Ive hunted elk for about 4 decades and Id never would have even considered a 100 yard zero,
my 270 grain 375 H&H loads are clocking closer to 2600-fps from my carbine..my 250 grain 340 wby clocks about 2800 fps, I've used these two rifles on most hunts.
.trust me when I tell you, that in 40 plus years of hunting my experience is those rifles bullets don,t bounce off elk!
in the field your not going to know the exact range and your very unlikely to be able to take the time to use an optical rang finder ,and in most cases youll have only seconds to set-up for an accurate shot.
but you can use a very simple method to make hitting the vitals much less difficult at unknown ranges.
velocity might not be all that impressive but I guess the Elk never noticed.
a 250 grain .338 bullet or a 270 grain .375 bullet gets their full attention.
you simply sight in put the scope cross hair centered ,
(at 100 yards off the bench) on the yellow dot,
and have all the shots print over the smaller red dot,
SO THAT when you get out in the field, hold where the light green dot is on the elk, diagram above, it will produce a fatal wound out a bit past 300 yards,
you sure don,t have to use this method or even agree but I can assure you its resulted in a bunch of dead elk
the vital organs or most effective shot placement is about an 8" just behind the front leg and about mid chest ideally in a circle in the chest where the projectile will destroy the heart and lungs
ok your elk steps out of the timber at lets say 230 yards or is it at 290 yards your not really sure and you have 3-5 seconds to make the shot.
an elks chest is about 24" tall but the vitals are under about an 8" circle, and only bullets impacting within 4"-5" of the center insure a rapid kill, the further from center you hit the more distance the elk tends too travel before falling and if you mis- judge the range badly you could wound and never recover the elk.
with the 100 yard zero if you aim mid chest , and its a shot taken at what is really 290 yards youll eith shoot under or maybe break a leg, the elk could travel for miles
I can tell you that I've found shot placement ,
and the projectile you select ,
is far more critical than the info stamped on the brass case heads,.
its your physical condition, your ability to spend the time and effort,
to hunt as long and as hard as required, your persistence,
your ability to get into range and place your shots precisely that the key.
I've spent a respectable amount of time hunting deer and elk,
I've used a,
30/06,(190 grain)
270 win,(150 grain
35 whelen,(250 grain)
338 win,(225 grain)
45/70,(405 grain)
340 wby,(250 grain)
358 win (250 grain)
375 H&H,(270 grain)
and a 458 win,(405 grain)
on several hunts.
if you place your shots well,
know the games anatomy ,
and use reasonably heavy for caliber bullets...
.they all worked, and all produced lethal wounds,
and dead deer/ and elk.
you can spend a good deal of time and effort sorting out, or worrying about your rifle and ammo,
but from the results I've seen, if you just select the most accurate and largest caliber rifle,
and select,decent ammo, that your confident in, using
that you feel comfortable with, and understand the games anatomy you'll do reasonably well.
personally I think the two best are the 340 wby and the 375 H&H, but they have all worked.
running stairs frequently with a 40 lb back pack,
and practice at the local range , shooting from field positions ,
not shooting off the bench rest ,
will do you a lot more good than worrying about whats stamped on those brass cartridge cases
heres the bullet trajectory if you sight in at 100 yards
Range
Range--Trajectory
100-0
200- -4.5"
300- -16"
400 -36"
500 -65.8"
550-85"
take that same shot at the same elk and have the same problem judging range with the 3.5" high at 100 yard sight in.... your elks dead on his feet if you can shoot, accurately regardless if hes at 230 or 290 yards
heres the exact same bullet & rifle sighted in at 3.5" high at 100 yards
Range
Range--Trajectory
100 +3.5"
200+2.5"
300 -5.6
400-22
500-48.3
550-65.7
now lets say the elk steps out of the timber at 380-420 yards
if you have the 3.5" zero you place the horizontal cross hair of you scopes sight picture on the elks upper back and the vertical line just on the rear of the front leg.., regardless of the true range you kill the elk because the bullet impacts in the vital circle , try the same sight picture with the 100 yard zero and you shoot under the vitals at either range.
related info
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...hat-are-you-looking-for-in-an-elk-rifle.2368/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/elk-hunting-tips.1095/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...hat-are-you-looking-for-in-an-elk-rifle.2368/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/whats-a-good-light-weight-elk-rifle.3738/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...for-a-decent-hunting-rifle-for-deer-elk.1133/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/how-do-you-sight-in-a-rifle.2370/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ange-calibers-for-elk-are-not-mandatory.1275/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ou-so-dependent-on-your-weatherby-rifle.2403/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...i-hunt-the-more-i-like-the-33-38-45-cal.2846/
my 270 grain 375 H&H loads are clocking closer to 2600-fps from my carbine..my 250 grain 340 wby clocks about 2800 fps, I've used these two rifles on most hunts.
