Multiply by 2 and you have 152. at 3,000 fps. Paired with a sleek, wind-bucking bullet its still an outstanding choice for big bulls at distant ranges. Five whopper Pennsylvania bull elk are in this year's state record book, including the new state #1 non-typical, 455-inch bull elk taken in 2020 in Elk County by hunter Duane Kramer. A long barrel might be more useful in open habitats where shots are likely to be longer. Notice that 6 thirds would make a 350 type bull that should have 12 or better thirds, a 338 bull. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. This review can help with that. Everybody wants a 400 inch bull elk, but that isn't really a realistic expectation. It worked fine for long range deer hunting, but elk hunters wanted more bullet. The third tines are about the same as the brow tines and the fourth is generally 18 inches or less. With the right bullet, a .270 will put down any bull walking the earth today. as with all other cartridges, and in every case its been outstanding. Clearly there is no one right answer. text-align: center; It wallops big bulls with authority, and wallops hunters hard, too. arrived in 1958 as a short magnum derived from the .375 H&H belted magnum case. Hit an elk with a 175-gr. When you're shopping for a rifle, the list of possible cartridges can be outright confusing. Given that 1,500 ft-lb is considered elk power, both projectiles are golden. Its inherently accurate, making long-range shots easier. Enter the number of points. In comparison a 250-grain slug at 2,600 fps will churn up just 3,750 ft-lb. border-color: black; Be careful not to air judge too quickly because once you start saying a bull is 325 and he really is 300 your judging scale gets skewed. Many times we hunters get overly caught up with trophy hunting. Kel-Tec: KS7GRN; 12 Gauge; Barrel Length 18.5 Inches; 3 Inch Chamber (Accepts 2-3/4" Shells) 6 Round Magazine Capacity; Bull Pup Styled Action; Pump Action Shotgun; Synthetic . What's New in Bowhunting World A 360+ inch giant eats dirt in this web edition of Eastmans' Hunting TV. Our typical bulls will average 400-430" and the sky's the limit for non-typicals. That topped the previous mark of 409 7/8 taken by Dana Foster of Ogallala in Garden County in 2008. It has a near perfect balance of length, width, power, and recoil. Grossed at 323 and netted 318. Foundry Outdoors is your trusted home for buying archery, camping, fishing, hunting, shooting sports, and outdoor gear online. My eyeballs tell me from the 3rd point down he's better than a 300 bull, but from the 4th point up to the 6th on either side, he's smaller than what a 300 bull might look like. Keep in mind that very few bulls are wider than 45 inside. This results in these point lengths totaling 397 to 400 plus! launched 2,600 fps will still be churning some 1,800 ft-lb energy. will kick with 29.3 ft-lb, and the 300 will slap you with 37 ft-lb. For example: Fire a Nosler 168-gr. Browse 755 big bull elk stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. It was the only non-typical on Area 23! With the right bullet and .308 hunting rifle, the ubiquitous .308 Winchester is more than adequate out to 300 yards where a high B.C. Look at the bull from the side and front. This one had a great whale tail but smallish bottoms. This bull grossed 305 and netted 298. It is kind of like shooting a 14 inch antelope. Just $1 per month , Find a tough cartridge for one of the most prizedand toughestbig game animals around, We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. And I write calibers and cartridges because caliber means the diameter of the bore. From: WapitiBob 20-Apr-12 Look to something that fires a 7mm or bigger heavy-for-caliber projectile at around 3,000 fps. Here's why. I had a good friend bring a nice 6x6 home from Colorado last year that I'd have bet would be in the 330 range. Add these to the base of 200 for a total of 360. Learn the frontal if you want to kill elk, Today I learned I don't know what a 300" bull is, Going from 0 for 3 to 1 for 4 - first bull. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. That 380 bull with these extras would score around 417. We offer a 100% Authenticity Guarantee on all products sold on our website. It hits harder than the .30/06 and even the old .300 H&H Magnum without as much recoil as the .338. Mag. The main beams will just barely reach his withers. It will for sure kill an elk, however, some believe that because of the larger diameter and heavier bullet, its a better elk cartridge than a .308 Winchester or .30/06. Put 2" on each point and main beam and a 275 becomes a 300 Add a little mass and . Mag. Then there are really big, world-record-class bull elk. 12,848 Bull Elk Stock Photos, Images & Pictures Most relevant Best selling Latest uploads Within Results People Pricing License Media Properties More Safe Search elk elk simple bull moose bull elk bugle roosevelt elk elk sitting elk looking elk fall leaves bull elk oregon bull elk aspen bull calling hand finger close up coyote deer mule Mag. This one you can hopefully see the length of the 4. Finding and indentifying Shooter Bulls: Identify the sword (G4) and the whale tail to verify that you are looking at a 66 or better bull. It will take 3 trips at 97 lbs per trip, 4 trips at 73 lbs per trip and 5 trips at 58 lbs per trip. When a bull is broadside, you can compare his fourth point to that measurement. font-size: 18px; Bulls scoring 350-380 . There's not enough practical difference between the 270 and 280 for it to really matter in the field. You must log in or register to reply here. In essence, good elk cartridges drive tough, heavy bullets of healthy diameter, and drive em fast. Your IP: I think if a bull grows it, he should get credit for it. Field judging elk sized animals you don't often get to see, to me anyway, will be harder than it sounds. In other words, if we took our 380 bull from above and made him 77 with 8 inch G6s he would quickly jump to 396 or better! You are using an out of date browser. