Varies by state, some don’t have a minimum, Whatda guys think?
As 1 Minute noted .24 is required in Oregon. A .243 seems to be a workable minimum for elk. Three gals in the family have used them successfully several times. I loaded up some Partitions for my youngest daughter to use but she never got to try them on elk.
Several elk around here have died to .30-30's.
The two guys I personally know who have killed the most bulls (47 and 16 respectively) both used .270 Winchesters....Seems to work.
In my case, I have never used anything smaller than a .308 Winchester or heavier than a .338 Winchester Magnum. I would have trouble opening up on an unwounded elk with a .243. I guess I am a hypocrite.
I would use my 6.5 Sweede and 6.5 Creedmoors without much concern. I am also certain a .300 Savage would do just fine.
Where we find elk tends to be pretty short ranges. I have never needed to take a shot at over 250 yards so far. That probably influences my opinion.
