nowarningshot
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Well that is 17 rem, 222, 243, and 223 for Moose. Someone is bored or drank too much happy juice tonight. Maybe that thing under the bridge was giving it out instead of accosting unsuspecting travelers.
243 for Moose/Elk
- Thread starter crash60
- Start date
Dorian Gray
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
And those people are pussies! Use a Sling Shot like a real man! Or better yet, throw a ####ing rock!
All joking aside, yes, a .243 will kill moose or elk if you do your part right. A .223 will also kill a deer. Are they they best rounds to be using, even with premium bullets? Probably not. While i don't subscribe to the "You need a magnum to kill a field mouse!" way of thinking, i do think that a standard round of 6.5mm and up (with premium bullets) would probably be the wisest choice when dealing with big game. Unless or course you have some sort of crippling shoulder injury that severely limits your ability to withstand recoil.
Answer this............
How confident are YOU with said rifle and to what distance?
Answer those questions honestly and you will be able to set your parameters for the use of the rifle.
Yep
If you're going to error, its better to err on the side where to bullet is too big, not too small. I would rather loose 5 or 10 pounds of meat from bullet damage to the leg and have it drop quickly as opposed to having it run away, chase it, and ending up in a difficult place to get it out. Or not finding it at all. Those suckers will run for miles and miles. Its the worst animal to have to chase. An elk is a very large animal. I shoot coyotes with 243, as it was made for. I use minimum of 30.06 with a 180 gr bullet, but sometimes I prefer more energy.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
I'm not an advocate of using the smallest legal cartridge for big game. The correct cartridges for moose IMHO start with the 6.5s, and there is no such thing as too big provided you can shoot the rifle competently. Can a moose or elk be taken with a 6mm? Sure, a fellow here has taken moose with his .22-250, and there were sports who hunted Bengal tigers with .22 Hi-Powers; but just because you can doesn't mean you should. Its better to choose your cartridge based on a worst case scenario, rather than a best case, so unless the .243 is the only rifle you own, choose a larger one if you can shoot it competently.
Mighty Peace
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Land of the Mighty Peace
Not my first choice as well but my 2 nephews proved me wrong last year and in 2012. In 2012, the oldest (15) at the time shot a smaller 5 point at about 130m with 2 shots from his youth Savage 243 with 95gr BST's. His younger brother got his first bull last year - a real sweet 5 pt in the same field at about 80-100m with 1 shot from his youth Savage 243 with same bullet. The bull walked couple steps and fell over - double lung.
Shot placement, a good bullet (the BST not my first choice either) and a good rest is key.
They proved me wrong. They spent a lot of time shooting their rifles at targets and both had harvested some whitetail bucks.
I would say limited range as well for the 243.
Shot placement, a good bullet (the BST not my first choice either) and a good rest is key.
They proved me wrong. They spent a lot of time shooting their rifles at targets and both had harvested some whitetail bucks.
I would say limited range as well for the 243.
Northman999
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Yukon
No offense to Val, and I'm a long time fan of .338's with 250's, but anyone suggesting that is what is NEEDED is on glue. I've shot quite a bit of game with this exact combination, and honestly, the game didn't die any quicker than a .270 with 130's, or a .308 with 165's, or a 30-06 with 180's, etc. Nothing WRONG with a .338 with 250's for moose, but seriously, it's overkill.
As for the .243 thing, it seems to me this is yet another case of people who have done it saying it is fine, vs. people who never have saying it is not fine. Look up ".223 for deer" and "7.62 x 39 for moose" threads and you'll see the same debate.
I know a woman in the Yukon who killed everything except Bison and Polar bear with a .243 with 100 grain factory ammo, and did it humanely. It would not likely be my first choice of cartridge, but I'm not one for telling people they can't do something based on my theoretical arguments against, when there are others who are actually doing it just fine.
This thread didn't even hit the dirt before someone else started two separate threads , one in .17 hmr and Rem.222 on Moose hunting, seriously shooting a Moose with a 17 HMR ....
As for the OP and his choice of caliber and his choice of bullet(100gr. SP) there are better guns and better bullets out there.
The game you choose to chase deserve far better than that, but if it is legal in your Province or Territory than have at 'er.
Rob
While the 243/6mm pair will kill moose and elk, they would certainly not be my first choice to hunt the bigger ungulates.
That being said, I have shot 2 moose with the 6mm Remington and the 100 Partition, but was hunting deer both times when the opportunity presented itself.
One was about 150 yards, absolutely broadside, the other at probably 35 yards, and I shot him right between the eyes. Neither required a second shot.
As has already been stated, shot placement becomes very critical with those smaller pills.
The monolithic bullets are probably good choices if you must use a 243, but I believe the 100 Partition is hard to beat. [ My broadside shot exited the moose]
I personally think that Moose/Elk chamberings start at 6.5mm with 130/140 grain bullets, and I really prefer the big 30's for Elk, since they seem particularly tenacious.
Regards, Dave.
That being said, I have shot 2 moose with the 6mm Remington and the 100 Partition, but was hunting deer both times when the opportunity presented itself.
One was about 150 yards, absolutely broadside, the other at probably 35 yards, and I shot him right between the eyes. Neither required a second shot.
As has already been stated, shot placement becomes very critical with those smaller pills.
The monolithic bullets are probably good choices if you must use a 243, but I believe the 100 Partition is hard to beat. [ My broadside shot exited the moose]
I personally think that Moose/Elk chamberings start at 6.5mm with 130/140 grain bullets, and I really prefer the big 30's for Elk, since they seem particularly tenacious.
Regards, Dave.
I agree with both of you guys.
Based on my research and experience, I would say:
- Keep it within 100m
- Use a 100gr Nosler Partition
- Make sure you are incredibly accurate with that rifle before heading out
do you even know who val geist is?- did you BOTHER to look up his creds before you made that statement? i'm not the first to suggest the 338 win mag- guns and ammo did an article years ago where they said the 338 was the MINIMUM recommended - and with solids at that- that was about 1990 or so
It doesn't matter who Val Geist is or what his creds are. He has his opinion, just like everyone else.
Nobody here is saying the .243 is the best choice for moose or elk. Nobody is even saying it is a "good" choice.
However, plenty of moose and elk have been taken with .243. That's a fact. Val Geist can't deny it, whoever he is. All he can do is recommend something better, and there's all sorts of better rounds than .243 for moose and elk. To pin it to a single cartridge is ridiculous.
Plenty of elk and moose have been wounded by .243 as well, I am sure. It is up to the hunter to accept that responsibility and minimize the probability as much as possible. Just like with any other caliber.
Northman999
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Yukon
T-star,
No offense at all buddy, but I stick with what I said earlier.
Anyone saying that .338 win mag with 250 grain bullets is a minimun for moose is on glue. Period.
If I had not "been there and done that" for over 25 years myself I would not be so firm on my position, but I have.
Unless Val likes to line up his moose three deep broadside and kill them all with one shot thought the boilers, he doesn't need .338/250; not even close.
