.243 for elk?

[Biggerhammer]

Who says it only takes one? I shoot them into the ground, however many it takes.

much prefer one accurate shot. One shot, one kill..pretty easy with an accurate, light recoiling .243

One shot, one kill is a fares, movie stuff.

No matter how dirty the barrel is, when the squaw has a big one in front of her, a single fowling shot is always needed.  That's her story and she's sticking with it

Rad, thats funny. Maybe she wnta to make it challenging!?

Hammer, yes, it is a " farce" for some.  . There are those who need to bring a pocket o shells just to get it done! 

There are those that dramatize real world second shots just to get a reaction.

[mountainman]

My point was a generality aimed at guys that take "iffy" shots thinking a magazine of ammo will have them covered. No dramatization, too many nuts out there that dont know how to shoot, or more importantly, when to shoot

[Biggerhammer]

My point was a generality aimed at guys that take "iffy" shots thinking a magazine of ammo will have them covered. No dramatization, too many nuts out there that dont know how to shoot, or more importantly, when to shoot

Please refrain  from directly Quoting me when "Generaly aiming at other guys". I believe the three of us were warned fairly clearly.

[Curly]

We've had a lot of discussions as to what she is going to do if we are ever lucky enough to get her a multi-season elk tag. Build her a special 7/08 or 270?  Load something special for the Bob?  Maybe it's possible to cut down a Kimber Montana   We still haven't been able to decide.  Guess we can make that decision once we finally see "Selected". 

It's a tough choice when options for women with short LOP is so limited.

A Ruger American compact model has a 12.5" LOP, weighs in at 6 pounds........has a 18" barrel (lot cheaper than a Kimber).  Load up some 120 gr Barnes and it should be a light recoiling rifle that would be good for elk.

[mountainman]

We've had a lot of discussions as to what she is going to do if we are ever lucky enough to get her a multi-season elk tag. Build her a special 7/08 or 270?  Load something special for the Bob?  Maybe it's possible to cut down a Kimber Montana   We still haven't been able to decide.  Guess we can make that decision once we finally see "Selected". 

It's a tough choice when options for women with short LOP is so limited.

A Ruger American compact model has a 12.5" LOP, weighs in at 6 pounds........has a 18" barrel (lot cheaper than a Kimber).  Load up some 120 gr Barnes and it should be a light recoiling rifle that would be good for elk.

Check out the Lady Hunter from Savage.

[Curly]

Or the Browning X-Bolt Micro Midas, Youth

6#-1oz with 20" barell and 12.5" LOP.

[REHJWA]

If nothing else looks like an excuse to go gun hunting. I would never here the end of it if I callling it shopping....

[RadSav]

We've had a lot of discussions as to what she is going to do if we are ever lucky enough to get her a multi-season elk tag. Build her a special 7/08 or 270?  Load something special for the Bob?  Maybe it's possible to cut down a Kimber Montana   We still haven't been able to decide.  Guess we can make that decision once we finally see "Selected". 

It's a tough choice when options for women with short LOP is so limited.

A Ruger American compact model has a 12.5" LOP, weighs in at 6 pounds........has a 18" barrel (lot cheaper than a Kimber).  Load up some 120 gr Barnes and it should be a light recoiling rifle that would be good for elk.

I'm a bit of a "hater" when it comes to 18" barrels!  She hasn't liked them much either.

We have looked into the Micro Midas in 7-08. That's definitely an option.  Though she doesn't much care for the X-Bolt stock.  She has real small hands and it didn't feel right to her.

Savage Lady Hunter would be nice in 7-08, but we find the 20" barrel in the 270 Win much like the 18" barrel in the 08's.

[snowpack]

I think alot of the recoil debate is drama driven.

I kind of enjoy it for whatever reason.  And I expect you are right in a way that it is a debate that adds worry and concern when not always warranted.  I'd say the plan you have with your son appears to be a good one.  But at the same time we see a dozen or so pictures each year of grown men with bleeding scope eye in their success photos.  Probably more from the 30-06 than any other.  Maybe that's because of the popularity of the '06, definitely from an improperly shouldered rifle, and maybe because folks tend to not give the '06 the respect it deserves   Either way I've seen more than one tough lady swear off the medium 30 cal because she either saw the evidence or experienced it first hand.

