Ep. 140 - The BEST Elk Cartridge

On this episode, Seth is joined in the studio by fellow marketeer, Preston Lentfer and the Managing Editor of Petersen's Hunting, Colton Heward. Colton is an avid outdoorsman and an experienced elk and mule deer guide. The guys ponder on the following question - what is the best caliber to use for elk hunting? We're curious, what is your favorite? Drop your answer in the comments or shoot us an email at [e-mail]. We hope you enjoy this episode.

[@SpudOutdoors]

30-06 full pressure for bolt action can produce 1500lbs of energy past 700 yards.

[@rodgerthackeray7978]

You need to come out with an ELD-XB (B for bonded).

[@colemiller4899]

They say they can’t get the accuracy out of bonded bullets that’s y they are not bonded. Now try the eld-m that’s a killer across the board elk moose deer anything I’ve lost 2 deer to eld x great shots 150 yards not happy eld-m I’m on several animals and it’s lights out bang flop listen to shoot2hunt podcast there bullet one and ull understand so much more

[@Blair338RUM]

I’ve had fantastic accuracy with Swift Sciroccos. I don’t believe the bad accuracy story.

[@colemiller4899]

@@Blair338RUM I get great accuracy out of accubonds also so I don’t buy into that either they just don’t want to go threw that extra process

[@Accuracy1st]

During my search to arrange a cow elk hunt, a 3rd gen guide/outfitter stated to me quite a few hunters come to camp w/o a firearm of their own with the agreement to use the camp gun, an OLD Rem 700, beat up, 270 Winchester over 3 decades old. He stated the load for that rifle is a 130 Nosler ballistic tip over 54.0 Reloder 22 and it's killed roughly 1000 elk and that is a conservative number. Think about that. A 270 Win, 130 ballistic tip shooting elk out to 500 yards. Naturally he is a big proponent of this combo for elk. Kinda blows a huge number of "minimum for elk" recommendations right out of the water. I'd say his experiences, his dad's and grandfather's are solid.

[@timbjork2098]

if that gun could talk. 270wsm with the 130 barns did a great job pass threw at 400yd. Id trust it to 450. havent had to shoot at anything farther than its been capable of.

[@jasonf.4107]

Let’s say it had been used for 40 years. That’s 25 elk per year shot with that rifle. Really???

[@Accuracy1st]

@@jasonf.4107 yea I did the math too and thought the same so I figured it had to be in use at least 50+ years. He stated it started with his grandfather when he was younger and the model 700 was newly introduced. I don't know anything about the last several decades of elk tags per state etc., but he did say they had multiple areas they've hunted and I don't know it that was in 1 or more states. Any idea how elk hunting regs were 40 years ago?

[@rogerf7265]

I was born and raised in Oregon and have taken Elk with a.300 Win Mag a .243 and a 7mm Rem Mag. My dad used the same Model 70 Alaskan .338 Win Mag that he bought in 1958 right up until he died in 2016. All animals were taken with Nosler Partitions, 100 grain in the .243, 180 grain in the .300, 175 grain in the 7mm and 225 grain in the .338. I truly believe in only taking well placed shots within the real world capabilities of the rifle an using high quality deep penetrating bullets. My dad taught me to always hit the shoulders and to keep shooting until they are down an stay down

[@ronlowney4700]

🤠 Colonel Craig Boddington and ALL Your Senior Ballisticians Would Agree With Me That It's Got To Be The 30-06! 🤭

[@sethlindsey1359]

Bring back the interbond

[@COREYDEER]

@@sethlindsey1359 I have 200 of them for my 270 I will try at some point

[@jam5287]

@@sethlindsey1359 I think that poor bullet got overshadowed by the accubond long range and scirroco bullets

[@codytaylor2194]

In all honesty I wish they brought back there original hornady light magnum with the lead tip interlock and lead tip interbond...absolute hammer on ga whitetails...they replaced it with superformance but I'm not a fan..I want my hornady light magnums back!!!

[@paulw7591]

As well as 28 Nosler, 30 Nosler, various Weatherbys, etc. We are lucky to have so many great options

[@texpatriot8462]

I liked the videos as always, but Hornady needs to make a heavier .277 ELD-X bullet. I know they don't want to support 6.8W, but a 165-175g ELDx would own the market for owners of new 270's with a fast twist barrel from companies like Browning.

[@jjgriffin3275]

BEST - 3030, 243, 257, 270, 308, 3006, 7mm, 4570............. whatever you have that works ethically and reasonably for where you are hunting and how you are hunting. NO SUCH THING AS BEST

[@unclebob540i3]

Sums it up nicely!

[@nathanbeilke6146]

360 buckhammer

[@kevindorry2567]

Mehhh if we’re talking deer then you are right. When it comes to elk, true there is no real BEST, but there are definitely about 20 cartridges that do it very well with heavy, sturdy bullets in rifles that won’t rip your arms off. However, its pretty easy to see this is video is very Hornady centric. 6.5 PRC is just fine to kill elk but the .270 is barely capable. Anyone who wants to run the numbers can see the .270 holds an advantage in most loads to the 6.5 PRC until about 500 yards and at that range neither should probably be shot at a big bull elk. Again, these days there’s no real point in saying an interlock should be fired into an elk, and I have that bullet loaded in multiple cartridges right now. I’d argue not an eldx either. I bget it’s a Hornady podcast but Christ I guess nothing else exists.