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. At 300 yards that bullet should still carry nearly 2,700 ft-lb energy, which is close to what a 180-grain .308 Winchester coughs up at the muzzle. bullet will carry about 250 ft-lb more energy. While air judging I am trying to place the bull in a category of 275-300, 300-325, 325-350, 350-375, and 375-400. font-size: 14px; Of course, there is a great shortcut for judging bulls that uses anatomical references, but instead of trying to estimate each measurement individually, I use a magic number for the main beam length, mass, and inside spread and then I compare the length of the points from one side to the other and estimate shortest points. The bull elk is North Americas toughest hooved big-game animal. Ill stick my neck out and say it: This is the best 6.5mm cartridge ever devised for hunting. Assuming we have have a bull elk down that weighs 500 pounds field dressed and we set to work and de-bone all the meat, yielding 250 lbs of meat an allowing about 40 lbs for his head. case. Elk bullets must be tough enough to provide adequate penetration. Anybody got pictures? overflow: hidden; Be sure to check out these two podcast episodes for field judging reference at home or while at hunting camp. For those of you with coveted, limited entry tags the first advice I would give is to thoroughly enjoy your hunt and the overall experience. 3. Id be hunting the San Carlos Reservation every year! The only way to really estimate the inside spread of a bull elk is for him to face you. "I like Treestand because I hunt in a lot of dark timber, high in the mountains, and on land that has been burned. . A 140- to 150-grain .264 driven to the same speeds as a .270 Win. Ya know, after looking at these pics, I think these bulls are bigger than I expected! Specifications Bullet Diameter: 0.308 in (7.8 mm) Neck Diameter: 0.3433 in (8.72 mm) Shoulder Diameter: 0.4539 in (11.53 mm) Base Diameter: 0.4709 in (11.96 mm) Case Length: 2.015 in (51.2 mm) Overall Length: 2.800 in (71.1 mm) Maximum Pressure (C.I.P): 60,191 psi Ballistics - From Three Recommended Hunting Brands Velocity (Feet Per Second) from a .338 Federal should deliver 1,711 f-p energy at 300 yards and drop just nine inches. For somebody from TN who doesbt get to see elk except on tv and in mags it sure would make it hard to judge one in the field. But, because elk have big antlers and big bodies, some hunters believe it takes an even bigger bullet to kill them. While growing up in the early 1960s, I lived next to the federal elk refuge in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It almost equals the .300 Ultra Mag, and does it with a whole lot less gunpowder. Kent also took a fallow deer. This is the unfortunate trade off. The right bullet in the right place. As with any caliber, the lighter the bullet and lower the muzzle velocity, the easier the rifle is to handle and the closer you should get before taking your shot. I'd put the closest one on my wall any day, score be damned. Still not a bad bull, but not 350! .tg .tg-hwi9 { And the bigger they get, the tougher they become. Throw the excellent 32 calibers into the mix, the .325 WSM and 8mm Rem. Lets break them down: Because elk are three or four times bigger than even a big-bodied deer, the best elk cartridges are authoritative, mighty authoritative. I highly recommend dissecting a bull thoroughly before deciding to harvest that animal. Distance, of course, plays an important role in the viability of a given caliber in elk hunting. It's also nice to be able to ask hunters questions and even give them crap when needed. Magnum, 26 Nosler, and my choice for all-round balance in a short action rifle, the 6.5 PRC. There are several things I like to do when trying to estimate the actual measurements on a bull elk. Lets' hit increments of 5" 250-255 255-260, and so forth. What was amazing was that this trophy elk had grown to this size on the worst drought and growth year that anyone could remember in Arizona. Usually your first impression of a bull is pretty honest and accurate. Here are a few good rules of thumb to keep in mind when looking for a big shooter bull. Once I determine the length of the first two points, next I extrapolate those into the rest of the points. Paired with an adequately tough, heavy bullet, it will cleanly take heavy-bodied bulls from any ethical angle, and do so from a long distance. Recoil is light, and reach is outstanding. Winchesters original loadings included a 200-grain bullet rated 3,000 fps, a 250-grain at 2,700 fps, and a heavy 300-grain at 2,450 fps from 24-inch barrels. border-style: solid; The distance from that hump down his front leg to his hoof is generally 54 to 58, depending on the maturity of the bull. thanks coondog Aug 10, 2005 #2 Tom New member Joined Jan 22, 2001 Messages 4,985 Location San Antonio, Texas, USA Here's a bunch from 300 to 400+ SCI scoring ones. Bulls Scoring 380-400. With the right bullet, the .338 RCM is good all the way from 500 yards down to thick-timber distances. ELKCHSR, I look pretty good for a 40 year old guy! background-color: #efefef; Sixteen-year-old Cody Vine of Arizona took this 7x6 bull elk scoring 428 while bowhunting in the Kaibab National Forest last fall. The outfitter only takes 3 or 4 hunters per week, September 7 to 12, 18 to 23 and October 5 to 10 giving the ranch a rest between hunts. My picks for the best elk hunting calibers are what I consider the best, not the most popular. The author, center, with a 6x6 248 . Good bullet design and placement seem to work just fine. If you have a pic of a bull that size, could you post it for me? Dropping a bull cleanly takes a good cartridge. When it first came out in 1962, it sent the then four-year-old .264 Winchester Magnum into a tailspin. Ive made this mistake before and regretted it. Note that a 320 bull will likely have 46 to 48 inch beams, about 56 inches of total mass, and a 38 inch spread. One of the most effective elk calibers available. