i got invited to go elk hunting in colorado next oct.and was wondering if anybody could give me a pointers on what to wear and how big of a gun im gonna need. thanks for ya'll input.

Don't play around with chickenshit guns!!Get this and be done!!!

http://youtu.be/SYCR8ApVjaU

What caliber gun(s) do you currently have?

I like my .338 for out west.

ok. my main thing I'm going to say is , what seasonare y'all going? being in October I'm thinking either 1st or 2nd rifle season. 1st season is draw only unless you canfind a left over tag for a particular unit you want to hunt. where are you going? 30-06 and up will be fine on elk. 300/338 if you considering over 500yrd shots. if you are going to buy over the counter tags , I hope you are headed to private land.

My girlfriend is from Glenwood Springs, CO and has hunted elk her whole life. Her dad is still real big into it and says he prefers his .338 over anything else.

It's like anything else, sure a 30-06 will work but its nice to have the hp to make that long shot if you need too.

30-06 or the 300 is plenty of gun, just use 180 grain bullets or so

Some thing else to keep in mind:

All out of state hunters, no matter their age, must have a hunter safety card to hunt in Colorado.

I like a .338WM, but have now switched to a .338 Remington Ultra Mag. Haven't killed an elk with it yet, but it will do the trick for sure. I'll use it next year in Wyoming.

One of the guys I hunt with uses a .270... too small for me but consistently kills fine. One of the other guys uses a .308 and does fine too. The rest of my partners use 30-06, 7mm, or .300WM. One guy who hunts where we do uses a 30-30, but he lives there and always shoots his elk early within 50 yards. In my experience, bullet placement and using great bullets is more important than the caliber for normal distance shooting. Practice consistently at 250 yards, and be really good at that.

Wear layered flexible clothing and really comfortable boots that are broken in. I usually wear light fleece layers and a scent lock jacket. Avoid anythign bulky. Don't carry too much stuff. Invest in the very BEST binos you can afford to buy (I like 10x50). A spotting scope is great, and 1 is usually good for two guys hunting together. Don't get caught up in the gear game and have to have all sorts of "stuff". A good pack with the basic tools (knives, ropes, gloves, saw, small tarp, game bags, small gun kit, ammo, headlamp, LED flashlight, lightweight rain suit, snacks, water, spare t-shirt and socks, first aid kit and ibuprophen, etc.) will suit you well. Consider a small pulley like you can buy at a hardware store to help hold things when it dies on a hill. No need to carry more than 15-20lbs.

I wear a pair of clear safety glasses for walking through the brush. Experience has shown me that a stick in the eye will ruin a hunt quickly. Also, a really cheap pair of foam knee pads is a lifesaver when gutting and quartering your elk. They weigh 1oz each and save you knees.

When it comes to knives nowdays, I have a small skinning knife with a gut hook and a havalon knife with extra blades. The Havalon is much better than a bigger knife and you don't need to sharpen it. Its really light too.

Plan on being absolutely exhausted, especially because of the altitude.

Hope that helps.

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I prefer my Hoyt Carbon Element

thanks for all the input,the reason why i ask is im a bowhunter,the only rifle i have is an old hand me down 30-30. I would love to bring the old black ice to the mountains,but just dont know what im getting myself into. I'm sure its gonna be a blast.

Bring your bow Your wifes uncle or whomever will have a rifle if you can't get them in close im sure he will let you shoot his gun, a 3x3 taken with a bow is way better than a 6x6 shot at 250 yards with a rifle imo. When hunting with a bow in the mountains I always feel safer carying my S&W 629 Vcomp in 44. mag just in case.

A bull screaming at 20 yards will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up for sure. but I wouldnt hesitate to let an arrow fly at 60 or even 70 yards( my furthest pin) an elk is a much bigger target than a deer or antelope.

It's not the size of the target. It's the penitration you lose. I'm sure that anybody that shoots a bow can hit it at 70 yds, but will u kill it and find it?

I see what you're saying, and I do agree with you about 60yds not being nesscary. The story I was told was him having a trophy elk come to 60 and hang up. It was the second to last day he could hunt and he'd only prepped for 40yds and this was in the late 90's. He ended up not harvesting an elk on that trip, and so when I talked to him about going he said be prepared to take that shot if it comes down to it. In no way am I saying only take 60yd shots, just be ready. On his 3D course we setup there are 3 that are out around 60 or so which kinda helps setup shots not just shooting at a block, because you can acutally see where you hit the target and judge the actual lethality and legitamacy of your abilities. Besides having the ability to make good shots he also said to take some strong buddies with you lol.

shooting 60+yrds requires some really good setupon your bow and arrows. the fixed blade broadheads are hard to get to hit pin point without tuning your rest and inserts to individual broadheads. it's Damn hard to get a fixed blade to fly well at long distances with a fast bow. at least anything over 300fps . I would be too scarred to shoot mechanical at an elk. I have been messing with arrows out of my elite for 3 years . shuttle t locks are by far the best. I had to go a Easton full metal jacket to slow arrow down enough to be accurate. accurate to me is shaving fetching off at 50+ yrds. I'm ready to give them bulls Hell this year. hopefully I draw a good tag

really at this point i dont care what i bring im so pumped up about going it cant get here fast enough.

I sure u have a friend with a decent rifle. Trade him some meat for using it.

30-06 is the most popular caliber for big game for a reason, anything bigger and you are punishing your shoulder for nothing. I hunt with a guy that uses a 30-30 and he has killed everything he has shot at, elk aren't indestructable like every other type of hunting it is putting the bullet on target. As far as clothes that depends on which part of the state you are going to and the elevation. Some years we are hunting in t-shirts, others it's bibs and parkas and several layers, the weather can change fast in the mountains.

KJH did a good job with his post, only thing I would change is don't bring a good pack, bring a great pack! There is nothing worse than hiking all day with shitty shoulder straps and a pack that doesn't carry a load properly. Spend the money and buy a pack that fits you, one that has torso length adjustment and cinch straps for loads. If you are hiking in and bivy camping I would suggest getting a pack with expandable storage for hauling meat. Internal or external frame support is a must.

thanks for all yall input. whats a good hiking boot to buy?

been guiding elk hunts for 6 years. 2 boots that i use and like are Meindl & Merrell Reflex Mid GoreTex Hiker if ya wana go light. trust me light is good. My last week guiding last year i traveled 74 miles on foot in the mts in five days by gps.

Its true about the blue card. They can ticket ya if you dont have it on you. Cant buy a tag without it as well. We had to buy them on line. Good luck 30-06 is fine 300 win is better. Take the gun you can shoot the best.

i found a remington ss770 7mm mag. i think im gonna get that, only cuz i cant beat the price 350.00 w/scope

well, i bought the 7mag cant wait to go shoot it.