about 40 -45 plus years back I was looking hard for the very best elk hunting rifle I could buy or build,
I had been using a 1917 Enfield with a sporterized stock ,
I had it loaded with 220 grain round nose bullets at the advice of several of my mentors at the time, who were very experienced,
and it killed my first two elk with a single shot each,
but I was young and was not impressed as both elk took off as if untouched when hit,
giving no visual clue that Id connected, until they staggered and fell,
about 35-50 yards away a few seconds later, at a dead run,
I was convinced I needed a better rifle.
I read everything I could find on elk hunting and that resulted in my purchase of a 340 wby mark V.
on the next successful elk hunt, it convinced me ID made an excellent choice,
that elk dropped in his tracks like a building being demolished,
I used a hornady 250 grain bullet.
I've used that rifle and bullet combo on more hunts since than anything else.
my late hunting partner thought I was nuts, in selecting a heavy rifle,
that had that much recoil, he purchased a BROWNING BLR in caliber 358 win,
and used it in his BLR for the next 40 years with consistently good results,
with a load of 44 grains of 44 grains IMR 4064 under a speer 250 grain bullet.
the gun shop owner, I dealt with for decades,
suggested I purchase a 338 win caliber BAR,
and I looked it over and decided to try it out,
so a couple years later and using federal 215 primers,
using
67 grains of IMR 4831 ,
or 67 grains of h414
or 67 grains of imr 4350,
or 66 grains of WW760,
under the hornady 225 grain bullet,
proved to be more accurate than the 250 grain, in the BAR.
bullets must be seated to the max length that the magazine
and chambering allows to function flawlessly
results on both mule deer and elk were and are impressive
keep in mind the 30/06 killed elk 100% of the time,
but I was not impressed as it had not seemed to show any indication on bullet impact that you hit the elk,
this is something I learned slowly, larger heavier bullets may not always be more lethal,
but from my observations, they do tend to get a much more obvious reaction from the game with similar hits.
keep in mind I hunt where shots over 300 yards are very rare.
and your chances of jumping game in thicker timber at close range in far more common,
you rarely get a second shot opportunity,
if the first shot failed to connect,
and if it did that second shots rarely needed.
the advantages of the browning BAR, lighter weight and shorter length then the Weatherby bolt gun,
4 shots as fast as you can align the sights and squeeze the trigger ,
and lower recoil than the 340 WBY or 375 H&H chambered rifles,
I otherwise generally use! yet it retains a significant power advantage, and some extra reach,
over the more common 30/06 class cartridges
I prefer a nice falling block single shot for both looks and handling, personally ,and I have a browning 78 in 300 wby,
but as strictly as a TOOL to kill ELK, the BAR has some advantages.
the longer I hunt ELK the more Ive been convinced that a fast and accurately placed shot,
the guns intrinsic speed in handling and confidence in your rifle far out weight the small advantage in accuracy the bolt guns provide,
and while I have zero problem using a falling block single shot,
a semi auto tends to give the newer guys a bit of confidence and the action soaks up a good percentage of the felt recoil.
if you don't handload for your 338 win
https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/338-win-mag-230-gr-eld-x-precision-hunter#!/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-combo-in-a-deer-elk-rifle.16611/#post-102553
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-good-light-weight-elk-rifle.3738/#post-11592
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ange-calibers-for-elk-are-not-mandatory.1275/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ke-those-browning-autos-for-hunting-elk.3450/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...have-proven-to-be-exceptionally-useful.17037/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...t-mass-and-caliber-how-much-is-required.4607/
I had been using a 1917 Enfield with a sporterized stock ,
I had it loaded with 220 grain round nose bullets at the advice of several of my mentors at the time, who were very experienced,
and it killed my first two elk with a single shot each,
but I was young and was not impressed as both elk took off as if untouched when hit,
giving no visual clue that Id connected, until they staggered and fell,
about 35-50 yards away a few seconds later, at a dead run,
I was convinced I needed a better rifle.
I read everything I could find on elk hunting and that resulted in my purchase of a 340 wby mark V.
on the next successful elk hunt, it convinced me ID made an excellent choice,
that elk dropped in his tracks like a building being demolished,
I used a hornady 250 grain bullet.
I've used that rifle and bullet combo on more hunts since than anything else.
my late hunting partner thought I was nuts, in selecting a heavy rifle,
that had that much recoil, he purchased a BROWNING BLR in caliber 358 win,
and used it in his BLR for the next 40 years with consistently good results,
with a load of 44 grains of 44 grains IMR 4064 under a speer 250 grain bullet.
the gun shop owner, I dealt with for decades,
suggested I purchase a 338 win caliber BAR,
and I looked it over and decided to try it out,
so a couple years later and using federal 215 primers,
using
67 grains of IMR 4831 ,
or 67 grains of h414
or 67 grains of imr 4350,
or 66 grains of WW760,
under the hornady 225 grain bullet,
proved to be more accurate than the 250 grain, in the BAR.
bullets must be seated to the max length that the magazine
and chambering allows to function flawlessly
results on both mule deer and elk were and are impressive
keep in mind the 30/06 killed elk 100% of the time,
but I was not impressed as it had not seemed to show any indication on bullet impact that you hit the elk,
this is something I learned slowly, larger heavier bullets may not always be more lethal,
but from my observations, they do tend to get a much more obvious reaction from the game with similar hits.
keep in mind I hunt where shots over 300 yards are very rare.
and your chances of jumping game in thicker timber at close range in far more common,
you rarely get a second shot opportunity,
if the first shot failed to connect,
and if it did that second shots rarely needed.
the advantages of the browning BAR, lighter weight and shorter length then the Weatherby bolt gun,
4 shots as fast as you can align the sights and squeeze the trigger ,
and lower recoil than the 340 WBY or 375 H&H chambered rifles,
I otherwise generally use! yet it retains a significant power advantage, and some extra reach,
over the more common 30/06 class cartridges
I prefer a nice falling block single shot for both looks and handling, personally ,and I have a browning 78 in 300 wby,
but as strictly as a TOOL to kill ELK, the BAR has some advantages.
the longer I hunt ELK the more Ive been convinced that a fast and accurately placed shot,
the guns intrinsic speed in handling and confidence in your rifle far out weight the small advantage in accuracy the bolt guns provide,
and while I have zero problem using a falling block single shot,
a semi auto tends to give the newer guys a bit of confidence and the action soaks up a good percentage of the felt recoil.
if you don't handload for your 338 win
https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/338-win-mag-230-gr-eld-x-precision-hunter#!/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-combo-in-a-deer-elk-rifle.16611/#post-102553
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-good-light-weight-elk-rifle.3738/#post-11592
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ange-calibers-for-elk-are-not-mandatory.1275/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ke-those-browning-autos-for-hunting-elk.3450/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...have-proven-to-be-exceptionally-useful.17037/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...t-mass-and-caliber-how-much-is-required.4607/
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