What caliber ?

[wyo85]

What I would like is a caliber to play around shooting up to a 1000 yards(not competition) at targets or steel and the most important it has to be at least a 600 yard Elk caliber. Wildcats would be ok but I not going to fire form brass. Going to a gun show this weekend so what model savage should I be looking for to built off of and what would be the top price you would pay for it in good condition , Right now I am thinking of building on a Axis action.

[Hotolds442]

Shop for a Long action Magnum chambered rifle, preferably an Ultra Mag. That's where I'd start. From there, concentrate on building a 338 Edge. Jim at Apache can put a barrel together for you for a very reasonable price, and do it pretty quickly. You'll have a hard time building a better 600 yard elk gun for the price, but you'll struggle to find brass starting out. It's up to you to decide whether you need the bells and whistles of things like Accutrigger and accustock, detachable magazines, stainless or CM. But when you're all finished with your build, you won't have any second thoughts on caliber choice. When you spec the barrel, pay the extra to get it threaded for a brake, you can add it later if need be.

[wyo85]

If I was to go with the edge would a 300 win mag bolt and action work.

[D.ID]

If I was to go with the edge would a 300 win mag bolt and action work.

Yes for a single shot.
No for a repeater...... without major modification and even then you would be very limited in bullet selection that would run threw the magazine.
338 edge is my favorite even as a single shot but......300 win or 300wsm both handle 600 yard elk and 1K practice quite nicely with careful load selection.

[wyo85]

Not sure what caliber yet but I did order a scope tonight a Primary Arms 4x14x44 FFP

[YDKDY]

.300 Win mag (at least), and I'd get closer to the elk.

[D.ID]

.300 Win mag (at least), and I'd get closer to the elk.

I'd get farther.......this years was 916 yards :)
My hunting partners was 740 yards with a bone stock 300 WSM.

[Londerko]

this years was 916 yards :)

Dang!!!!!
What bullet are you using in the 300WM???
I've been thinking about giving those 215 Bergers a try.

[yobuck]

Yes for a single shot.
No for a repeater...... without major modification and even then you would be very limited in bullet selection that would run threw the magazine.
338 edge is my favorite even as a single shot but......300 win or 300wsm both handle 600 yard elk and 1K practice quite nicely with careful load selection.

The edge would be his favorite only because he's never shot my rifle. lol
But i would agree that for the stated purpose the 300 wm or the 300wsm would be a very good choice.
Excellant bullet selections also.

[stomp442]

Elk are not tanks and they don't need a big huge magnum to take them down at 600 yards and you don't want to be shooting that thing a bunch of times at targets either. The .300 win mag would be the absolute largest I would consider but the 6.5-06 or 6.5-284 with a 140gr bullet is just as deadly and unless you plan on running the big heavies out of the .30 cal magnum the 6.5 will provide better wind drift and trajectories which translates into making that 600 yard shot a lot easier and they are pleasant enough to shoot all day if you wanted to without the need or added cost of a brake.

[yobuck]

Elk are not tanks and they don't need a big huge magnum to take them down at 600 yards and you don't want to be shooting that thing a bunch of times at targets either. The .300 win mag would be the absolute largest I would consider but the 6.5-06 or 6.5-284 with a 140gr bullet is just as deadly and unless you plan on running the big heavies out of the .30 cal magnum the 6.5 will provide better wind drift and trajectories which translates into making that 600 yard shot a lot easier and they are pleasant enough to shoot all day if you wanted to without the need or added cost of a brake.

Some day it would be nice if a bunch of us could meet up and settle the differences of opinions on some of this stuff. lol

[Londerko]

The edge would be his favorite only because he's never shot my rifle. lol

What's your rifle?

[Londerko]

Elk are not tanks

They are in Western Oregon LOL!!!
Ever hunted Roosevelt Elk?
I have taken lots with the old 06, but not many over 300yds.

[wyo85]

That 6.5-06 sounds good, how many steps are there in resizing the 06 brass, and could it be built on a 30-06 Axis action with out many problems ?

[yobuck]

What's your rifle?

Well ive got more guns to shoot than shoes to wear. And the situation determines the one i use and not any personal affection toward them.
Frankly i like them all including the 6.5x06s which is one i dont own but i do own a 25/06 and a 30/06.
But if you want to go long say beyond 1200 yds nothing can compare with a 338 300 gr bullet unless its even bigger.
Especially if you enjoy hitting the things you shoot at.
I think all the larger capacity 338s are an excellant choice regardless how i might joke about any one of them.
But my own is the 338 big Baer which is designed off the 505 Gibbs case. 34" Benchmark barrel on a custom action.
Frankly it sees little use as its not needed for most of our hunting.
But this year on the last afternoon of the last day one stepped over onto our side of the hill at 1450.
Big Baer got the call from the bullpen and threw the strike we needed.
Its whats keeping me young lol.

[Londerko]

Well probably not more shoes than my wife lol!!!
I thought you were referring to one particular rifle that was great for killing elk at 600yds and target practice to 1000yds.
That big bear sounds awesome though!

[sav250]

If I went Elk I'd choose .348 Winchester.







If I needed a scoped rifle I'd choose the .264 Winchester Magnum. I'd use the Leupold 1.5 - 5X which I have on both of my .264 Winchester model 70 from Fabrique Nationale and from Winchester New Haven.


To be honest I am aware that our predecessors used .32-20 to get Elk. It's a sorry fact for today's so called huntsmen who shoot an elk at 300 yards. The iron sights on a good gun can do all that people expect from scopes. Problem with scopes in Elk mountain is fogging temperature and general reliance upon an optic in conditions they become useless. No matter the definition or clarity of telescopic ability clear up to Swarovsky.

In case anyone needs to learn more about why I rely on the iron sights assigned to the rifle instead of a scope then think again about how precise an iron sight can be in all weather conditions:

[Hotolds442]

In case anyone needs to learn more about why I rely on the iron sights assigned to the rifle instead of a scope then think again about how precise an iron sight can be in all weather conditions:

Until your eyesight becomes such that it can no longer focus on the front sight, rear sight, and target at the same time.....

Nice looking 348 BTW.

[yobuck]

If I went Elk I'd choose .348 Winchester.







If I needed a scoped rifle I'd choose the .264 Winchester Magnum. I'd use the Leupold 1.5 - 5X which I have on both of my .264 Winchester model 70 from Fabrique Nationale and from Winchester New Haven.


To be honest I am aware that our predecessors used .32-20 to get Elk. It's a sorry fact for today's so called huntsmen who shoot an elk at 300 yards. The iron sights on a good gun can do all that people expect from scopes. Problem with scopes in Elk mountain is fogging temperature and general reliance upon an optic in conditions they become useless. No matter the definition or clarity of telescopic ability clear up to Swarovsky.

In case anyone needs to learn more about why I rely on the iron sights assigned to the rifle instead of a scope then think again about how precise an iron sight can be in all weather conditions:

It is certainly a clasic example of a beautiful gun. Which would be just one of the reasons id be leaving it home on any of my elk hunts.

[D.ID]

Dang!!!!!
What bullet are you using in the 300WM???
I've been thinking about giving those 215 Bergers a try.

I was running a 300 grain SMK from a 24" 338 edge which hit a 350 class 6x7 like a ton of bricks at 916yrds.
My hunting partner threw a 230 berger from a bone stock 300 WSM launched at very modest speeds into a very respectable 5x6 the following day at 740yrds, took a minute for the bull to drop but he didn't get 50 yards.
.
My wife who can not shoot a 270win due to recoil can target practice all day with her 26" 338 edge with Ross Schuler's 3 port ($40) brake. Very fun to have a tack driving cannon.

[Londerko]

Wow! That's impressive!
A 300gr bullet definately would get the job done. I should try some of the heavies in my 300wm, im currently using the berger 185 and thinking of giving the 210 or 215 a try for even longer ranges

[sav250]

The big gun I use for house protection.





It's a Lott .458 that also shoots .458 WIN MAG.

If I have to fire a shot in my house I want to make sure everybody hears it.

[stomp442]

Well ive got more guns to shoot than shoes to wear. And the situation determines the one i use and not any personal affection toward them.
Frankly i like them all including the 6.5x06s which is one i dont own but i do own a 25/06 and a 30/06.
But if you want to go long say beyond 1200 yds nothing can compare with a 338 300 gr bullet unless its even bigger.
Especially if you enjoy hitting the things you shoot at.
I think all the larger capacity 338s are an excellant choice regardless how i might joke about any one of them.
But my own is the 338 big Baer which is designed off the 505 Gibbs case. 34" Benchmark barrel on a custom action.
Frankly it sees little use as its not needed for most of our hunting.
But this year on the last afternoon of the last day one stepped over onto our side of the hill at 1450.
Big Baer got the call from the bullpen and threw the strike we needed.
Its whats keeping me young lol.

Elk at 1200 yards was not the question. Elk at 600 was, which the 6.5-06, 270 win, 280 Rem are all easily capable of with out the need of 230+ grain bullet the 90 grains of powder to launch it and the corresponding recoil. Run the numbers through any ballistics program and you will see any of the calibers I have listed carry plenty of energy to kill an elk at 600 yards. Lots of elk have fallen to much less gun than I have listed and will continue to do so.

[stomp442]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4o6n6rRlQs

Looks like the 6.5 works just fine.

[LoneWolf]

That 6.5-06 sounds good, how many steps are there in resizing the 06 brass, and could it be built on a 30-06 Axis action with out many problems ?

Just use 25-06 brass and size it up in one pass. I have a barrel brass and dies I'm currently trying to sell in the classifieds.