[@Westerner_]

35 WHELEN GANG RISE UP

[@ronlowney4700]

Great Choice When Hunting in Grizzly Bear County! 🥳

[@masonmcneill3969]

CX or ELDX? Each one is better for a specific application and it’s hard to gamble on which one your more likely to encounter! I decided to shoot booth for groups on the same target and realized my POI really wasn’t that far off! So what I do is a zero with my ELDX load set my zero stops. Then I dial my turrets to my CX POI, mark my turret with a wet erase marker in orange for copper) on that location so I can periodically check to see if they have moved at all. I have 2 mags, one with CX and one with ELDX. I walk around with the CX mag in, dialed for my CX load. And if I have an opportunity further away I simply swap mags and spin my turrets back to the zero stop and then dial accordingly from there! Your welcome 👍

[@hornady]

Nice :)

[@alexdrockhound9497]

Try doing this same test with the same two ammo choices but do some in the middle of the day when its warm and some in the morning when its cool and see if that causes any notable change. Powders are pretty complicated.

[@masonmcneill3969]

@@alexdrockhound9497 I’ve done powder temp tests and applied it to 4DOF, within 200 yards for my CX loads there isn’t even an inch of difference but with my ELDX at further ranges it matters more but again I have it plugged into 4DOF

[@alexdrockhound9497]

@@masonmcneill3969 wow thats impressive!

[@jam5287]

As far as Hornady bullets go I’ve seen some catastrophic failures from the cx line. And even worse from the eldx. If you had to pick between the two I’d do the CX but if you’re only using Hornady I would go for the interbond bullets.

[@brett6946]

30-06 comments by this guide is sloppy speak. The 30-06 kills anything on planet when placement is accomplished.

[@COREYDEER]

Preston just heavy on the marketing right from the start hahahhahahhahaa

[@jamesmooney5348]

@COREYDEER Yeah, that was just sad! (I believe) Like the 30-06 was never able to kill anything, including animals in Africa and Alaska.

[@joncook6331]

I’m accumulating points and hoping to be out west next year. My 300wm or old 270 should do the trick 😊 .

[@jjgriffin3275]

Behind the Shoulder Double Lung shot is always a WINNER! if the deer has NO lungs or heart thats a down deer, it may not DRT but its the most Ethical. In the Shoulder is not always a winner and you damage a LOT of meat in the process!

[@jam5287]

338 win mag is probably the king for any big game. It shoots the same bullet weights as 30-06. But it shoots them like 400 fps faster. And it can shoot even heavier bullets all the way up to 275 grains. And it’s all around the most efficient cartridge.

[@lockgessner]

My 338 wm 250 gk will flat lay them down… everything has been a bang flop so far

[@jam5287]

@@lockgessner it’s just unfortunate that it doesn’t meet the minimum requirement in Africa for Cape buffalo. Even though 338 is more than enough. It would be my all time favorite cartridge if it was.

[@russellkeeling4387]

No the .338 is not the most efficient cartridge. My 35 Whelen fires a 225 grain bullet at an average of 2816 fps using 56.5 grains of powder. For my .338 to reach the same velocity with the same weight bullet it requires over 70 grains of powder. That is not efficient.

[@jam5287]

@@russellkeeling4387 you don’t need 70 grains of powder to get that performance. You can get nearly 2,900-3,000 feet per second with 70 grains in the 338. And nearly 3,100 with a 200 grain or 210 grain. I’m calling cap on the 35 whelen. Most load data shows that unless you’re using well over 60 grains risking high pressure. You’re only getting between 2,400 and 2,600 for the 225 grain dependent on the powder. Even the nosler accubond bullet is getting maybe 2,600 with like 62 grains. I won’t argue it’s efficiency.. but the 338 literally only requires 8-10 more grains of powder to get much better results. For longer ranges and higher energy. I guess that’s the compromise between the two. Even when you get up to the 265 grain loads for the 338, the win mag can maintain almost 2,650-2,700 fps with 66 grains of powder.

[@lockgessner]

Thats an overly simplistic statement. I cant find a single load chart that runs the same powder for both. Powders burn at different rates, id assume the 35 runs faster powders and the 338 deff runs powders on the slower end of the spectrum thus needing more

[@MrOrijen]

6.8 western

[@joestickel4505]

Yep.

[@BudgeG80]

🤫…… 😂 hornady’s little non supported just enough to be an annoying pebble in their boot..

[@HB-kp6rl]

7prc is best prc.

[@Joeatsaco69]

My Buddy is going this year with a 338-06.

[@ReloadingWeatherby]

I'm going to have to say 6.8 Western with a 165 gr Nosler ABLR.... nah I'm just teasing. My go to is 300 WBY with either the 175 gr Barnes LRX or the 200 gr Accubond. Maybe I need to try out the 190 gr CX...

[@mikebowerman5078]

Been working on finding load for my 280 Remington. Tried the 150 ELD X. Could get a good velocity from them but not accuracy. Recently tried the 162 ELD X. A max charge of RL 22 gave me 1 MOA groups and from a 26 inch 9 twist barrle at 2900 fps.

[@derekedgley5074]

A 2nd shot is a very important insurance policy with large ungulates on any continent

[@tractormandeere]

I don’t I have ever taken a second shot or needed one in my over a dozen successful elk hunts.

