fritz1

Exactly what do you have in Pa that requires the use of such big weapons?

All I am saying, is if all you have is a 243 and are accurate and use good judgement, with a partition bullet and you are comfortable with it, dont hesitate, it will kill elk. Bottom line!!

stapher1

Elk,... since that is what we're talking. And a agree with you a .243 can do the job but there are alot of ways that it can be the wrong tool for the job, it's the person holding the rifle that ultimately effects success or failure.

fritz1

Well look at it like this. Alot of people handgun hunt with a 44 mag, using them on deer, elk, bear, and Moose. A 243 with a 100gr. bullet has more energy at 200 yards than a 44 mag with a 240gr. bullet does at the muzzle. Now I would say it is more than adequate.

homers brother

Here's a novel approach...

How about those of you who don't want to use a .243 on elk -- DON'T. No one's suggesting here that you be forced to.

Let's be honest here and admit that we, as a community, are very judgemental of each other when it comes to topics like these? Some of us probably think that others of us are ill-informed regarding caliber choice when we suggest or select something like a .243 on elk - because we aren't comfortable using it. Some of us are going to accuse RR of being "unethical" for his long-range hunting practices - because WE may not be comfortable taking those shots ourselves.

Some of us might be better off if we wore less of our egoes and opinions on our sleeves when we attempt to pursuade others that how we do it is somehow more "right" than how they do it. We're not them. We don't have the same incomes. We don't have the same backgrounds. We don't have the same work and family demands. We don't hunt the same animals. We don't abide by the same game regulations. We don't have the same shooting experiences. We don't live in the same regions.

Can we get to the point that it's simply okay for someone else to do something, provided it's legal, even if we're not comfortable doing it ourselves - and then just move on? A PETA member would judge all of us as "unethical."

jdhogg

you mean i gotta tell my 30-06 she cant kill anymore elk past 200 yds.now thats just rediculous,practice practice practice.and its a 1951 721.that magnum isnt any better if you cant shoot

jdhogg

how right you are.i dont have the heart to tell these guys i also use my grandfathers 1894 30-40 for my brushgun,and its killed more elk than we could put together here.

Bocajnala

jd, good to see another .30-40 shooter out there! I have my grandpas Krag. I haven't taken any deer with it yet. Just haven't had the right opportunity. But one of these years I'll get one with it. Sorry, that's a little off topic. Back to how useless the .243 is on anything bigger than a prairie dog!
-Jake

fritz1

Well the minimum recomended ftlbs of energy for a elk round is 1500Ftlbs, the 243 has over 1600ftlbs at 100 yards, so by the standard it does qualify for a 100-150 yard elk round. Like I said before the 44 mag has about 1050 at the muzzle, the 243 has more at 300 yards than the 44 does at the muzzle. RR I have to ask, how many elk have you killed? If you hit a elk in the lungs with a 243, it makes blood pudding out of it, it is dead. I dont care what cartridge you shoot a elk with, if you hit it in the lungs it is going to run. If you dont want to track it take a neck shot, it will drop in its tracks. Beleive me, I know from personal experince.

Topgun 3006

"I dont care what cartridge you shoot a elk with, if you hit it in the lungs it is going to run."

***That's interesting because the last 6 we've taken with a .270, a 7mm mag, and a .300 win mag were all shot through the lungs and none ran anywhere. The biggest (357 3/8" net after drying) did try to get back up and my buddy shot him a second time to keep him down.

Originally Posted by Anthony T.
I'd recommend the biggest rifle cartridge you are comfy shooting for elk. Then match one to the range you'll be shooting. My choices would be 30-06 for inside 200yds and 300 win mag for 200+yds. It's not a caribou. Elk are tough buggers. Tougher than some guys on here are giving them credit for.

***I'd also have to call baloney on the 30-06 being an "under 200 yard" gun for elk. They still have some pretty good poop out to about 350 or a little better with a good, stout bullet. Elk are a big, solid animal, but they aren't made of steel. That said, I'll still leave my .243 and 25-06 in the safe and carry a 30-06 or bigger for them.

fritz1

...Deleted by CalHunter...
With a heart lung shot 9 times out of 10 it is going to run, no matter wether it is a deer or bear or elk, no matter what cartridge. I have seen whitetail run with perfect heart, lung shots from 30-06's, 270's, 7 mags, and 300 ultra mags. The exception is if you take out the shoulders, hit high lungs where it shocks the spine or you get bullet fragments or bone fragments that hit the spinal cord. I work in a taxidermy shop here in Idaho and probably see more dead game per year than most see in ten years. I work in the hunting indusrty and have several personal freinds that are big game outfitters, they will tell you that they cringe when they see a customer arrive at elk camp with a 300 weatherby or ultra mag, because most of the time they cant shoot but because they have that mag they think they can kill a animal at 500+ yards. When someone shows up with a 243 to hunt elk, you can bet your bottem dollar that man is confident with his weapon and can shoot it very well. I would put money on that more game shot with these mag rifles are wounded and lost on the average than are wounded with a 243, because people know there limitations and wont take shots of 500 yards or more.