.trust me when I tell you, that in 40 plus years of hunting my experience is those rifles bullets don,t bounce off elk!
in the field your not going to know the exact range and your very unlikely to be able to take the time to use an optical rang finder ,and in most cases youll have only seconds to set-up for an accurate shot.
but you can use a very simple method to make hitting the vitals much less difficult at unknown ranges.
velocity might not be all that impressive but I guess the Elk never noticed.
a 250 grain .338 bullet or a 270 grain .375 bullet gets their full attention.
you simply sight in put the scope cross hair centered ,
(at 100 yards off the bench) on the yellow dot,
and have all the shots print over the smaller red dot,
SO THAT when you get out in the field, hold where the light green dot is on the elk, diagram above, it will produce a fatal wound out a bit past 300 yards,
you sure don,t have to use this method or even agree but I can assure you its resulted in a bunch of dead elk
the vital organs or most effective shot placement is about an 8" just behind the front leg and about mid chest ideally in a circle in the chest where the projectile will destroy the heart and lungs
ok your elk steps out of the timber at lets say 230 yards or is it at 290 yards your not really sure and you have 3-5 seconds to make the shot.
an elks chest is about 24" tall but the vitals are under about an 8" circle, and only bullets impacting within 4"-5" of the center insure a rapid kill, the further from center you hit the more distance the elk tends too travel before falling and if you mis- judge the range badly you could wound and never recover the elk.
with the 100 yard zero if you aim mid chest , and its a shot taken at what is really 290 yards youll eith shoot under or maybe break a leg, the elk could travel for miles
I can tell you that I've found shot placement ,
and the projectile you select ,
is far more critical than the info stamped on the brass case heads,.
its your physical condition, your ability to spend the time and effort,
to hunt as long and as hard as required, your persistence,
your ability to get into range and place your shots precisely that the key.
I've spent a respectable amount of time hunting deer and elk,
I've used a,
30/06,(190 grain)
270 win,(150 grain
35 whelen,(250 grain)
338 win,(225 grain)
45/70,(405 grain)
340 wby,(250 grain)
358 win (250 grain)
375 H&H,(270 grain)
and a 458 win,(405 grain)
on several hunts.
if you place your shots well,
know the games anatomy ,
and use reasonably heavy for caliber bullets...
.they all worked, and all produced lethal wounds,
and dead deer/ and elk.
you can spend a good deal of time and effort sorting out, or worrying about your rifle and ammo,
but from the results I've seen, if you just select the most accurate and largest caliber rifle,
and select,decent ammo, that your confident in, using
that you feel comfortable with, and understand the games anatomy you'll do reasonably well.
personally I think the two best are the 340 wby and the 375 H&H, but they have all worked.
running stairs frequently with a 40 lb back pack,
and practice at the local range , shooting from field positions ,
not shooting off the bench rest ,
will do you a lot more good than worrying about whats stamped on those brass cartridge cases
heres the bullet trajectory if you sight in at 100 yards
Range
Range--Trajectory
100-0
200- -4.5"
300- -16"
400 -36"
500 -65.8"
550-85"
take that same shot at the same elk and have the same problem judging range with the 3.5" high at 100 yard sight in.... your elks dead on his feet if you can shoot, accurately regardless if hes at 230 or 290 yards
heres the exact same bullet & rifle sighted in at 3.5" high at 100 yards
Range
Range--Trajectory
100 +3.5"
200+2.5"
300 -5.6
400-22
500-48.3
550-65.7
now lets say the elk steps out of the timber at 380-420 yards
if you have the 3.5" zero you place the horizontal cross hair of you scopes sight picture on the elks upper back and the vertical line just on the rear of the front leg.., regardless of the true range you kill the elk because the bullet impacts in the vital circle , try the same sight picture with the 100 yard zero and you shoot under the vitals at either range.
related info
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...hat-are-you-looking-for-in-an-elk-rifle.2368/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/elk-hunting-tips.1095/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...hat-are-you-looking-for-in-an-elk-rifle.2368/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/whats-a-good-light-weight-elk-rifle.3738/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...for-a-decent-hunting-rifle-for-deer-elk.1133/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/how-do-you-sight-in-a-rifle.2370/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ange-calibers-for-elk-are-not-mandatory.1275/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ou-so-dependent-on-your-weatherby-rifle.2403/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...i-hunt-the-more-i-like-the-33-38-45-cal.2846/
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