[@Siskiyous6]

300 Weatherby followed by 338RCM

[@guyminer2384]

Good discussion guys. Thanks!

[@timsretired8675]

338 RUM is my favorite, last year I smoked a big bull at 600yds , 225gr Nosler Accubond knocked him off his feet, shot many four legged big game with the 300 Win , 165gr Nosler partitions and none of them got any more than 60yds from where they were hit

[@scitzmnm]

7saum would be an awesome backpacking elk cartridge if hornandy didn’t categorically refuse to get behind it

[@davidking6663]

If a 6.5cm is a 400 yard elk cartridge then so is a 25-06

[@jam5287]

Whoever takes that far of a shot with a 6.5 creedmoor at elk sized game shouldn’t even be hunting.. the creedmoor is already an anemic round for elk. Out at that distance you have to rely on perfect shot placement. And even then the odds are definetly not in your favor with such a small caliber and cartridge. Out at 400 yards the creedmoor is barely getting over 1,000 ft lbs. and most loads not even attaining that.

[@Josh-uf1rv]

⁠@@jam5287lmao it’s significantly over a 1000ft/lbs at 400. Don’t speak on subjects you know nothing about.

[@jam5287]

@@Josh-uf1rv it absolutely isn’t. Only if you’re using bullets that aren’t even designed for hunting. Lol the actual good hunting loads barely push 1,000-1,100 at 400 yards. Even when using bergers and getting higher velocities the bullet energy can get close to 1,400 ft lbs. but Berger bullets are precision bullets. And explode. Lol they’re not made for hunting.

[@jam5287]

@@Josh-uf1rv plus.. 1,000 ft lbs of energy is what’s recommended for deer. Elk they recommend 1,500 for ethical reasoning.

[@Kross8761]

​@@jam5287 raw kinetic energy is a terrible metric to use in today's world for bullet "capability" 3000ft/lbs with a FMJ is going to cause less tissue damage and destruction than 1800ft/lbs with a bullet that expands properly and transfers the bullet's energy into the animal's vital tissues and destroys them. Energy certainly still MATTERS, but the two things that matter far more are minimum velocity required for expansion and shot placement. A bullet that expands is going to cause more tissue damage than one that doesn't regardless of how much kinetic energy the bullets possess. It's the exact reason why nobody with more than a single brain cell carries FMJ in their handgun for personal defense, hollow point bullets have been proven for decades to cause more tissue damage through hydraulic displacement and expansion than any FMJ. Then we get to additional damage provided by the profile or design of the bullet. A FMJ bullet is going to cause puncture wounds to any tissue that it passes through, but an expanding projectile causes MORE cavitation due to having an increased frontal surface pushing through mass, but also from jagged points and shards of jacket material causing secondary lacerating damage that a non-expanding bullet just doesn't cause. 6.5 Creedmoor is fantastic for elk at "normal" ranges with a bullet that provides adequate expansion at the velocities you will be able to achieve at those distances. With proper bullet selection, 6.5 Creedmoor can and absolutely has crushed elk at ranges up to 500yds. You just have to know the limitations of the cartridge (and yourself, obviously) I'd rather take a guy who hunts elk regularly with a 6.5 than "Jim-Bob" with his .300WM that he shoots 3 times a year, my money is on 6.5 guy 1000 times out of 1000.

[@adampilon4126]

What about the interbond do you guys still make that? Best bullet in my opinion

[@JohnAngle-vw8yq]

Please Hornady. Pretty please. Come out with a bonded hunting bullet similar to the accubond.

[@ronlowney4700]

It's called a Horneday Interbond! 😂

[@Accuracy1st]

@@ronlowney4700 They stopped making those I heard

[@ronlowney4700]

@@Accuracy1st ☹️

[@JohnAngle-vw8yq]

@@ronlowney4700Come on now. I’m talking about a true bonded hunting bullet.

[@WayStedYou]

​@@ronlowney4700the discontinued in 2017 projectile?

[@Pepe46873]

Old boys in Northern BC love 270 for elk and moose. New school guys use everything under the sun, shot placement is crucial. I think 7mm and 300win is the king

[@ronws2007]

All the good advice. Like the guide and certainly agreeing with Seth, I would talk my 7 PRC and then shoot ELD-X or CX depending on the job. I have some .308s and they are fine to about 300 yards with the factory ammo. I used to be concerned about impact energy. Then shifted to impact velocity. Finally settled on bullet performance as the key factor in what to use for an intended job. Others have also recommended the mono and nearly always, the Hornady CX line. I would choose 7 PRC over the 7 RM precisely because of the compromise of pushing a heavy for caliber bullet to take advantage of both wind performance and mass. So, a little love for impact energy and velocity as long as it does what is intended. Most whitetail hunting is closer range, usually less than 400 yards, which is within the dispersion limits of just about anything. However, in my state, mule deer live out west in the high plains desert. Google and map the Caprock Canyon SP (state park). There is a state drawn hunt in winter and they close it down for this and the description of the hunt is that you need to be able to shoot at least 200 yards. There are no trees, only rocks and scrub brush and it is a canyon. Western states seem to have longer shots and I could see where 600 yards might not be unheard of and I get the reasoning for the CX bullet because does more often create an exit would and it fragments less so that one can break through bones. I am also a fan of the brachial axis (high shoulder) shot. It drops the beast right there, which is important. You might be next to land and not have legal access to that land. In my state, it is a state felony to hunt on land without proper allowance to do so. Agreed, on an elk, I would rather lose one or two ounces of backstrap instead of 270 lbs of deboned meat. Even so with a deer. A few ounces versus 40 lbs of meat. But if I know I am shooting closer distances, the ELD-X is just fine and destroys much of the heart and lungs and there is nothing that survives that shot.

