.243 or 30-30 for elk

[Karl Blanchard]

You said ALL 140gr cup and cores on the market   That's a bold statement to make without having used all of them on multiple animals to establish a base line. I simply wanted clarification. 

You've never seen me say a single thing about hammer bullets on here ever. Full stop.  Why? Because I've never used them. I don't speak to things I don't have first hand experience with.

And I did answer the OP's question so not sure what you're talking about

I'm not looking for a fight but you seem to always take stuff so personally.  I simply want honest and factual data shared and if I see something that doesn't look right I'm gonna question it as this community deserves such

[dagon]

Thanks everyone. I guess we'll stick with .243. I can't remember what load we used. Its a factory load. I don't reload for that caliber. hopefully some good picks this fall. She has 4 points in the youth hunt so I expect she'll get a draw tag.

[dagon]

Compromise on a .25-35?

LOL. My first deer rifle was a .25-.35. For one year then my dad traded it for the model 336 .30-30 which i got my first 4 deer with

[TeacherMan]

Killed my first elk with a 300 savage. Great gun. Positive part of the 30/30 is you can use a slightly larger bullet. With that said I’ve killed elk with a 243. They went less than 100 yards.

[BULLBLASTER]

243 is a superior choice over a 30-30 for elk IMO.

[Ridgeratt]

243 is my go to choice for whitetails. Guess that is why I have several in the safe for the wife and I.

But since I'm thinking I might be giving up hunting they could be looking for new homes.

[Fidelk]

Compromise on a .25-35?

LOL. My first deer rifle was a .25-.35. For one year then my dad traded it for the model 336 .30-30 which i got my first 4 deer with

Poacher's special......

[JakeLand]

IMO the .243 is the better choice of the 2 especially so nice she knows how to shoot it well and is comfortable with it .

[chukardogs]

I'm no expert on the available bullets for a 243 today. (Just wanted to get that out there up front) Years ago, when looking for the kids first deer rifle, I purchased a Remington bolt action 243. They had a kids composite stock available. With reloads in the 87/90 gr range in the Speer GS, it was wicked accurate. Kid ended up outgrowing it before he shot his first deer but he learned to shoot with the 243 and because it didn't kick the daylights out of him every time he pulled the trigger, he developed some pretty impressive shooting skills. My hunting partner for many years bought two Ruger M77s, one in 7MM-Mag and the other in 243. He loved loved the 7MM-Mag (for some strange reason) and hunted with it for a few years until it got stolen out of his rig. That fall, not having the 7MM-Mag, he begrudgingly brought the 243 which he promptly used on one of the biggest bodied deer we've ever taken off of the mountain. He carried that rifle and killed a few impressive deer with it, for close to twenty years until his son convinced him ne needed a 6.5 Creedmor. My point is, whatever rifle your daughter feels the most comfortable shooting, is the rifle she should have in her hands when the shot presents itself and that the 243 is capable of killing anything you'll find in the northwest if the shot is on target. Good luck and great job getting your daughter out there. 

[dagon]

the grandaughter's  deer from last year. desert youth hunt in December.

[C-Money]

I'd vote for the .243 win. I'd coach the kid at the range to aim tight behind the shoulder, and try to encourage the shooter to stay off the shoulder. The only time a .243 has made me scratch my head was on a Tank mule deer. First shot hit shoulder, and a follow up was required. No big deal, Buck did not go anywhere. The shoulder shot bullet (Hornaday Interlock) came apart, with fragments going into the vitals causing fatal level damage, but the bullet was in a ton of pieces. Deer we've hit behind the shoulder, the bullet is usually recovered mushroomed out, stuck in the hide on the exit side. Family in Oregon has tagged a lot of bulls using the .243 with Sierra bullets. The .243 win is a true killer, and has filled many freezers with North American venison of all sizes. I have to believe most folks that call it underpowered have truly never been around one consistently and seen its capabilities.

[DeerThug]

Yup 243.  My son has killed 3 elk and a pile of deer with his 243.  The elk 2 spikes and a massive 6 point all one shot kills.

She is proficient with it so stick with it.  Poke one in the lungs and done.

[Kittitas26]

My brother and i have each taken several spike elk with 243s. We.always used a 100 grain nosler partion. Several of them taken at 300 yards with 1 shot. We always just made sure to put it tight behind the shoulder. 

[WapitiTalk1]

In my family, elk have been brought home for dinner with anything/everything from a 22-250 to a 338.  Yes, big game can be taken with a small caliber projectile bit it’s not an inherently effective round for big boned critters. Look to a 30 caliber round at the minimum for elk.  Yes, the dirty thirty has killed lots of elk but really, a close quarter weapon.  Just don’t want to see you go through an elk loss/not recovered due to an insufficient round

[b23]

243 is a superior choice over a 30-30 for elk IMO.

 

Only way I'd choose a 30-30 with mono's would be if I had to because they were holding the 243 loaded with Berger's against my head.