I guess enough is said about the .243. Muzzle breaks are problematic for newer shooters as the sheer noise alone can create a flinch. My advice would be to get reduced loads for the 30-06 and work her up to hunting loads. This will build her confidence in the rifle. Besides, no matter what the caliber, a minimum of 100 rds should be put through the rifle at various hunting positions. Once she fires away from the bench, she may find the recoil less intimidating.

John

Good picture Ron.

I look at this issue from the bullet weights available for each caliber. With the .243 your pretty much limited to a 100 gr. bullet. While I know people who use this caliber for elk as well as others here, I think that shot placement is vital, and that may be understating it. There isn't really any room for error. As for comparing the 7mm-08 and the .308, you get a greater selection of bullets. However, you do get a little more velocity out of a 308 when looking at the same bullet weights, depending on the powder and charge anywhere from 100-200 fps.

Someone suggested 25-06, and a 260 rem. I have a 25-06 that is probably my favorite gun, however I see the same problem with bullet weights as with the 243. Your pretty much limited to a 120 gr bullet. It's an excellent antleope and deer rifle, but thats about it. While looking at reloading charts the 260 rem seems to be pretty identical to the 7mm-08 when both are loaded with a 140 gr bullet.

The one gun that I've always wanted to add to my arsenal is the .264 Win Mag. Again your limited to a 140 gr bullet.

I think that when you start looking at the 264 win mag, 270 win, 280 win, and the 30-06, the recoil for these are all going to be around the same neighborhood, depending on the set-up.

I know guys whos wifes shoot 300 win mags and bigger very well, and are small framed women. I also know women who have gotten use to smaller calibers and start complaining about the recoil of larger calibers before they even pull the trigger. Attitude goes a long way.

ihan, good observation, but in rifles of identical weight, the .30-06 is going to recoil more, especially if you go to 180gr bullets. The .270 is a good choice w/ 150gr bullet. The .260 w/ 140gr premium is very close to a .270/150. In a lighter rifle setup for a woman or smaller person, the .260 is a realistic min.
Really, .243 "adequate" for elk? I respect the elk too much.

Having seen a few elk drop, mine and others, I have come to a simple conclusion, which I acknowledge is NOT the final word in this discussion: They are the first animal I have shot where I can truthfully say the more "horsepower" you bring, the quicker they drop, all things being equal. I have killed a bunch of deer and if the shot is well placed, they will drop just as quick with my 257 as my 300 mags...I have not found this to be the case with elk. Simplistic statement? Sure....but I am only stating what I saw in my limited experience.

I can't help but comment on the recurring thread that you MUST use a bigger caliber and anyone can train up to take heavy recoil. I hate to say it but I can't and I've been shooting for over 60years. It's like saying you can hit your head with a hammer and if you start with a light hammer and work up to a heavy one it will not hurt. No one seems to take the position that to hunt larger game with lighter weapons takes different skills. You must get CLOSER and you must place your shots corectly. It is easier to place your shots with a gun you shoot well and getting closer is a skill you CAN learn. My wife was 5' tall and weighed 100lbs and could not tolerate recoil. She shot a Ruger No.3 in .223 with proper bullets and loads and could literally drive tacks with it. I saw nothing wrong with that and had she wanted to hunt Elk we would have found something she could shoot to do that also. She had little trouble with my 6.5x54 Mannlicher Schoenauer. And I think it would have been adequate with a correctly placed shot
with a 160gr bullet. Recoil is modest at best with a properly stocked rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by Kory:
I'm beginning to think the best idea maybe a reduce load 30-06, and then have her work up. What bullet weight and FPS should I start with while still maintaining reasonable accuracy?

Regards,
Kory

a Remington in 30-06 with one of their R3/Limbsaver recoil pads.

use a 165gr bullet (less recoil than a 180), either a Barnes TSX or a Nosler partition
and load it to 2600fps to start her out.

you can gradually increase it to over 3000fps
if you have the need/want/desire or soreness of shoulder to continue...

a 165gr bullet from a 30-06 will kill anything in north america, but I wouldn't feel comfortable pointing one at a brown or polar bear unless I had a lot of them to shoot at the bear...

best accuracy with lower velocity loads in my experience always comes from faster burning propellants. as my personal rule of thumb I tend to use the second fastest propellant that'll give me the velocity I'm looking for, so that at a given velocity I'll be near max pressure.

that being said might I recommend you start off with the 165gr bullet of your choice and 48grs of IMR4064?

With a 24"barrel that should get you 2660fps
and about 2600fps with a 22" tube.
Report will be mild with almost no visible flash. this load would be roughly equivelent to a factory load in a 308Winchester, though handloaded the 308Win can be pumped up to just above 2800fps with 165's.

If she can tolerate the recoil or adjust to it
you can run 4064 up to about 50grs/2750fps
And if you want more than that switch to IMR4350, W760 or RL22.

