Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Cow elk and the 243 Winchester

Well, Pat is one of the most humble human beings on the planet.

So, again – your awareness sucks as bad as your disposition.

So.......he never posts his pics on the forums?

Go figure......

I had never thought about shooting an elk with a .243 til I read this thread. Based on my experience with the .243 and deer, I don't see why it couldn't work well. Almost every deer I've shot with one was wrecked pretty darn well.

The 243 Win gets a lot of use in the USA. It is a flat shooting hard hitter out to 300 yards. There are a large number in American households storing a 243 Win and it will perform on deer size game very effectively. Because it is readily used throughout the USA on deer it is logical to grab premium bullets and kill elk with it under favorable shot presentation, especially if you are recoil sensitive. Is it effective, yes but not the best choice on a 600-700 lbs animal. At least for me that’s how I see it.

Lets say your planning a plains game hunt in Africa, typically a one rifle affair. You’re looking to shoot gemsbok, zebra, wildebeest and sable. You show up with a 243 Win, what do you think your PH would say? Perhaps he’d say you are slightly undergunned for the task at hand, he’d probably suggest a bigger camp rifle and remind you that you’re going to pay regardless of recovering or not recovering the game you shoot. Would he be confident with your choice, would you be confident. Would you opt for a larger caliber or stick with your 243 Win? Possibly extreme example but elk are the same size and larger than some of the plains game mentioned.

To each his own.

I didn't say that. When he does, he's sharing with like-minded folks that generally enjoy seeing them – not to flex or one-up anyone.
But should someone need to be put in their hard-charging place, his Imgur account has more bullets in the chamber than any 5 people here combined.

We can all agree to disagree here but you're simply out-driving your headlights.

Reasonable assessment.

Denigrating SS's prowess and experience as a hunter defines ignorance and jealousy.

Congrats, you make bob brown appear less stupid.


mike r

Is SS.......salmonellashooter?

It's very difficult keeping all these great hunters apart.

You really should attend an AA meeting.

Ankle-biters Anonymous

You are one sharp cookie......Gumshoe.

Great job.

Do you use a 243 on elk?

My first rifle was a .243. Shot a pretty nice whitetail with it when I was a teen. I've used far inferior than a .243 on lots of elk.

Is that a yes.....or a no?

I have not used one, but had my butcher grinning at me with a bullet [pellet] he found in the shoulder of a big old ancient 7x7 NM bull i shot at 511 yards, took the pellet home and miked it, exactly .243 on the base, the little bullet gave all it had, but wasn't enough in this case.

I had my Sharps rifle on this hunt, the sun was setting in my right eye, i simply couldn't get rid of the glare to make the shot, i asked my guide for his rifle, a 7mm STW built by our old Buddy EddyBo, he also invited me along on that hunt, i spun a few mils and killed the bull with one shot, the 160gr Accubond numbed him up enough he did the chubby checker twist for 90 degrees and fell off in a rock ledge.

WTF do you care for? Original post was "Limiting shots to 300 yards and under what bullet would you use?"

Far more lethal combo above with a box of coreloc lead than anybody with a stick and string.

Get a life.

Reasonable experience and assessment...

Are you saying you have absolutely no experience......using a 243 on elk?

First dead bull elk I saw was taken with a single shot from a .243.

I have some experience on elk. How's the elk hunting in IOWA?

I'd be grumpy too i guess.

You have never shot an elk with a 243.......yet you're posting pro-243 in this thread?

You've taken elk.........but didn't chose the 243?

Sounds logical, Greenhorn. Smokepole would likely agree.