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Elk are big. Elk are tough as hell. And elk live in the great wide open of the West. Those three things alone should give you a pretty good idea of what you need in a good elk cartridge. It should be flat-shooting, pack a punch downrange, and deliver a bullet that upsets reliably and penetrates deeply. But none of that matters if you can’t shoot it straight.
What separates adequate elk cartridges from the best elk cartridges is that the latter get the job done without rattling your brain so hard that you can’t keep their bullets on target. So, with a few notable exceptions, my picks for the top elk stoppers have three things in common:
They have muzzle energies of more than 2400 foot-pounds.
The can all push bullets past 500 yards while still delivering reliable bullet upset.
They have manageable recoil.
For variety’s sake, and because not all elk live in the open, I’ve picked the 11 best options between .25- and .45-caliber. The final thing that all these cartridges have in common is that they’re common—with easy-to-find ammo and lots of options to choose from. And for all but the two newest elk killers on this list, hunters have been trusting these cartridges for a long, long, time.
Best Overall: 300 Winchester Magnum
Best Long Range: 7mm PRC
Best Light Recoiling: 25-06 Remington
Best Timber: 45-70 Government
Best Classic: 35 Whelen
Rest of the Best
Best Overall: 300 Winchester Magnum
Remington Premier Scirocco .300 Winchester Magnum Centerfire Rifle Ammo
Lots of serious hunters still argue that you need a big bullet for big elk. Meanwhile, virtually every elk hunter these days wants a flat-shooting cartridge loaded with a high-BC, heavy-for-caliber bullet. That's the hot trend. The irony is, Winchester gave us a cartridges that delivers on all counts way back in 1963, when they introduced the 300 Winchester Mag.
A 180-grain, 0.52-BC, Swift Scirocco bullet fired from a 300 Win Mag has more than 3300 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle and hits at 500 yards like a 30-06 does at 300. It at 30 grains heavier, it still travels as fast as a 150-grain 30-06, too. Of course, there's a tradeoff. (There alway is.) The 300 Winchester Magnum shoots flatter and harder than the 30-06, but it recoils with about 40% more force—but it's not the beast some people make it out to be.
The 300 Win Mag gets my nod for the best overall elk cartridge for three reasons. First, it has proven itself here and all over the world, and on game much larger than elk. Second, it work near and far, in the timber or the open. Third, for anyone who can handle some recoil, it strikes a perfect balance. This list of best elk cartridges includes options with maximum effective ranges from around 200 yards (45-70) to as much as a 1000 yards (7mm PRC). Similarly, their recoil ranges from as light as 15 foot-pounds (25-06) to as much as 45 foot-pounds (338 Win. Mag.) If we split that all right down the middle, we get a cartridge that would reach out to around 600 yards and recoil with about 30 foot-pounds of force. That perfectly describes the 300 Winchester Magnum, and given the number of rifles and loads available for this cartridge, I think it is the best all round elk cartridge. For sure, if you can’t kill your elk with a 300 Winchester Magnum, you either can’t shoot, can’t hunt, or both.
Best Long Range: 7mm PRC
Hornady Precision Hunter 7mm PRC Rifle Ammo
The 7mm PRC won't kill elk any deader than the 7mm Remington Magnum found farther down this list. But it's here—and it's my pick for the best long-range elk cartridge—because for those who want to shoot elk at ridiculous distances, there is simply nothing better. The 7mm PRC, in fact, may well be best long-range hunting cartridge ever created. This is due to the high BC bullets it can stabilize with its fast twist rate, combined with the velocity with which it launches them. On the downside, there are not a lot of factory loads for it, but if you want to shoot your elk in the next zip code, short of field artillery or the abominable 338 Lapua, you won't find anything superior to the 7mm PRC. It retains velocity so well, bullets will still upset/expand as far away as 1000 yards (not that I recommend shooting elk at a 1000 yards.)
Best Light Recoiling: 25-06 Remington
Nosler Trophy Grade 25-06 Remington Centerfire Rifle Ammo
Young hunters, new hunters, and some older hunters can be very sensitive to recoil. I have a friend with a big screw in his right shoulder, and to avoid serious pain he has to keep recoil under about 15 foot-pounds. Muzzle brakes can reduce recoil, but they’re obnoxiously loud. Suppressors can help too, but they add length and weight to a rifle that might complicate their use for young shooters and others with limited upper body strength. What these shooters need is a light-recoiling cartridge that will get the job done on elk.
The 243 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor are light-recoiling and flat-shooting, but at practical shooting distances, they cannot compete with a 25-06 cartridge pushing a 100-grain Nosler Partition bullet at about 3300 fps. This load has more than 2400 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle and when zeroed at 200 yards, the bullet drops less than 6 inches at 300 yards. Introduced in 1969, the 25-06 Remington has been the most successful .25-caliber cartridge to date. The faster-shooting 257 Weatherby has merit, but its sizzling velocity can over-stress all but the toughest bullets when the range is close, and it recoils like a 30-06. If you’re recoil sensitive, the 25-06 is a great choice for elk.
