So what wrong with a .243 on Elk?

[westcliffe01]

So, if the only rifle you are carrying is a 243AI and the only shot you get is at 600 yards, what will you do ? Will you regret then that you didn't have something better ? Whats the total cost of doing a hunt like that ? Lodging, tags, gas, camping supplies etc ?

You could buy yourself a 112 or 116 used, put on a 26" barrel of whatever caliber (7mm Rem Mag ?) and have about $700 tied up in it. If the likelihood of using it again soon is low, put a different barrel on it or sell it. You should get most of the money back. Potentially just put the original barrel back on and break even and you still have the good barrel if you need to do it again. Or sell it.

Elk, moose and the predators that go after them can all soak up a lot of punishment and they do not watch Hollywood movies which have shown that you fall over after a single shot. Since this is potentially not an experience you will repeat every year, be prepared as best you can. I am building my 6.5x284, but even with that I would think carefully about whether I would want something better. A 7mm rem Mag is a straight drop in on any of the small shank long actions. Just change the bolt head.

 

[hunterbob]

So, if the only rifle you are carrying is a 243AI and the only shot you get is at 600 yards, what will you do ? Will you regret then that you didn't have something better ? Whats the total cost of doing a hunt like that ? Lodging, tags, gas, camping supplies etc ?

You could buy yourself a 112 or 116 used, put on a 26" barrel of whatever caliber (7mm Rem Mag ?) and have about $700 tied up in it. If the likelihood of using it again soon is low, put a different barrel on it or sell it. You should get most of the money back. Potentially just put the original barrel back on and break even and you still have the good barrel if you need to do it again. Or sell it.

Elk, moose and the predators that go after them can all soak up a lot of punishment and they do not watch Hollywood movies which have shown that you fall over after a single shot. Since this is potentially not an experience you will repeat every year, be prepared as best you can. I am building my 6.5x284, but even with that I would think carefully about whether I would want something better. A 7mm rem Mag is a straight drop in on any of the small shank long actions. Just change the bolt head.

I wouldn't take a shot that far on a large animal, even with my 308. A picture, yes. I pride myself on still hunting and stalking. I would try and get close to within 200 yds or less. If it didn't work out; No regrets, it would be a good hunt regardless.

 

[TOM H]

I wouldn't take a shot that far on a large animal, even with my 308. A picture, yes. I pride myself on still hunting and stalking. I would try and get close to within 200 yds or less. If it didn't work out; No regrets, it would be a good hunt regardless.

This is a Long Range Hunting site and we do talk about it and if it bothers you maybe should post somewhere else and you might want to read the rules for posting.

Long Range Hunting Online Magazine - FAQ

 

[hunterbob]

Tom H
No , it doesn't bother me and I Like seeing people do those longshots. I like reading about your stories, everybody's. I just love hunting and all of it is good. I wished I could shoot like some of you guys do. Sometimes I can still make some longshots with a scope I got. From what I see a lot of you have some great rifles too. My eyes don't work as good as when I was young. Now mind you, when I was in my 20's I shot woodchucks with my 308 out to 300 + yards a lot of times , with open sights back then, in the 60's; so I don't mean to ruffle your tail feathers or anyone else's. Cause I aint leaving,
I like everybody. Maybe I just didn't say enough to make it clear. It wasn't my intention to hurt your feelings.

 

[Greg Duerr]

Westcliff

When I started out I had no intention of hunting Elk with it as I had drawn a Bull tag in Nevada about 6 years ago and I still need to wait 3 more years to start applying again.
My Wife of 3 years just happen to have Parents that live In Northern Idaho, and when we visit all I hear is WHEN ARE YOU COMING UP TO HUNT ELK WITH US........
Yes I could sell it but I have $2000 into it, or I could hunt with it ............and the answer to your question, NO I would not take a 600 yard shot, 200 would be the Max and would I turn it down, Yes have in the past will in the future. The shot would have to be perfect nice broad side shot. The first time I hunt up there will be next year and I only plan of buying a Deer tag just to see what the chances are of running into a lot of Elk. I probably will but then Jackies Dad hunts for one reason only and thats meat, so it the opportunity arises for me to help him out I will..........
If Elk hunting is in the furture I will be looking at a .270 WSM or the .280 AI............

But until that happens I just might prove to myself if it can or cant not work out the way I want it to...................Jackies Dad has killed a lot of Elk with a .270 and the 130........... I asked him, Hey Larry ever consider getting a bigger cartridge......... Larry's reply Why would I need anything bigger?

 

[westcliffe01]

I'm not suggesting you do anything to your 243 !!! Just suggesting you could easy throw together a nice accurate rifle in a more suitable Elk caliber and not be out $2000. For the hunt I am sure you could borrow the scope of your 243 - and to verify the drop of the rifle.

I have built several guns now for around $750 without optics. Particularly if you look for a used Savage 112 with a good laminate stock as the donor you can really keep the bill down.

I don't understand the basic premise: Most people are not "1 rifle shooters". An Elk hunt is the perfect excuse to get another rifle. Most of us get the elk guns long before there is any plan in place to go hunting. Once you are equipped and ready, then one can make an elk hunt happen many different ways. But to have a tag and just want to work with your woodchuck/coyote/whitetail gun is a bit odd....