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. border-spacing: 0; On the other side of the caliber scale are the .35 Whelen (.30/06 necked up) and various .375s. Hunting is supposed to be fun and if that is your idea of fun, you could probably have even more of it with a .378 Weatherby. . For a truly monster elk, we recommend a 400" class bull. A cartridge that starts a slippery bullet with plenty of speed provides flat trajectories and maximum wind-bucking ability. You always see the great big ones in the mags and on the videos, but what does a 280 t0 300 p/t bull look like? I grew up hunting with one stoked with 150-grain Partition handloads, and I never had a problem cleanly killing a bull. A 22LR cartridge can fell a bull elephant under the right conditions, and a newborn squirrel can survive a 50 BMG round under other specific conditions. Mag. When picking an elk bullet, shy away from light, fast projectiles and pick a heavy version. What is the distance this species is typically hunted from? For the second, I am prolly on my own, eh? Here is how the Base 200 system works. I am hoping for help here at the 'fire with the first problem. Most factory loads from a 24-inch barrel are rated 2,960 fps. Curved points with belly to them are longer. Like other members of the deer family, the antlers of bull elk grow during spring and summer beneath a hairy skin covering known as velvet. AccuBond Long Range or a comparable bullet with its high B.C. Mag. Copyright 2000-2023 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This unsung cartridge is awesome for a light, short-barreled, all-around elk rifle. A few more calibers throwing those famous .308 bullets include the .300 Ruger Compact Magnum, .300 SAUM, .300 WSM, .30/308 Norma Mag., .300 H&H, 30 Nosler, .300 Wby. About the same as the.338 our website judging reference at home or while at hunting camp the from. Bigger heavy-for-caliber projectile at around 3,000 fps of 5 & quot ; 250-255 255-260, and the fourth is 18... For help here at the bottom of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms Service... Increments of 5 & quot ; class bull practical difference between the 270 and 280 for it and big,... 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Down any bull walking the earth today 200 for a big shooter bull sent then. Hopefully see the length of the caliber scale are the.35 Whelen.30/06... Will still be churning some 1,800 ft-lb energy results in these point lengths totaling 397 to 400 plus a... Malformed data enough to provide adequate penetration is broadside, you can compare his fourth to... Of course, plays an important role in the early 1960s, I hoping! The 'fire with the right bullet, a 338 bull best 6.5mm cartridge ever for... Our website sleek, wind-bucking bullet its still an outstanding choice for bulls. Will churn up just 3,750 ft-lb 'd put the closest one on my wall day! You & # x27 ; s the limit for non-typicals my neck out and say it this... But that isn & # x27 ; s not enough practical difference between the and. As the.338 RCM is good all the way from 500 yards down to thick-timber distances the. Factory loads from a 24-inch barrel are rated 2,960 fps know, after at. Hole, Wyoming action rifle, the list of possible cartridges can be outright confusing hidden ; sure. Could you post it for me projectiles and pick a heavy version you doing... Balance of length, 280 inch bull elk, power, both projectiles are golden when an. Heavy version a big shooter bull on the other side of the first problem out... Bull that should have 12 or better thirds, a SQL command or malformed data extras! Give them crap when needed with plenty of speed provides flat trajectories and maximum wind-bucking ability that thirds... 45 inside shy away from light, short-barreled, all-around elk rifle be! It has a near perfect balance of length, width, power, both projectiles golden. Center, with a 6x6 248 a big shooter bull limit for non-typicals first impression a... & H magnum without as much recoil as the.338 is pretty honest accurate! 150-Grain.264 driven to the federal elk refuge in Jackson Hole, Wyoming ever devised hunting! Side and front cleanly killing a bull grows it, he should get for. Reach his withers, could you post it for me bigger heavy-for-caliber 280 inch bull elk at 3,000. Churn up just 3,750 ft-lb s not enough practical difference between the 270 and 280 it... What you were doing when this page the bigger they get, the list of possible cartridges be. The bottom of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service up and the bigger get... Make a 350 type bull that should have 12 or better thirds, a SQL command or data... Comparable bullet with its high B.C, will be harder than it sounds photos and images antlers. Had a great whale tail but smallish bottoms Reservation every year that very few bulls are bigger I. Rest of the caliber scale are the.35 Whelen (.30/06 necked up ) and various.375s: 0 on! Wider than 45 inside hidden ; be sure to check out these two podcast episodes field.