Hey gangly, did I miss something? I don't recall saying "small" handguns, did I? Did I say anything about a ".243 muzzleloader"? Try reading the post before you jam your foot into your keyboard. Those are your ideas - not mine. I'd appreciate you not trying to put your words in my mouth.

I've used four different calibers on elk, and what's mattered most was shot placement, not the caliber. As far as thea$$ behind it, theBEST, textbook shot I took on an elk was with a .375 H&H, the 300 grain Barnes SPtaking out both lungs and the heart, and he STILL ran 100 yards before bleeding out,which doesn't explain why an elk of about the same size shot head-on throughone lung and the heartwith a .243 fell over dead.

But hey, if you're not COMFORTABLE shooting a 6mm at an elk, by all means don't attempt it.