Or simply skip straight to RL22.

With maximum handloads of RL22 and a premium 165gr bullet the 30-06 gives up energy equal to
any factory 180gr load.

FWIW I'm personally running 165Gr Barnes XLC-BT's at right around 3100fps (63gr IMR4831) the only thing I wouldn't cheerfully use it on is a big bear. and I would not expect to recover one from either an elk or a moose even shooting at them end-on, I have seen one of these bullets penetrate TWO whitetail does.

It's been said that if you can't find a 165gr bullet that will shoot well with a 48gr charge
of IMR4064 in a 30-06 that you should call an exorcist to correct the problem rather than a gunsmith. (I THINK Jack O'Connor said that
in his book "The Hunting Rifle")

AllanD

The .338 would be my choice for Elk but i would not feel undergunned with any caliber in the 30/06 class. With that said my friend shoots with a bad neck he put a mercury recoil supporesser in his 30/06 and he can shoot it all day long . I myself have not shot it yet so i cant give you a comparison caliber for recoil. But from what i've heard about the mercury suppresser i am going to try one in a light weight 45/70 that i load heavy. Later Tanoose

I've ben seriously considering one of the heavy mercury recoil reducers in my 30-06.

Not that I can't handle it the way it is, but why be more uncomfortable than necissary?

Putting an R3 onto My remington and practicing what I'm preaching would probably be another good idea

AD

I have killed well over a dozen elk with my .243, many of which fell right in their tracks. My longest shot was 120 yards, many of the shots were around 100 yards or less, and I always use a Barnes X bullet.

I disagree with the notion of "a larger caliber give you more wiggle room for poor shooting". If a gal is comfortable shooting the .243, can drive tacks with it, by all means let her use it. There are parameters that are going to have to be met in order for a shot to be taken (range, animal's position to shooter, rest, etc), but if she meets them by all means. I wouldn't be shooting at elk a long ranges with a .243, but I wouldn't with larger calibers either. It doesn't matter what you're shooting if you can't hit them. Proper bullet placement is EVERYTHING.

Load up some 100g. Nosler Partitions or Barnes X, have her shoot all summer with the rifle, get her under 150 yards at an elk and you'll have a full freezer.

MG

Your friend, in fact, any shooter, is better off with a small cal. they shoot well, V a bigger cal. they shoot poorly. That holds across the board; it's one of my undeniable truths about shooting.

I always object to the basic idea that a good "first gun"
for a shooter is a 243Win.

I have ALWAYS considered 6mm's to be in the same class
as the bigger 22centerfires.

And while they can be used on Deer and larger animals by EXPERTS they do not have the "oomph" necissary to
compensate for poor target aspects.

and everyone is going to scream "shot placement"
And I'm going to point out that a newbie hunter doesn't have the judgement to know what a poor target aspct is!

I personally have a three dimensional model of a game animal's innards in my head and automatically align my sights to shoot through those structures.. do you actually expect a new inexperienced hunter to do the same thing?

I think 25/26cal should be a minimum for big game
unless you are an experienced hunter and marksman.
Yes, I've killed deer with 22centerfire rifles, but I wouldn't send a newbie hunter out to try that either....

a 260Rem or 6.5Swede with 140gr controlled expansion (Barnes-X or Partition) bullets would have the penetration to reach into the vital structures necissary for a clean kill without presuming 99percentile shooting skills and judgement to match.

I think an elk deserves that much...

AllanD

Well said Allen. Really, .243 adequate for elk?

I've been trying to understand why everyone keep stating over and over again that a 243 isn't good for elk. In my mind, I'm thinking, "OK, I get it! A 243 is not good for this application!"

Then I re-read my original post and noticed a typo. When I said "If not, what is the reasonable range to use on elk? ", I meant to say "If not, what is the reasonable CARTRIDGE to use on elk? ". Sorry about that. I hope that clarifies things a bit.

I do appreciate all of the feedback. I think I'm going to suggest a 30-06 with the R3 pad and a mercury recoil suppressor. Start with a 160 grain load and work up from there.

Regards,
Kory

Kory- here is a couple more thoughts to shift thru.

First can a 243 be made to work you bet. However placement becomes very critical, even more so than with lesser rounds. I've shot and have seen elk taken with 22/250's and Swifts so I know the smaller rounds can work.

I talk to several people here every year that take elk with a 243, the ones that do it and do it consistently are very aware of the limitations and adhere to them.

So it will work, it can work but is it a good round to carry. Well only you can answer that, just be honest with your assesments of how and where it will be used and the shooters ability to maintain discipline.

For your basic cow/meat hunt, in the stack yards or in open country. No problem take it and just be mindful of it.

I am a big time supporter of the 25/06 as a starting round for elk. Stick a 100 TX or a heavier preme bullet in it and things are gonna happen. And IMO it is a boat load more of an elk load than a small 6.

