243 for elk

[Mosby]

For an all around caliber I would get a light weight 308 or a 30-06. 308 is great because you get a short action and normally a bit less weight. I have both and would load either with a 165/168 Barnes for elk.
I find Barnes TSX to be a bit more accurate than Partitions in my rifles but both work well.

A mag in Arkansas is a bit overkill for the size of the deer and range of your normal hunting, IMO. That said, I load 130 grain Barnes TSX in my 300 WSM and killed two deer with that combination. My personal elk rifle is a 300 Win Mag but I never take it deer hunting in Arkansas.

 

[Trapperkid]

I'd definitely say a magnum is overkill out here

 

[KineKilla]

My go to for big game is my .270 WIN. Kills Elk and Deer very well and has great ballistics. You can load it down using light bullets (I have some 110gr Accubonds) if you want speed or managed recoil but can also shoot 150gr if you want higher retained energy.

Sent from my SM-N976U using Tapatalk

 

[Spoonbill]

I already have a great deer load worked up for 243 that's all I've ever hunted deer with and it's been plenty. I'm looking at a Tikka rifle for sure. I'm just thinking with 243 I can predator hunt deer hunt regularly and was curios if it would handle a possible elk hunt also. Then I could have a rifle I could grab for anything.

I am going to assume you reload since you said you had a load worked up.
FWIW I have had an easier time finding 270 components over others, something to consider when looking at rifles.
That being said, nothing wrong with a 243, it works well.

 

[BCD]

I live in WI so traveling out west for elk is a special trip. There is no chance I would ever go on a hunt like that with anything less than a 308/270. And in reality it has been 3006 and 300. Of course a 243 will kill with a perfect shot but it is a marginal elk caliber at best.

 

[Formidilosus]

I live in WI so traveling out west for elk is a special trip. There is no chance I would ever go on a hunt like that with anything less than a 308/270. And in reality it has been 3006 and 300. Of course a 243 will kill with a perfect shot but it is a marginal elk caliber at best.

What makes it marginal? Please be specific. Is it lack of penetration? Does it penetrate enough but the wounds aren’t wide enough? Something else?

 

[Indian Summer]

After guiding and outfitting and killing my share of elk I just can’t keep myself from commenting on threads like this. Last one I promise.

So in a thread like this you’ll always get mixed opinions. Both sides will make good points. So how do you make a decision?

I suppose there are a fair amount of people who just want others to validate a choice they have already made. So they tend to listen to the guys who tell them what they want to hear. It’s a way of building confidence in your decision and in your firearm. But they also tend to breeze right past the comments that aren’t exactly music to their ears. Then there are those who are really here to listen to the advice and experiences of others to help make a choice of what fits their goals and abilities.

We all agree on a few things. Elk are tough. They aren’t deer! They can vanish on the side of a mountain.

I think we all want to make ethical kills. Quick and clean. I know we all hope to recover the elk we shoot.

For those reasons we want to minimize risk. It happens. And just like these threads the cowboy who killed 30 with a super light caliber didn’t talk about the ones that got away. I always have respect for the hunters who come onto forums and tell the story of their Hunt which ends with an animal being wounded and never being found. Admitting that isn’t something lots of guys would tell the whole world. But when you read them you can’t help but get the feeling that those guys have a huge respect for the animals they hunt. It shouldn’t matter if it’s an elk or a squirrel either. It’s a life.

Anyhow.....

Look at it this way... you know it’s a really light cartridge with more limitations than something bigger. The people who say that a small caliber will kill an elk are definitely right. But they’ll tell you about those limitations. They won’t tell you that a bigger gun might not be good for elk, or better, because of those same limitations. Mainly the more energy. They definitely have a point that more energy means more recoil. But I think you’ll agree that there’s a happy medium and you can certainly handle a gun with more recoil than a .243.

You don’t have to shoot a magnum. But don’t be afraid of the word magnum either. They come in all shapes and sizes. A .300 Ultra Mag is a big magnum. There are way smaller. A 7mm is a peashooter compared to that. Then there are short mags. Or no “mag” at all.

Nobody feels recoil when shooting at big game. It’s the anticipation of the recoil that’s the problem. So you definitely need to be comfortable with your gun.

You can manage recoil with a muzzle brake. They work GREAT. You can manage it even more on the bench by using a Lead Sled. But first pick the right gun. It might be a .300 Win Mag. It might be a .270 or a 30-.06. Find someone with the one you’re thinking about and go shoot it. You might be surprised to find yourself saying hey that wasn’t as bad as I thought! Pretty soon you won’t have the pre shot jitters because of anticipating any recoil.

