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.Eskimos thought they really had a rifle when they carried a 30-30 against a polar bear.Peterson
I have never heard of the Eskimos using a 30-30 on polar bears... It is my understanding that the Eskimos preferred rifle of choice on Polar bears is the .243. I dated an Eskimo Girl for a couple years and some her family told me they love the .243 on Polar bears because it shot fast and flat, and the small bullet would easily penetrate the skull of the bear. When the larger calibers they had available would not.

I am not trying to say you are absolutely wrong on this, just saying my experience with Eskimos has not led me to the same info. Which could be a simple matter of difference in Eskimo tribes that are located in different geographical areas. Or possibly the 30-30 preceded the .243 in availibilty to them.

I would be interested to hear more on the 30-30 on Polar Bears.

@ OP- I must also agree with what the others have said. Using a frangible varmint bullet does not seem like a very good idea on game as large as Elk. I would personally have reservations about using them on deer too. But to each his own on bullet choice I guess.
 
Some of what's happening in the arctic is more social posturing than anything else. When I first got up there, I asked my dad why so many people up there carry on about the .17 Remington as a hunting cartridge. "Status"... saying you CAN/DO is like saying your drive a status symbol car in the lower 48. I looked at a gorgeous SAKO in .17 Rem. while I was up there. I just couldn't get passed that whole "I can't even get a cleaning rod down the bore !!" It was incredible... you'd have to get SOOO close to be effective with it, because it started losing SOOO much punch in a very short period of time.

Personally, I don't think I'd trust my life to a .30-30 against a Polar Bear. I'd have the .45-70 Guide Gun if I were slinging a lever action their way. I don't care if my grandfather DID hunt bears (up there) with a .22 single shot. I've got choices (he didn't), and, I'm not my grandfather. LOL

Now... with a Barnes solid bullet? I'd go up against an elk with my 6.8.
 
The idea of "proving it can be done" leaves me a little cold. Certainly under ideal circumstances with very good positioning and excellent shot placement the 6.8 is adequate for Elk. If anything goes wrong or even "not quite according to plan" you could have a lost trophy on your hands. Is disrespectful of the game I think ... but just my opinion.

Better to be over gunned than to be marginally gunned.
 
I have no doubt that a 6.8 will kill an elk and I know that they have killed elk. If that is the only rifle you have, then I guess you gotta do what you gotta do. I love my 6.8, but I'd never consider it for elk. I have other rifles better suited for an elk. I've seen elk soak up a lot of bullets before they finally went down. I wouldn't use a .270 Win for elk, I have friends that do with good results. On the other hand I don't think you need the latest Thunder Magnum for elk either. I was lucky enough to have a career that put me into the elk woods for over 20 years during the seasons, so I've had the opportunity to see a lot of dead elk most successfully taken and some that the hunter's lost. They can get away after being shot. I just wouldn't use a 6.8, when I have other choices. I'll stick with my .35 Whelen for elk. But it is legal, so you can use it, but if that elk takes off on you after a shot you need to be out trying to find a blood trail and follow up on it, that's legal too. I've see way too many hunter's take a shot, declare it a miss and not even go out and look for any blood sign of a hit. In a couple of days the birds would tell us where the elk was. I need to stop this rant, use enough gun like the man said and I don't think the 6.8 is it. CH
 
Some of what's happening in the arctic is more social posturing than anything else. When I first got up there, I asked my dad why so many people up there carry on about the .17 Remington as a hunting cartridge. "Status"... saying you CAN/DO is like saying your drive a status symbol car in the lower 48. I looked at a gorgeous SAKO in .17 Rem. while I was up there. I just couldn't get passed that whole "I can't even get a cleaning rod down the bore !!" It was incredible... you'd have to get SOOO close to be effective with it, because it started losing SOOO much punch in a very short period of time.

Personally, I don't think I'd trust my life to a .30-30 against a Polar Bear. I'd have the .45-70 Guide Gun if I were slinging a lever action their way. I don't care if my grandfather DID hunt bears (up there) with a .22 single shot. I've got choices (he didn't), and, I'm not my grandfather. LOL

Now... with a Barnes solid bullet? I'd go up against an elk with my 6.8.
Now that makes a lot of sense there RD. I didn't even think about it in that regard. I see that sort of thing in some of the small Tlingit villages down here in SE. Not specifically with caliber choice, but with other seemingly trivial things. Nice insight you have sir.
 
Now that makes a lot of sense there RD. I didn't even think about it in that regard. I see that sort of thing in some of the small Tlingit villages down here in SE. Not specifically with caliber choice, but with other seemingly trivial things. Nice insight you have sir.
LOL Yeah, human nature is about the same, no matter where ya go. We're so much the same, even with our differences.
 
Kinda reminds me of the folks that go hunting Cape Buffalo with a 45-70. If you're lucky things will work out. In the case of dangerous game like the Cape Buffalo (arguably the most dangerous of the Big 5) the PH better be skilled and be armed with a big gun to protect your stupid ass if you screw up! No such downside with Elk.

(By the way ... When hunting dangerous game I carry a .416 Rigby moving a 350 gr Barnes X at 2700 fps, or a .458 AR moving a 500 gr Woodleigh at 2250 fps or a .470 NE double rifle moving a 500 gr Woodleigh at 2250 fps. I do not believe in being undergunned.)
 