 

[TOM H]

Tom H
No , it doesn't bother me and I Like seeing people do those longshots. I like reading about your stories, everybody's. I just love hunting and all of it is good. I wished I could shoot like some of you guys do. Sometimes I can still make some longshots with a scope I got. From what I see a lot of you have some great rifles too. My eyes don't work as good as when I was young. Now mind you, when I was in my 20's I shot woodchucks with my 308 out to 300 + yards a lot of times , with open sights back then, in the 60's; so I don't mean to ruffle your tail feathers or anyone else's. Cause I aint leaving,
I like everybody. Maybe I just didn't say enough to make it clear. It wasn't my intention to hurt your feelings.

your not hurting my feeling but if you read the rules "This board was created for the expressed purpose of discussing the methods, equipment and techniques of Long Range Hunting without the burden of discussing or debating ethics."

 

[hunterbob]

Ok what is your furthest shot you ever made without a scope?
What is your furthest shot with a basic hunting rifle no frills with a no frills scope?

 

[westcliffe01]

HunterBob, your posts are off topic. Take it somewhere else.

 

[Greg Duerr]

Maybe next year if I head up to Idaho, but for this year I sure that my .243AI shooting a 100gr Sierra Pro Hunter @3289FPS will be more than enough for a Cow Elk, Many many Elk were taken with a 30-30 and the .243 had a lot more power...........I think its more of a mind set, that tells us what will work or wont work. I shot right behind the shoulder than punches a whole through both Lungs?

I taked with The teck at Barnes bullets,.....................He said that he has seen a cow Elk taken at 400 yards with the 85gr TSX that was found on the far side under the hide................The Cow went 50 yards ......

If and when I want to hunt for a Bull Elk, the .243 will have to do and Im sure it will do.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

HunterBob---It looks like someone appointed themselves Moderator and are quoting rules that IMHO you have not violated! I haven't seen you say a derogatory word about other people taking long range shots and I think your question of how long people can shoot that you asked about without a scope is not out of line, but maybe should be asked on your own thread. After all, there is even a Forum on bows on this website. Maybe you got off topic a little, but many times threads do and then have a way of getting back on.

Anyway, here are my thoughts in getting back on topic about a .243 or other cailibers like a 30-30 for elk. What was used years ago and did the job is one thing because they had nothing else to use and most of the animals were probably shot at a fairly short distance. When you start increasing the distance on shots at an elk the smaller calibers quite simply do not come close to the energy needed for a quick, humane kill when placed in the vitals. Sure a 22-250, a .220, .243, or 30-30 will kill the animal most of the time, but as another member stated, how far will it go before he drops? Use a caliber intended for a bigger animal where more energy is needed for good penetration before proper expansion of the bullet takes place and the animal will not go very far. Finally, the statement was made about the 30-30 killing more animals than any other cartridge. I believe that statement applies to deer, or at least it once did not too long ago, but the 30-06 is the winner when you talk about overall number of animals take with a particular cartridge.

 

[hunterbob]

Yes , lol - topgun 30-06 , I really wanted to get around to what you said, and it was a great thread on it. See , I was thinking about my grandson, he has a 243, and I thought it might be a little small, if we ran into bear in the northern states. Still I was amazed at the info from the other hunters using the 243 on Elk size game. I know its a good caliber and for long range too. Yes the days of the 30-30 are past, but that 30-06 can't be beat. I know that. I got a model 700 , 06 ...
Between my Grandsons and son we got two 243's two 308's a long range custom 270 which is sweet.... We have yet to shoot 500 or 600 yds with our rifles here unless we go to the hill country , so I was super interested in what they were saying about the long shots etc. I'm fixin to start my own thread on a 243 taking a bear.

 

[Greg Duerr]

If I lived up in Idaho where I could hunt for Elk every year I would have had a .280 Ackley built.................Had no Idea at the time that I was having the .243 Built that I was going to marry someone who has a Dad and two brothers that live in Idaho and Elk hunting is what they do ...................But at this point Im at least a year away from a Cooper Excaliber .280 AI. I agree with what everyone has pointed out to me. Your right I would be much better off with someting bigger. When I drew a Bull Tag in Nevada I had a 7mm-08, which would work but choose to borrow a 300 Win Mag. My bull was a tad bit over 400 yards and Im glad I had borrowed the 300. The 300 guy is dead and the 300 is gone. Next year I will be up in Idaho with my .243 but will be hunting with Larry who shoots a 30-06 and Johnny who shoot a .280......

I still get more excited when I see a really nice Mule Deer Buck over a Bull Elk...................I will probably end up with a Deer tag and just see how good the Elk hunting is ..........I was told its all about the weather. A warm season, no way, a really cold one with lots of Snow..............thats something else...........
You know how things work out ...........find your self in the woods with just a deer tag and guess what you see..........................

 

[westcliffe01]

It doesn't sound like you are enjoying the answers you are getting. If you mess it up because of being undergunned, I'm sure we won't be reading about it here.

You could buy yourself a $400-500 used rifle to shoot your elk and borrow a scope from another rifle, but it seems that is too much to ask. For many people, that is all the gun they will ever own. The rifle I am using for my 6.5x284 build was a 270 Win and I paid exactly $285 for it. The one I am using for my Mauser build was a stainless long action 116 in 7mm Rem Mag and I traded that for a slug gun that was worth a bit over $500.

Do it right, use enough gun.