How far to kill an elk with a .243?

You can kill an elephant with an ice pick if you stick it straight into it's brian or spine too.

That doesn't make it a good idea to try.

All this shows is what many of us repeat here daily, which is that shot placement and bullet choice are more important factors than caliber.

Great shot by the little gal.
 
Id like to have watched "Part II". Thats where someone took that rifle by the barrel and beat both the girl shooting and her "coach" ( remind me to never ask that guys input for anything) about the head and shoulders for even attempting it.

Im sure that at the distance of 2 feet a killing shot with a 22 rimfire pistol could have been made......right between that elks eyes!

Like WildRose stated...just because you CAN doesnt mean its a good idea to do it and it sure as hell isnt very sportsman like.
 
Some guys just have no idea what there guns are capable of unless you practice shooting the distance. I have shot repeatably at 100 to 500 yards an I feel very confident on hitting anything out to 500 yds with a vital killing shot. As I am sure they too have practiced shooting at all distances an tuning there guns with there ammo to acheive that goal . So really can you find fault in the shot ? Seems to me they did what they set out to do by laying all the ground work first and making the shot . Takes alot of practice to get to that level.lightbulb
 
Some guys just have no idea what there guns are capable of unless you practice shooting the distance. I have shot repeatably at 100 to 500 yards an I feel very confident on hitting anything out to 500 yds with a vital killing shot. As I am sure they too have practiced shooting at all distances an tuning there guns with there ammo to acheive that goal . So really can you find fault in the shot ? Seems to me they did what they set out to do by laying all the ground work first and making the shot . Takes alot of practice to get to that level.lightbulb


The bottom line is that a .243 IS NOT an "elk gun".....in no way shape nor form. In this case did the girl dispatch one quickly...most definitively, YES. But what if..she hadnt placed that bullet exactly where she did?? A spine shot is one thing...a PLANNED...ACHIEVED spine shot is another. What if the elk had been hit 6" lower? Not at all Impossible to have happen at said distance. The someone would have been chasing a wounded elk all over the mtns.
 
I was behind or next to he gun for over a dozen elk taken this year. Longest shot was my wife at 816 yards. But she was using a 338 Lapua with a 300 Berger. I see many elk taken every year with many calibers and bullets. The part that bothers me here about John's Coaching more than the small caliber is the follow up. He should be training to chamber a folow up round and get back on the elk for a good while. Many times they will get back up. A follow up shot was not even chambered, that is proven by when the girl tried to pt the safety back on it would not go. At least one of them was thinking. But it seems he was more interested in the video than the elk.

PS: No hunter with me will be using a .243 either.

JMO

Jeff
 
No denying, It was a great shot.

"BUT" should it have been tried? IMO No !

Paper does not die slowley and painfully animals can and do if everything is not perfict
at those ranges.

I do not blame the girl, she was just doing what she was told. In his hands it was a possible shot.
but even though he coached her how did he know if she was capable of that shot, plus with the
wind that was present and in some areas unknown IMO it was a very risky shot with a light
weight bullet.

That would have been a tough shot with a 338 with the unknowns, so I would have not considered
it with anything less.

I have seen great shots go bad with just one step of the animal at those bullet flight times and the
larger bullets saved the day.

This is just my opinion and in no way intended to be moral judgment on anyone.

J E CUSTOM
 
I guess my question is, had it turned into a rodeo would we have seen the video? Stuff happens even in controlled circumstances. I was asked to help with skinning a fairly large steer. Fellow brought out a 30-30, and a half box of ammo, the half empties all representing cattle killed. On this day a well placed shot, steer sat on his ***, shook his head slinging blood out his nose and mouth, got up and ran like a bat out of hell. About 30 minutes later we got close enough to finish it, great shot placement no penetration. The rest of the box reportedly worked as good as the first half. Fellow that slaughters for a living using a 10/22. Always very meticulous this year when he came out for the pigs 5 shot heard for 4 pigs. I didn't follow up to see what the issue was. I also was present when a very large man in heavy Carhaart winter clothing was killed with a 22 from so far no one heard the shot, he grabbed his chest and fell all present thought heart attack. I prefer a bit more margin for error. One of my favorite Far Side cartoons is 2 cavemen with a tiny bow, looking at a mammoth all 4 legs in the with an arrow sticking out-caption reads we got to remember that spot. Use what you want, but the days it doesn't work post that also.
 
Great Shot! I wish more people would post videos on this site. I think the 243 with the 105 VLD is a great elk cartridge for beginners and maybe someone sensitive to recoil. It retains enough energy out to 750 yards to kill large game. I think that after that it would be stretching it on performance. I have personally shot a large muledeer at 830 yards with that combination and it penetrated through the shoulder and exited out the ribs on the offside. Keep the videos coming John!
 
To each his own. I agree with wingnut. I know John personally and have taken all sorts of game with that combo at greater distances then in the video, including elk. It all comes down to confidence in your equipment and shot placement. I'd John didn't think it could have dropped the animal right there he wouldn't have let the girl shoot. Great shooting to all involved
 
I've seen a video (have it on DVD) of that same rifle being used at over 700 yards on an elk with the same results.

Would I try it with a 243?
Absolutely not.
 
When I was growing up if anyone would have even talked about using a magnum anything for Elk or deer they would have been laughed out of the woods. I watched over they years as the trend changed, mostly due to poor shooting.

I recall many of guide trying to get the gun guns outlawed because they were not as effective and people simply couldn't shoot them well. With poor place shots folks proclaimed then needed bigger guns. I recall one person giving another a 243 to use for deer hunting. Years later asked how he was getting along with it his reply was that he killed 12 elk with it before someone told him it wouldn't work and he had to use a bigger gun. All 12 where one shot kills.

I've done a bunch of research over the years and I think folks might be surprised to learn what the most effective caliber is fro deer and elk. It doesn't start with a .3 if that helps any. :)

I personally think it was a great shot from a great coach that had a clue.
 
Many praise the gal for her great shot...and others state that the 243 is more than enough to kill elk with...but ( its audible but tough to hear) the guide tells the girl to shoot the elk RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE...and later says RIGHT BEHIND THE SHOULDER... Others have stated that " it was a spine shot..hence the legs folding up underneath the cow so quickly."..???

Not..unless this pic is fictitious..??
elk-vitals-hunting.jpg


Then the gals hitting the elk as she is was PURE LUCK...and NOT some sort of Annie Oakley shooting nor the result of being hit with what the average elk hunter would consider a sufficient round ( one that would anchor the animal if a poor hit occurred)

Had she shot where told to...it would have been a "lunger" and of course a killing shot...but not the dramatic foldup that was videoed.
 
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