Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 30-06 didn't impress me.

I have a pair of 243’s that have accounted for 14 elk, all of them with 100g NPt’s.

If I was given a choice between a 30-06 loaded with 180g NBT’s, or a 243 with 100g NPt’s, I’d choose the 243 in a heartbeat. The Partition will make the trip through an elk when at times the Ballistic Tip would not.

Even though I’m transitioning to copper bullets, my experience is, while using and observing while guiding, that Partitions perform more reliably across the widest range of velocities of any other hunting bullet I’ve observed.

Even though up close the impact velocity tears the front half to bits the rear core keeps going. At low velocity impact the NPt opens up nicely and still penetrates well.

I grew up using 243s (and 22-250s) on deer.

I have also shot some pretty good sized Elk with other calibers. And winessed a lot more.

I have to ask, what were the ranges at which you shot those 14 Elk you killed with the 243?

My first elk hunt 1990 in Cody I asked my guide what he hunted elk with. "The rifle in my grandfather's safe is a .243 so I use that." I saw many locals walking up the trail with 30'30s. Back then an elk/deer tag was $1800 and easy to get plus the guide and we thought that was alot of money. I saw the biggest mule deer almost every day but passed on a rag horn elk my guide called in. Most fun hunt ever. Funny thing is my guide was from NJ a few towns north of me living the life.

I used to Elk hunt at a remote private property ranch in Colorado in the 80's and the old timer there must have been 90 or so. He used to stay the first night after we got to location and camp was set up and horses sorted before he he went back down. I used to love his stories, one of my favorite memories. One night one of the guys was bragging about his magnum and this old timer went into a tirade on how many Elk shot and lost with Magnums over several decades of people coming to his ranch to hunt. I had a .300 Weatherby for that hunt, and asked him what he thought the ideal cartridge was for Elk. He replied there were two that had a consistent track record on his ranch, the 30-06 and the 8mm Mauser with the 30-30 coming in after those.

That was a long time ago, and the 8mm Mauser is not near as popular as it used to be with all of the WWII Mauser bring backs.

The famous Mike Parsons when asked what rifle to bring for an elk hunt with him in the Crazy Mountains told me a 308, 270, or 30'06 would be just dandy. I saw the 30" Mulies back then often, 1990s or so. We jumped in the stream now and then to wash up now then and talk about shrinkage. lol. I think his son took over the service. Great guy, he did some Winchester Hunts or some thing or other for the magazine writers. He could out walk a marathon runner.

The first elk I killed with the 243 was 40 yds looking me. Bullet entered just inside the point of the shoulder and ended up in the intestines. She ran about 40 yards.

My then 13 yo son’s first elk was around 375yds and quartering towards us. The bullet hit the point of the shoulder, appeared to veer towards the inside, hitting a lung and heart, and ended up in the intestines. That bull ran maybe 20 yds.

A bunch of interesting comments here.

Will note that Eileen and I have killed elk with cartridges from the .257 Roberts on up to various .300 magnums --but I've killed more elk with the .30-06 than any other round, including my biggest in both body and antlers. None of the .30-06'd elk went over 50 yards before dropping.

If your '06 won't kill it, you need a lot more range time and then get closer.

The 30-06 loaded with the 200gr Nosler partition is my favorite. I've used many different cartridges as well, from 7mm-08 up to 9.3x62mm.

Another 30-06 fan here

Wow, this is a long term thread! I killed my first elk with a 30-06 and a 180gr Winchester Failsafe. It dropped at the shot and rolled down the hill. I have used a few other cartridges since then. For a while I was in a “magnum” kick and used a 338WM, or a 375H&H. The elk did not go down any faster so I went back to a 338Fed and a 30-06. Elk are not hard to kill if hit in the right spot with an appropriate bullet. If you fail on either of those accounts, that wounded elk will go a long distance.

I like the 30-06 and recommended it to both my boys for their elk rifles.

Just happened to recently shoot up some 220 grain handloads I assembled back in 2005.

That is one sweet shooting load out of the .30-06.

And bad juju on the recipient!

We all know it's always the equipment's fault, never our own... My rifle never misses, but I do.... lol!

Elk are not hard to kill if hit in the right spot with an appropriate bullet! Same can be said for every animal on earth! Well said!

30-06 - The Everyman's Elk Cartridge.
308 - The Short Action Everyman's Elk Cartridge.

My dad killed three elk with a 308 Winchester. I haven't been nearly as fortunate.

This should go without saying that if the 308 win gets it done then the 30-06 will only be better yet since it typically runs 100fps faster on average.

Listen to this guy!

Pardon, if this has been said before as I only read a couple of pages..

To borrow from another CF member, bullets matter more than headstamps and shot placement trump's all.

Except maybe some good luck.

A 30-40 Krag (1890) shot by John Plute in 1899 held the elk record until 1968.

Likely the Krag was what he just happened to have, nothing custom, no special barrel or sights.

Bullets, probably 220G roundnose.

Was he lucky or competent with his rifle?

You decide..

Ought six will do the job hands down.

You can time travel by simply by finding a Krag with a good barrel, some good 220 gr rn handloads. Work into range and kill a bull. What you will find harder to do is to shut down todays elk hunting numbers to the 1899 level to let bulls live long enough to get anywhere near that big if they have the right genetics in the 1st place. Only since the advent of the internet has it been discovered that majority of people who shoot are directly descended from daniel F boone.. Finding a good krag building good 220 loads may damn well be the easiest part. I have had some really good and accurate 30-06's. With some of today's bullets it's better than ever for those who hunt. Mb