Originally Posted by alpinecrick

John,
What would you consider the optimum class of cartridges for critters up to and including elk?


Off the top of my head, I have personally seen "critters up to and including elk" size in various parts of the world taken neatly with the .257 Roberts, .25-06, .257 Weatherby Magnum, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x55, 264 Winchester Magnum, .270 Winchester, .270 WSM, .270 Weatherby Magnum, 7mm-08 Remington, 7x57 Mauser, .280 Remington, 7mm Remington Magnum, 7mm Weatherby Magnum, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .300 WSM, .300 Winchester Magnum, .300 Weatherby Magnum, ..338 Federal, .338 Winchester Magnum, .358 Winchester, 9.3x62 Mauser, .375 H&H and .375 Ruger. Have also known hunters who've killed a number of elk with the .22-250, .220 Swift and .243 Winchester--and by choice, not just because it happened to be what they had in their hands. As a result I would suspect anything that might fit in the cracks of that array just might work as well.

“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck