Crazy now how people pay 3 times what they cost new for a Ruger with one of those stocks!
I’ve killed 10 elk with a 30-06 and my hand loads of 165 Barnes TTSX bullets. Never had one take more than a few steps before falling over.
That’s the first ‘real’ deer gun I ever bought. My son has it now and it has taken a lot of deer for both of us.
A .308 is basically a modernized .30-‘06, and .30-‘06 is generally considered to be capable of humanely bringing down any game animal in North America. The main reason some prefer .300WinMag for elk is its better ballistics at longer distances, and you might have to settle for a longer shot in elk country.
Very true and I totally agree with you.
I will say most of the elk taken with my 30-06 have been at 400-500 yards with complete pass throughs, only recovering one bullet at my first elk. Very close to 500 yds.
What I will say is flatlanders need to learn how to shoot at Altitude, lower temperatures ranging as low as 25 degrees below zero and the principles of shooting up and downhill.
It’s a whole new ballgame vs a trip to the range in Oklahoma mid summer to establish a load for the mountain in the winter.
There a couple of OSA members that have been on those hunts, taking their own elk, one pretty close to 600 yards uphill at probably 30 degree or steeper angle. Steep enough a snow mobile couldn’t reach it.
My previous post brought to mind my first real rifle (bigger than a ,22). My Dad loved to hunt, but never had a rifle larger than a .22. All he hunted was quail, pheasant, Dove and Duck (a;though he carried some BB rounds in case he saw a goose, he never even loaded them in his shotgun) Deer were very few in SW Okla where we lived. He once went to Colorado with some friends and borrowed a rifle, he didn't enjoy it and always said he would rather take the money he spent, pay a farmer and shoot a cow getting better meat.
In '63 in a local hardware store I found a Enfield Jungle Carbine and bought it for 20 bucks, my Dad hit the it.ceiling, but I was working and used my own money. I still have that little rifle and took many Bucks with it.
In '63 in a local hardware store I found a Enfield Jungle Carbine and bought it for 20 bucks, my Dad hit the it.ceiling, but I was working and used my own money. I still have that little rifle and took many Bucks with it.
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Love it.
I have purposefully gone to the range when it was 17° F outside. Not near -25 though.
I was the only one there.
I have also went when the wind was 25-30 mph. Friends told me it was a horrible day to go shooting. Yea I hunt in the wind so there is that.
I have a couple places I can shoot over 1000 yards and it has the hills.
400 yards was easy with both .308 and 30-06.
Then 700 yards from peak to peak provided 2 foot groups if we were lucky for either rifle.
When we walked down the valley we were hit with wind at our back and going up the other side wind from the left and right of us and then wind blowing in our faces before we reached the peak of the next hill where we had targets set up.
Swirling unpredictable winds with nothing to tell us which way it was blowing. Just rocks and dirt.
It will humble you.
It will also make you rethink about being a sniper on a far away critter.
I like to hunt and get in closer whenever it is possible.
I have slowly belly crawled many times to get in really close to what I want to shoot.
I have killed 3 deer with my elk guns. One was a .300 RUM Sendero. It destroyed the both front shoulders, and had bruising in the front part of the backstrap. 168 grain matchking. (Load worked up from previous owner)
A buck with .300 RUM, 180 grain Accubond. Hard quartered to me. Belly split open from hydrostatic pressure expansion ( I am guessing). Bullet was under hide in opposite side rear quarter.
A doe with suppressed .300 Win mag, 180 grain accubond at 167 yards from a crossed leg sitting position. Head shot. Eyes bulged out, pushing anywhere on the head sounded like stirring macoroni and cheese.
I killed 2 elk with the .300 RUM. I killed 4 with the .300 Win.
I have killed piles of deer with a .30-06 before getting into the 6.8 spc game.
What I am saying is get the rifle that is chambered for what you are hunting majority of the time. No need for a heavier recoiling magnum elk rifle for deer hunting 90% of the time. The .308 and .30-06 will kill an elk just fine if you use a good bullet and put it in the vitals.
A buck with .300 RUM, 180 grain Accubond. Hard quartered to me. Belly split open from hydrostatic pressure expansion ( I am guessing). Bullet was under hide in opposite side rear quarter.
A doe with suppressed .300 Win mag, 180 grain accubond at 167 yards from a crossed leg sitting position. Head shot. Eyes bulged out, pushing anywhere on the head sounded like stirring macoroni and cheese.
I killed 2 elk with the .300 RUM. I killed 4 with the .300 Win.
I have killed piles of deer with a .30-06 before getting into the 6.8 spc game.
What I am saying is get the rifle that is chambered for what you are hunting majority of the time. No need for a heavier recoiling magnum elk rifle for deer hunting 90% of the time. The .308 and .30-06 will kill an elk just fine if you use a good bullet and put it in the vitals.
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I hate to be that guy, but a .308 isn't a modernized 30-06. It's a .300 Savage with a longer neck.
The neck on the .300 caused problems for full-auto fire during trials for the goobermint, and so was modified to become 7.62x51, or in sporting arms - .308.
