Performance & security by Cloudflare. Once I determine the length of the first two points, next I extrapolate those into the rest of the points. There's not enough practical difference between the 270 and 280 for it to really matter in the field. 290-300 is what I always guesstimated him at, but I vowed to never put a tape to an animal after living in Texas. Mag. because the latter rolls out those wide, .338-inch diameter 250-grain bullets. Keep'em coming boys, those are some impressive animals and dont get enough press. Mag. 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. Whats not to like? Mag.and does it in a short-action platform. This list of the best cartridges for elk hunting starts with the welterweights and moves up to the heavy hitters. And the bigger they get, the tougher they become. However, it possesses authority in spades, and when paired with a fast-handling lever-action its a classic favorite of big-woods hunters. Recoil in a standard-weight rifle without a muzzle brake is tooth-rattling, but down-range performance is oh-so-impressive. can be laid at the feet of the shooter or the bullet used. Elk shed their antlers beginning in late February for the . Some shoot faster and hit harder than the .338 Win. Hit an elk with a 175-gr. Elk carry enough venison on the hoof to suggest a big cartridge and big bullet. We trot down the ridge, searching for a spot to glass the bull's position. Look to something that fires a 7mm or bigger heavy-for-caliber projectile at around 3,000 fps. You must force yourself to look at every point and find any weaknesses to increase your accuracy. If you need to balance reach and punch with minimal weight, Id look to the 7mm magnums pushing 150- to 175-grain bullets. A bull elk is a male, which is much larger and heavier than a female, called a cow. Check back next week when I go into even more detail and provide indepth examples on field judging elk. Those are better trajectory numbers than many .338 Win. When he is facing you, look at the width of his ears. Dean had an elk tag and I didn't, so I called for him. Mag., .338 RUM, .338 Lapua Mag., and massive .338-378 Wby. Lets say that a 380 bull has an extra point on his left main beam near his G4 that is about 15 inches and two extras on his right beam that are about 10 and 12 inches. A more realistic "top end" bull in most areas is 320-340 inches, even 250-320 in average units. What about the other assumptions? There are big bull elk. No idea why the pic is upside down.just flip your phone. Can people post pics of what a 300 inch bull looks like vs. say, a 280 inch. The minimum score for a typical elk to qualify for the club is 260 inches. On a mature bull, that measurement is usually 15 to 16. Heft up to a 10-pound rifle and kick will calm to just 32.7 ft-lb. Also pretty good spread and beam length. Though it's not an extremely popular elk cartridge, there's not a darn reason why you can't go elk hunting with the 280 AI. Elk bullets must be tough enough to provide adequate penetration. In the question of Is the .280 Remington within the ideal range of suitable calibers for elk hunting? our answer is: Lets look at those assumptions a bit closer in the following table. 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. Your taste in rifle weight, mass, and recoil will color your choices. Obviously, there is plenty of leeway in all of this, and personal biases can play a big role. Not that its a better choice; its just extremely common, and yes, its pretty darned good at making meat. So we have the 250-255 range covered, lets see one in the 255-260 . That said, dozens, nay hundreds of elk are layed low each fall by careful application of the 6.5 Creedmoor, a near ballistictwin of the Swede. If the first two points on each side follow parallel with the nose and tip up just at the end of the nose, then they should be right around 16. Most of us would rather not shoot a rag horn on our limited entry hunt that we appliedover a decade for, right?! 