[@whiskeythrottle182]

R. Spomer said it best.. "the most effective elk cartridge it 50bmg!" If you don't want to carry a 25lb rifle, pay $8-$10 a bullet, deal with the recoil, and lose a bit more meat to bloodshot, then it's all about what you're willing to comprise. I don't think you can go wrong with the 300wm, 7rm, 30-06, 270win, 308, 280ai, 6.8west, 6.5creed as well as the 300, 7 & 6.5 PRC. But none of those cartridges are as effective on elk as 50bmg... You just need to be comfortable and accurate with your rifle and know your cartridges effective elk range. A 6.5 through both lungs at 300yrds is way better than a 300wm over the shoulder or through the guts at 600+yrds..

[@mnman8511]

Right on!

[@Pepe46873]

Cant buy experience or skill. Just look at targets at the range during hunting season, lots of fancy rifles shooting 1-3moa groups in the real world when they’re capable of sub moa.

[@jam5287]

6.5 creedmoor and 308 are a little anemic for elk. 7 mag or 30-06 should be the minimum for ethical reasons. The ideal elk cartridge is probably the 338 win mag. You can shoot a 210 grain bullet at almost 3,100 fps. Which is just over 4,000 ft lbs of energy. That is optimal for any large game. That’s also said by Ron spomer.. lol

[@whiskeythrottle182]

@jam5287 7RM or even a 338 are still anemic compared to the best elk cartridge, 50bmg. If you want pure knockdown power, 50bmg wins!! Or maybe 408cheytac... If you're willing to settle and shoot an Elk with a 300win mag @ 500yrds+, then you will be just fine with a 308 @ 300yrds and in.. They shoot the same bullet, just one comes out a little faster. As I said before, magnums, PRC's, and even the 6.5 needmore and the 3Ohate all have their place on the Elk field. You just need to know your limitations as well as the cartridges... It's 80% about shot placement and bullet construction, and about 20%, what cartridge is stamped on your brass. PS. Mr. Randy Newburg has shot around 75-80% of all his Elk with the 308 ;) Just sayin...

[@jam5287]

@@whiskeythrottle182 I can’t tell if this is sarcasm.. the recommended energy for elk is 1,500 ft lbs. the 308 just barely gets that at 300 yards. Nobody should shoot game at 500+ yards. Lol that is incredibly unethical. 308 is perfectly fine for red stag sized game and down. But the fact that most 308 loads get barely 1500 ft lbs even at 300 yards tells you it’s not a big game cartridge. Just go up to 30-06 if you wanna ethically kill game at that distance. Lol

[@homeinthewhiteoaks]

If you take the size of an elk at the shoulder and compare it to a whitetail. (3ft vs 5ft and that's a big whitetail ) Elk are 33% larger at a minimum. So you would have to scale up bullet diameter to .40cal to get the a .308 30cal up to elk size. Lets say we take weight and have a 300lb whitetail and a 900 pound bull elk? Just to keep up with the difference a 150gr bullet moved up to elk size is 450grains. I don't think we need that big a round but it puts the scale into something you can grasp. But also someone who says the 375 H&H that gained it's fame in Africa on plains game, is a great Elk and Costal Bear gun is quite a bit under both those numbers, so it does not sound that crazy. So You guy's have done the Modern Cartridge in about everything under .30cal. Given the age of the Big Bore's that get used now is it not about time to see what you could do in a 375 or 40cal? The 10mm is a diameter that seems to be on the rise. We have the new 400 legend, but it would be interesting to see a step above that. I don't think the 416 Rigby is called for, but a short action mag in a 40cal. Or a modern .375 that's set up for a long action but not a 375 case length that can reach out a bit further? A little more than any Whitetail would need but Elk in the Timber, or Bear in the brush? I never understood why the great 358win never took off, and I get that the big bore rounds will never be big sellers. But having the ultimate stopper has to tickle the fancy of someone at Hornady....

[@danielboggan2479]

375 Ruger.

[@Arcticroberto9376]

What cartridge would you need for rabbit? A rabbit weighs 10% of what a deer weighs so maybe you'd need something 10% of a 30 caliber. I'm thinking like a 3 caliber to go rabbit hunting

[@powerbagle]

17 cal would be 10% of the weight of a 30 cal​@@Arcticroberto9376

[@andreisharma]

Yeah I’d say .338 at least. I keep hearing people trying the 270 s and 7mms with not so great results. The 6.5 and 22 are being marked to it seems strange

[@rick9811]

I'm a tad old school, Heavy 30.06 and 340 Wby Mag are my go to sticks depending on the Unit I'm hunting. (Terrain)

[@bbdudeyt]

I have a 340 wby mag and agree, still quite the hammer!