The choice is yours. But we all know that you can minimize the risk factor with something more suitable that you can shoot comfortably. Be ready for a less than perfect shot angle or to hit heavy bone and still get the penetration you need. Be ready for some wind drift and adrenaline in your veins. Those things are very real. Besides you already have a .243. So think dead bulls instead of dual purpose elk/coyote gun.

I feel bad if I hit a rabbit and he drags himself down a hole and dies in there. If you ever hung your head after a long exhausting search for a dead elk came up empty you’d be looking at things a little differently. Even though it shouldn’t be different than a squirrel or rabbit it is. It sucks! Good luck!

 

[Trapperkid]

Thanks Indian summer Im really trying not to be that guy I may go ahead and get something like a 2506 or a 6.5 creedmoor and a cheaper 223 bc I already have ammo for it too

After guiding and outfitting and killing my share of elk I just can’t keep myself from commenting on threads like this. Last one I promise.

So in a thread like this you’ll always get mixed opinions. Both sides will make good points. So how do you make a decision?

I suppose there are a fair amount of people who just want others to validate a choice they have already made. So they tend to listen to the guys who tell them what they want to hear. It’s a way of building confidence in your decision and in your firearm. But they also tend to breeze right past the comments that aren’t exactly music to their ears. Then there are those who are really here to listen to the advice and experiences of others to help make a choice of what fits their goals and abilities.

We all agree on a few things. Elk are tough. They aren’t deer! They can vanish on the side of a mountain.

I think we all want to make ethical kills. Quick and clean. I know we all hope to recover the elk we shoot.

For those reasons we want to minimize risk. It happens. And just like these threads the cowboy who killed 30 with a super light caliber didn’t talk about the ones that got away. I always have respect for the hunters who come onto forums and tell the story of their Hunt which ends with an animal being wounded and never being found. Admitting that isn’t something lots of guys would tell the whole world. But when you read them you can’t help but get the feeling that those guys have a huge respect for the animals they hunt. It shouldn’t matter if it’s an elk or a squirrel either. It’s a life.

Anyhow.....

Look at it this way... you know it’s a really light cartridge with more limitations than something bigger. The people who say that a small caliber will kill an elk are definitely right. But they’ll tell you about those limitations. They won’t tell you that a bigger gun might not be good for elk, or better, because of those same limitations. Mainly the more energy. They definitely have a point that more energy means more recoil. But I think you’ll agree that there’s a happy medium and you can certainly handle a gun with more recoil than a .243.

You don’t have to shoot a magnum. But don’t be afraid of the word magnum either. They come in all shapes and sizes. A .300 Ultra Mag is a big magnum. There are way smaller. A 7mm is a peashooter compared to that. Then there are short mags. Or no “mag” at all.

Nobody feels recoil when shooting at big game. It’s the anticipation of the recoil that’s the problem. So you definitely need to be comfortable with your gun.

You can manage recoil with a muzzle brake. They work GREAT. You can manage it even more on the bench by using a Lead Sled. But first pick the right gun. It might be a .300 Win Mag. It might be a .270 or a 30-.06. Find someone with the one you’re thinking about and go shoot it. You might be surprised to find yourself saying hey that wasn’t as bad as I thought! Pretty soon you won’t have the pre shot jitters because of anticipating any recoil.

The choice is yours. But we all know that you can minimize the risk factor with something more suitable that you can shoot comfortably. Be ready for a less than perfect shot angle or to hit heavy bone and still get the penetration you need. Be ready for some wind drift and adrenaline in your veins. Those things are very real. Besides you already have a .243. So think dead bulls instead of dual purpose elk/coyote gun.

I feel bad if I hit a rabbit and he drags himself down a hole and dies in there. If you ever hung your head after a long exhausting search for a dead elk came up empty you’d be looking at things a little differently. Even though it shouldn’t be different than a squirrel or rabbit it is. It sucks! Good luck!

 

[IDLassie]

In Idaho you can not use any rim fire ammo for elk.
Muzzle loaders deer .45. elk .50

I shot a cow 3 years ago with a 243. But it was close range. Since then I've moved on to a 6.5 CM. I would not use a .243 any more. Elk are hunted hard from August to Feb in Idaho. Sometimes getting an elk under 250 yards it like winning the lotto. Figure 350-550 yards now a days. Unless in heavy timber with close range shots.