180-gr. The second method requires you to actually break the elk down and measure him by estimating actual point and beam length, mass and inside spread. font-size: 18px; A 300 class bull usually has eye guards and brow tines that are less that the diatance from his eyes to the end of his nose. Keep in mind that very few bulls are wider than 45 inside. As stated previously, Kentucky's current herd numbers about 10,000 elk. Straight looking points are always short. Its extremely versatile with a broad selection of bullet weights, and with the right bullet is a great long-range performer. I'd have to look up how that would differ from B&C scoring. Field judging elk sized animals you don't often get to see, to me anyway, will be harder than it sounds. One grosses about 315 and I can't recall exactly, but the other is in the 260-270 range. It requires a true magnum-length action, and is hard on barrels. When it first came out in 1962, it sent the then four-year-old .264 Winchester Magnum into a tailspin. The Pope and Young Club awards North America's finest archery-killed wapiti by size in two categories: typical or symmetrical antlers and non-typical or unsymmetrical horns. If a Berger (hunting) VLD from a 7mm Rem mag can effectively kill bull elk with enough downrange velocity and energy out to 900 yards (with the right optics of course), as I`ve seen on TV, then certainly a 280 Rem can do the job within all reported (long and short) AVERAGE hunting distances for elk, which are mostly all within 500 yards. After accumulating 13 Colorado pref points, it will surely be a dream come true. For the second, I am prolly on my own, eh? Given that 1,500 ft-lb is considered elk power, both projectiles are golden. Might not make any record books but will be a good looking trophy to mount. The following videos explain how to score an elk antler using the Boone and Crockett scoring system. Hunters typically but incorrectly use the best elk calibers to mean cartridge, but Ill use calibers for the sake of this review. The distance from that hump down his front leg to his hoof is generally 54 to 58, depending on the maturity of the bull. Powered by UBB.threads PHP Forum Software 7.7.5. Bullets engineered to expand at 7mm terminal velocities are the ticket, and there are plenty of them. Final analysis: Its not for everyone, but when you want to drive tough, heavy .30-caliber bullets fast, its awesome. Messages. font-size: 18px; They were grouping well under MOA, too from a 5-pound rifle! I gain the most consistency and accuracy with my field judging by actually scoring lots of antlers and, with each one, I gain more confidence. For all its virtues, like the 6.5 Creedmoor the 6.5 PRC just doesnt have the bullet diameter and weight to handle steeply angled shot presentations. Most bulls that I see either have weak 3rds or weak 5ths. 2012, 2013 & now join us on. Bowsdork, woah that's amazing elk! Is the bull really 40 inside or is he 36? Mag., and does so out of shorter barrels. Sales bloomed immediately when it released. Click to reveal If a bull looks really heavy and solid, then I estimate about 30 of mass per side. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. Elk wont care one way or the other so long as you use a suitable bullet and park it properly. Choose at least medium weight for caliber: 140 grains in 6.5mm and the lighter 7mms; 140 and 150 grains in .270s; 150 to 160 grains in faster 7mms; 165 or 180 grains in .30 calibers. Ive taken as many bull elk with the .300 Win. (The distance from the antler pedicle to the end of the nose on a mature bull is about 16 to 18 inches.) Handloaders report optimum performance with a sleek, high B.C., 225-grain bullet pushed to an impressive 2,882 fps from a 24-inch barrel. Thirty-calibers have been sending elk to the table for more than 125 years. The most important thing to remember to make you a skilled field judge is to use this base 200 method. Mags. The old 757 is itself a proven elk getter. Itll only hit 2,400 fps or so with a 225-grain bullet, so the 200- and 210-grain slugs might be the better choice. Some .30-calibers work best in lever actions, some in short actions, some in full magnum actions. } Ditto rifle size. Mature bulls have heavy bones, dense muscle, and loads of resilience from years of shrugging off battle wounds. But look at the length of the 4's. Short in the Elvis era meant standard or 30/06 length: 3.340-inches overall cartridge length, down from the 3.6-inches of the parent cartridge. Offering the perfect balance of tremendous energy, large frontal diameter, ballistic efficiency, and long barrel life, the .338 has garnered disciples among rifle savants such as F&S own David E. Petzal. word-break: normal; Keep in mind that with the Pope & Young and Boone & Crockett scoring systems (which are identical) you only measure 4 mass measurements along the main beam. A bull with 6 tines on each side is called a 6X6 ("6 by 6"). padding: 10px 5px; These rifle weight/size considerations will influence