6.8 use

WOW I am impressed with the need to stretch the 6.8 to the limit. This is a great round to replace the .223. Not only will it do better in close quarter combat by providing a very large hole and instant stopping power, but it can also reach out much further than the .223 for medium - long range effectiveness. I am happy to have such an overall effective round. Plus, you can hunt with it. However, it does not replace the .308 or any of the other long range rounds (it already does enough with the two above mentioned benefits over the .223 (except for ammo price where it does not outperform the .223).
Just my 2 cents.
I also believe that bow hunting is nuts - - - we have big guns now!! I appreciate the additional revenue that bow and black powder provides, but I am missing the logic (by the way I am a much better shot with a bow then my other cast of weapons).
Still my 2 cents.
I use my 6.8 to hunt boar and deer to see the utility of my carry weapon.
More 2 cents.
By the way, I love the round.
 
I have no doubt that a 6.8 will kill an elk and I know that they have killed elk. If that is the only rifle you have, then I guess you gotta do what you gotta do. I love my 6.8, but I'd never consider it for elk. I have other rifles better suited for an elk. I've seen elk soak up a lot of bullets before they finally went down. I wouldn't use a .270 Win for elk, I have friends that do with good results. On the other hand I don't think you need the latest Thunder Magnum for elk either. I was lucky enough to have a career that put me into the elk woods for over 20 years during the seasons, so I've had the opportunity to see a lot of dead elk most successfully taken and some that the hunter's lost. They can get away after being shot. I just wouldn't use a 6.8, when I have other choices. I'll stick with my .35 Whelen for elk. But it is legal, so you can use it, but if that elk takes off on you after a shot you need to be out trying to find a blood trail and follow up on it, that's legal too. I've see way too many hunter's take a shot, declare it a miss and not even go out and look for any blood sign of a hit. In a couple of days the birds would tell us where the elk was. I need to stop this rant, use enough gun like the man said and I don't think the 6.8 is it. CH
I have to agree with Chickasaw on this one, the min for Elk starts at 30 cal and at least 165gr's. Even that is a little light unless your using a high quality bonded bullet.

I have used a 338WinMag on Elk and Eland and thought it was the bare minimum. I killed a Gemsbok with a 165gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw 308Win last year in Africa, and it took two shots to drop her. In 2007, I shot a 700+ pound Waterbuck with the same rifle and a GameKing bullet of the same weight. I got lucky on that one, the bullet shed it's jacket in the heart, I should have ejected that case and used the Trophy Bonded rounds in the magazine. We were hunting Limpopo Bushbuck and I wanted the thinner jacketed bullet up top, like I said, I got lucky, first that a monster Waterbuck appeared and two that I had a broad side shot at 80 yards.

Now, I use a 9.3x62 and 250gr bullets for the big and non-dangerous stuff. I suggest you use your 308Win and heavy, bonded bullets.
 
F224,

That is an Astonishing water buck! Congratulations indeed!

I adore the 9,3x62 for general purpose work in Africa. I do use 286 gr Partitions though. Instant kills on Impala, Zebra, Wildebeast, Warthog and Bush Pig.

Last year I took a .458 AR (a wildcat made from .375 RUM cases) on a plains game hunt just to be the first one to take the chambering to Africa. It literally knocked over a big Wildebeast at 65 yard. Dropped a huge Eland DRT with a single shot at 184 yards. Was pushing a 425 gr Rhino bonded solid base bullet at 2400 fps.

Have never taken anything smaller than a 9,3 to Africa on the theory that one never knows what situation one might run into.

BTW: I am a bow hunter and have had very good success with heavy carbon arrows and 125 gr Muzzies. Always pass through completely ... deer don't run far when you let the blood out.

I too very much like the 6,8 ... for what it is good for. Seems to me that a .338 WM or a 9,3x62 is much better medicine for them than the 6,8.

Mike
 
F224,

That is an Astonishing water buck! Congratulations indeed!

I adore the 9,3x62 for general purpose work in Africa. I do use 286 gr Partitions though. Instant kills on Impala, Zebra, Wildebeast, Warthog and Bush Pig.

Last year I took a .458 AR (a wildcat made from .375 RUM cases) on a plains game hunt just to be the first one to take the chambering to Africa. It literally knocked over a big Wildebeast at 65 yard. Dropped a huge Eland DRT with a single shot at 184 yards. Was pushing a 425 gr Rhino bonded solid base bullet at 2400 fps.

Have never taken anything smaller than a 9,3 to Africa on the theory that one never knows what situation one might run into.

BTW: I am a bow hunter and have had very good success with heavy carbon arrows and 125 gr Muzzies. Always pass through completely ... deer don't run far when you let the blood out.

I too very much like the 6,8 ... for what it is good for. Seems to me that a .338 WM or a 9,3x62 is much better medicine for them than the 6,8.

Mike
I've bow hunted elk since 96, deer and hogs since around 1976, if an arrow and muzzies(my choice for 20 years) or expanding heads now will take out elk then a 6.8 will do it easier. Not saying I would reach for the 6.8 when headed out on a trophy elk hunt if something bigger was available. I have used a 300 mag for about 20 years except when I go into the thick bottoms.
 
I wouldn't be afraid to kill an elk with the 100 gr Speer Spitzers I have. I'd shoot it high up on the neck, near the head and call it a day.
 
I have to agree, the 6.8spc will, like a properly placed arrow, kill Elk with no trouble. But would it be my first choice? Or the first choice of most hunters? Probably not, and for good reason. If limited to close shots in heavy timber, with premium bullets and a broad side shot, it might be suitable. But how many of us will limit ourselves to a 40 yard or closer shot like most bow hunters do everyday when were armed with a rifle?

Decades ago Robert Ruark, the famous African big game hunter said "use enough gun". I think he said it best.
 
Your buddy with the .308 has the right idea. I wouldn't personally shoot an elk with the 6.8. I have a .338 Win Mag, or .308 that I use for large game. Both are more than adequate for taking down an elk. JMHO
 
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