Yes sir, a hole in the lungs is a hole in the lungs, dead critter no matter the caliber
Elk rifle
- Thread starter cecil30-30
- Start date
That 325wsm will not be making its way anywhere else @hunter0925 @MUP
Velocity is much more important than energy!
I was being sarcastic
I took it that way
I agree on the velocity
Good bullet x sufficient velocity x correct placement = dead animals
A friend of mine went on a mule deer hunt a few years ago. The guys at church convinced him 7mag was the minimum because a mule deer is so big it needed at least 1500lbs of energy for "knockdown paaarrr!"
He got a 7rm, he decided it was more recoil that he wanted to deal with over sustained practice and got rid of it and got a 6.5cm. The guys at church said it didn't have enough "knockdown paarrrrr!l" past 100yds.
Big mule deer buck at 227yds and before my friend could grab the bolt to reload the buck was tits up, a 143 eldx through the front running gears was enough. The fact the he drove a good bullet through the important parts with sufficient velocity had a lot more to do with dumping that buck than anything else.
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OldFart
Well-Known Member
I've harvested elk with a 264WM(140g Nosler Partition), 30 '06 (165g and 180g Nosler Partitions) and am using a 338 (250g Nosler Partition) now. Much prefer the 338. Without a doubt it just puts them down faster. A 22 Long Rifle will kill an elk, even a lion or elephant. But I'm certainly NOT using it on elk. I'll never downgrade shot placement but a 22 Long Rifle or a 243 for that matter thru an elk's lungs just doesn't hack it. And from experience, I'll choose my 338 over your super fast high velocity weapons. I don't claim to be an expert but I have harvested probably a dozen elk, one of them last year.
Dont tell that to the unknown number of elk that have died to a 243 through the lungs
OldFart
Well-Known Member
If you were to take a survey out here in Colorado, where i live, not even 1 in 100 will use a 243 for elk.
To say it won't work is foolish
IMO there's dead, eventually, and there's DRT. There is value in shocking the internals. Sure a small hole thru an animal, in the right spot, will kill them, but you may have to track, (some folks just like to track) but I've always tried to hit a little higher shoulder shots and rely on the shock from a good performing bullet to knock them down immediately if I can. I've never killed an elk, but the principle remains the same. I would imagine someone out there has probably killed an elk with a 22-250. Just my thoughts. 
There's several killing elk with a 223, and minimal tracking requiredIMO there's dead, eventually, and there's DRT. There is value in shocking the internals. Sure a small hole thru an animal, in the right spot, will kill them, but you may have to track, (some folks just like to track) but I've always tried to hit a little higher shoulder shots and rely on the shock from a good performing bullet to knock them down immediately if I can. I've never killed an elk, but the principle remains the same. I would imagine someone out there has probably killed an elk with a 22-250. Just my thoughts.
I'm sure there are, but at what distances? As Daniel said earlier, the larger caliber gives you an edge with the heavier bullets stabilizing at longer distances, and you also have the added benefit of the shock still at those distances. I'd just rather be prepared for a longer shot if it presented, and not worry at all about having enough ummph to reach out there and maintain the terminal performance.
To each their own I suppose.
I used to be heavily against it after having a deer killing go south with a 223. But it's hard to argue with the success these guys are having. I'd say they're killing elk much further than most of us are killing deer. https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/223-for-bear-deer-elk-and-moose.130488/I'm sure there are, but at what distances? As Daniel said earlier, the larger caliber gives you an edge with the heavier bullets stabilizing at longer distances, and you also have the added benefit of the shock still at those distances. I'd just rather be prepared for a longer shot if it presented, and not worry at all about having enough ummph to reach out there and maintain the terminal performance.
Good for them! 
I'm going to stick with the heavier bullets to take up the slack for my less than stellar marksmanship abilities. 
I'm going to stick with the heavier bullets to take up the slack for my less than stellar marksmanship abilities. IMO there's dead, eventually, and there's DRT. There is value in shocking the internals. Sure a small hole thru an animal, in the right spot, will kill them, but you may have to track, (some folks just like to track) but I've always tried to hit a little higher shoulder shots and rely on the shock from a good performing bullet to knock them down immediately if I can. I've never killed an elk, but the principle remains the same. I would imagine someone out there has probably killed an elk with a 22-250. Just my thoughts.
Both shoulders with a 105 vld
Pat Sinclair on the 24hrcampfire killed 30-40 elk with a 220 swift and a 55gr Hornady SP out to 400yds.
That said I like my 7mm08, or a 30-06, or etc.
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Creek bottoms
Well-Known Member
Irresponsible. IMO
Not a shot I would take with anything but I don't know their skill set, how much they practiced, etc so my opinion doesn't mean much.
I kind of agree with OldFart. I really think you should carry as much gun as you can accurately shoot, and a gun that matches your "conditions". 30 caliber guns are a good "all around gun" for elk. Will you be hunting blowover? Open plains? Most of my elk have been killed at 300 yards or more.
An elk is a big animal, and I have seen on multiple occasions, an elk take a killing shot and walk off like nothing happened. Also, elk have a big chest cavity, and sometimes don't leave much of a blood trail at all. Its difficult trying to track your elk you shot at, as it follows a herd of elk.
I use a 300 WSM with Barnes 168g TTX
I've shot 2 diff elk thru the lungs and had them run probably 300-400 yards before piling up.
I shot one elk 4 times @ 400 yds, and it just stood there like nothing happened. 1 shoulder shot, 3 chest area shots.
Every other elk I've shot has dropped or only taken a step or two (10 - 12 elk).
An elk is a big animal, and I have seen on multiple occasions, an elk take a killing shot and walk off like nothing happened. Also, elk have a big chest cavity, and sometimes don't leave much of a blood trail at all. Its difficult trying to track your elk you shot at, as it follows a herd of elk.
I use a 300 WSM with Barnes 168g TTX
I've shot 2 diff elk thru the lungs and had them run probably 300-400 yards before piling up.
I shot one elk 4 times @ 400 yds, and it just stood there like nothing happened. 1 shoulder shot, 3 chest area shots.
Every other elk I've shot has dropped or only taken a step or two (10 - 12 elk).
I truly think this is where the bigger calibers help. If you miss your mark they'll punch thru. But bigger calibers tend to develop flinches. If they ever find a cure for buck fever it'll be over lolGood for them!
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