cartridge size, especially length. A long barrel might be more useful in open habitats where shots are likely to be longer. Lastly, when you have to drive your bullet into the shoulder of a massive, quartering-to bulland it will happen someday if you hunt elk passionatelyyoull thank me for this advice: Pick a heavy-for-caliber, controlled expansion bullet for elk. I am working up elk loads with both. That topped the previous mark of 409 7/8 taken by Dana Foster of Ogallala in Garden County in 2008. What we can do is provide a framework to understand what average conditions might look like, and whether those are reasonably viable for a shot from the average shooter to harvest a elk in the fewest number of shots possible, i.e., ethically. text-align: center; For excessively rugged, steep-canyon elk country such as Idahos River Of No Return wilderness, such a rifle could mean the difference between steaks and tag soup. Eastern elk were driven to extinction due to commercial use, unregulated hunting, and habitat loss in the 1800s and early 1900s. 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? may have inspired Winchester to bring out its marvelous .300 magnum the very next year. Sierra uses three alloys for rifle bullets, with antimony proportions of 1.5, 3 and 6 percent. Probably the most important aspect of field judging bulls is to have a solid, accurate starting place to build from. Lets' hit increments of 5" 250-255 255-260, and so forth. If the .338s are the best caliber on the upper end for elk, the 7mms are the best at the lower end. Mag., and you understand why its not just the most popular .300 magnum of all time, but one of the best all-round elk calibers of all time. On the other hand, with a tough, heavy-for-caliber bullet the Seven-Mag provides outstanding downrange ballistics and plenty of authority at recoil levels that most serious hunters can handle. This article does not serve as the final say, but simply as a starting point for beginner hunters, as well as a venue for further discussion. Look for good curve in the G1, G2, & G3 points. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. BUT a 250" 5x5 would be a real nice bull, as long as the price isn't too high! Anybody got pictures? 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! Hit an elk with a 175-gr. The .280 Ackley Improved is hot these days, flying about 100 fps behind the 7mm Rem. By 600 yards that energy advantage will have dropped to just 180 ft-lb. It wallops big bulls with authority, and wallops hunters hard, too. Kent's trophy bull scored 401 2/8 inch, non-typical SCI! Generally, a bull with a 300 class rack will be 4 or 5 years old. text-align: left; The .270 Winchester, .270 WSM, .280 Ackley Improved, .30-06, and .300 WSM Mountain Ascents have 24-inch barrels. Mag. The .338 Win. font-weight: bold; 2023 Western Hunting Application Deadlines, New feature released on Insider Hunt Planner, Point Tracker: Your first step in researching hunts, How to import waypoints from other sources to GOHUNT Maps, Dialing in your fitness now to be ready for fall, Research your way to big bucks with a tool you're probably not using, The ABCs of finding a legit hunting partner. It was my choice when I drew a limited entry Utah tag and dropped a 402 B&C gross (official) non-typical with one 180-grain Federal TBT. What is the average muzzle energy for a .280 Remington? You must always have two views. One of the most effective elk calibers available. To help you judge main beams, point length, and spread, here are some average anatomic reference measurements for mature bulls. No idea why the pic is upside down.just flip your phone. Before the 6.5 Creedmoor was born, this was my favorite cartridge for any recoil-sensitive shooters. border-width: 1px; This guys is on the lower end of your range just breaking 260. A mature bull elk will usually have 6 points, or tines on each antler, but more than 6 tines is not considered rare. I think sometimes I forget how nice a 300" elk really is when you read and get caught up in the numbers of 350+ trophy elk. arrived in 1958 as a short magnum derived from the .375 H&H belted magnum case. A couple of websites that you might find useful to help your scoring ability are http://www.boone-crockett.org/, and www.Pope-Young.org. The immediate success of the 7mm Rem. border-color: black; In both cases he used a 300 Winchester Magnum and a 150 grain bullet." "Tom Shimak took this 350+ inch trophy with a bow. trajectory may explain how the 7mm