.243 for Elk

[Jack O'Conner]

I'm a big fan of moderate recoil cartridges and have proven many times what can be accomplished with a well placed shot. Winchester's .243 was planned from the beginning as a varmint, deer, and antelope cartridge. The advent of Premium bullets has enhanced the lethality of the .243 but it still has its limitations. I'm not convinced the .243 is an elk cartridge.

When we we younger, my brother and I shared a .243 Remington and took many large bodied mulies. Some were taken at long distances of 275 yards and beyond. None got away.

But elk are large animals. Cows average around 550 lbs or so. Bulls commonly weigh 600-800 lbs. Their hides and ribs are much thicker than mule deer. They also have larger organs and the broadside lethal zone is about the size of a basketball. I'm certain that a tough .243 Nosler Partition can penetrate the chest wall and produce a lethal wound. But that 100 grain bullet is not a good choice at all for these large bodied animals. A first time elk hunter should not plan for a 100 yard broadside shot under ideal conditions!

A few years ago, my sister-in-law shot a young bull with her 257 Roberts. It was a good shooting situation and distance was about 175 yards. Her bullet struck squarely in the chest. We chased that bull half the day. During the chase she shot it twice more. Second bullet struck the rear edge of the chest cavity and damaged the diaphram. Her third shot hit a hind quarter and stopped at the pelvis without even cracking this heavy bone structure. The bull finally toppled about 1/4 mile after her thrid shot. Shortly after this hunt, my brother bought her a 7mm-08 and she has taken 4 elk with it and no problems at all. The 7mm-08 features a bullet weighing 40% MORE than the .243 and this is a significant increase!

I'm of the opinion that .243 is not a good choice for the non-resident hunter who has a limited time to hunt. Non-residents should practise for a shot of 225 yards with 30-06 and 180 grain bullets. This combination has toppled many thousands of elk and its success rate can not be ignored.

Lighter cartridges such as 6.5mm Swede, 270, 7mm-08, 308, 30-30, 35 Remington, and 444 Marlin are probably better suited for resident elk hunters who can pass up less-than-ideal shot angles as they have a longer period of time for hunting. Additionally, many resident hunters are not focused on a huge herd bull; they're happy to take a barren cow or young bull for the freezer! A young bull or cow is larger than mule deer but fairly easy to topple with common "deer rifles".
Jack

 

[mikejonestkd]

Glad to hear that she wants a bigger round for elk. look no further than a good bolt rifle in 7mm mag, since that seems to be the caliber of choice for you.


Remington 700, ruger 77, savages, and the browning a bolt are great. It all depends on your taste and wallet. The savage is probably the cheapest and still a great deal for the money.

get good glass ( leupold, burris, Nikon, bushnell 4200, zeiss, swarkoski ) and practice, practice, practice....

 

[rick_reno]

I know a guy next door in Montana and all he uses - for everything - is the .243. He takes neck shots only and usually harvests an elk. I've never asked what bullet he's using.

 

[sealegs]

Moose must be similar to elk, so

Having just returned from a successful moose hunt in Maine, I will offer what is recommended by the state supplied Moose Guide - - for what you may consider its worth!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Making The Kill: You should make every effort to kill your moose instantly.
This requires use of the proper firearm and the ability to hit vital areas.
To have greatest assurance of making a clean kill, only the larger cartridges
are recommended.
NOT Recommended
.243 or .244 (6mm) .303 Sav. .38-40 Win.
.250 (.250/.3000) .30-30 Win. .32 Win. Spec.
.38-55 Win. .35 Rem. .25-06
.32 Rem. .44 Mag. .351 Win.
.257 Roberts .32-40 Win. .44-40 Win.
.30 Rem.
Recommended
.270 Win. .30-06 Sprfld. .308 Win.
.284 Win. .444 Marlin .280 Rem.
.30-40 Krag. .348 Win. .303 British
.8mm Mauser 7 x 57 mm. .300 Sav.
.358 Win.
As long as the bullet weight is at least 130 grains, the cartridge used is not
as important as good shot placement in making a clean kill. Magnum
cartridges are not needed for moose.
Moose seldom drop in their tracks when shot and may not show any
indications of having been hit. After shooting, it is best to wait a few minutes
before beginning the search, and then do so quietly. Pursued immediately, a
wounded moose may travel a great distance before dying. Follow-up every
shot - and follow the moose for a distance even if you don't find blood at first.

 

[P-990]

sealegs,

Excellent!

And that first line of "recommended cartridges" drives home what we say around here; most New England moose are killed by .308s, .30-06s and .270s. You DON'T need a cannon. Having tasted the results of a successful hunt (and seen it filling the bed of a pickup), I know that the '06 works!

FWIW, I've read that elk are more shock resistant than moose, however. Never met an elk hunter to verify that though.