I use a 7mag, Bergarra with 160 gamekings, I stalk 'em to 3or4hundred yards. I use a 222 for other "stuff"..Both rifles shoot better than I can!

There's at least a couple doz elk in there. Maybe more.




If your using a 30-30 it's going to take all day. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

I’m just finishing up a .17 remington build on a savage axis donor rifle for coyotes and rock chucks. I can build this cheaper than buying a used rifle in .17 cal. Pawn shop found a .223 axis with the barrel rusted I got it for 190.00 bucks Shilen barrel 299.00 and I bought a barrel nut wrench and action wrench for 54.00 that was all bought last year and a head space gauge at 34.00. everything’s put together just need to make a few bullets and get a 20 mm rail . I can do everything with the .222 and .223 that I own but this is a fun project,

You might be surprised at the wildcats used out lever action rifles back in the day. The 30-30 may have killed a few mountain animals but for the plains , not so much. Many also had rifles and pistols chambered in the same caliber, don't see many 30-30 pistols. Wildcats are lose the ways of old they are the way of the old.

We have wind and distance. Some calibers are an improvement over standard calibers, take the 300wsm. Nice short action with magnum power. Manageable recoil as well and shoots fairly flat for a ways with the right bullets.

Matt have you been to the west to hunt, we're not lazy. We just are realists and know when you can get close and when you can't.

Nice pics of Wyoming danny, Laramie Peak area?

yes wytex. one of my favorite places in this world

MattLA, I grew up in CO. When I was 11 my dad gave me a bolt action 30-30. stevens model 325. He figured I was old enough carry a rifle on our family deer and elk hunts. I killed a lot of stuff with it. That old cartridge works. Need to be pretty close to reliably kill elk. I would stalk hunt black timber and quakey filled saddles trying to get close enough in bedding areas for a shot. Spent a lot of time as driver trying to push them out for my dad uncle or grandad to get a shot. Morning and evening I would use bow hunting sit and wait tactics. I killed deer and elk. Did some trading with a cousin for a savage 30-06 a few years later. Bought a Weatherby in 270 Win when I was about 17. That 270 is still my go to rifle. 30-30 will sure enough keep you fed but you pass on a LOT of shots. I still shoot a 30-30 at times. Got a marlin 336. Iron sights. When the wind is blowing hard and you keep it in your face. Moving slow, take a step or two and stand still looking around, wait for the wind to get branches moving and take a couple more steps, Never stepping into the open. Spend an hour to cover 100 yards, you can walk into a bedding area. Never killed a deer or elk sleeping but I have killed them lying down looking at me.

Another thing to consider is how the animals have changed.

I’m sure when the first white traders made it to the mountains they could probably walk to within 100 yards of deer and elk pretty easily who were used to Indians packing bows at best. 100 yards wasnt “danger close” yet.

As technology progressed, “danger close” started getting further and further.

Good points. A lot can be accomplished in close still with stealth and hand calls among other simple assets.

Wolf… it’s all relative. Plenty of people make terrific shots on game with recurve bows while others drop what 2k or better for a shiney new Mathew’s and with all accessories what 4-5k? Shot lengths are pretty much the same the only difference is cost per attempt.
As far as rifles, buy what they will the vast majority of lead slingers should not be looking farther than 300 yards no matter what their 700X scope shows them 3 1/2 counties over, or how big it looks thru the lense. Boys will be boys wether it’s it’s maxing up calibers, lifting perfectly good trucks, tricking up cars etc.
Every now and again I happen to hit what I aim at, getting old I am, but there is no difference in honor when dropping a coyote or other game at 50 yards or 500 yards. Dead is dead and I prefer the shorter recovery walk.
Someone above typed in dusty font the archaic .270. I wasn’t aware you could get internet in caves which is where .270 users surely must reside these days both for shame and folly for owning such an outdated gun. Or so most say. This past fall I know first hand of several very nice elk that were taken quite impressively with that dinosaur killing caliber. There’s no ways like the old ways.

Shoot what you like Wolf… and what your good with. There are more and more hunters that should worry less about ballistics and more about learning hunting skills.

Osky

Here's the other side of the coin......

Guys that don't have the skills to shoot long distance think we should all sneak up on a critter to stab it with a knife.

Those guys do have the skills, they prefer to hunt a better way. Most western hunters drive around in there trucks looking for something close enough. Probably like the photos above. Good shots dont make good hunters!

Elk at 1200 yards. I was able to get within 650 yards and kill it. Late season elk hunting is hard on public land.

Sure does not look like your driving around in your truck looking for something to kill.

Man you have got to be in good shape. Good shooting. Some day I may get the chance to hunt elk.

90% of western guys drive roads and don't want to hike. See it on a daily basis. Cow hunts are the absolute worst. Tell them there's a herd of elk a quarter mile over the hill "why would I want to walk that far for a cow?". Nevermind, keep drinking your coffee in your SXS. There's roads and trails around here thar look abandoned until rifle season rolls around, then they look like part of the Baja 1000. There's a reason why 10% of hunters kill 90% of the game. Effort.

Good ol 30-30 has killed more animals than the plague.

Great that's for telling me that ! I've been wanting a .17 cal for a while not will ask though how hard has it been to find brass ? I know you apparently can't just form .223 and the other bases are just as hard to find. Made me want to go the 17-223 route

Incredible I forgot road hunting is legal out there. Here it's poaching.

I walk further than 1/4 mile quite often 3x 4x that just deer hunting on public land with the boys. No vehicals and foot traffic only so the drags out are a little work.

....seee I want gonna say anything buuuuttt .....

And it's windy. Those are huge stacks of hay with a couple antelope in front of them.




I just ordered a .19 Badger.

.19 badger ?

I started picking up brass 5 years ago. I got 400 pieces of new and some supposedly once fired.