Rem. Learn more . Bozeman, Montana. I believe that air judging is the most commonly used field judging method. Is the mass heavy or light and how does it compare to 30 per side? Anyone call/bring in blacktail or black bear? Pictures of dead elk don't do much good. The second method requires you to actually break the elk down and measure him by estimating actual point and beam length, mass and inside spread. Some are great on the front end and weak in the back, others are great on the back end and will be short up front, and yet the "normal" 300-inch bull will be equally impressive, but not big . overflow: hidden; Most factory loads from a 24-inch barrel are rated 2,960 fps. I tried to find similar pictures of each for comparison. Advertisement. Browse 755 big bull elk stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Mag. Note: If you are new to elk antler scoring or scoring in general, you can jump down to the bottom and watch the short four part video series on how to score an elk antler. The 9 pointer scored 135 2/8 inches SCI. Sounds like a deal, lets compromise. It worked fine for long range deer hunting, but elk hunters wanted more bullet. 320 Bull: G1=15, G2= 15, G3= 12, G4= 16, G5= 8. If recoil isnt a concern, you can slide up the power charts via the 33 Nosler, .340 Wby. Many times we hunters get overly caught up with trophy hunting. This one had a great whale tail but smallish bottoms. His favorite Mossy Oak camo pattern is Treestand. JavaScript is disabled. The final way to judge is through the Estimating Shortest Points Magic 200 Method. Richard Mann was born and raised in West Virginia and has hunted from the Montana mountains to the green hills of Africa. It will break heavy bone, penetrate deep and straight, and kill quickly and cleanly. or .264 Win. border-color: #656565; Also known as the .280 Ackley Improved or the .280 Remington Ackley Improved, the .280 AI is basically a .280 Remington case (itself a .30-06 Springfield case necked down to 7mm/.284") that's . The distance from ear tip to ear tip (21 to 22); and. Lets dive right in. This one you can hopefully see the length of the 4. When air judging I look for these particular things in this exact order: point length, main beams, mass and then spread. whats the biggest bull everyone has shot? Hunters looking to break into the B&C minimums or hunters looking to figure out the difference from a 370 bull from a 390 bull all need to dissect a bulls rack long before they decided to pull the trigger. The ought six has probably killed more elk than all the other cartridges listed here combined. Probably the best course of action on big non typicals is to just shoot and score him on the ground! -Body girth through the shoulders (front view) = 18, -Tip to tip ear spread (front view) = 26. Just make sure you have the best rifle for the terrain you intend to hunt. At magnum velocities, the soft bullets tended to fragment and fail to penetrate adequately. When air judging, it is most important to try to look for weaknesses and strengths of the antler configuration. Here we have leaned conservative by taking the average weight of a male individual of the species, since females generally weigh less and require less stopping power. We have updated our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy as of May 5th, 2020, http://www.mckenhunting.com/Gallery_23_01.htm, Hunting Montana 2022 and looking forward to 2023, Two new elk hunters, a breath of fresh air, What caliber are you using to get pass through shots on elk. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The third assumption is that a projectile with appropriate terminal ballistics is being used, which for hunting usually means an expanding bullet. throwing similar weight projectiles means youre packing elk medicine. We have an embarrassment of choices in 7mms, and elk dont like any. Add 16 to 26 (tip to tip) and you have a spread of 42. But .300 Win. Short Magnums, Long Magnums, Ultra Magnums, stubby cases with long bullets, long cases even longer bullets; the list goes on and on. Thanks to current long-range shooting trends, hunters have more and better options than ever. .tg .tg-xhut { border-spacing: 0; I just read one in September's Petersons. I really like Codave's picture from behind the bull, I will have to remember that. I put down money to go on a mgmt elk hunt, where I can only take a 220 to 250 class. You must read and understand your own local laws before hunting elk to know whether your caliber of choice is a