These old stories are fun.. But in most cases they are about some old timer who lived in the country with unlimited time to hunt... I knew one of these guys in my youth .. He kept his family fed on wild game.. Legal or other wise.. First he used a model 94 .30/30. He had a chance to pick up a 99.300 Savage. He didn't hesitate, it was his rifle, the kids got the .30-30s.. Then the 06 became more common in that area.. First chance he picked one of those up..
The residents in the far north used to use .22 Hornets and .222s for big game lots of ammo in a small package.. If game got away there is always another one.. This is JOC's writing.
Sure a .308 with kill elk.. One old rancher of my youth shot elk with his 722 .222. Ear shot in his hay fields late summer early winter.. Come season it was an 06 later a .264.. Another friend told me he had shot 150 elk with his .243.. They were shot in the ear while eating on his hay stacks in winter.. Meat was given to folks that needed it.. Hunting on his own, .270 or .300WM..
My clients have 10 days to hunt or less. Still with any round we have to pass shots. Had to pass 400 yard shot on a big bull wit 338 win mag. Client said he couldn't do it. Ok.
Frankly if the bullet is chosen correctly and can penetrate, it doesn't take much to get through hide and a rib and get both lungs. Thats all one needs. Even the 243 with the right bullet can do it on elk I'd bet.
That said if I was a client I'd bring along the gun that could shoot the south end of a north bound animal and hopefully be headed on towards Santa., Just in case.
In TX I'd shoot deer with a 22 LR if legal. One HP in the ribs and they are done just as often as with an 06. Note I've seen an 06 go through both lungs and not kill a deer here too. So you can't cover every single animal.
And if DRT is needed for terrain reasons, the ONLY way to do that is shot placement. That can take a larger round/bullet penetration, but also takes a perfect shooter at the same time.
Whats my backup as a moose guide 338-06. But this year think I"ll carry a garand because I want to. I'd carry an M1A but the ones we own are too heavy.