[@jfess1911]

@@bbdudeyt After listening to a number of guides, it seems the main issue with powerful cartridges like the 340 Wby is that many hunters can't shoot it well. Those guides talk a lot about hunters who just bought a big magnum for their elk hunt and either have not practiced much with it or have practiced and developed a bad flinch and can't consistently hit the vital zone.

[@bbdudeyt]

@@jfess1911 totally agree, the 340 is too much gun for me to shoot without a flinch, so its become queen of the gun safe.

[@jfess1911]

@@bbdudeyt Do you keep some ammo around just for the smart-alecks who say "I can shoot anything well"? Just try to avoid the evil "muhahaha" laugh when you hand the rifle to them. 😀

[@bbdudeyt]

@@jfess1911 haha yes I have eleven rounds waiting to deliver they're collective punishment!!

[@RoxVrod]

If I am dropping money on an elk hunt, I want to make sure I bring down an elk with less than ideal shot placement. I purchased a 300 PRC rifle before the 7mm PRC came out. Based on guides feedback to me, those are the go to cartridges to bring to a western elk hunt.

[@jam5287]

If you had to pick between the two the 300 PRC is the better option. The 7 PRC is so neck and neck with the 7 mag that you may as well save the money and go with 7 mag.

[@Josh-uf1rv]

@@jam5287lol here you are again, ignorant in the subject.

[@jam5287]

@@Josh-uf1rv how so? The highest velocity I’ve seen from a 7 PRC is about 3,100 fps when using a 170-175 grain bullet. And that’s with significant over pressure loads.. While competition shooters and experienced reloaders can get 3,050 fps from the 7 mag with a 180 grain bullet. They’re incredibly neck n neck. And the 7 mag is way cheaper lol Most 7 PRC loads you can find will not even hit 3,000 fps. The only real advantage you have with the PRC is it’s a little more reloaded friendly

[@jam5287]

@@Josh-uf1rv and you can’t seriously be saying that 300 PRC isn’t a more effective cartridge than the 7 PRC.. 🤣 there are 300 PRC loads that can get you ethical kills out to 500+ yards with no problem. In fact some 300 PRC loads actually produce more energy at 500 yards than the creedmoor does at the muzzle 😂

[@AnthonysOutdoors]

There are plenty of guides and hunters that have found the ELDX to be inadequate against big game. I havent had any issues on whitetails. But there is definitely a large number of shooters that have lost faith in the eldx.

[@natehayes82]

6.8 western is the best 100%

[@robinsok]

I haven't listened to the show yet. Was the 6.8 Western mentioned?

[@kellywiddison3618]

Hornady won't acknowledge the 6.8 western. It does everything the 7prc does. They want it to just "Go Away". The won't even make dies or bullets for it. Childish, you'd think a gun company would want more shooters, regardless if it thiers or not. Sad😢

[@Hammer.Paladin]

I've been using my 338 Win. Mag for years and every time my kills have been one shot kills and usually 35 to 500 yards. I went on a last minute hunt one year and my 338 was scopeless so I used my 260 Rem with the Hornady 140 Grain InterLock. I took down a beautiful 6x6 from 290 yards with a one shot kill. Yes what you shoot is important but if you know where to place the shot and actually know how to shoot you'd be amazed what will take down a large elk. I know Hornady won't talk about the 260 Rem. but it's still a better cartridge than the 6.5 Creedmoor when you're a reloader. Remington screwed up as usual and didn't spend enough on advertising and promoting the 260 Rem as where you guys advertised and promoted the heck out of the 6.5 Creedmoor. That's where the popularity comes from. Hornady spent big bucks to sell the 6.5 Creed. Lastly, SAAMI specs for the 260 Rem. are way below what they should be. Whom ever did the numbers of the 260 Rem. for SAAMI was way off base and low for that cartridge. It can be loaded quite a bit hotter without a single sign of over pressure. The 260 Rem. has more powder capacity and thus you can push the projectile a lot faster. Side by side when both the 260 Rem. and the 6.5 Creedmoor are loaded to their true capacity, the 260 Rem. out shoots the 6.5 Creedmoor every time. Hey, the exact same projectile and the same twist "early 260 barrel where cut at 1/10 instead of 1/8 which sucked" and same barrel length and the 260 Rem. wins every time. I've tried them side by side and it's the 260 Rem. every time. I'd like to see Hornady do an honest comparison of the 2 side by side and load the 260 Rem. to it's honest capabilities. You'd come out with the same results. Where the 6.5 Creedmoor shines is overall length. It fits better in an AR-10 platform because it has a shorter case. The 6.5 is a very nice cartridge but it's not the be all and end all of the .264 it is hailed to be. Again, it's all about the money.

[@davecollins6113]

Sometimes I do get a bit tired of the "Hornady advertising" rants ,so to speak, I do realize it is the purpose of the podcast though. Most anything based on a 308 sized case and up, be it 6.5mm or 7mm or 30cal, will do what needs doing on an elk, just use a good bullet, be able to shoot whatever cartridge & gun combo it is properly, and be prepared to break bones if req'd. Times when it's the only shot you have, times when it'll travel to a place you absolutely do not want it to go, like down a coulee, into a patch of timber with a whack of deadfalls, or some thick stuff, if you do not drop it there, on the spot.

