Going back to my post on page 1 I feel i need to clear up 1 or 2 things, First, i never said that the .243 is the best gun to do the job, i said it is a great gun for taking big game. Second point is, i'm not trying to convince or convert anyone that it is the best caliber for elk, moose, or bear, but it will do the job, plan and simple.
I have a few decades of hunting and guiding for big game here in Montana, and I can say with 100% certainty, that the big shoulder howitzers that a lot of young hunters take into the woods are also not the best, i.e. 300win mag, 338 magetc, etc.... All those big guns do is give a hunter a chance to be successful on a less then optimum shot. i have tracked elk for over a 1/4 mile for clients after being shot with one of these big guns so don't try to tell me that they rae the be all, end all answers to this debate either.
Most of the time we would get these fella's in from back east that have never hunted anything other then whitetails and they run out to their local gun store and buy one of these big guns from some guy that chances are has never been out west to hunt either, but he's interested in amking a sale. I've asked hundreds of clients what the normal hunt with at home, then ask them why they thought they needed to buy a gun that they have zero real field experience with to come hunt out here. Their answer is, " well i'm not real sure, thought maybe my 06, or 270 or whatever was too small to do the job."
If you hunt with a 300 win mag, then good for you. I hope you like it, and i hope it works for you, but believe me it is more gun then needed to take down the biggest muley, elk, moose, or black bear here in the lower 48. As i posted earlier, i hunted with the 30'06 for over 30 years, it was only in the last year that i switched to the 243, the reasons for the switch are varied, but i enjoy hunting with the smaller caliber and the cheaper cost of ammo too. If i'm going out bear hunting is the 243 the first gun out of my safe, no. The 06 is, but if i'm out chasing deer and i see a black bear will i take it with the 243, absolutely will if the right shot presents it's self.
Have read many comments on these posts about taking long shots and want to say this about that, If you have hunted out west or live out west then you know the difference between what we consider a long shot and what others consider long shots. 350-500yrds on an antelope hunt is not what i would consider a long shot, in fact on and elk or muley hunt those distances are not long shots. We have miles upon miles of wide open spaces, whether it's shooting across the plains at a speed goat or shooting across a canyon for a muley, shots in those ranges are not uncommon. What is uncommon is someone from other then out west that can consistantly make those shots. Every center fire gun i own is zero for 500, but if you don't shoot it regularly, don't try it regardless of the caliber you shoot.