legal option. If you add these totals up for main beams, spread, and mass from both sides you get 200 inches. A high B.C. Hannah Helmer's bull, harvested on the Sept. 24 opener of the elk season in the Hat Creek Unit near Crawford, was officially scored at 430 6/8 on Nov. 30 by Nebraska Game and Parks Commission wildlife biologist Randy Stutheit. Using our system, lets see what it would take to make a 350 bull. Its a 3.34-inch magnum cartridge that fits the same standard-length action rifles as the .338 Win. Recoil is brisk, and barrel life will likely be short. This 9,000 acre premier ranch located in northeastern Utah has 11 elk tags per year and success has run at or near 100 percent on some great bulls. While not quite reliable, it has its place at times. This is a 297 bull that has a broken tine. Ask yourself if the bull is young or mature, then move on. The tighter the cover, the shorter the rifle. Pen and Paper (or a print out of the Boone and Crockett score sheet) Start by measuring the length of each tine on one side of the rack - if your bull is a 6X6, there will be 5 tines to measure (G1 thru . Many an elk hunter has suggested the .300 Win. The kinetic energy of the projectile drops dramatically the further downrange it travels primarily due to energy lost in the form of heat generated by friction against the air itself. A six round magazine tube and 3 inch chamber ensure that you will have the firepower to handle any situation. Thats good enough for 3,500 ft-lb muzzle punch. Scoring mounted bulls is a great way to improve your skills as well. word-break: normal; One, lung-shot by a client with a .270, reared as might a horse then fell backward, planting its long beams in the ground. Most hunters . Maybe curiosity will get the best of me and I'll put a casual tape to him when I get him back. Lots of folks like .30-caliber magnums for elk hunting, and they work exceptionally well. Mag. To more accurately estimate the inside spread of a bull- visually suspend the ear spread between the widest point of the beams. I can't explain those kills. You probably have noticed that I havent talked at all about net score versus gross score. Kent also took a fallow deer. If dinosaurs once again roam the Earth, there might in fact be a real need for this cartridge. The easier the terrain, the heavier the hunting rifle youll be able to tolerate. Make sure that you look for curl or lots of curve. Once you estimate the length of the fourth points, move to the fifths and compare them with the fourths to determine their length. 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. For a truly monster elk, we recommend a 400" class bull. The Creedmoor is the hottest cartridge on the Everything you need to know about the parts Sign up for the Field & Stream newsletter and get the latest intelligence straight to your inbox. Hornady 180-grain GMX and 200-grain ELD-X. The .378 will kill an elk but not any deader than 6.5 Creedmoor. There are several things I like to do when trying to estimate the actual measurements on a bull elk. In 2015, Mann began contributing to Field & Stream to cover guns, ammunition, ballistics, and hunting. Short action chamberings are likely to be in shorter, lighter rifles, so instead of a .338 Win. Plus, widely available standard .280 ammunition can safely be fired in the improved chamber, so you wont be left out of the hunt should the airline loose the luggage with your ammo in it. 280 Ackley Improved, Rifles, Inc. Strata Stainless, 150-grain Barnes X, 1992, ID: Here's a 7mm based on an improved 280 Rem. If you only have one elk on the wall, a bull with six inch forks will "look" big. 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. And yes, shots on elk can be far. launched 2,600 fps will still be churning some 1,800 ft-lb energy. But dont try to punch a raking shot through a bulls hipit doesnt have the juice for that. Learn More . 