to take my Bicentennial Ruger M77 in 7mm RM out of semi retirement and fill a cow tag.

For nostalgia purposes.

I am surprised at the number of .338s. It is an elk killer for sure. Not sure what all I may carry but one thing my old .300 will not be far away. It has been killing elk for 50 years, near far it does the job.

FOR BEAR SEASON a RUGER #1 35 Whelen , Burris RT-6 1-6 x24 illuminated , my handloads

FOR RIFLE DEER SEASON a RUGER #1 257 Roberts , Nightforce 2 - 10 x 40 ,my handloads with my grandson
RUGER #1 custom 257 Weatherby mag. , Nightforce 4 -14 x56 illuminated , my handloads when i am alone

no elk tag this year , but if i did have a elk tag 338 Lapua or my 338 Win. mag Alaskan

Easy choice for me. 90% of all my hunting is done with a 1948 vintage Winchester model 70 in 30-06 topped with a Leupold 6 X Alaskan scope. Twenty-six elk have fallen to this rifle plus about as many deer and antelope. Will be using some brand of 220 grain factory round nose on antelope this year just for the giggle factor.

Most likely my new-to-me Ultra Light Arms in 7mm-08. Mule deer and elk. Might use the Dakota Model 10 in 7x57 for deer.

The Whelen stays home another year.

I didn't get drawn but if I would have, would have used my 7wsm and 160gr accubonds

I am not….

No tag this year…. But last time I carried my 700 KS in 338. Next time might well be a Kimber Montana in 7-08. 210TSX in the 338. 7-08 will probably be 140ttsx or AB.

Open sited muzzleloader, .50 cal....

Outstanding!