My wife is a tough SOB.  She's experienced more abuse than any woman should ever experience in life.  She fears very little with gun in hand.  But she absolutely hates the '06.  Is it rational?  Heck, I don't know, I've never been a 130# girl.  I do know she had an opportunity to shoot one of the largest black bear that would have ever been taken in the state of Washington.  She was so worried about shooting the 30 again she missed an absolute gimme shot she could have otherwise made with her eyes closed.  After the miss she tossed the gun at me and said, "Never, ever, ever will I shoot that gun again!"  At that moment I realized it doesn't matter what I think.  I needed to set her up with her own gun in a caliber/cartridge she had no fear of and was comfortable with.  That was a lot of dead animals and some dang BIG bears ago.

We have a saying around our house.  "If your not having fun why do it?"  With the exception of paying taxes and scrubbing the toilets we come pretty close to holding true to that.  We both have passed up and quit some stupidly high paying jobs because we were not having fun or figured we'd be miserable.  So if my lady or the OP's lady is happy shooting a 243, 25 Bob or 270 when I'd rather she was shooting a .30...I lose.  So far she has been dang near perfect with her little Bob. That makes me pretty dang happy too!

Might just need to get a stock that fits the shooter better.  Of the following(and the rifles used don't weigh too much different from each other):  .300 RUM 180 gr, .30-06 150 gr and .30-30 150 gr; the most pleasant for me to shoot is the .300 RUM, the one I hate is the .30-30.  I can throw the .300 up and it goes right where it needs to on my shoulder and cheek, and shoot it all day long.  For the .30-30, I throw it up and it wants to shoulder about halfway down my bicep  so I have to pull it way in to wedge it on my shoulder and I have to twist my neck to get sight alignment.  That gun can be brutal, but is fun to shoot so worth it I guess.  the physics of it all would say that the comfort of those rifles would be reversed for me.

[Curly]

Just go with a Forbes Rifle Model 20B ($1,500) and cut the stock down.     (Sounds like about 1" will need to be cut off).  Stocks are Kevlar/carbon fiber; I bet it could be cut down.   I read on 24hr Campfire about a guy cutting his Kimber stock to be a shorter LOP.

Or go with a NULA full custom model 20 for around $3,500. (the rifle only weighs 4.75 lbs)

Kimbers seem to be hit and miss in the accuracy dept from what I read, so I'd be nervous of getting a lemon. 

(Women sure are expensive aren't they)
 

[Bob33]

 

(She already has a 243.)

"Thanks, my wife is more comfortable shooting the .243 she got her deer with than the 30-06 I had her hunting with."

[RadSav]

If nothing else looks like an excuse to go gun hunting. I would never here the end of it if I callling it shopping....

When I got the Bob my wife is shooting now I made sure it was her choice.  That seemed to go a long way in her connection with it.  In discussing a potential elk rifle with her I've tried to swing the conversation toward 7-08 which I think she would like.  And it makes sense given the gun choices out there.  But after shooting the 270 WIN I think her mind is made up and she would like to try that.  Doesn't make things easy for me, but when has a wife ever made things easy for her husband?  I think that's part of their game

I realize the 257 Bob is capable as I expect you realize your wife's 243 is capable.  However, I've felt my experience in the field has given some insight that I'm obligated to share with her.  We discuss the limitations if she chooses to stay with what she has.  She has agreed a bit more security, especially when that first shot isn't always what she had hoped for, wouldn't be such a bad thing.  And so the discussion goes on.  But make no mistake, the eventual decision will be hers no matter what I think.  In the end it will make life a whole lot easier for me if I say, "Yes Dear.  What ever you want I'll make it happen."

What do I expect to happen?  I expect I will be buying a 270 Win Finnlight and a fine piece of Walnut.  Should only take me a three weeks of carving, checkering and finishing to give her what she wants.  All the while she will be reminding me that I knew she was difficult when I married her 

[Nice Racks]

I used my 6mm Rem on whitetails back east with 100 grain pointed soft points. Will that type of bullet work well for elk, or is a different type better?

[Curly]

Bullet selection seems to be more of a personal preference type of thing.  For my taste, I like a bullet that penetrates even if it happens to hit bone.  Some people hate solid copper, I like them.  I like solid copper or bonded bullets. 

Some people will swear by Nosler Partitian, others will swear by Rem Core-lokt.  Myself, I hate Core-lokt.

[blackdog]

I have shot one elk with a 243 using handloads and the bullet was a 100gr old  school partition. Crunched him through both shoulders at 75 yards and he was DRT. Wouldn't be my first choice where range or crowding could be an issue but they kill just fine.