Best Timber: 45-70 Government
If you're an old-school elk hunter who'd rather slip through the dark timber than scan the far ridge, then you're probably someone who also loves a lever gun. Although the AR rifle has become the most popular rifle in America, the true American rifle is the lever-action. It’s quick handling characteristics and fast repetitive fire also makes it handy for elk in the timber. While there are lever-action rifles, like the Browning BLR, that to work with more modern cartridges, the tradition lever gun is the tube-fed version, and in that configuration, there’s only one serious elk cartridge: the 45-70 Government.
I said there would be some exception in terms of recoil, and this is one, but it should have less of an effect with short-range, usually off-hand shots in heavier cover. With a 300-grain Barnes Triple Shock at 1900 fps, the 45-70 will generate 2400 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle and will poke a hole nearly an inch in diameter through a bull elk. In no real or imagined reality is the 45-70 a 500-yard elk cartridge, but if that’s what you want, there are plenty of others on this list to choose from. On the other, if what you want is to slip close to an elk in the hidden places where they bed and linger, then you can't go wrong with a lever gun in 45-70.
Best Classic: 35 Whelen
Buffalo Bore .35 Whelen Centerfire Rifle Ammo
Speaking of exceptions in terms of recoil: In 1922 James Howe necked up the 30-06 case to accept a 0.358-cailber bullet and named the cartridge the 35 Whelen, after U.S. Army Colonel and noted backcountry hunter and gun writer, Townsend Whelen. It was such a hit that Remington legitimized the cartridge in 1988. Despite its stout recoil, the Whelen gets a spot on my list because it's such a cult-classic elk cartridge, and because I know of nothing that can stand up to the Whelen. A good friend used the one I sold him to stop a charging grizzly on Kodiak Island. Inside 300 yards, anything you can do with a 338 Winchester Mangum you can also do with a 35 Whelen, and the best elk hunters I know don’t shoot past 300 yards anyway.
Loaded with Buffalo bore’s 225-grain Barnes Triple Shock at 2800 fps, it has nearly 4000 foot-pounds of muzzle energy, will only drop about 8 inches at 300 yards, and will knock the attitude and life out of the biggest, sex-crazed, mud-covered bull elk on the planet. You’ll know it when you pull the trigger too; this ant no 30-06.
Rest of the Best
30-06 Springfield
Federal Premium Fusion .30-06 Springfield Centerfire Rifle Ammo
Often heralded as the winner of two World Wars, some consider the 30-06 Springfield as the best big-game cartridge of all time. It has been with us for almost 120 years, and with modern powders and bullets, it's more effective today than ever. Out of an 8-pound rifle, a 30-06 will punch you with about 24 foot-pounds of energy, an amount of recoil that the vast majority of experienced shooters can handle without ill effects. Factories generally load 30-06 ammo with bullets ranging between 150- to 180-grains, and one of the best for elk is the 165-grain bonded Federal Fusion. It will generate more than 2800 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle, and zeroed at 200 yards will only drop about 8 inches at 300. An elk that can withstand a hit from this combination in his boiler room does not exist. If magnum recoil is more than you care for and you don't need to shoot elk out to the horizon, the 30-06 is still a great choice.
270 Winchester
Some believe that the best thing to ever come from the 30-06 Springfield is the 270 Winchester, and I agree. Winchester gave hunters this cartridge 100 years ago, and it remains the most popular 0.277-caliber cartridge of all time. The 270 Winchester will generally give its best performance with a 130-grain bullet, and if it’s a high-BC 130-grain bullet, like the Swift Scirocco, it will shoot faster and flatter than the 30-06 and nearly match its energy out as far as you have any business shooting at an elk. With an 8-pound rifle, you’ll feel about 10% less recoil than with the 30-06, and at 300 yards the bullet will drop about 25% less. The great gun writer Jack O’Conner swore by the 270 Winchester and had a hand in making it one of the most popular cartridges for big-game hunting of all time. He wasn't wrong when he first starting touting it, and he's even less wrong today—because with modern bullets, the 270 is better than ever.
308 Winchester
Federal Premium Trophy Copper .308 Winchester Centerfire Rifle Ammo
In 1952 Winchester figured out how to duplicate the original ballistics of the 30-06 in a short-action cartridge, and they called it the 308 Winchester. The U.S. military took note and retired the 30-06 in favor of Winchester’s new short-action 0.30-caliber cartridge. Modern 308 Winchester loads lag about 80 to 100 fps behind the 30-06 Springfield, but they also push on your shoulder about 20% less. In addition to less recoil and only minimal differences in trajectory, there are a lot more factory loaded, elk-capable, 308 ammo options to choose from. I took nice elk in Montana and New Mexico with the 308 Winchester. I shot both at more than 300 yards, and neither took a step after hit. Something like Federal’s 150-grain Trophy Copper Tipped load is all you need for elk if you’re using a 308 Winchester.
