.243 or 30-30 for elk

[Taco280AI]

"ELD® Match (Extremely Low Drag Match) bullets are technologically advanced, enhanced accuracy TARGET bullets"

So for you, reality is what a marketing team tells you. If that’s how you feel, the eld-x is available in a 103. Two things can be true at once, a bullet can be inherently accurate and capable of superior tissue damage. Shoot whatever you’re confident with. Personally, I’m confident with things I’ve seen work. Give those heavy for caliber “target” bullets a try, see what you think.

Do you actually believe Berger because they call their target bullets hunting bullets?

First clue is they themselves classify it as a target bullet. Beyond that a thin jacketed hollow point that isn't bonded and doesn't retain the majority of its weight is a target bullet.

Broadside through the ribs, no problem. Quartering to or away, wouldn't do it with any of those. Can they work? Sure. But I'm not betting an elk on it.

Barnes LRX. Decent BC, very accurate, and 99% weight retention on deer and elk in my personal experience (of those I've actually recovered).

[dagon]

Thanks for all the input. Guess we'll stick with the .243. I will say thou and i've only shot one elk with my old marlin 30-30. It worked just fine. That was with standard Winchester 150 grain rounds at about 150 yards. One shot with open sights. It only went 40 yards.

[MeatMissile]

This may sound counterintuitive, but the 95gr Nosler Ballistic Tip was designed for heavy game.  It is much tougher than the NBT from 30 years ago.

[trophyhunt]

Thanks for all the input. Guess we'll stick with the .243. I will say thou and i've only shot one elk with my old marlin 30-30. It worked just fine. That was with standard Winchester 150 grain rounds at about 150 yards. One shot with open sights. It only went 40 yards.

Watched my buddy shoot a 340 ish bull in the green river water shed a few years ago, he used his 243, shot it in the shoulder and flipped it over.  We never found that bull, he got up and ran.  Just don't shoot your bull in the shoulder.

[Igor]

Watched my buddy shoot a 340 ish bull in the green river water shed a few years ago, he used his 243, shot it in the shoulder and flipped it over.  We never found that bull, he got up and ran.  Just don't shoot your bull in the shoulder.

Just don't shoot your bull with a .243.

[trophyhunt]

Watched my buddy shoot a 340 ish bull in the green river water shed a few years ago, he used his 243, shot it in the shoulder and flipped it over.  We never found that bull, he got up and ran.  Just don't shoot your bull in the shoulder.

Just don't shoot your bull with a .243.

agree!

[Fidelk]

I like .30 caliber and 180 gr. bullets for elk. I've seen a few cow elk that were hard to kill.

[Okanagan]

Tough call because neither cartridge is ideal for elk.  My son and I have killed elk with both, and that’s why I prefer my 06 with A-frames or my son’s .338.  For a young girl I would go with the .243. Use a quality bullet and limit shot distance to what she can hit consistently from all shooting postures.  Have her study elk anatomy and shot placement on the animal as it stands in different poses.

I have had excellent results over decades with the 95 grain Nosler Partition, though mostly on deer.  If using factory, pick a tough premium bullet that will penetrate a long ways.  Frangible bullets that expand explosively inside the lungs kill quickly, but not all of my elk have volunteered an ideal broadside shot into the lungs.

Lucky man to hunt with a grand-daughter!

[Taco280AI]

This may sound counterintuitive, but the 95gr Nosler Ballistic Tip was designed for heavy game.  It is much tougher than the NBT from 30 years ago.

I used a 130 BT from a 270 on a blacktail twenty something years ago, never tried them again. Have heard they're tougher now, but that one bad experience where it flew apart was enough

[robescc]

I would personally go with a 30-30. It has dropped every deer I have ever shot. The 30-30 has killed countless elk, moose and bears since created.

[Rick]

This may sound counterintuitive, but the 95gr Nosler Ballistic Tip was designed for heavy game.  It is much tougher than the NBT from 30 years ago.

All the hunting ballistic tips are tougher than when they first came out. They’ve been resigned over the years and many have heavy jackets that make up a large percentage of their weight.

Also true on the 95gr ballistic tip in 24 caliber. One of the head dudes at Nosler had it designed specifically to be used on elk out of a .243 which was his favorite cartridge

[yakimanoob]

Watched my buddy shoot a 340 ish bull in the green river water shed a few years ago, he used his 243, shot it in the shoulder and flipped it over.  We never found that bull, he got up and ran.  Just don't shoot your bull in the shoulder.

Just don't shoot your bull with a .243.

agree!

I wish we could stop this nonsense. As if these kinds of things don't occasionally happen with a 30-30 or any other round for that matter.

I've watched a 300 WSM hit a cow elk broadside at 70 yds and spray a freaking cloud of blood out the opposite side, only to watch her run off as if unharmed. Thankfully we were in open country and were able to track her for several hours until she bedded down and my buddy could stalk in for another shot.

I bet lots of us have stories like this, if we'd just admit it.

Elk are tough, and no ammo is perfect.

[Cougartail]

Watched my buddy shoot a 340 ish bull in the green river water shed a few years ago, he used his 243, shot it in the shoulder and flipped it over.  We never found that bull, he got up and ran.  Just don't shoot your bull in the shoulder.

Just don't shoot your bull with a .243.

agree!

I wish we could stop this nonsense. As if these kinds of things don't occasionally happen with a 30-30 or any other round for that matter.

I've watched a 300 WSM hit a cow elk broadside at 70 yds and spray a freaking cloud of blood out the opposite side, only to watch her run off as if unharmed. Thankfully we were in open country and were able to track her for several hours until she bedded down and my buddy could stalk in for another shot.

I bet lots of us have stories like this, if we'd just admit it.

Elk are tough, and no ammo is perfect.

My 30-30 will kill, cut, and wrap an elk right there on the spot. It's just amazing.

[WapitiTalk1]

Out to 73.4 yards 

[pickardjw]

Watched my buddy shoot a 340 ish bull in the green river water shed a few years ago, he used his 243, shot it in the shoulder and flipped it over.  We never found that bull, he got up and ran.  Just don't shoot your bull in the shoulder.

Just don't shoot your bull with a .243.

agree!

I wish we could stop this nonsense. As if these kinds of things don't occasionally happen with a 30-30 or any other round for that matter.

I've watched a 300 WSM hit a cow elk broadside at 70 yds and spray a freaking cloud of blood out the opposite side, only to watch her run off as if unharmed. Thankfully we were in open country and were able to track her for several hours until she bedded down and my buddy could stalk in for another shot.

I bet lots of us have stories like this, if we'd just admit it.

Elk are tough, and no ammo is perfect.

When it happens with a .30 cal magnum, they're tough animals

When it happens with a smaller caliber, the bullet is too small