Thread: First Elk Hunt
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Old May 19, 2012, 11:56 AM   #4
WildBill45
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Join Date: January 8, 2011
Location: Western PA.
Posts: 1,630
Elk are tough animals, and can go a long way if not shot properly. Your first priority is real rifle shooting, practice off-hand shooting and leave the bench rest for sighting in only. Shoot from one knee, etc. as well. If you can shoot well with a .270, you can shoot well with larger calibers if you are not recoil sensitive. It is of good moral character to dispatch your game as humanely as possible!

I don't know if you live at altitude or not, but that is a major factor in how you may handle physical activity, hence, breath control because you will be huffing and puffing for a few days due to the change in altitude if such applies. The shots are usually longer than most east coast shots, but not always, depending on where you are in the mountains.

The .270 is adequate, with bonded bullets, as I said Elk are big, tough, and a bad angle shot will challenge a .270. The 300 magnums are better, with heavy bullets, 180 or so, and with the extra velocity you won't loose as much energy for those longer shots!

Remember, bonded bullets are for close shots, as cheap bullets can blow up on the shoulder of an elk up close, bonded bullets do not! At longer ranges where the cheaper bullets are going slower, it isn't as much of a problem. A few more bucks spent on quality HUNTING bullets ... practice with the cheap ones ... is worth the price considering what it costs to hunt elk, even if you live there.

Do not expect that target pose ... broadside and smiling ... you will be lucky to just have one standing still; most shots are turning and moving shots, as they usually see, smell, or hear you before you do them!!!
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Last edited by WildBill45; May 19, 2012 at 12:25 PM. Reason: add a sentence or two
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