Creating a DOPE Chart for Rifle Elk Hunting

​DOPE stands for Data On Previous Engagements, and it’s a critical tool for rifle hunters who want consistent and accurate shot placement at varying distances. A DOPE chart records your bullet’s point of impact relative to your point of aim at known distances and conditions, helping you dial or hold the right elevation and wind correction in real-time during a hunt.

Steps to Create a DOPE Chart

Gather Your Rifle & Load Data

• ​Caliber and grain (e.g., 7mm Rem Mag with 162gr ELD-X)
• Muzzle velocity (chronograph it or consult factory specs)
• Ballistic coefficient of the bullet
• Scope height over bore

Zero Your Rifle

• Set your zero at a practical range (most choose 100 or 200 yards).

Use a Ballistic Calculator

• Tools like Hornady 4DOF, Strelok, or Shooter allow you to input your data and environmental conditions (altitude, temperature, barometric pressure) to generate ballistic drop and wind hold data out to 600+ yards.
  

​Field Verify the Chart (Super Important!!!)

• Shoot at actual distances (e.g., 100, 200, 300, 400 yards)
• Note real impacts vs. predicted values
• Adjust the DOPE based on your field data

Format & Carry Your DOPE

• Print a waterproof card or tape it to your rifle stock
• Include elevation (MOA or MIL), wind holds, and preferred aiming references (e.g., “hold top of shoulder at 400 yards”)

Real-Life Elk Shooting Practice Scenarios

Practicing real-world scenarios improves ethical shot placement and confidence in the field. Incorporate these drills before your elk hunt:
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Quartering-Away Shot at 300 Yards

• Set up a 3D elk target at 300 yards at a quartering-away angle.
• Practice aiming for the offside shoulder through the vitals.
• ​Drill trigger control under timed conditions.

Steep Angle Shot Simulation

• Find elevated ground or use shooting platforms to simulate high-angle shooting like you'd encounter in mountainous terrain.
• ​Learn how gravity affects bullet drop at incline/decline angles (angle-compensated rangefinders help).

Wind Drift Holds

• Practice in 5-15 mph crosswinds at 200 to 400 yards.
• ​Identify how much wind hold your bullet needs by referencing your DOPE chart and confirming with actual hits.

First Shot from Cold Bore

• Your first shot is the most important—practice it cold, not warmed up.
• From rest, lay down and take a single shot at a target placed between 200-400 yards.
• ​Log point of impact vs. expected zero.

Montana Rifle Elk Hunting Regulations

When hunting elk in Montana, compliance with state regulations ensures both safety and ethical hunting. Here are the key requirements:
Shooting Light

• Legal shooting hours begin ½ hour before sunrise and end ½ hour after sunset.
• ​Always check the specific hunting district sunrise/sunset table for precise times.

Hunter Orange Requirement

• During any general firearms season, all hunters must wear:
• A minimum of 400 square inches of hunter orange above the waist.
  
• This must be visible from all directions, typically a vest or jacket and hat.

Elk Identification: Spike vs Bull vs CowUnderstanding elk classification is crucial—Montana regulations often limit harvests based on sex or antler characteristics.
Bull Elk:

• Defined as having brow tines.
• Legal bulls must have a an antler or antlers with a visible point on the lower half of either main beam that is greater than or equal to four inches long.

Spike Elk:

• Any elk having antlers that do not branch or, if branched, branch is less than 4 inches long measured from the main antler beam.

Cow Elk:

• Females with no antlers (though young cows can resemble spikes at a glance).
• Often legal under antlerless tags.

Pro Tip: Always confirm identification through binoculars, scope or a spotting scope before shooting. Misidentifying a spike as a cow or legal bull can result in fines or loss of hunting privileges.