Most of us don’t live with big bull elk in our backyards. Unless you’re lucky, elk hunting requires extensive planning and significant financial investment.
Elk tags aren’t just expensive. You might not even draw one for your favorite area this season. Chasing bulls is no easy task, either, which is why you can’t trust what might be a once-in-a-lifetime shot to a subpar cartridge.
There are dozens of elk-worthy ammo options on the market. The following are my top picks. When I finally do end up with a Boone and Crockett bull in my crosshairs, I want one of these capable cartridges in my rifle’s chamber.
How We Chose the Best Cartridge for Elk Hunting
Crowning a single cartridge “The King of All Elk” isn’t possible or practical. While a short-action cartridge in a lightweight, fast-handling rifle might be perfect for jumping bulls in thick woods, it isn’t at all suitable for long shots across hundreds of yards of alpine meadow. And while magnum rif;es might be nice for long-range shots, they aren’t particularly fun to haul through rough Western backcountry. (I won’t even mention how brutal they can be on the shoulder.)
With that in mind, this list of the best elk hunting cartridges features entries that are better for certain terrain, situations, hunting styles, and personal preferences than others.
Quick Note: Although some shooters use the words “caliber” and “cartridge” interchangeably, they refer to different things. “Caliber” is the diameter of a projectile (or the bore of the barrel the projectile travels through), and is generally measured in fractions of an inch. The word “cartridge” refers to an entire unit of ammunition: bullet, case, powder, and primer. In this article we discuss the best cartridges for elk hunting.
The Best Elk Hunting Cartridges
The best elk hunting cartridge is the 300 Win Mag. It’s readily available and offers elk hunters plenty of range. However, there are many other quality cartridges capable of ethically harvesting big bull elk.
#1: .300 Winchester Magnum
If you like the .30-06, you’re going to love the .300 Win Mag. This standard-length cartridge offers a smidge more horsepower than the .30-06. That means you can stretch your shots a little farther without sacrificing accuracy, efficacy, or ethics.
Elk have heavier bodies than whitetail or mule deer, so having a little extra oomph behind that .30 cal bullet is a major plus.
The .300 Win Mag pushes a 180 grain SST to a lightning-fast velocity of 3,130 fps. The same bullet leaves the muzzle of a .30-06 at only 2,820 fps. That added cruising speed means the .300 Win Mag bullet drops 10 inches less than the .30-06 at 500 yards.
This flat-shooting cartridge is also available with heavier bullets. That means an even more predictable trajectory, with better wind resistance and downrange striking energy to boot.
To get the best performance out of your hunting rifle, choose .300 Win Mag loads with 200 grain bullets. If you can get your hands on something heavier, all the better.
The .300 WM’s higher-level performance will cost you, however. Rifles chambered in .300 Win Mag are relatively long, heavy, and hard-recoiling. While .300 Win Mag produces a bit heftier recoil than .30-06, its kick is still within what most serious elk hunters can manage.
| Best 300 Win Mag Round for Elk | Hornady Precision Hunter 200 Grain ELD-X |
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#2: 6.5 Creedmoor
The 6.5 Creedmoor has been the golden child of target shooters and hunters alike for a relatively short time, as it was only introduced in 2007. In the eyes of its fan base, this cartridge can do no wrong…
…within reason, of course. The 6.5 Creedmoor is often considered a bit of a welterweight when it comes to dropping big bull elk. You’ll definitely want to pick a load with a deep-penetrating, heavy-for-caliber, controlled expansion bullet like the Nosler Partition or AccuBond LR.
You should also place your shots very carefully. Trying to send one of these slender bullets through an elk’s thick shoulder blade could have disastrous consequences for you AND the hapless brute. It just isn’t up to the task. Wait for a good broadside presentation so your bullet can easily plow straight through vitals. The relatively narrow 6.5mm bullet doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for error.
Thankfully, 6.5 Creedmoor’s phenomenal accuracy makes shot placement a breeze. There’s a good reason why this cartridge is a preferred option among elite long-range competitors.
The 6.5 Creedmoor definitely has less recoil than any of the other cartridges on our list. That makes it a smart option for youth, women, and inexperienced elk hunters (who also happen to be experienced shooters).
| Best 6.5 Creedmoor Round for Elk | Winchester Expedition Big Game Long Range 142 Grain AccuBond LR |
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#3: 6.5 Precision Rifle Cartridge
The 6.5 PRC (and most of its 6.5mm cousins) has the 6.5 Creedmoor to thank for its popularity. Like the 6.5 Creedmoor, the PRC was developed with long-range precision rifle shooting in mind.
The 6.5 Creedmoor and the 6.5 PRC both fire the same bullet; the 6.5 PRC just sends it about 250 fps faster. The high-velocity 6.5 PRC fires a 143 grain bullet at 2,960 fps muzzle velocity; the 6.5 Creedmoor, 2,700 fps. That extra velocity provides some major advantages to elk hunters.
At 500 yards, the 6.5 PRC’s 143 grain bullet drops 8 inches less than the 6.5 Creedmoor’s. It also carries 1,604 ft-lbs of energy when it gets there. That’s respectably more than the Creedmoor’s 1308 ft-lbs that the same distance.
When it comes to harvesting elk, the commonly accepted threshold for striking energy is 1500 ft-lbs. That means the 6.5 PRC still has enough energy to reliably get the job done at 500 yards, whereas the 6.5 Creedmoor hasn’t.
The 6.5 PRC shares many of the 6.5 Creedmoor’s limitations. Neither cartridge has the bullet diameter or weight to handle steep angles or shoddy presentations. Pick a load with a tough, controlled expansion bullet like Hornady’s ELD-X and wait for the textbook broadside shot.
| Best 6.5 PRC Rounds for Elk Hunting | Barnes VOR-TX LR 127 Grain LRX BT |
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