 

[Trapperkid]

If I got a 6.5 creedmoor or a 2506 would anyone have any problems with that being used for elk I'm definitely not going to be shooting at an elk 500 yards away like some people will.

 

[Tradchef]

Im a 25-06 shooter and love it. It gets shit talked about it as well as being too light but again....if you deal with its limitations and understand them and use good bullets its a fantastic elk caliber. I stay around 350 and under for elk with mine. I’ve had no issues but I don’t use it in every situation either. If I’m in timbered areas or thicker tighter areas I use my 35 whelen. If I’m in more open areas that i can take my time and make good decisions on shot placement and focus I love my 25. Like Indian summer said......having something a bit bigger is a good thing. I love shooting big magnums on the range but I love calibers I’m super confident with as well. I load for both calibers I use and try to get as much out of them as I can. Your .243 is a great caliber. I have a Tikka in that caliber and it’s a great shooter. Ive been working with a friend of mine the past couple years on shooting and she’s in a 7mm-08 in a T3 lite. This year I ranged her bull at 303 yards and she made a beautiful shot. He went 50 yards and tipped right over. That’s a nice shooting caliber and will kill any bull easily. Plus for you it’s a nice gun for whitetail and hogs down south too. .308, .270, .06. All will do you well in both areas of the country.

 

[Tradchef]

Here’s the two we both took in 2020. Mines the smaller of the two on the left. Just a smidge over 300 on mine with a 25-06. He just went stiff legged and dropped and hers is on the right shot with the 7mm-08. I will say on the bigger calibers......they give you extra reassurance on bone hits and less than ideal hits. I’m not talking about long range as I don’t have experience in that department but as you know if an animal moves or you pull a shot that’s where the bigger calibers can help you with success or failure in some instances. That’s my $.02 for what it’s worth. Just practice and shoot a lot. Don’t over extend your range if you aren’t comfortable doing so, make good decisions on shot placement and practice some more. Have fun man......it’s incredible and they truly are amazing animals.

 

[87TT]

You can buy a decent used 30 06 for under $200 if you look around. Get it for a second rifle. When ammo is back available, You can buy it in the little local stores anywhere in elk country. A .243 for elk is for showoffs or for the challenge. Unless you plan on passing marginal opportunities, leave it home.

 

[Woodrow F Call]

I trust what you say a whole lot because I've read into that thread and it appears to me like you have a wealth of knowledge in ballistics and killing so what do you say would it be ok for probably just one or maybe maybe two elk if I placed my shots correctly

If you missed it, click the link in his response..... he's being facetious.

 

[Woodrow F Call]

If I got a 6.5 creedmoor or a 2506 would anyone have any problems with that being used for elk I'm definitely not going to be shooting at an elk 500 yards away like some people will.

Form talked me into a 6.5CM Tikka, sportsmatch ring, and SWFA 6x combo. 10 round group cold to hot.

I've got major changes going on (moving to Colorado soon). Once that is done and I can load 1000 rounds, I'll start shooting like Form has laid out here: https://www.rokslide.com/forums/thr...ice-posts-and-rifle-practice-shooting.165291/

Maybe I'll get somewhere.

 

[Squincher]

Could you name a few

.270, .280, 7mm-08, 7mm RM, .308, .30-06

My personal choice is .30-06.

 

[Trapperkid]

If you missed it, click the link in his response..... he's being facetious.

I don't even know what that word means

 

[txhunter581]

I agree. Elk are not the Sherman tanks everyone wants to make them out to be, until you hit one poorly.

UNTIL YOU HIT ONE BADLY

Hmmm. That never happens

 

[txhunter581]

Can you kill an elk with a 243? Sure!

But it’s pretty silly to take one when there are SO much better options.

 

[Silentstalker]

UNTIL YOU HIT ONE BADLY

Hmmm. That never happens

We as the hunter control 100% of the shots we take. A poor hit on an elk is going to be a rough road to recovery, regardless of cartridge.

Using a magnum as an excuse to shoot distances outside of our abilities, take poor shots through brush, quartering towards us, or at a moving animal is not a reason to recommend shooting a magnum.

I don’t think anyone is saying the .243 is the optimal cartridge for western elk hunting.

IMO, This post started as a guy asking if he could get away with a .243 on a single - maybe 2 elk hunts in his lifetime so he could buy a new rifle that would best serve the shooting and hunting he will most use thru the life of the rifle.

Had he asked what would be the best cartridge for elk, well, that’s a totally different discussion.

The answer to his question IMO is yes, it would work.