Rocky mountain elk are what most people think of when they think of an elk, I have never hunted them, nor have i seen one hang. I have read that a mature bull will weigh in around 700 pounds on the hoof. I would be interested in hearing what weight your rocky mountain elk are hanging at, and whether it is a cow, spike, rag bull, or a mature bull. -- If your elk was not weighed, and it is an estimation, i would like that to be clarified.

Same for roosevelts, my main purpose for this thread is to make a comparison of weight. Would also like to hear what cartridge and bullet were used.

Why was this moved? and why was it moved to THIS sub forum? Do you know where rocky mountain elk live? Not in the PNW. ThIs isnt a thread about hunting, its first and foremost about the weight differences between rocky mountain elk and roosevelt elk. rocky mountain elk are living on the east coast as well, im not even sure how many different regions they habitat. But i guess putting this in the PNW hunting thread will insure that no one looks at this.

Barkbuster, take it easy. There is no need to get all riled up.

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MikeG

your right, im sorry. thanks for tolerating me

Iv had a mature cow hang at 415, spike this year hung at 310. Rest we butchered ourselves.

Out here we have Rocky Mountain elk. I've taken several, processed them myself, but never weighed any of them since my scale don't go that high. I have a chain hoist that will lift 11' in my home shop and that isn't high enough to get the elk's head and neck completely off the floor while hanging by the gimbal.

The only chambering I've used to take elk has been a 30-06 with 165 grain bullets. All handloaded...last one taken with an Accubond the previous ones with Hornady's 165 flatbases.

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I live in Oregon too and have shoot both Roosevelt and Rocky Mountan Elk in Oregon. The Roosevelt seem have larger bodies and heavier antlers. The Rocky Mountan have longer antlers. That is comparing spikes to spikes and a couple five points of each. The Roosevelts are west of the crest of the Cascade Mountains and Rocky Mountain Elk are east of the crest. I have used a 7X57 for both with a 175 NP. Also have used a .50 cal. muzzle loader for Rocky Mountain Elk.

Did you happen to get any of them on a scale? Most elk are taken out deboned or qaurtered and the few that do get out whole, only about half of them hit a scale. Thanks for your reply.

I cut up my own so I don't have any weights. I have packed most of them out on my back. A Roosevelt hind quarter is heavier then a Rocky Mountain.

I think I remember being there on only one elk kill where we got an elk into the pickup whole (gutted). It was a cow, and it didn't get weighed.

I have at various times taken a bathroom scale out to the garage and hefted various elk quarters and stepped on the scale, bone-in, no hide, legs cut off at joint. These came out at 70-85 lbs, whether front or hind quarter, either mature cows or young-to-mature 5-point bull. I have yet to get a 'big' bull. So, 280 lbs - 340 lbs, quarters only, no hide, no neck, no guts, no lower legs, no head or horns.

I've heard a 'rule-of-thumb' that you can expect 1/4 the weight in pure deboned meat from the live weight of a deer or elk. I don't think that is quite right. I have gotten 150-200 lbs of processed meat (10% beef fat added to burger) from elk before (exception, see below). An 800 lb Rocky Mtn bull is BIG, and and the 1/4 rule doesn't quite measure up, in my experience.

One year, I shot a 'trophy' spike elk (18" spikes), and a big-bodied (not big horns, but an old deer) 4-point muley in N Idaho, on the same hunt. Gutting the elk, I commented that it was the smallest-bodied elk I had ever seen. Gutting the deer, we all agreed that it was the largest-bodied muley we had ever seen. In the end, there was 130 lbs of processed meat from the elk, and 100 lbs of meat from the muley.

I've never hunted Roosevelts.

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I have not hunted Roosevelt. My experience is with RM elk. Legal bulls where I hunt are 4x4 minimum. I do not weigh the elk though. I do have experience weighing other animals, deer, cows, steers, heifers and bulls, so I can make an estimate but not as accurate as I would like. A small 4x4 might be 600# but a large bull may be 750. The largest we have dealt with would probably be 900# plus 6x6. It was exceptionally large for NW Colorado. Gutted then cut in half and was still all 4 of us could do to get it in a truck. At the same time we threw a 5x5 smaller whole bull in on top of the larger one without any trouble. The 1/2 of the large one was heavier than the entire gutted small one. All that said means that I have seen great variability in the sizes.
Cartridge and ammo
270 win 140 failsafe
300 win 180 Nosler Part.
270 Wby mag 150 Nosler Part.
8 mm Rem mag 185 Rem factory spire point
3006 180 Federal supreme
I forget what else was used. All worked well. The bullet is more important than the caliber in my opinion.

Last year's cow elk was a RM elk harvested in NW Colorado. She weighed approximately 415 lbs. and was taken with my 300 WSM and 180 gr Speer Deepcurl bullet. 1 shot @ 265 yds.
A few yrs ago, in the same area, I shot a 4x4 bull RM elk with a 30-06 and 165 gr CT.
I would recommend the 180 Speer Deepcurl over the 165 gr CT anytime of taking elk. Although I was successful with both bullets. The Deepcurl dropped the animal much faster. The latter took awhile before going down.

was that 415 on the hoof? or hanging?

415 on the hoof.