ELKampMaster

Perhaps this speaks louder than anything.

chiefks

You are right ElkampMaster. I have thought some about that to. Just because I know that others have done it does not mean that they should have either. Just kicking a idea around.

James B

The bottom line is this. An expert marksman who can pick his shots and will pass on anything less than Ideal can take elk with all of the legal cartridges for Elk. Also probably some that are not legal as well. A warden that I know has taken elk with the 243 and 250 Savage several times.

This said, Game all over the world has fallen to cartridges that were less than ideal including a lot of African game with the 303 British. This does not make using them a good idea by any means. If the 243 is Legal where you hunt and you want to use it, the final choice is yours. Opinions here are right on the mark though. At best, the 243 is less than ideal for sure.

I would put the 25-06 as the minumum and recommend more bullet yet. Just my opinion. I would add that I would use the 6.5x55 in a skinny second.

eldeguello

Never done it. Seen it done. Knew a girl in CO who killed an elk every year with her .243!!

Sheplaced her shot on the side of the head, using the ear hole as an aiming point, ranges up to 200 yards. With such a point of aim, it really doesn't matter what bullet you use.

To reliably take elk with a .243 (or any other 6mm), you must be a superb shot (like the previously mentioned W.D.M. Bell!!) and have enough self-discipline to take no shots other than ear or eye-hole shots at broadside elks' heads. Also, practice, practice, practice before this elk season!

No bullet, no matter how good, is going to make the .243 into an adequate elk gun for all-round use. Using a tough bullet like a Nosler Partition or a Barnes X makes the .243 a barely acceptable mule deer rifle......

However, killing a cow elk is not quite the same as killing a 1000 pound bull, either. But I don't recommend body shots with the .243! It is too easy for big bones and muscles to absorb those little bullets!

zrexpilot

You guys have never used a .243 on elk but have an opinon on it. I have neither but I have an opinion too. .243's leave big holes in deer and hogs I know that for a fact and I rarley recover bullets, always pass throughs. We dont have elk in Texas but I have seen some on a game ranch up close and personal, theyre not as big or tough as some of you claim.I'll bet money I could punch my .243 right clean through one every time, I bet the hogs I shoot are far tougher too penetrate than a thin skinned elk. I would do it in a heartbeat without even thinking about it and have no problems taking one cleanlywith a .243
A broadside shot through the boiler room and it's lights out. I saw some little girl on TV shoot some exotic cow looking thing (2000 lbs) with a .243 and she dropped it in its tracks with one shot to the boiler room. Deer or elk aint that tough a critter, want to talk tough, a 200-300 lb boar has skin a full inch thick, and a body 24" or better wide, that will slow or stop a bullet quick, the .243 doesnt have problems with them. I bet hogs are the most unrecovered animal that is hunted, I bet all hog hunters have lost one, no matter what caliber he uses, those are tough tough critters. I cleaned a big boar I shot one time and was gonna drag the skin and gut off into the ditch, well I grabbed a pick that was near by and swung into the skin to drag it off and it just bounced off the skin , I tried it over and over and swung with all I had and I could not get the pick to penetrate the skin, that is some tough skin I tell ya.
My advice to you is go do it and decide for yourself, make clean ethical shots and you wont have one problem.

stubblejumper

So just how many elk have you personally killed to know just how tough they reallyare?

Anthony T.

Theyre alot tougher than deer!and bigger.

ELKINMTCWB

Funny the hogs I shot I killed with a 22 mag. mmmmmmm They where at close range and head shot.I think if I could get 10 yards from an elk I may be able to kill it with a 22 mag.

Now in real life!
I use a 300 mag.Dad uses a 30-06. A bud uses a 270. So far the 270 has let 2 elk go wounded not sure of the shot I did not shoot it. I can tell you I get the bulets out of the elk I cleen most years with the 30-06 and the 270. Some may be in the skin sone right on the bone.Every fer years I can get a few parts of the 300 lead.But have never goten the hole bulet.

I bucher 5 to 12 elk a year.I would give you my gun to shot with be for I would chace you 243 elk all over the moutains.

If you get to hunt off the hay stack just use the 22.But if you are hunting pub elk get a better gun for elk plz.

ELKampMaster

Stubble, CWB, and Anthony.... valid responses all...

It is a classic case of why qualifying such questionsto limit responses to "those who have actually hunted the quarry" is a good idea....

Otherwise the peanut gallery factor just tends to get totally out into left field....
Sometimes happens anyway.

Addressing the "....You guys have never used a .243 on elk but have an opinon on it...."complaint a step further....

I know 270's,
One 270 is an old friend of mine,
243, sir, you are no 270....
(and IMHO, a 270 isn't even very good elk medicene at that)

Similarly,one doesnot need to "actually try a 243 on elk"to know it is bad juju for that purpose....
Similarly,one doesnot need to "actually try a 223 on elk"to know it is bad juju for that purpose....
Similarly,one doesnot need to "actually try a 22LR on elk"to know it is bad juju for that purpose....
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I do have a 6mm that is set up as a respectable p-dog riflethough.

stubblejumper

I do find it amusing when people with little or no elk hunting experience try to tell everyone how easyelk are to kill,or what cartridges work well for hunting elk.