[@AussieInCA11]

Yea the bias to the conversation is pretty bad. This topic is best covered in an un-biased manner. The vortex podcast did a much better job. They are so anchored to repping hornady the advice becomes so tainted its hard to take seriously

[@danielmccarthyy]

The group was ignoring the inability of many guys to accurately shoot magnum cartridges from field positions

[@edbredemeyer2833]

33 Nosler...I know it's not Hornady but it hammers stuff

[@michaelmeyers1827]

I still use my .308

[@hornady]

Works great!

[@mr.mr.3301]

The 7s are the sweet spot for most things.

[@Siskiyous6]

My friends have all given up on 7s and moved up to at least 300s

[@kevinmcsweeney4156]

I had a weatherby Vangaurd in .300 win mag and it shot like crap. I sold it.

[@jfess1911]

That is one of the biggest problems with the SAAMI 300 Win Mag. It is notoriously picky. The chamber in front of the case is just a funnel into the.rifling and it starts at 0.315" dia (sloppier than the 30-06's 0.3106" dia). It often takes a lot of trial and error to find loads that are really accurate. Most newer cartridges have a "match style" chamber with a cylinder of freebore with a clearance of around a thousandth of an inch (or less) prior to the taper into the rifling. This seems to help average accuracy. On Winchester's next try, the 300 WSM, they reduced the slop and started the tapered throat at 0.3099". Finally with the 6.8 Western, Winchester used a "match style" chamber with a section of tight freebore.

[@m444ss]

PS - I've been subscribing to Petersen's Hunting for years. It's a great magazine.

[@michaelwilson9986]

3006 180gr Partitions

[@jameskennedy6982]

Hornady ammo is garbage. Their 7mm R/M chronographs -200fps than advertised. I have found this to be true across all calibres.

[@karts-fish-Rc]

I'm watching a Comercial from hornady about the 300 prc

[@ryant9032]

300 WSM is my go to. Can't believe it wasn't mentioned. Seemed to be hornady biased talk.

[@colemiller4899]

I will have to put my vote to 7mm prc and 180 eld-m or 300 win mag 195 eldm just hammers all around listen to shoot2hunt podcast and you will learn a lot from them guys to thanks Hornady for your time and products and these podcast

[@michaelhollier]

Great show appreciate all the elk info !!

[@hornady]

Thanks for watching!

[@m444ss]

I'd like to have a Weatherby Backcountry 2.0 in 338 WBY RPM. Not as flat shooting as others, but modern scopes make this easy to compensate - rough guess holdover not required. And I'm personally not concerned with the recoil; given the platform design, not as bad as my 444 Marlin with its rock-solid butt pad. Maybe not optimum for various reasons, but it just seems like a cool cartridge in a cool platform.

[@rosswitte]

280AI or 6.5PRC

[@lonewolftrucker99ky90]

Nosler partion

[@chadillac95]

On the topic of what Preston mentioned, for a cartridge with less recoil, how do you guys feel about the 7mm-08 for a smaller statured woman? (Not me) I know people kill elk with the 6.5 creedmoor and even 243, but the 7mm-08 is the smallest I'd feel comfortable putting in the hands of an elk hunter. How's the 7mm-08 and the 6.5 PRC compare to each other?

[@jfess1911]

The 6.5 PRC has a larger case with about 25% more total volume. To muddle the issue, though, the PRC has a longer "head height" meaning more of the bullet is in front of the case and less in the powder compartment, so many loads actually hold closer to 1/3 more powder. The 6.5 PRC's bullets are not that much lighter, so it will usually have more recoil. Both cartridges can work fine, but if you want 1500 ft-lbs of energy at the elk, the 6.5 PRC will give you somewhere around 100 yards more effective range with similar bullet types. Some prefer the larger diameter 7mm bullet and just don't feel comfortable with a 6.5 on elk. If you are a copper bullet fan, I would think that a 6.5 PRC shooting a bullet like the 130 grain CX bullet would have pretty much the same effective range as a 7mm-08 with a good lead core bullet.

[@ronlowney4700]

The Best Combination is The 6.5 prc Necked Up to 7mm! @jfess1911

[@jfess1911]

@@ronlowney4700 TBH, that would pretty much be my ideal cartridge. Are you aware that Frank Green (Bartlein Barrels) is having some pressure testing done on this cartridge? Hornady is actually doing the testing (for free!) and some results are up in parallel threads on Sniper's hide (7-6.5 PRC) and Accurate Shooter forums (7/6.5PRC Pressure and Velocity Ammo test). There is no talk of it getting SAAMI-fied, but at least there will be some load data for it.

[@ronlowney4700]

@@jfess1911 I Know Someone Who Has One! 🤑

[@tysonleyba430]

I wish you guys would make me a 150G partition style bullet for my 270 with the superformance powder. that would be the GOAT

[@ronlowney4700]

Try The 150 grain Swift A-Frame! I Believe The Factory Velocity is 2,985 ft/s Out of the Muzzle! 🔥 I Handload Those For Elk Hunting! They Are Hard To Find Right Now Though! 😢

[@jaydunbar7538]

Partition is a controlled expansion bullet, you know what else is a controlled expansion bullet? The CX.

[@tysonleyba430]

@@jaydunbar7538 isn't the Cx pure copper? What is the cx made of?

[@jfess1911]

@@tysonleyba430 Copper alloy, so mostly copper. The copper alloy is less dense than lead, to the CX's are lighter than comparably-sized lead-core bullets. The 130gr CX is about the same size as a 150g partition and has similar penetration.

