The author thinks the fast cartridges from 8mm to .375 are tops for all-around elk hunting. Of these, he believes the 8mm and the .33 calibers are the best of the best.
SEEING THE SIGHTS We are all held hostage by our own experience or lack thereof. I understand elk hunting in the Rocky Mountain states. I don't know a darned thing about hunting elk in the rain forests of western Washington and Oregon. I know the shooting there is usually very close, and it's also extremely wet. In those circumstances, open sights may be best. For elk hunting in other environs, a scope is the best and most sensible choice.
Since the elk is a large animal and its vital zone offers a huge target, you don't need a lot of magnification for precise shot placement--even when shooting across a canyon or big meadow. Most of my "elk-capable" rifles feature variable scopes from 3-9X on up to 4.5-14X, but this is for versatility, not necessarily for elk hunting. My Brown Precision .338 sports a fixed 4X scope, while my Remington .35 Whelen features a 13/4-5X variable. If you like more magnification, go for it, but it's really not necessary.
CARTRIDGES: The Real Stickler Last comes the tough one--the criterion that starts most of the arguments. Although I seem to have been branded as a heavy-caliber guy, I don't think of myself as such. On the other hand, I'm certainly not a light-caliber guy, either. I have never shot an animal the size of a bull elk with a .270, so I really can't say how well such calibers work or don't work. I know many hunters kill elk with .270s, but I believe 7mm is the bare minimum for hardy animals weighing up to half a ton. I've never hunted elk with a .416 or similar cartridge, either. You can, but cartridges suitable for elephants and Cape buffalo are no more ideal for elk than are lighter fodder appropriate for deer.
All of my elk have been taken with cartridges ranging from the .30-06 up to the .375 H&H. I have no issue with those who swear by 7mms from the .280 on up, but I consider .30 caliber as my minimum for elk. I have great confidence in the .30-06 with 180-grain bullets, but in more open country I feel even better about the faster .30s (I also prefer 200-grain bullets to 180s).
On the upper end, the good ol' .375 H&H works wonders on elk, but I don't think a cartridge so large is necessary, and I'm equally certain that something with a flatter trajectory is more desirable.
To me, the ideal for most elk hunting lies above .30 caliber and below .375. This means the 8mm Rem. Mag. and the faster .33 and .35 calibers. Just how fast depends on how and where you hunt, and also how much recoil you're comfortable with. The .338 Win. Mag. is a wonderful elk cartridge. The .340 Wby. Mag. and still-faster .33 calibers are even better because they offer more reach, but they kick a lot more and you may not need the extra reach in your country.
Development of fast, powerful cartridges seems on the upswing these days--witness the .30-378 Wby. and its new big brother, the .338-378, and the superfast Lazzeroni cartridges. These huge-cased cartridges burn a lot of powder and churn up plenty of muzzle blast and recoil (the .33s more than the .30s), but they are effective timberline elk cartridges, well suited for use in the most open country.
Among the major manufacturers, Remington has probably made the biggest headlines in 1998 with its .300 Ultra Mag, followed this year by the .338 Ultra Mag. Neither should be considered magic wands. Actual velo-city of the .300 Ultra Mag is similar to the .300 Wby. Mag., while the .338 Ultra Mag is similar to the .340 Wby. Mag. However, the Ultra Mags are based on the rimless .404 Jeffery case, shortened and with a slightly rebated rim. Advantages include the inherent efficiency of a fat case and headspacing on the shoulder rather than on the belt, both of which tend to enhance accuracy. For elk hunting, I would prefer the .338 Ultra Mag, but .30-caliber fans should find a great new cartridge in the .300 Ultra Mag.
This bull from the Jicarilla Apache Reservation fell to a .375 H&H. While the .375 is effective, it's really more cartridge than you need, and other rounds offer better trajectories.
The beauty of cartridges with long- range potential is that they work up close as well, but if long-range shooting is not probable, then lever-action cartridges such as the .348 and .358 Win., .444 Marlin and the ageless .45-70 are fine choices. The .35 Whelen is a great medium-range cartridge.
Much of this is theory. No one can do enough elk hunting to become truly familiar with the performance of a wide variety of cartridges. Most of my elk hunting has been done with the 8mm Rem. Mag. and the .338 Win. Mag., and I know these rounds work. I also know that the .30-06 and the .300 magnums work--although not as well because, in my experience, complete penetration from these rounds is far less likely. Plus, the elk I've shot with the latter cartridges have traveled farther after the shot than did the elk I've killed with the more powerful rounds--despite similar shot placement.
I know the .35 Whelen works, and I know the .375 H&H works--but I also know that I want a bit flatter trajectory for most of my elk hunting. I have never shot an elk with a .340 Wby. Mag. (or a faster .33), nor with a speedy .35 such as a .358 Norma Mag. or .358 STA. And theorizing that they would perform as I think they would, I'd certainly have full confidence in cartridges such as these.
In real terms, I do not know that the .270 is incapable of putting an elk down like my 8mm or .338 magnums. If you have the same kind of confidence in lighter cartridges that I have in my medium magnums, then you should stick with them.
So now you know what I like for elk hunting; I do not claim that mine are the only options. The debate over suitable elk rifles will rage on, which is fine by me. It will give us something to talk about if we meet by a campfire some fine, starry evening.
