Is 30-06 Good for Elk Hunting?

“SCREEE-ooo-OOOHH!”
– Elk, probably.

The elk is a rugged creature, not to mention one that is capable of weighing over half a ton. If you hunt Tule, Roosevelt, Manitoba or Rocky Mountain elk with too weak a cartridge, you risk having to track a wounded animal for hours on end – possibly without reward!

It nearly goes without saying that the hunter’s skill is paramount during an elk hunt. Put the world’s most powerful rifle in the hands of the world’s worst marksman, and the elks will wind up pointing their hooves and laughing at him. Likewise, we’re sure a real whiz kid could topple an elk with a single blast from a 22 Short (although we’d never recommend attempting such a feat).

You don’t necessarily want to bring too much gun to an elk hunt. Carrying around a heavyweight rifle and its ammo all day is a drag, as is destroying a needlessly large amount of your trophy’s meat. And at the end of the day, many believe that overkill just isn’t sporting.

But you do want to bring enough gun, as you need a certain amount of power to make up for any flaws in your aim. You don’t want to lose your trophy just because a crosswind moved your shot an inch too far to the left or right – or because the elk didn’t comply by presenting the perfect broadside of his profile while you took aim.

The 30-06 IS Good for Elk Hunting!

30-06 Springfield ammo is unquestionably one of the most popular hunting cartridges in America, and deservedly so. It’s no closely guarded secret that the round is suitable for moose, which can easily weigh 50% more than a mature elk, as well as grizzly which may decide to kill you if you don’t do them the favor first.

Likewise, the 30-06 is an excellent selection for elk hunting. While “stopping power” is a contentious phrase, as no single aspect of a bullet describes how efficiently it can anchor its target (indeed, stopping power wholly looks the vital necessity of good aim), the general consensus among the elk hunting community is that you want the bullet to strike the beast with at least 1,500 ft lbs of energy. The 30-06, with its muzzle energy which typically falls just shy of 3,000 ft lbs, can achieve this handily.

The 30-06’s blessings as an elk cartridge don’t end there. Here’s a round which boasts an effective firing range of 1,000 yards. You may not yet have joined the exclusive 1,000-yard club, and at that range the 30-06 bullet isn’t capable of retaining enough energy to ensure a clean kill anyway, but it’s good to know the round will provide the accuracy you need to take a bull or cow at any practical range.

Furthermore, the 30-06’s .30 caliber bullet is wider than the minimum diameter typically recommended for elk hunting. Many (rightly) believe that a 7mm (0.2756) caliber bullet is the narrowest you would want for taking elk.

At Which Ranges Can You Hunt Elk With a 30-06?

Let’s be perfectly clear: The 30-06 can easily topple an elk even when its bullet strikes with significantly less energy than 1,500 ft lbs. Good aim and an appropriate bullet both do a lot to compensate for a less-than-ideal amount of impact energy.

That said, it’s instructive to examine the greatest distances at which several popular commercial 30-06 cartridges can retain at least 1,500 ft lbs of energy. Doing so will give you a solid idea of the practical ranges you should work within while you’re bagging wapiti with the dirty thirty. Let’s take a look at several American manufacturers’ best 30-06 elk loads and see!

Ballistics for Potential 30-06 Elk Loads

Cartridge	Muzzle Velocity (fps)	G1 Ballistic Coefficient	Max distance at which bullet retains 1,500 ft lbs of energy (yds)
Remington 220gr Core-Lokt SP	2410	0.294	248
Hornady American Whitetail 150gr InterLock	2910	0.338	307
Federal Power-Shok 180gr JSP	2700	0.385	354
Federal 165gr TSX	2800	0.398	365
Federal 180gr Trophy Bonded Tip	2700	0.500	365
Winchester Power Max Bonded 180gr PHP	2700	0.400	368
Remington 150gr Core-Lokt Tipped	2930	0.415	385
Remington 150gr Scirocco Bonded	2910	0.435	395
Federal 165gr Trophy Bonded Tip	2800	0.450	413
Nosler Trophy Grade 180gr Partition	2750	0.480	468
Hornady Superformance 165gr SST	2960	0.447	486
Nosler Trophy Grade 180gr AccuBond	2750	0.514	502
Winchester Ballistic Silvertip 180gr Polymer Tip	2750	0.515	503
Winchester Expedition Big Game 180gr Accubond LR	2750	0.517	505
Nosler 165gr Ballistic Tip	2749	0.593	511
Hornady Precision Hunter 178gr ELD-X	2750	0.552	531

As you can see, your choice of 30-06 ammo has an enormous impact on the ranges you can expect to hunt elk over. Depending on the round (and with some exceptions), you can reasonably expect to hit your quarry with at least 1,500 ft lbs of energy at ranges between 300 and 500 yards.

Make certain to hunt elk with a suitable bullet, such as any of the ones referenced in our chart. You must select a projectile that is designed for terminal expansion, as it will gouge out a wide wound channel while simultaneously transferring more of its energy outward than if it had merely torn a narrow wound channel through its target. A bonded bullet is also preferable, as it is designed to retain the weight and resultant momentum requisite for deep penetration in so substantial an animal. In other words, elk hunting is not a job for an M2 ball cartridge!

Is 30-06 the Best Ammo for Deer Hunting?

In any discussion about hunting ammunition, throwing out the word “best” is a surefire way to spark brutal debate. Certain cartridges are certainly better for elk hunting over others – few would argue that the 223 Rem is up to the job, for example – but ranking ammo from best to worst would totally overlook the most important criterion of all: whether or not you like hunting with it.

The following cartridges are all suitable for elk hunting in addition to the 30-06. Please don’t consider this list exclusive!