Elk Hunt Advice

[Idaho Ron]

IdahoRon

Nice pics. The 460 grain paper patch bullet you were shooting- what was the caliber/dia of the rifle and bullet?

You had mentioned to me before you did not like the Great Plains Bullet. Have you had bad luck with them?


The only elk I shot was with a 54 cal great plains. I shot it quartering toward me and it broke the shoulder and exited the back of the ribs on the off side. But that is only one elk.

Jay the only reason I am skeptical about them is they no longer make the flat nose 410 gr bullet. The 410 was a good accurate bullet. The 385 is accurate but in general I don't like a hollow point. The lead is soft enough to expand without the hollow point. I have no experience with the 385 but I do have a lot with the 410.
My bullet is .501 I wrap the bullet with two wraps of 9# onion skin and size it to .501 they go down stiff but will never come off a charge. No way.

 

[Idaho Ron]

GMB has done well with them. But in all fairness to compare GMB's situation to Jay's is not fair. GMB lives with the elk. he can pass a shot up if it isn't good. Jay and his dad are novice elk hunters it sounds in an area they have never seen. GMB is a seasoned hunter that again lives with the elk. If someone asked what type of Basketball shoe is the best should a newby to the sport get the same ones and size as a famous player and expect the same results?

 

[Idaho Ron]

Ron provides some very good advice that is worth following. I've spend plenty of time in elk camps in the past. I know first hand how hard elk can be to kill even with center fire calibers. I would have no (zero) faith in a 50 caliber patched round ball when used on an elk. In the right conditions it can work, but the guy paying out lots of money for a 5 day hunt may not get the perfect shot. the bullet must be placed correctly. That failing, the elk may die some place that will make you wish you had not taken the shot if you find it.

A lot about elk hunting does include faith. If a person has no faith in a bullet they shouldn't use it. I could never shoot a PRB at an elk and feel good about it. You are spot on with your reply!!

 

[satx78247]

Personally, I think that a .54 with a quality conical is about the minimum for elk, European Rotthirsch, buffalo or similar sized African plains game.
(I'd prefer at least a 530 grain .58 caliber Minie for Hirsch, as they "take some considerable killing". = My IIB absorbed a .58 caliber 530 grain Minie & a load of 16-gauge 0 buckshot into the K-5 area & we still trailed him over 300M after waiting 20 minutes for him to go down.)

yours, satx

 

[longcruise]

GMB has done well with them. But in all fairness to compare GMB's situation to Jay's is not fair. GMB lives with the elk. he can pass a shot up if it isn't good. Jay and his dad are novice elk hunters it sounds in an area they have never seen. GMB is a seasoned hunter that again lives with the elk. If someone asked what type of Basketball shoe is the best should a newby to the sport get the same ones and size as a famous player and expect the same results?

My point is purely regarding the efficacy of the .50 prb as an elk killer. I have never used the .50 prb on elk and probably won't. As I previously stated, I'm an advocate of the .54 for rb hunting of elk. Nathan can provide a clear picture of the .50 prb performance on elk. Whether or not the OP and his dad should use it is their decision to grapple with.

Your basketball shoe analogy does not seem at all applicable. :haha:

 

[Idaho Ron]

GMB has done well with them. But in all fairness to compare GMB's situation to Jay's is not fair. GMB lives with the elk. he can pass a shot up if it isn't good. Jay and his dad are novice elk hunters it sounds in an area they have never seen. GMB is a seasoned hunter that again lives with the elk. If someone asked what type of Basketball shoe is the best should a newby to the sport get the same ones and size as a famous player and expect the same results?

My point is purely regarding the efficacy of the .50 prb as an elk killer. I have never used the .50 prb on elk and probably won't. As I previously stated, I'm an advocate of the .54 for rb hunting of elk. Nathan can provide a clear picture of the .50 prb performance on elk. Whether or not the OP and his dad should use it is their decision to grapple with.

Your basketball shoe analogy does not seem at all applicable. :haha:

I am sure to you it doesn't but I am not going to further explain it to you some people don't get things I understand that.
The fact is they are novices at elk hunting and a 50 PRB is not a novice projectile for elk.
Yes GMB kills elk with them but a novice is most likely to wound a bull and it get away. That tag he has is a once in a life time type tag. Not an over the counter one. This one is super special. bulls over 400 points are killed there. To use a PRB with his experience at elk hunting would be a mistake. I am not backing down on that.

 

[longcruise]

I never suggested a 50 prb for elk. In fact, if you scroll up to my previous posts you will see that I endorsed the idea of loading a REAL. Further, I stated that my own preference is a .54 RB. Not the first time I have said such on this forum! Also, that I have no experience with a .50 PRB and therefore defered to those with experience. Nathan is one of those who has that experience. There are probably others here with equal experience, but I don't know who they are!

