NightHawk, You appear to have extensive experience hunting and especially with the .243, you know the importance of accuracy/bullet placement and proper bullet construction — and have PROVEN results in big game in the field. You make a fact based case for using the .243 on big game — so why Not Elk “under reasonable circumstances” ie: under 300 yrds, broadside shot, steady rest and “good shooting conditions”? While it is Not the best round for Elk (there is NO “best” round) ....place that bullet in the rib cage and there’s gonna be a very dead Elk. Good shooters shooting well constructed bullets = good results. As for my own experience - only shot deer and black bear with the .243 - very good results out to 200 yrds. My Guide in Montana told me that when he was a teenager - he killed several Elk with a .220 Swift “base-of-neck-shots”. He said the round was deadly but required specific/almost perfect placement. Certainly Not a legal round for Elk and kids do dumb stuff but I took his story for just how much “Bullet Placement” can do vs. caliber. On that Elk hunt I had the “smallest caliber in Camp - .30-06. All others had .300, .7MM, .338 magnums. And one guy with. An antique .45-70 open sights. Out of 9 of us - The only “clean kills” were made by me and the guy w/.45-70. One guy with the .338mag killed 2 Cows “by mistake” - he thought he missed his 1st shot - (lost sight in the Magnums recoil) - and took 2nd shot at what he thought was the same cow...dropped it and walked up to find TWO dead Cows ! Game Wardens were called, fined him & confiscated both Cows.
My Summary - Magnums are more powerful and have advantages AND disadvantages because most Hunters don’t shoot them as accurately as lighter recoiling calibers.
This has become an ethics in hunting discussion and that is a good thing. Most of us have the common goal of protecting our hunting rights and privileges, wildlife conservation, and maintaining traditions.
Face value: we saw a video of a cow elk killed at distance from a good shot with a smaller caliber rifle.
Would any of us have felt differently if it were a 400” Bull shot with a .338 or 300 RUM long range rifle at the same distance? Did that set up on a non trophy elk seem unethical because it was unnecessary?
My feeling:
I’m a better shot than I am a hunter. I’m trying to become a better hunter so I can get closer to the animals I’m pursuing. When I started rifle hunting big game with a 7 REM MAG, I was limited to about 300 yards as my personal effective killing range and that was basically flat shooting. Limited for several reasons. But, mostly inexperience. I did not know how to shoot steep angles either up or down. On a guided hunt In Wyoming I had to pass on a big mule deer because it was about 360 yards down a canyon at a significant angle and I refused to shoot. I was on a 2x1 guided hunt. The guide asked if I wanted to try? I told him I didn’t want to risk wounding the buck and have him run off… Guide and I go back the old Suburban and he gets the other hunter, who is a friend, whom insists that “he will be successful and kill this buck!” I sit in the Suburban and wait. 4 shots go off from his bolt action rifle and I assume he hit it and needed to finish the poor buck off. They come back to the truck only to report he missed 4 goddamned times! So, I tore into both of them! I said “I could have done that -lobbed shots at that damn buck!” Now, my friend is a very successful hunter and I know that in his 55 plus years of hunting he has killed a lot of deer and elk! But, not in the way I intend to. That’s when I decided to get a custom rifle, with the correct equipment/gear, and learn how to shoot better… I chose a 300 RUM from MOA rifles. I also hunt with several different magnum rifles. **BTW on that same hunt, he wounded another nice buck and we didn’t recover it. While hunting partner and the guide were off pursuing another buck, I glassed a lesser 3 point buck, got within 75 yards of it, by crawling and sneaking, and filled my tag with a one shot kill. We later found out his scope got bumped and was off!
I’ve killed several Elk - out to 300 yards. I know they are tough. I’m not lucky, so I just don’t feel comfortable risking wounding one with a round smaller than a 7MM. My success as a hunter is based on being a practiced shot, taking good instruction/direction from good guides/PH’s, trusting my instincts, and keeping my ego in check. I’ve passed on plenty of animals from not having the right set up or being uncomfortable!
I’m not recoil sensitive and have never had an animal run off wounded and unrecovered because I flinched or wasn’t steady with my shot. I’ve been fortunate to have recovered all the animals I’ve shot, in close proximity to where they were first hit, and always in a short time period.
I’ve made a few neck and spine shots on different animals to include: Buff, Eland, Giraffe, Croc, and Deer. I’ve made these kinds of shots successfully because I don’t get unusually nervous and I practice shooting off sticks, prone, steep angles, and long distance. Those neck or spine shots are also due to circumstance and not because I’m trying to prove something. I used to prefer to shoot Nosler Partition and shoot right on the shoulder of bigger game to break them down, but I changed to Barnes and Berger bullets and my shot placement changed. Again, circumstance stance driven and not ego driven.
There are all kinds of arguments and discussions as to why we as hunters should do things a certain way. There are many criticisms of why we shouldn’t take certain shots, using said calibers or types of rifles and that is what will happen when you post something for the public to see and provide their opinion on. I will give my opinion on my personal experience and my quest to hunt as ethically as possible. Just keep in mind that there are many anti hunting factions out there that collect a lot of information, mostly out of context, to try to stop hunting; even the most ethical hunting!
We should try to take away their ammo! Pun intended…