[@m444ss]

Seth: maybe you'd already asked on a previous episode? ...i was waiting for you to ask Colton what he'd pick if limited to just one cartridge and one bullet for the rest of his life.

[@hornady]

We forgot! Dang it

[@eduardoolaechea]

300 win mag

[@loadmastergod1961]

338wm with sierra 250sbt. Dad always had good, quick kills with his 300wm and 190s. Know a guy in north central Montana gets quick kills with his 243. For me, I have roughly 3800 elk worth of reloads for the 338, so that's what I'll be taking

[@Arcticroberto9376]

338wm is probably the best rifle if you can handle the recoil. Lots of energy and range and diameter. I'll either take my 308 or buy a 300wm for a bit more effective range

[@PatchedRoundBall]

Sooooo....6.5 creedmoor is an elk gun, but 06 and 270 are anemic. Got it

[@rosswitte]

6.5 cm prints money...

[@taylorcleblanc]

Quantifiable data on the bigger cartridges killing better doesnt exist. Anecdotal data at best. The community convinces itself that to be an elk hunter you need X cartridge producing Y energy. A 6mm can, and does, kill as efficiently as a magnum when proper bullets and speed parameters are adhered to.

[@MrHuntermikey]

Great show guys very informative

[@hornady]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@joesutherland225]

35 Whelan all I use for everything in bc canada

[@eliaswebster937]

Seth, love the stache. Hard to even focus on the content with that beauty staring at the camera.

[@hornady]

Well said

[@vincethewoodlander]

Wanna have a better chance of spotting your shots with a magnum while hunting alone? (Asked at 7:45) Turn down your scope magnification or gain field of view some other way.

[@WillardGrant]

When are y'all going to make a 270cabler 160gr or hevyer

[@PatchedRoundBall]

The scientific podcasts are awesome, internal/external ballistics, powder, temperature etc. And I use a ton of Hornady stuff and own a 300PRC (and 300WM/7mmRM as well). But the "opinion podcasts" are getting tough to listen to. Poo-pooing on calibers that have been leveling elk (accurately) from every distance for 50-120yrs while praising their own creations (one of which is truly anemic in weight AND velocity...but very accurate) just starts to get exhausting.

[@Arcticroberto9376]

300 win mag probably, but smaller cartridges work too.

[@ronlowney4700]

The 300 WM is The #1 Choice in My State For Elk Hunters I Know! So, No Argument About It's Capabilities! It Certainly Will Work! 🤑

[@TheGunNerd]

It rocks, but if you're going to buy a new rifle and don't already have a 300 wm, consider the prc

[@shumardi1]

Energy is discussed a lot but what about momentum?

[@rw7105]

Very poor podcast!! The guide had no clue what he was talking about. Bashing the 30-06 ,,,,then saying it was the hunters fault. I guided for many years. Am a avid hunter for over 40 years. The 30-06 is iconic!! In the camp where I worked we had nothing but problems with 270 and 7mm mag. The 7prc has a long way to go to be Field proven yet. Bullet choice is a big factor. As far as I'm concerned the only proven bullet that Hornady made for big game is the interloc. Nosler partition is proven time and again. Get someone on the panel that knows what they are talking about. Please!!! Quit trying to sell. Say it like it is!!!

[@bouska422]

Usually this podcast is great. it is pitiful they had to squeeze in their 6.5 Creedmoor among the 'best elk cartridges'. The impression a newbie would get is that the 6.5 is 'better' than the 30-06. The podcasters lost some credibility there.

[@SpudOutdoors]

Make sure to give the video a thumbs down. Hurts them more than a negative comment. Comment in general helps them.

[@chriskendziora5424]

Ultimate 338 win mag!

[@jeffreyadams5017]

In the 6.5 category should have mentioned the 6.5 rpm and 6.5 300 weatherby

[@sethmatherne7012]

What were the circumstances on the 30-06? Did shot placement and bullet type play any part of the three wounded elks?

[@nathanmccullough7755]

i think a fast 7 is about the most versatile hunting cartridge that exists. I like the PRC better than any of them.

[@ronlowney4700]

🕵‍♂️ When We Compare The 0.284 Caliber to The 0.308 Caliber For Elk Hunting, Does The Significantly (15% Larger Frontal Area) Larger 0.308 Bullet Diameter Offer Any Advantage? 🤔 What About The Heavier 0.308 "Hunting Bullet" (Bonded or Monolithic Solid) With Higher B.C.'s? 😮 I Think That You Know The Answer, Don't You? 😜

[@Weatherby406]

30-378 Weatherby

[@foonus406]

Lot of debate about recoil from the chambering but the weight of the stock is equally it not more important. I own both a 15Lb 300PRC and a 7 1/2Lb 7PRC and the 7 is incredibly difficult to control meanwhile the 300 I can shoot consistently even without a muzzle brake.

[@rodgerthackeray7978]

My 7PRC is 10 lbs. I think that is perfect. Easy to control, too.

[@jaydunbar7538]

The trade off is very few want to carry a 15 pound rifle in the mountains, we all know weight reduces felt recoil that doesn’t mean it’s worth carrying a 40 pound gun.

