Many Outfitters probably wish they could receive royalty payments from the folks who make all those neat things to make you the perfect hunter. In today's hi-tech world, hunting paraphernalia has progressed and advanced to a point that it is almost impossible to keep up with things. It seems that one super-rifle replaces another while scope makers promise perfect 500 yard shot every time. New clothing, scents and calls will have the game chasing you through the woods! No matter what the promises are, one should select the proper equipment suited for the job, not the job it promises to do.

Choosing the rifle you will bring on your hunt should not be a tough decision. There are only two very important factors to begin with when making this choice. First, this must be a rifle you are comfortable with shooting in a variety of circumstances. Remember, there will not always be sandbags and earplugs available. This should also be a rifle which you can confidently and consistently make accurate shot placements. Finally, this must be a rifle capable of efficiently expiring the game animal you are pursuing. Before we discuss opinions and statistics, lets talk about elk hunting. Keep in mind that your best opportunity may involve the following: You have just ridden 5 miles with your gun tucked tightly in a leather scabbard between you and your horse. Half your ride was in the dark, the other half you were busy taking in all the morning's beauty as well as thinking about the elk you have been tracking. You slide off your horse and pull out your rifle, noticing that the big scope you bought made it a very tight fit, and as for the tripod someone said you would absolutely need... well, you will have to look for that on the ride back down the mountain. Your guide motions to follow him. He is already crawling through the snow, rocks and brush. Finally, you get to the ridge; leaning over the edge you see the elk feeding below. Your guide suggests a good rest, which consists of a boulder in the snow. This is the moment you have been waiting for. You are ready, but is your gun?

Elk hunting is tough on you and your equipment. Don't fall prey to pretty looking scopes, fancy guns and hollow promises. What you need is something that shoots well and holds a scope on tight. Chances are, you already own a gun like this. You are the one who has to make the shot, not the person insisting you need certain items. You will need a rifle you can carry through timber, up and down hills, one that is simple and fail-safe. Remember, the window of opportunity for identifying, sighting, then making a good shot in elk hunting is about 7 seconds. This allows little time for adjustment, calibrations and consulting the manual.

Opinions and years of hunting experience aside, here is what the experts have to say. Any caliber gun between a .243 and upwards will efficiently take down a big game animal such as an elk. This is only true of course when shot placement is where you need it to be. Buying a bigger and more powerful gun may only wound an animal more and not necessarily kill it better. Each caliber of rifle shells should provide you with a ballistics chart relevant to the grain and make of the bullet. You do not have to go out and buy a reloading kit to find a suitable shell for your gun.

Shop owners can suggest a couple of reasonable makes. You will have to shoot your rifle to find one that is accurate and consistent. Remember, the first shot is always the most important, and all too often the only one you will get. Once you find a make of bullet that agrees with your gun, next you will need to consider the grain. A lot can be said about which grain bullet will work best. The lighter the grain the more likely faster it will shoot, but will also be effected by drift. The heavier, of course the opposite applies. We suggest something in between. Keep in mind that many of your shots may be up or down hills, varying distances and so on. Finding a bullet that does not change much from 100 to 400 yards is almost impossible, however, if you can find one that you have become intimately familiar with this will be the key to your having confidence in each shot of varying distances and conditions. 400 yards is a very long shot and one that should be taken only under the best of conditions and with your complete confidence. However, these are shots that can be made, but some hunters accept that this distance is ethically out of range. This type of honesty is an admirable thing.

Once again, we go back to the guy who just took out a loan to buy a new gun. He is the last person who should be taking this shot. Your confidence in your ability to shoot your rifle, regardless of its cost or how it looks, far outweighs the promises made. If you already own a rifle you like that fits the above descriptions, then half your battle is over. If you think a new gun would allow you to be more confident in taking a longer shot than 200 yards, then you may want to consider the purchase of a new gun.

The second most common question is the choice of scopes. Once again, lets talk about elk hunting. Many of you may come from an area where a long shot is around 100 yards. You need a scope powerful enough to make shots up to 400 yards, but also one that allows you to pick out a bull in the timber at 50 yards. While hunting the west does offer some opportunity like this, much of the hunting is done in areas of wide open, very wide open. If you have decided that you are confident in taking a longer shot, then this should be a consideration in your scope selection.

Now, before you buy a scope that allows you to see into the next county, lets talk more about elk hunting in Montana. That flight sure was a long one. You can remember the smiling fellow loading your rifle in its case, wondering how strong he was as he tossed that case right over the cart, jammed it in the door and stepped on it three times. You are also wondering if your scope is still attached or if you have just gotten yourself one of those 5 piece travel rifles. You make it to the ranch and everything looks okay, that is until you go over to the rifle range. No problem, after 2 boxes of shells you are back on sight. The next morning there is that scabbard and horse again. You get to your stand and it is cold enough to make a snowman shiver. There is even a cold rain coming down frosting up your scope. You think back to the inexpensive covers you chose not to buy in exchange for a higher power scope. You also notice that the scope is kind of wiggly on
top of your rifle. Just about then your guide looks back excitedly and mumbles something about the biggest bull he has ever seen. Now, the choice again should be an easy one. Your scope has to be tough, weather proof and able to bring in good light under a variety of conditions.

Many hunters will argue about what power of scope you should buy. An elk is about two thirds larger than a deer. This is not really that much bigger when it comes to vital areas. Does this mean you need to buy a 40-power scope? Here again, you have to consider the situations you will be in. Predictability and elk hunting have no right to be in the same sentence. Your shots can range from 30 to 400 yards under a varying degree of circumstances. The choice of scope should come as close as possible to meeting these needs. Perhaps you have pals who will allow you to experiment with their scopes. Most importantly, remember that this is your hunt. It is not the hunt of a pal, not the hunt of a salesman. You are the one who will be here, so you are the one that must find the right rifle and scope to fit the needs of yourself and the hunting situations. Here is another factor in that old "success rate" question. Choosing a rifle you are confident with can up the averages. No one wants to miss an opportunity. You will have enough to worry about should North America's toughest and most challenging wild animal walk within your range. One of your worries should not be your equipment.