Minimum caliber for elk

Depends on alot of things, How far and how big.....I guess if it were all i had a 243 would do out to 100 yards, Like a 270-3006 out to 250 or so, and anything past that would be 7mm mag, 300 win, 300 ultra 375 ext...... wouldnt RECOMEND a 243 for elk, but its been done before and will again im sure....
 
Hunting elk with a 243 I believe would be along the lines of hunting deer with a 223 or 22-250. Defintely do the job within reasonable ranges, but not for the novice rifleman/hunter. For most, I would say the 270 would be the minimum.
 
My buddy just took a nice elk with a .264 Mag, I personally use a .270 Win. but I don't think he's giving up anything to me.
 
It'd have to be a 30 caliber for me. However, I do have a .25-06 that I would use in a pinch, but... I prefer my .300 WSM.
 
I took a cow elk in CO with an A-Bolt .25-06 at about 300yds... Neck shot, ran about 25-30yds then she went to elk heaven...:p
 
I think the minimum caliber for Elk should be 270 Win or 7mm 08. I know Elk have been killed with about any caliber you can mention but to me to get a quick kill at any distance out to 300 yards these are the smallest that I would pick.

I prefer 30 caliber or larger and I hunt mostly with a 300 Win Mag and I'm now working up loads for my new Remington CDL in 35 Whelen. My son Jim has killed more Elk then anyone in our camp and he hunts with a 30-06 with Federal Premium ammo in 165 grain.
 
I use a 270, but alot depends on the shooter and the hunting conditions. 2 years ago I hunted in a downpour for 4 days straight, when you saw elk, it was measured in feet not yards in thick cover. For 4 days I crept thru the trees with Rock River in .223:eek:, one of my younger brothers used his SKS, and the other a Mosin. My friend's mother used a mini-14 in 223 for years on deer and elk. She would wait for her shots and pass on alot. She never lost one she hit, but she always put her shot exactly where she wanted it. Generally I think minimum is around 270, 264 win, but again conditions and shooter ability can change the equation tremendously.
 
Both of my elk were taken with a .30-06. A 150gr Hornady SP and a 180gr Corelokt respectively. Both bullets penetrated the heart and lungs. Both animals died quickly.

I'm fairly certain that any bullet following the same path through the body would have had the same result.

If I go elk hunting this season I'll use the same .30-06 that I used the first four times. It'll be because I like the rifle not because I think .30-06 is above some minimum caliber.
 
My outfitter who has been doing this for 25 years, is second generation outfitter, and is recognized by his peers as one of the best, requires 160 grain minimum bullet weight. Says nothing about caliber or cartridge.

You can argue about this in perpetuity.

Since he has tracked more wounded elk and seen more quickly dropped than most anybody, I decided to take his advice.
 
Take a look at the "Once In A Lifetime Elk Hunt" thread on this forum. That elk is incredible!

Hopefully, nobody would be inclined to carry either a .243 or a 30-30 when hunting a bull such as the one pictured.
 
.270 and up ,here in the PNW it`s a little tighter than some places 30-30 can kill Elk ,I prefer my .270 great gun
 
I have seen over 100 elk taken and with various calibers. The main problem with a thread like this is only sucesses are recorded and failures forgotten. On animals that are hit and not recovered the blame almost always goes to caliber failure. If the animal isnt recovered then how do we know it was from too small a caliber and not poor bullet placement or bullet failure? I know of a father and son team that have wounded and lost 3 elk in 2 years. Their solution was to by bigger more powerful rifles. I autopsy every animal i see taken and can say with some certainty that shot placement is the most critical thing with proper deep penatrating bullets a close second. That being said, a caliber from 25-06 up will do the job nicely.
 
243

Women and/or those with and aversion to recoil kill elk all the time with the 243. The true question is more if you know the limits of any given cartridge than if the cartridge is enough.

"Enough" at 200 yards? 800 yards? Broadside? Facing you? What bullet?.....


Anyway, 243 is "enough", if you know its and your limits.
 
Elk can be tough or they can die easy. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I wouldn't use anything lighter than a .270 Win with 150 grain bullets, I've killed a few with that combo and wouldn't hesitate to do so again. It is all about bullet placement and even then a properly hit elk doesn't always know it is dead.

Take a look at the "Once In A Lifetime Elk Hunt" thread on this forum. That elk is incredible!

Hopefully, nobody would be inclined to carry either a .243 or a 30-30 when hunting a bull such as the one pictured.
Click to expand...

"Once In A Life" elk are killed every year with .243 and .30-30's it all depends on what kind of hunter you are and what you are willing to pass on. I wouldn't hesitate to hunt elk with a .30-30 but I have the opportunity to hunt elk on a yearly basis. If that lifetime bull presented a shot at 150 yards or less with my .30-30 I'll have antlers on the wall and meat in the freezer. A .30-30 has the same energy at 150 yards as a .30-06 at 400 yards. I know what range I'd rather shoot an elk at, and a .30-30 in the hands of a competent hunter is nothing to sneeze at.
 
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