[@devinad20]

😂 you boomers are missing out

[@Siskiyous6]

A survey of unguided consistently successful hunters would lead to very different observations.

[@reddogleader1968]

Long range shooting is popular. If I am on a ridge looking at another ridge 700 yards away there is probably a hunter on that ridge looking at the ridge I am on.....

[@jamespowell7609]

All my elk have come from a 17 hmr. It's about shot placement

[@md3280]

7-08 ? Better than a 6.5 cm ?

[@tadordoyne1095]

300 PRC for the win!

[@kevinmeek5873]

When whould we expect to see a 338 PRC??? We need something that shoots a little flatter than the 338 lapua but doesnt burn barrels like the 33 nosler.

[@andreisharma]

Win mag? Who the hell would use a lapua

[@andreisharma]

There’s also 338-06 no one probably knows exists which would also be good

[@WayStedYou]

​@@andreisharmaif they want more energy than a 338 lapua, you aren't going to get that with the 338 win or 338 06

[@jeremyacton254]

Without a doubt, it’s the 338 Lapua!

[@petersquatch]

Kind of small, don't you think? 416 barrett minimum

[@ronlowney4700]

Overkill (I Had One)! 🤷‍♂️

[@kenmcvie6350]

Come to Fiordland in New Zealand and hunt our elk (we call them Wapiti)!

[@jonathanmitchell3733]

would you equate Elk to Kudu

[@danielrouw2593]

Same height but elk are nearly twice the weight. i don't know much about kudu, but elk are aggressive pests. Imagine a group of 70 500kg creatures stampeding through your property, stripping wires off fences, churning up the grass, only stopping to purposely rip things up with their antlers for fun.

[@anthonyrstrawbridge]

70 grains is a bit light on the calves 120 grains is much to light on the adult cow's And 140 is not appropriate for Majestic nor Imperial. Probably 230 plus. Smaller bulls 140+ probably should keep velocity well below 3000 😊

[@georgecruz6226]

300RUM!

[@Yelladog78]

Hornady can't make a true bonded bullet like the partition unfortunately. They are more of a deer/varmint bullet maker

[@ronlowney4700]

🏔 At The Elevations That I Hunt Elk, The 30-06 Packs As Much Energy at 10,000 Ft as a 300 WM Does At Sea Level - Out To 500 Yards! Nothing Else "More" is Needed! 😂

[@jamespowell7609]

Dude on the right looks like Randy from My Name is Earl

[@jaydunbar7538]

I know multiple hunters with 338 rifles for elk, but they don’t hire guides they live in the mountains themselves.

[@davidlaroche8928]

140 Eldm 180 Eldm 225 EldM just flat out work.

[@jbwood0803]

300 wsm

[@elkhuntr2816]

Do the 7 PRC CX bullets have significantly more jump to the lands than the 175 eldx? Why are there no 162 eldx factory loads for 7 PRC? Still a high BC with less recoil than the 175 eldx. Similar to the 162 eldx load for a 7mm rem mag.

[@jfess1911]

The 162 was optimized for the shorter head height and freebore of the Rem Mag. The 160 CX and 175 ELD-X were optimized for the 7 PRC. The 7 PRC has a freebore section about twice as long as the Rem Mag and a head height over 30% longer. The main advantage the 7 PRC has over the Rem Mag is the ability to shoot longer, higher BC bullets while stuffing less of the base into the powder compartment. The 7 PRC can shoot the 162 but it loses some of its relative advantage over the RM. IIRC, the 160 CX is pretty much the same size and shape as the 175 ELD-X and would have similar jump to the lands. FWIW, copper is only about 80% as dense as lead, which makes a copper bullet lighter than a lead core one of the same size and shape.

[@elkhuntr2816]

@@jfess1911 Thanks, that's what I was wondering. The 160 CX has a lower BC than the 175 eldx which made me wonder if it was shorter than the 175 eldx. It seems like the way the PRC's are designed are that they must seat the bullets pretty much as far out as they can. So if the head height is designed for the max length 175 eldx, any shorter bullet won't be able to be seated out as close to the lands. The PRC would be much less flexible with the length of bullets you would use. Is that true? I love the balance of recoil and ballistic performance 7mm rem mag with the 162eldx, but would prefer the tighter chamber dimensions of the 7 PRC. The 7mag doesn't seem as inherrently accurate. I don't need the extra range and recoil of the 175 eldx, which is why I was wondering if I could load a 162 eldx in a 7 PRC. Seems like there would be too much jump.

[@anthonysullivan4202]

338 lapua is the best all round calibre......., prove me wrong. haha

[@DisDaddey]

6.8 WESTERN!!!!!!! u guys still hating on it cause its better than ur beloved prcs...

[@danielmccarthyy]

The guide is unscientific and therefore I will disregard his comments.

[@elkklr]

223 with a 75gr eldm. Why would you need anything more

[@jam5287]

For elk? That is extremely unethical.

[@elkklr]

@@jam5287why do you think it’s unethical? Because it’s actually more ethical to use

[@joeld008]

I mean… at sub 100 yards with the right targeting on the animal maybe.

[@elkklr]

@@joeld008out to around 600 yards that bullet will upset and fragment out, it will create a larger wound channel through the vitals than ANY solid copper bullet. If you learn to call wind you will have the highest hit probability with a .224 caliber.

[@m444ss]

CX aye