6.5 PRC
Not too long ago, a hunter shot an elk with a 6.5 Creedmoor, and it instantly became the best elk cartridge of all time. Well, don't believe it. The Creed will work on an elk, but it’s not the best elk cartridge—it’s not even the best 6.5mm elk cartridge. Hornady introduced the 6.5 PRC about a decade after the Creedmoor, and it shoots flatter and hits harder, and the recoil from an 8-pound rifle is still less than 18 foot-pounds. The 6.5 PRC does not have “magnum” in its name, but it should, as it nearly duplicates the performance of the great but almost forgotten 264 Winchester Magnum. Essentially, it's a 6.5 Creedmoor magnum. Matched with a good bullet, like Nosler’s great 140-grain AccuBond, the 6.5 PRC will only drop about 7 inches at 300 yards, but the high BC bullets it’s capable of handling with its fast twist rate allows it to hit harder and shoot flatter than a 30-06 at distance. You could easily make the argument that the 6.5 PRC offers a better balance of reach and recoil than any other cartridge. And there's a lot to be said for that in elk country.
7mm Remington Magnum
Since 1962 the 7mm Remington Magnum has been one of the most popular big-game cartridges around. It was an immediate success because it shot flatter and hit harder than a 30-06 with about the same level of recoil. Until just a couple years ago, its only real competitor of the same caliber was the 7mm Weatherby Magnum, but most people didn’t care; they just kept buying and killing elk with Remington’s big seven. Some hunters prefer heavy-for-caliber 7mm bullets in this cartridge, but a 150-grain Tipped Triple Shock bullet will wreck the insides of a bullet elk out to 500 yards and most produce an exit wound in the process. What about the 28 Nosler? Yeah, it’s faster, but with that little bit extra speed comes 22% more recoil, and good luck finding ammo for it at a hardware store in Dillon, Montana.
338 Winchester Magnum
Long time F&S rifles editor Dave Petzal trusts the 338 Winchester Magnum, which has been with us since 1958, more than any other and has said, “I’ve never seen anything that could stand up to it, either here or in Africa.” That's good enough for me, and why this is my third, and last, exception in terms of recoil.
The 338 Win Mag is indeed a beast that generates nearly 4000 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle, while shooting as flat as a 30-06 Springfield. That said, it also kicks twice as hard as the 30-06. But here's the thing, if you use the right bullet in a 338 Winchester Magnum, like say a 225-grain Hornady CX, you’ll shoot through any bull elk you encounter and no matter how rut-crazed he might be, you’ll put his nose in the dirt. If you are one of the many elk hunters for whom enough gun is never really enough, then take a close at the 338. If you can handle it, go for it. You’ll never have an elk guide say you came under-gunned.
How To Choose the Right Elk Cartridge for You
So, that's 11 great elk cartridges. But which one is right for you? The first and most important consideration is whether you can shoot the cartridge accurately. Over the years F&S rifle editor Dave Petzal has penned a lot of wise words about hunting, but maybe his wisest are,“If you can’t shoot, it doesn’t matter what you use. If you can shoot, it doesn’t matter what you use.”
It’s damned hard to shoot a rifle accurately when you’re anticipating a hard punch, so excessive recoil is a bad thing, and the tolerance for it varies greatly from shooter to shooter. Shot placement matters most, but as hunters we also want to send a bullet that will hit with maximum damage for a quick kill.
You maximize damage by using a bullet that will upset but not disintegrate, and that will penetrate deep enough. How deep is deep enough? That depends on the angle of the shot, but as a minimum, we want a bullet that will perforate the vitals. For years hunters thought this was only achievable with heavy bullets. However, today’s modern projectiles have changed all that; bonded and mono-metal bullets can push to incredible depths, even after upset. And, as the great African professional hunter Finn Aagaard wrote, “Given sufficient penetration, what does any additional bullet weight add to killing power? Nothing, absolutely nothing.”
All of the cartridges above will do enough damage to kill an elk with a good shot. You want to pick the one that hits the hardest, but that you also know you can handle and shoot really well.
Final Thoughts
Of course, you don’t have to select one of these 11 cartridges for hunting elk. There are a lot of others I’ve left off this list that will work very well. There’s all the Weatherby magnums, and a bunch of 7mms, like the 7mm-08, 7x57 Mauser, 280 Remington, 280 Ackley Improved, and the now almost forgotten 284 Winchester. There are a lot of other .30-calibers that’ll do the deed, as well, like the ancient 300 savage, the 300 Winchester Short Magnum, and when the distance is close, even the 30-30 Winchester.
But this list is the best of the lot, and the cartridges on it have proven themselves on elk. They’re also popular enough that you can generally find a good selection of rifles and ammunition to choose from. If you do choose one of these and you do your job as a hunter, you can’t go wrong.
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