Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 243 on Elk

My friend has a daughter who is seventeen and 110 pounds. We are going to take her elk hunting, but she didn't like the kick of the 7mm-08 we were offering her. I've got a 243, and she's fine with the kick from that. I was wondering, is it okay for short shots on broadside elk? What bullet should I use? I was looking at the 115 grain Barnes Original. What do you say?

I've seen it done with core-lokts. I personally would use the Barnes X, partitions or Hornady's 100 gr. SP. Make it count and its a done deal.

I shot a moose with the 90grXFB and it wasted no time in expiring. Also shot mountain goat and dall sheep with it very successfully. I would be looking at the triple X, personally...
art

A friends 13 year old daughter, an accomplished shot and hunter, took a mature cow in Colorado this year with a 243. She was using the 85gr Barnes Triple Shocks over a full load of H414...... The cow was uphill, at approximately 400 yards. She placed a shot directly into the close side shoulder. The cow toppled down the hill and never moved again, graveyard dead so to say. The bullet took out both lungs and excited the offside shoulder. Thats correct, both shoulders. Can't remember what else he said it took out on the inside, but done alot of damage. I know several may refute this, but thats ok. As you know, even with this, I wouldn't recommend a 243 as an elk cartridge, but under the right conditions and in the right hands, they will work.....

I hunted with a fellow who killed six elk with a 243, all one shot kills, from 50-300 yds, and know another who has killed 40+ with a 250-3000 Savage 99.

Shot placement, shot placement, shot placement. I would not recommend it as a great elk cartridge, but with the 100 gr Core-Lokt or better bullet, it'll certainly work.

264Win,

Did you make sure the 7mm-08 fits her? My 12 year old 105 lb. granddaughter used her 7mm-08 I built for her this year to take two nice Mule Deer Bucks and two Wild Boar with. Using loads equal to or a bit better than factory. Why not use slightly down loaded loads for the 7mm-08? A much better choice than the .243 Winchester for Elk. Lawdog
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

264 Win,
I am just a little curious, now, this is not a flame, but I was just wondering, you've been doing a lot of posting lately, asking questions about all sorts of calibers from .243 to .338's I think, so in all this discussion, I haven't seen one word about your namesake. the good ole' .264! Just curious, as I am a certified member of the .264 cult! And, I wish we would have another cult meeting! I certainly hope you haven't given up on your first love! Regards! mudstud

Mudstud,
the last thing you said just isnt true. I posted something on the most versitile gun for North America, and mentioned the 264 then. There was another time, but I can't remember what circumstances.
Glad that I'm not alone with the 264. The greatest cartridge to be shot on earth. (or off of it for that matter)

264Win,
Welcome to the cult! You are not alone! There are several ardent fans of the .264 on these boards, including of course, myself. You may also discover that certain individuals believe it is their duty to condemn this caliber at every opportunity. I just ignore this as background static! If you are not already aware, Mule Deer has worked up loads for the .264 using newer powders and has written an article on his findings which, I believe, will be in the next issue of Handloader magazine, due out next month! I can hardly wait! My apologies for missing any references you made to this wonderful caliber! Carry on, friend! mudstud

A .243 w/85 gr bullet at 400 yds and both shoulders + innards. That's shooting, for sure. At 400 yds "uphill", how far do you reckon the true horizontal distance of the shot actually was?

I used the 243 loaded with Hornady's 100 gr bullet to take alot of elk. Never had much problem. It may not be the best elk round in the world but it certainly will work.
Once she gets used to the 243 then maybe you could move her on to the 7mm-08, if you can talk her out of the 243 .

"triple X????"

What was I thinking? Maybe the movies Spike is always telling me about?!?...
art

Toot, don't know for sure on the "true" distance, but probably more like 100 yards. We know it would be substansially less and yes, it does make a difference........

You can load the 7mm-08 down to the recoil level of a factory .243 round using high BC 140's and still retain decent energy and trajectory out to about 250 yards. My son is 12 and weighs about 120 and that seems to work for him.

Thanks 7 08. I'm now wavering between a 7-08 and a .243 for my wife and it later for Grandsons. I do think it can safely be said that the .243 of today is not the same as that of yesteryears (loads, bullets, etc.).

I quit hunting in Canada when they started the firearms registration at the border. We tried it one year and decided that we'd spend out money in the good old US of A.

Having said that, in the ten or eleven years we hunted Alberta for deer and moose, I couldn't believe the local hunter's armament. Typically, they thought a .243 Winchester was plenty enough for moose.

I remember one guy, One-Eyed Andy (when he got drunk, one eye closed) from Water Valley, who had a beat to Hell Browning BLR in .243. Andy swore one shot was all any moose ever took and, from the pile of moose horns in his barn, I believe him.

After that, I started looking at my Canadian friend's rifles and I was amazed how many .243s there were. These were serious, successful hunters. Blew me away.

Getting within a decent shooting range, waiting for the shot and excellent shot placement with a reasonable bullet will put big game on the ground every time; even with the lowly .243 Winchester.

Kinda reminds me of when I was guiding in Snake River. Our cook was a wisened-up old lady. Had a Hell of a temper and a Savage 99 in .250-3000. Every day, after the rest of us were saddled up and out of camp, she'd finish the breakfast dishes and sit over the horse watering hole (a big pool in Temperance Creek).

Some time during the season, her .250 would speak and a Winchester 100-grain Silvertip would thrash an elk to the ground. I truly don't remember a time when she double-shot an elk. Again, she'd be a reasonable distance from the critter, wait for the shot and dump the elk dead.

One time, an elk died in about two feet of water and she was about as pissed as a half-drowned cat. It was on that day that I learned new combinations and permutations of words I already knew. Funny, very funny <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Anyway, I guided for eleven years and the cookie got an elk every year.

Steve

Steve what outfit were you guiding for? And in what part of the state?

Thx and Merry X-Mas

Dogz

Eagle Cap Pack Station. Wonderful, experienced outfitter, but not a business man. They had a unit in Snake River, on the Oregon side. It was a long time ago and I guided for a part of a season and for the opportunity to hunt for another part (area and stock). Good deal for everyone.

By the way, my personal choice of the smallerst gun I'd use for elk would be a .25-'06 with 120 Partitions; and only if I absolutely had to. Give me a .280 Ackley with 140 Ballistics and I'm a happy guy.......pure elk poison. Yup, I've poisoned a few elk.

Steve

We sell a ton load of 25/06 every year, it is such a good round and will work quite well on elk.

A lot of people come in looking for a entry level 243 and we chat about it a bit and they most always walk out with a 25. And you would be amazed to see how many are in use in this country by the very experienced and for all that comes there way.

Another super round is the 260, (a bit tough to sell) but it is one heck of a round. As much as I like the 243 it is quite a bit shy of these other rounds.

The 243 will work, in my wifes 6/06 we load the 85 TS and she has no problems with most all that moves. If we were not such fans of the 6/06 we would defianately be using 25/06's.

I've also seen quite a few elk taken with the 22/250 and the Swift. Get that head in behind the front shoulder and it is lights out Irene. This round is only for the very disciplined but it will do just fine.

Twer it me for the youngster I'd definately be pushing for a Tikka T3 in a 25/06.

Have a super X-Mas gang!

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dogz

Now, if I'm not mistaken the 240 Weatherby Magnum is basically a 6-06 with the Weby shoulder and a belt. Am I correct?