I don't see the the need to adapt caliber and load in any special way because a tag or hunt is once in a lifetime. Or because bulls may score 400. Whatever is adequate for elk should serve just fine.

The shoe thing! :haha: It's a bad analogy. That single pair of shoes will fit a few people. A typical production rifle of .45 to .58 caliber will fit almost all adult shooters.

Your adversarial relationship with the adamant proponents of the PRB is well known here, but I don't fit those shoes. :haha:

 

[Idaho Ron]

If you don't get it fine others did. :slap:

 

[longcruise]

It's not about "getting it", it's about use of a poor analogy when a thought out response would have served the topic and the topic followers.

 

[Idaho Ron]

If you don't get it that is okay. We understand :idunno:

 

[longcruise]

Do you have a mouse in your pocket?

 

[Rat Trapper]

I'm going to agree 110% with Ron here. His advice is worth taking and anyone who doesn't will understand later when things go wrong. Elk hunts today are not cheap, if spending all that money, use the correct rifle/bullet. This is not a situation where you want to be under gunned.

 

[longcruise]

How many elk have you killed and what are the details of loads, range, etc. That is the type of information that will be helpful to the OP.

 

[oletymepreacher]

use the biggest rifle that you can get your hands on. Elk are tough and cling to life. When guiding, I'd recommend a .338 with a 250 grain bullet. Some of the hunters obeyed, some didn't. For black powder the .50 is best used for deer. Powerbuilt bullets don't do the job very well, they explode before penetrating. You NEED penetration. If using a prb, get the biggest that fits. If you are a good hunter and can get close, 50 yards or closer, a .50 will work IF you are a good shot. Being the first elk hunt, your heart rate will increase a lot, and shooting will be tough. I've taken 30 some elk, and have been in on three times that many of other hunters. Go big.

 

[Blackbruin]

Use what is legal and what floats your boat! Just think about the advice given. Any caliber needs to have a good shot, wether a .50, .62 , .69.! You may be limited by range due to lighter rb, treat it like a bow , quartering away, broadside etc... Avoid front quartering unless close etc....

 

[Idaho Ron]

use the biggest rifle that you can get your hands on. Elk are tough and cling to life. When guiding, I'd recommend a .338 with a 250 grain bullet. Some of the hunters obeyed, some didn't. For black powder the .50 is best used for deer. Powerbuilt bullets don't do the job very well, they explode before penetrating. You NEED penetration. If using a prb, get the biggest that fits. If you are a good hunter and can get close, 50 yards or closer, a .50 will work IF you are a good shot. Being the first elk hunt, your heart rate will increase a lot, and shooting will be tough. I've taken 30 some elk, and have been in on three times that many of other hunters. Go big.

I am glad you said that about the power belts. They are the worst bullet I have seen. They are accurate but they do blow up. I was on a hunt and another hunter lost an elk. I tracked it down and when I got to about 100 yards it got up and ran. I shot it and killed it with my 460 gr bullets. This is what the PB looked like.

 

[Idaho Ron]

How many elk have you killed and what are the details of loads, range, etc. That is the type of information that will be helpful to the OP.

He like others agree with me and you call him out. That is classy. If you don't get it :idunno:

 

[Elkeater]

Arrogance stems from a lack of confidence.

I believe Marmotslayer would agree with you on your dislike of hollow points, as I do.

 

[longcruise]

He like others agree with me and you call him out.

Agree with you on what? He is stating his own opinion. I'm sure he can speak for himself on his own experiences.

If you don't get it

Oh, I get It, Ron! You are so spring loaded in your never ending battle with the "prb only" crowd that you have lost track of who your friends are.

Like elkeater says, I do agree on the power belts. My only experience has been observation of others who used them and they seem to be extremely inconsistent in the way they perform. A friend of mine shot a bull with one that was quartering sharply toward him. Bullet traveled full length of the bull and stopped in the hind quarter. Bull dropped on the spot. Five months later we hunted hogs and he used the same package of power belts, same rifle same powder charge on a small 70# hog (no shield, about like a small whitetail doe) and it blew up on entry and got only one lung.

This topic has gone so far into the ditch that I feel compelled to apologize to the participants (except you, Ron :haha: :blah: ) for my part in it. I hope it has been helpful to the OP, but I wonder if he will ever come back here again! :shocked2:

 

[James Stella]

marmotslayer thanks for your concern. I am fine. I knew I might get some heated opinions on this subject. The rifle i am shooting I bought specificaly for hunting elk. 54 cal and fast twist rifling.

I am not real comfortable shooting elk with PRB especially in 50 cal. My dad has been hunting deer for years with his rifle and is pretty good with it but i just think it is not the best elk gun. To top it off he just refinished and browned his rifle this last winter and wants to use it.

At least this discution has convinced him to try the REAL bullets. Hopefuly they will shoot ok. If not I am going to have to trust his shooting and stalking ability.

Thanks everyone for all the info so far.