I guess my question would be Why shoot an elk with a .223? My progression through guns growing up was first a pellet/BB gun to learn with and shoot squirrels and targets with, then a 22LR to replace the BB gun and about the same time a 20 Ga shotgun for bird/rabbit hunting. Then when I was old enough for big game I moved onto a 30-30 then a 30-06. I didn't own a .223 until later on when I bought it as a dedicated varmint gun. I'm thinking this is a typical progression with most hunters and I'm thinking most who own a .223 or similar varmint rifle also have a real big game rifle in their battery so why bother using a varmint rifle on elk when you most likely have a rifle better suited for the task at hand.
