Best Elk Rifles?

[buckykm1]

Remington model 700 in 300 win mag, with a Bushnell legend 5 x 15 x 40. it is the only gun you need.

Kevin

[Springville Shooter]

My personal elk favorite is my 7MM Dakota with 160grn accubonds. I've only shot two elk, but they've both been boomfloppers. If I had to recommend a generic best rifle for elk I would probably jump on the 300 win band wagon and recommend 180+ grn bullets. Realistically, any big game caliber will work fine. I don't like the 25-06, but my shooting/reloading mentor has killed over 20 elk with one shot each using 120grn partitions.------SS

[sawsman]

I have a Cooper 30-06 topped with a Swarovski scope that I'll be using for elk this coming September.

I have no doubt it'll do the job if the opportunity presents itself.

[ABert]

Any rifle larger than .24 calibers that you shoot well, please don’t watch the hunting shows that show these 600yd shots.

Best advice given yet.

IMHO, most folks who feel the need to use the largest caliber they can stomach to shoot are not accurate and rely on a larger round and more power to make up for their own inefficiencies. An absolute perfect heart shot does not mean an animal will drop in it's tracks.

Come to think about, an animal that runs off 200 yards will still drop in it's tracks

But I digress. Find a rifle in a caliber that YOU can shoot and is comfortable for YOU. If you don't reload you might want to think about a common round that is readily available.

[Springville Shooter]

IMHO, most folks who feel the need to use the largest caliber they can stomach to shoot are not accurate and rely on a larger round and more power to make up for their own inefficiencies.

..........or you could pick a good solid big game caliber that will efficiently kill elk at whatever angle you must shoot at the furthest range you will ever be tempted to shoot,(most people are dishonest about this) and TRAIN yourself to shoot it well and tune/adjust your rifle and loads until you can shoot your 270, or 7 Mag, or 300 win just as accurately as your favorite varmint rifle. Then you have really accomplished something and are more ready for any situation you might encounter in the field. Many will disagree with me, but I consider myself a pretty accomplished rifle shot and have several rifles in 24 and 25 caliber that I could hit an elk in the heart with at any prctical range and I would never attempt to take an elk with them. I consider the 270 and 308 win as minimums for elk. So here's my overall list of favorites:

Overall-300 Win
My Favorite-7MM Dakota
Classic-30-06
Coolest-35 Whelen
Tough guy-338 Win

As far as scopes, I personally use Leupold period. I've been through them all and found that you can't beat the quality, durability, and service of these optics for field use.-------SS

[TheGreatwhitehunter]

Id say the 300 win mag becuase of the wide range of bullet weights and the distance range of the caliber.

I would say the 7mm mag or 7mm STW would be my 2nd choice.

The good ole 270 and 30-06 have killed plenty of elk and still do....

[Indianw]

I use my Remington 700 in 7mm mag and 270 cal. haven't reloaded but would like to, use to reload all my shotgun shells.