Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Ever hit a bull mortally, with no reaction?

I’ve shot them with lots of calibers, a .270 Win. on one end and .338 WM on the other. All with Nosler Partitions, and I’ve been happy with the damage.

I honestly don’t recall caliber making any difference, double lung shots. Most just walked off a ways, then tipped over about 30 seconds later.

My last bull in 21. Posted it on this forum. Three shots to the heart lung area at 310 yards with my 338. Showed no signs of being hit, other than the “whomp” of the bullets hitting. Just stood there, didn’t move a muscle. Then went down. A fourth shot was required to finish the deal when I walked up to him. Craziest thing I’ve ever experienced elk hunting.

I’ve had it happen with deer. The big Iowa doe I shot back in late December didn’t react to the 180 gr bullet from my .350 Rem Mag at 189 yards. The deer around her finally took off and she went with them, but left chunks of lung in the field and made it 25 yards to the field edge and collapsed just out of my sight. I put it through the ribs without hitting or breaking a bone. Double lung, jellied lungs.

I almost feel like it’s the rule rather than an exception. I bet over half of the elk I’ve killed or seen killed have shown no indication of being hit. The ones that have were mostly neck shots or shots busting the big shoulder knuckle, that will usually make them stagger a little when you break a wheel and they have to regain their balance.

Only real exception on a shot with no big bones broken that I can think of was the first bull I killed with the 270Wby. He was on a dead run at around 150 yards. I punched him behind the shoulder as he ran through an opening. He instantly skidded to a stop and put his head down, swayed a little and folded up.

I shot a cow elk, two years ago at approximately 50 yards or less. First shot high shoulder, she stood there looking at me, second shot top of lungs she stood there looking at me, while I was loading the muzzle loader for the third shot, she walked over a small rise, never to be seen again. Weapon 50 cal, muzzleloader, 120 grains of double FF and 300 grain bullet.

Eliminating a previous post

A small bull in Idaho took two 180 Partitions behind the shoulder, followed along with his cows for several hundred yards and then dropped like a rock. Another bull, shot in the chest made it over the edge of a steep canyon, never to be seen again. I prefer shoulder shots, they typically easier to find. There are many places where I hunt, that if an elk makes it a 100 yards out of your sight, its gone.

My experience is similar to many. Most if not all just seemed to walk off a ways and tipped over.

Only 2 bulls here:

CO 5x4 @ 250yds with an 8x68S with 200 grn Partitions, double lung, broke into a run and went about 60yds, stopped and fell over.

WA 5x4 @ 200 yds with a .350RM, 225 Sierras (3), two shots double lung, 1st shot no indication whatsoever and started walking, 2nd hit started trotting, 3rd shot I led him a little too much and broke his neck. At the 3rd shot he folded. The 1st two bullets were recovered under the off side hide, nice grouping about a coffee cup saucer sized group.

I must be doing something wrong. Cow or bull most of mine went maybe 50-60 yards on a death run. Many dropped on the spot. Less than1/2 dozen took two shots. Although they might hunch a bit. If I was confident of my shot and knew I put it in the right place, I gave them a chance to die.I very seldom shot at an elk running.

Only Elk I ever Shot twice was a Spike in very poor shape, all I had was a 22-250 in my Jeep, first shot, no reaction, 2nd shot he fell in the water hole. dead as a hammer, contrary to what people think Elk aren't bullet proof. Rio7

Rio7 "Only Elk I ever Shot twice was a Spike in very poor shape, all I had was a 22-250 in my Jeep, first shot, no reaction, 2nd shot he fell in the water hole. dead as a hammer, contrary to what people think Elk aren't bullet proof. Rio7"

Do that 10 or 20 times more and get back to us.

I have done it 4-5 times more than that, after elk hunting for more than 50 years

Not a bull but a whitetail. Double lung pass-through with a .30-30, just turned and started to walk away, got a few yards and keeled over.

Upside is you've got a wife willing to buy you guns. That's a win all day any day!

Elk Man, I was killing Elk Before you were born, but i always ENJOY hearing from a EXPERT. Rio7

One of my local buddies is a retired outfitter. He carried a 7mm Remington Magnum when guiding, but after retiring from it close to 20 years ago switched to a .22-250 because he mostly hunts cows now, which tend to run in herds. He didn't want to shoot through a cow and hit another, and uses the same 55-grain softpoints he uses for hunting coyotes. He's killed at least 10 and maybe 20, all with one shot behind the shoulders. Some remain standing for a little while, but generally after the shot the herd mills around some, so he waits until the one he shot falls down. They generally go at most 50 yards.

Good bullet through the lungs will kill any elk walking.




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Every elk I have hit "mortally", which is every one of the 25 elk I have killed, all died. Pretty sure that dying is in and of itself a "reaction." Just sayin...

Excellent point!