30-06 for elk?

[aa1911]

as said, the '06 has taken plenty of elk, it's plenty.

It's not on the overkill side of power though, watch your distance and don't stop shooting until they stop moving.

My recommendation for bullets would be 180gn in either Nosler Accubond (white tip) or Barnes TS-X copper solids. Doesn't get much better than those. I skunked out this year but my buddy took two over the last couple years with one shot from a Barnes TS-X. Great performance at a wide variety of velocities/distances.

[catfish83861]

Just thought I would post a couple pictures to show what you can do with the correct bullet and a good rifle. Hope you enjoy the pictures. Yes I do love to hunt!

[langenc]

Originally Posted by WHSmithIV

Use your 30-06 - that's fine. Since this is your first elk, don't get over excited, you obviously want to be as close as possible. 300 yards is a long way and way too far - over a quarter of a mile. 100 yards is much better. You don't want to simply wound the elk and have to chase it down. You want to make sure you get it. Just find the elk, stay down wind and get in as close as possible then take your shot. Be quiet, they hear very well. Elk weigh a LOT so have a plan for getting it out of where you shoot it. Don't waste any of it either. Plan on saving the hide and tanning it also. Elk hide makes wonderful leather. Moose in Finland weigh over 600 lbs. quite often. We took them down and brought them out. Think about it - you are taking down an animal the weight of my horse or more. About the same size as my horse also. You and your brothers and your Dad are not going to simply pick this animal up, sling it over your shoulder and carry it to your pickup from where you find it. You will need hatchets, rope, twine. You will need to cut small saplings and build a sling sledge after field dressing the elk to cut down weight then manually drag it out on your sledge. I recommend you have a low trailer and a winch when you get to your vehicle. Even 4 guys manhandling an elk is not an easy job and can be very well impossible without cutting up the animal into much small pieces in the field.

In Finland we went hunting for moose in groups of 8.

Here in MICHIGAN we have limited elk hunting. Our conservation club has a coffee/donut tablet at the check in site, required.

It is neat to see the elk come in, all kinds of vehicles/trailers. The ones I always wonder about are the elk in a pickup with a topper. For those in Finland, that is somekind of a cover with 'door' above the tailgate. You probably have em.

I always wonder how they got that elk into that truck with the topper on it. Im going to have to ask next time I see one.

The DNR weighs all elk killed, except those in trucks under toppers. I guess they dont know how to get em out and then back in. I bet some shooters remove the topper and then muscles the elk in, followed by replacing the topper. How else?? you cant push em and sure cant get 3 pullers in that truck??

[V509]

A lot of debate here 165 to 180 gr...... If your gun shoots the 165 better go for it, 15 grains is so little difference. Drop charts for both show minute difference in bullet drop

[myfriendis410]

I'm with aa1911: those are great choices and you really can't go wrong with a 30-06. For the Barnes I've been shooting the 168 gr. TTSX and am convinced that is THE bullet in the .30 caliber.