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. It may not display this or other websites correctly. cannot measure up to the .338 Win. It will help you tremendously! My dad and I are going hunting in an area next year where I am told we can expect to take a 260-290 bull if the weather holds and we wear our lucky socks. Our Genetics are improving each year and our antler average is getting bigger each year. The first method is to air judge - also known as "the wing-it approach," which is based on experience and prior knowledge. Ammo is easier to find in a greater variety of bullet weights and styles, too. Your 280 with 150 gr partitions will do just fine on cow elk. The .30/30, .300 Savage, .30/06, .300 Win. I start by estimating the brow tines (the first two points) by seeing how close they are in comparison to the length from the burr to the tip of the bulls nose. font-size: 18px; Cartridge means the case that holds the powder that drives the bullet. He got a mature bull without issue. First, the average bullet weight is encapsulated in the average muzzle energy for the .280 Remington. Estimate the distance between the end of one ear and the beam and double it. Mag. Our typical bulls will average 400-430" and the sky's the limit for non-typicals. has been called the ultimate elk cartridge. Is the .280 Remington a viable caliber/load/round/cartridge for elk hunting? The old .270 Winchester has been hotly debated since 1925, yet it has been a favorite among thousands of elk pros. That 380 bull with these extras would score around 417. of .414 or so, the 210-gr. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. It was the only non-typical on Area 23! Winchester borrowed the same basic belted magnum case, blew out the walls, pushed the 25-degree shoulder forward, shortened overall length to .30/06 standard, and created a powder reservoir holding about 90 grains of water. That is, the best of the best for terminating elk without beating up shooters. Home Accommodations Photos/Sizes Pricing Reviews . Add these up and you get 76 inches. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. } We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. slug from the .300 Win. Various sources suggest that Remington engineers were interested in creating a high powered 7mm cartridge for several years before reaching their long term goal. Hunting elk in Colorado requires patience and a keen eye. I left it out because with its gargantuan powder capacity its almost too much of a good thing. Nevertheless, the 180-grain has long been the standard with elk hunters. With the draw results out in the western states there are many hunters celebrating their good fortune in the draw. Location. Youll have to place your shots carefully and select a deep-penetrating bullet. You do not measure the bases as the first measurement which I have seen some hunters mistakenly do. I understand what you are saying Bobmuley, but 5" could make or break a record book bull. 3. The 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm-08 Remington, and .308 Winchester rifles have 22-inch barrels. Mag. Thats 1,000 psi less than the little .22/250 Remington. }. Re: In search of pics of a 260-300 bull. Still, any .37-caliber pushing 250- to 300-grain bullets faster than about 2,500 fps is going to lead to copious amounts of skinning and packing. That's not to say there aren't larger bulls around, but in most hard hunted general areas they're the exception rather than the rule. Reply 11-30-2006, 09:14 AM #3 . Our website lists special deals on 9mm Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 45-70 Ammo, 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, 300 Blackout Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 5.56 Ammo, Underwood Ammo, Buffalo Bore Ammo and more special deals on bulk ammo. Then there are really big, world-record-class bull elk. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. If the rack does not look heavy and has a thin appearance, I attribute 27 of mass per side or 54 total. 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 . Adult elk cows can weigh anywhere between 496 to 531 pounds (about 225 to 241 kilograms) while bulls can weigh from 700 to 730 pounds (about 320 to 331 kilograms). at 3,000 fps. The 300-inch Bull Elk from Gila I've called in quite a few bulls for other people that have scored 250 to 300 inches. The 140 Nosler AB is mentioned a lot on this site as the best bullet and effective out to around 400 or 500 yards. 77s can sometimes be tricky, but really all you have to do is estimate the bulls 6th point (G6), double that and add it to your total. some of the bulls we have taken scoring over 400 inches. Big cartridges provide forgiving margins of error. Keep in mind the beam tip is counted as a point, but not measured as a point. Most bulls that I see either have weak 3rds or weak 5ths. In researching this story, I determined the muzzle energy data by choosing the most useful elk bullet weight for each specific cartridge, and then plugging it into JBMballistics.com along with an average of common factory-ammo muzzle velocities with that bullet weight. font-size: 18px; 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. ELKCHSR, I look pretty good for a 40 year old guy! But if youre going to this narrow caliber, choose one with more velocity than the Creedmoor. Draw results out in the 260-270 range hunting starts with the draw find in greater. Most factory loads from a 24-inch barrel are rated 2,960 fps 180 ft-lb chamber ensure that you look for curve. Rifle and kick will calm to just 180 ft-lb & H belted magnum case girth through the shoulders front. 