None of these are mine, just an example of what a 6.5 can do, these are all 127gr LRX.

This first one is a little more relevant as the guy had fired 6 times with is 300WM at 2 different Elk, his buddy offered to let him use his 6.5x47 for the rest of the trip.....done deal on the first shot.

450 yards, complete pass through:




Pretty good size muley, 500 yards, passed thorugh both ribs/lungs, 6.5x47:






.260, 725 yards, complete pass through:

I have a quite old, economy model Win model 70 in .300 Mag. Don't try to shoot a 5 shot group as it heats up big time. BUT if you want it to put the FIRST round right where you put the crosshairs, it is the bees knees. And the .300 has always done what I wanted done on deer, hogs, etc.

Without debating caliber, if you are settled on the 300 win mag, the Ruger guide gun is a nice set up. I put mine in a houge stock and it is an accurate, all weather hunting rifle. And the recoil seems tame to me, even without the muzzle brake.

Didn't read everyone's responses, so apologies if I'm repeating some things.

I hunt elk every year, primarily with a .300 WM, although this year I'm trying out a new-to-me customized M700 in 7MM RM. The extra power and flat-shooting tendencies of the bigger magnums keep me sold. You could not, under any circumstances, get me to hunt elk with a standard caliber like a .30-06 or a .308. .280, maaaybe. The ability to shoot "in the hair" at 400 yards with a 300 yd zero - plus the anchoring effect of a 180+ grain bullet moving quickly impacting anywhere in the chest cavity - is, to me, an absolute must in an elk rifle.

Having walked a lot, and shot a lot of elk at 300+ yards, I will take a magnum every time. It is part of the reason I consistently bring home elk steaks every year (sometimes twice a year). My ideal - and my next rifle - is one of the .338 magnums in a light weight, braked/suppressed long rifle, with a high-end 4.5-14x or more powerful optic.

It's also worth noting that a "pass through" is not necessarily a good thing. FMJs will pass through, but they won't do much while they're in there.

IMO, don't buy a 300WM for elk.

It is perhaps the most useful and useless rifle there is. Of course, that's just my opinion.

There is no need for that cannon to bring an elk down. I've dropped them in their tracks with 7mms, 270s, and a 257 Weatherby Mag with a 110gr bullet. Most folks I know shoot 270s, 30-06, 7mm Mags when hunting elk.

If you really want one, I've got one for sale. Haven't shot it in 25 years.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
IMO, don't buy a 300WM for elk.

It is perhaps the most useful and useless rifle there is. Of course, that's just my opinion.

There is no need for that cannon to bring an elk down. I've dropped them in their tracks with 7mms, 270s, and a 257 Weatherby Mag with a 110gr bullet. Most folks I know shoot 270s, 30-06, 7mm Mags when hunting elk.

If you really want one, I've got one for sale. Haven't shot it in 25 years.

I will say you don't *need* a magnum round to kill elk. The first one I ever shot was a lights-out shot with a .243, the legal minimum here in CO. In general though (in my experience) elk are tougher than any other species I've shot or seen shot, including several moose. Of course, as always, solid hits and projectile selection are most important. That said - velocity and weight are definitely your friends, if the recoil doesn't bother you.

I use this.The lighter weight makes it easier humping up and down the CO. hills, it's accurate,had a great trigger and like the mag on it. the .300wsm is a good compromise for anything in north America. https://www.sako.fi/en-us/rifles/sako-85/85-finnlight

I was thinking of this the other day and I decided that if I was getting a 300wm elk rifle, my short list would just be a Winchester 70 extreme weather with Talley lightweight rings and either a leupold vx6hd or a vortex razor hd lh 3-15. Maybe a timney trigger too.

^^^^^^^
Watch the weight on the Vortex

quote:

Originally posted by sunburn:
^^^^^^^
Watch the weight on the Vortex

The razor HD LH is a lighter weight scope, the 3-15x42 I believe is 16.5oz so not too bad. My nightforce shv is about 20.5oz.