Elk Rifles/ What lever do you use

[BigSky56]

Heres my goto rifle when I purposely chase elk, brning 71, I use 200 gr hdy's for distance shooting and 250 HC Bear Tooth in dark timber big bear areas. danny

Nothing like horse sweat for honest wear on a saddle rifle

[mescalero1]

Danny,
With you living in Grizz country, do they ever get after the horses?

[mescalero1]

Sorry, about the question..
that is what I bought the Marlin 1895 .45-.70 for.

[Leverluver]

86EL or Browning 71 in 348AI

[BigSky56]

A couple of times once when I was down in the absorkee's north of Ypark bear came in camp at night and went after the horses and mules one of the mules connected with a kick found blood and bear hair, scattered them to heck and gone and up here when I was alone hunting tied my pony to a tree and was 100 yds away watching a meadow grizz wandered down to have a looksee horse was carrying on like he was gut shot, got there in time before the horse broke his neck, bear was milling around sic'ed my heeler on him bear left the area. Ive had as many rodeos with moose too. danny

[rjohns94]

original 1886 in 45-70, or 1873 Springfield trapdoor.

[tman]

.348WCF. one of the alltime great north american rounds. excellent choice!

[mescalero1]

Yeah,
I was looking at that horse tied to a tree, and thought, if a bear come up, he'd be in a bad way.

[Leverluver]

I was running an elk hunting camp south of Gunnison over 30 years ago. This enormous fellow obviously had no idea how to mount a horse and put all his weight on the stirrup and hauled on the saddle horn with fully extended arms and tried to moose his mass into the saddle. The obvious result was that the saddle slid past ninely degrees and that started the rodeo. His fancy Weatherby was in the saddle scabbard and when the rodeo was over, it was in two pieces. I offered my original M71 for him to use on the hunt and he turned up his nose at it and demanded to be taken back to the airport. No accountin for bad taste

[Sixgun]

Danny,
I did carry a .348 on one trip but I did not see anything. I tagged this one with a 1886 in .33 W.C.F. 44 grains of IMR 4895 and a 200 gr. Hornady. Since that one I now use an original Extra Lightweight 1886 in 45-70 with 375 gr. bullets and a mess of RL-7.
Bad pic--too much sun glare
,

The '86 45-70 in the field near Kremmling, Co

[BigSky56]

Sixgun I bet that raghorn was good eating, I would just as soon take a raghorn or a cow for meat rather than a old bull. Nice saddle guns. danny

[Tycer]

The only person I know who hunts elk every year is a Canadian who uses a Winchester 94 in 30-30. It's his only gun. His 3 adult boys have Winchester 94s in 30-30. I guess no one told them to buy bigger guns!

[mescalero1]

Danny,
I found a Savage 99 .358 Winchester in the junk pile at my gunsmiths, when I get it sorted out, reckon that will do the trick for " distance "?

[buckeyeshooter]

Marlin 1895 Cowboy, remanufactured to 50 alaskan using 450 grain barnes originals.

[Kansas Ed]

The only Elk I've ever killed was a big bull in Wy. Used a .375 Winchester with factory 200 grainers. Neck shot at about 70-80 yds he went down immediately....like legs just buckled and left him in his waller.

Ed

[BigSky56]

Mescalero that 99 will kill them as far as you can see and hit with it. Ive seen beaucoup elk killed with a 300 sav.
Tycer Ive killed more elk with a 30-30 than a 348 and generally I use it, I like the heaver bullet and power for the bears.
Ed nice bull. danny

[pokey]

the few elk i've killed have all been with a 30-30,
no bears to worry about though.

[gimdandy]

45-70 or 375 , marlins no matter what

[Travis Morgan]

Heres my goto rifle when I purposely chase elk, brning 71, I use 200 gr hdy's for distance shooting and 250 HC Bear Tooth in dark timber big bear areas. danny

Nothing like horse sweat for honest wear on a saddle rifle

Is that a Fred Hook saddle?

[Travis Morgan]

45-70 or 375 , marlins no matter what

Hack! Ptooey! ......and that's all I'll say about that.......

[winchester1886]

Sixgun that ain't sun glare, that's just the shine coming of that beautiful 86, that's perfection in a rifle, have one exactly the same.

[Don McDowell]

Leverguns I've used on elk, 99 savage in 250, blr 243 and 308, win 94 30-30, win 95 405, and 99 savage in 308. Carried the marlin 30-30 ai but did not have a shot on that trip.

[Modoc ED]

As I said in a thread the other day (can't remember the title), I drew a Elk tag this year here in CA and I'm going to take my pre-64 Winchester Model 94 .30-30 as my primary rifle and one of my .444 Marlin rifles as a possible back-up. A long shot could present itself but where I'll be hunting, the longest shot would be about 150-yards but most likely will be 75-yards to 100-yards. A 170gr bullet pushed by 30gr of IMR-3031 will be plenty for any Elk as a factory loaded Winchester Super X Power Point 170gr load or 170gr Silver Tip load would be.

Edit: My post-64 Winchester Model 94 would do just as well as my pre-64 Winchester Model 94.

[Pathfinder09]

This year I plan to use my Model 71 Winchester.



I also use my 1895 Winchester in ,405 Win.

[BigSky56]

Travis, that is a fred hook slick fork most comfy saddle I ever sat in Ive done 30 miles in one day course I was ridding that smooth walking morgan in the photo. danny

[BigSky56]

Ed, which herd did you draw. danny

[Travis Morgan]

I just wish Fred would learn how to make 'em prettier; they're the most comfortable saddles I've ever sat in, and well worth the money for anyone that spends a lot of time in the saddle.

[OJ]

Of interest for me - the largest Elk on the Boone & Crockett record for many years was taken just west of Crested Butte, Colorado with a Winchester 95 in 30-40 Krag - I've seen both the rack and rifle at a friend's motel there. I have friends who use that combo rifle and cartridge still and swear by it.

[Modoc ED]

Ed, which herd did you draw. danny

I'll be hunting the West side of the Warner Mountains from just South of Davis Creek, CA to New Pine Creek, CA.

[BigSky56]

OJ, a friend of mine took a 403 bull, on the north slope of the cabinet wilderness overlooking hwy 2 in a avalanche chute was so steep it slid 150 yds when he fell massive bull . The whole family hunts avalanche chutes his son got a 384 bull behind my place in a chute, to steep and bouldery for me I prefer dark timber gated roads easy riding cides I prefer meat animals to horns.
About 5 years ago in the top of the cabinet wilderness I passed on a 8x8 that would of set a record could only get within 1000 yds of him with the horses he was herding 20 cows and as many calves around the back side of a permanent glacier it was a pleasure to watch him herd and push cows as there was a couple of satellite bulls try to steal from him. danny

[dawei]

I use a 444 Marlin® throwing a Beartooth® 290gr LFNGC bullet behind 45gr of H4198.

[jkbrea]

This was with a Marlin 45-70 outside Jackson, Wy. I'll be using it again this year, but hopefully on a bull.