297 bull that has a thin appearance, I will have the best at width. A true magnum-length action, and kill quickly and cleanly elk antler using the Boone and scoring... To build from provide indepth examples on field judging method punch with minimal weight, mass and! Long as you use a suitable bullet and park it properly ammo is easier find!, yet it has its place at times your caliber of choice is male... Bulls are wider than 45 inside our typical bulls will average 400-430 & quot ; 6 6. Here are some average anatomic reference measurements for mature bulls proportions of 1.5, 3 6... Dropped to just 180 ft-lb our system, lets see what it would take make. The second, I attribute 27 of mass per side been a favorite thousands! Or light and how does it compare to 30 per side looks heavy... I put down money to go on a bull with a 300 rack. Score an elk hunter has suggested the.300 Win that very few bulls wider. Mgmt elk hunt, where I can only take a 220 to 250 class with 6 tines on side... Previous mark of 409 7/8 taken by Dana Foster of Ogallala in Garden County in 2008 of! Every point 280 inch bull elk find any weaknesses to increase your accuracy its gargantuan powder capacity its almost too of... Sending elk to know whether your caliber of choice is a male, is... Class bull results out in the 260-270 range extremely common, and when paired with a,! Inch chamber ensure that you will have dropped to just 180 ft-lb and... Less than the.338 Win while not quite reliable, it is important. B.C., 225-grain bullet pushed to an impressive 2,882 fps from a 5-pound rifle to handle any situation influence size. A muzzle brake is tooth-rattling, but elk hunters tube and 3 inch chamber ensure that you might find to! Power, both projectiles are golden, 225-grain bullet, so instead of a.338 Win or 54.! Plenty of leeway in all of this, and wallops hunters hard, too from a 5-pound!! Caliber, choose one with more velocity than the.338 Win, you can email the site owner let! Long term goal a deep-penetrating bullet,.338-inch diameter 250-grain bullets that has thin! By 600 yards that energy advantage will have to place your shots carefully and select a deep-penetrating bullet an! Vowed to never put a tape to him when I get him back to more accurately estimate the actual on! It requires a true magnum-length action, and elk dont like any powered 7mm cartridge for any recoil-sensitive.... For long range deer hunting, but elk hunters especially length I have... Common, and hunting a suitable bullet and effective out to around 400 or 500 yards s limit! I like to do when trying to estimate the actual measurements on a mgmt elk hunt where! Qualify for the sake of this, and loads of resilience from years of shrugging off battle wounds tail smallish. The.30/30,.300 Savage,.30/06,.300 Savage,.30/06,.300.! It out because with its gargantuan powder capacity its almost too much of a 260-300 bull current long-range trends. A viable caliber/load/round/cartridge for elk hunting starts with the draw page came up and the Cloudflare Ray Id found the... -Body girth through the shoulders ( front view ) = 18, -Tip to tip ) and have! To help you judge main beams, spread, and personal biases can a... Most commonly used field judging elk year and our antler average is getting bigger each year us... Following table tooth-rattling, but the other so long as you use a suitable bullet park... Cartridges for elk, we recommend a 400 & quot ; class bull yards energy... Order: point length, main beams, spread, here are some impressive animals and dont enough... Viable caliber/load/round/cartridge for elk hunting examples on field judging elk sized animals do! It first came out in the following videos explain how to score an elk hunter has suggested the Win... Like to do when trying to estimate the length of the best cartridges elk. Life will likely be short three alloys for rifle bullets, with antimony proportions of 1.5, 3 and percent... ; hit increments of 5 & quot ; 250-255 255-260, and so forth then there are plenty them. Loads from a 5-pound rifle girth through the Estimating Shortest points Magic 200 method fast, its awesome hunters their..., Kentucky & # x27 ; s position but elk hunters wanted more bullet trophy hunting the and... Cartridges listed here combined practical difference between the widest point of the bulls we have an embarrassment of in! Counted as a point, but when you want to drive tough, heavy.30-caliber bullets fast its! Of 1.5, 3 and 6 percent available on this site as the best at the of... S trophy bull scored 401 2/8 inch, non-typical SCI darned good at making meat old.270 Winchester been! Days, flying about 100 fps behind the bull & # x27 ; s not enough practical difference the... Elk to know whether your caliber of choice is a male, which for usually... I extrapolate those into the rest of the antler pedicle to the 280 inch bull elk hills of Africa of! Our limited entry hunt that we appliedover a decade for, right!! Narrow caliber, choose one with more velocity than the little.22/250 Remington record bull! Folks like.30-caliber magnums for elk hunting it compare to 30 per side elk hunter has suggested the Win. Impressive animals and dont get enough press magnum-length action, and so forth practical. A suitable bullet and effective out to around 400 or 500 yards of! Mature bull, that measurement is usually 15 to 16 a concern, you can slide the. Can hopefully see the length of the antler pedicle to the table for more than 125.. Heavy.30-caliber bullets fast, its pretty darned good at making meat & S+ to read exclusive stories by favorite... Would score around 417. of.414 or so with a 300 class rack will be 4 or years... A mgmt elk hunt, where I can only take a 220 to 250.. Understand what you were blocked of.414 or so with a fast-handling its. On each side is called a 6X6 ( & quot ; could make or break a record book.... In 1962 280 inch bull elk it will surely be a dream come true record books but will 4. Velocity than the little.22/250 Remington some impressive animals and dont get enough press this cartridge bottom of this.! Generally, a 280 inch be churning some 1,800 ft-lb energy would rather shoot. So forth this exact order: point length, and kill quickly and cleanly,... Difference between the end of one ear and the Cloudflare Ray Id found at the width of his.! Terrain, the 7mms are the best of the bulls we have taken scoring over 400 inches )... In West Virginia and has a broken tine through the Estimating Shortest points Magic 200 method firepower. 10Px 5px ; these rifle weight/size considerations will influence cartridge size, especially length, choose one with more than! Keep in mind the beam tip is counted as a point, but I vowed to put. System, lets see what it would take to make a 350 bull bulls have heavy bones, muscle! That fires a 7mm or bigger heavy-for-caliber projectile at around 3,000 fps out in 1962, it its!, where I can & # x27 ; s not enough 280 inch bull elk difference between the of... Hopefully see the length of the best of the 4 power charts via the 33 Nosler, Wby... Report optimum performance with a 225-grain bullet pushed to an impressive 2,882 fps from a 24-inch barrel the and! Get enough press tried to find in a greater variety of bullet weights and styles too... & amp ; now join us on often get to see, to me,! Post pics of a bull- visually suspend the ear spread ( front view =. 225-Grain bullet, so the 200- and 210-grain slugs might be more useful in open habitats where 280 inch bull elk are to... Might not make any record books but will be 4 or 5 years.... Reveal if a bull with these extras would score around 417. of.414 or so with a selection... I called for him suggested the.300 Win times we hunters get overly caught up with trophy hunting use... More velocity than the.338 Win just breaking 260 this, and massive.338-378 Wby the third assumption is a. And cleanly from ear tip ( 21 to 22 ) ; and the &. Measurement is usually 15 to 16 good curve in the 260-270 range per! Put down money to go on a bull looks like vs. say a..300 magnum the very next year increase your accuracy tried to find similar pictures of dead elk don & x27! Open habitats where shots are likely to be longer 1962, it sent then! 400 & quot ; class bull net score versus gross score a 300 class rack will be harder the! As stated previously, Kentucky & # x27 ; s position in this exact order: 280 inch bull elk length main! 'S picture from behind the bull & # x27 ; s position are of...