The rounds off the 308 case starting with the 260 on up are very good as well.

All in all I would go to one of these 3 rounds if one needed a bit less juice than say a 270.

25/06
260
7/08

As to which one I would mainly pick this based off of fit and feel for the shooter and not which round it is. All 3 have and will do a very good job at this.

Good luck

Mark D

Everybody keeps mentioning the same calibers for the most part. Here's something to think about.

243 Win. - Parent case .308 win
7mm-08 - parent case .308 win
.260 Rem - parent case .308 win

25-06 - parent case 30-06
280 Rem - parent case 30-06

So, IF you consider the actual gun in each group to be identical, then the differnce in recoil is a product of bullet weight and powder charge.

If your lady friend is comfortable with the .243, she may also be comfortable shooting one of the other three in that "family of cartriges. This can be as simple showing her the two cartriges and explaining that they are basiclly the same but one has a larger diameter bullet. You can simply leave out the part about extra recoil comming from the heavier bullet and powder charge. It's a mental trick, but it may help in not making her nervous about shooting a larger caliber.

On the other hand if you go with one in the 06 family of calibers you probably wouldn't want to do this becaues it may have the opposite effect.

Grizzly Adams I like your honesty,I too have had to pull an elk out of deep creek beds to our truck.2 days of hauling parts of elk for 30 seconds of boom.I for 1 wouldn't shoot an elk with a 243,yep I have one and have killed 30-40 deer and 5 antelope with it but respect the elk too much to subject it to possible unnecessary pain and suffering for my comfort zone.Sure it CAN kill an elk but its not a great elk cartridge.Just remember that you have the power to make an animal suffer or die quickly,I have used 30/06 for 15 elk I have shot and sometimes carry a 300 weatherby mag,300 ultra mag or 300 win mag or a 300 WSM most of the times.I have killed 1 moose and several muleys with the 300 weatherby mag and feel confident with that caliber,I leave the 243 home for anything bigger than deer,just an old mans opinion.Drop-Shot

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
My wife and I have shot a lot of deer and antelope with the 243. I would not recommend it for elk.
The 7mm08 would be my minimum.

That's great that you and your wife have shot a lot of deer/antelope with it. How many elk have you shot with it?

quote:

Originally posted by lhanson8:

243 Win. - Parent case .308 win
7mm-08 - parent case .308 win
.260 Rem - parent case .308 win

25-06 - parent case 30-06
280 Rem - parent case 30-06

270 - parent case 30-06
35 Wheelen - parent case 30-06

284 Winchester - case about same size as 30-06
6mm-284 - parent case about same size as 30-06

I agree, little difference between calibers if the case is the same size, bullet weight and velocity will determine recoil energy. A 140-grain 270 isn't going to be a lot different from a 140-grain 30-06, in practice.

I like 140-grain Noslers from 7mm magnum, myself. When my hunting partner fell on his 30-06 and bent the scope, he reluctantly got out a 30-30 with 4X fixed-power scope. We found the bullet just inside the skin on the off side of the elk. Hmmm...

Take a 7-08 or 7x57 and load 160's at about 2500, bore a hole in the butt and pour in a half to a pound of shot. It will kill heck out of an elk and won't be a lot different than a .243.

Kory,

I consider myself a small bore advocate, but still I feel the 243 is just too light for Elk. A person CAN make it work but it is just not a good situation.

There are two chamberings that I would reccomend that are excellent legitimate low recoil Elk class rounds and they are the 7X57 and the long forgotten 300 savage. Both are loaded @ the same pressures and are very comparable and are proven on Elk. The 300 can still be found in abundance in the excellent Savage model '99. A third option is to simply load 180 gn bullets in a 308 @ 300 Sav pressures. The range will be limited to about the same 200 yds that 90% of game is taken at. The 7/08 and 260 are also good suggestions.

Happy hunting

My suggestion is a 270WSM with 140gr Winchester Supreme Accubonds or the new 150gr XP3 coming out this spring. My wife shot this set up for her Mulie, WT, 2 cow elk and moose over the past 2 seasons. The recoil of the 270WSM does not bother her. She spent some time at the range with me getting comfortable shooting her Tikka T3 LS 270WSM.

Shot placement is the most crucial issue with smalller caliber rifles for big game. My opinion is that the 243 is too small for elk for a clean successful kill, but ok for smaller sized - young deer. I've had some old timers tell me they shot elk with 22mags but its not ethical to me. You have to be fair and harvest the animal quickly, getting the good clean shot, rather than wounding a large animal such as an elk that would definately cover many miles with a poorly placed shot with a small caliber rifle - and possibly even live. A friend a mine a few years back harvested a nice bull elk and while dressing it out found a huge growth on the heart. Thinking the meat may be bad, he sent in the heart to F&W, and it was determined the growth was scar tissue surrounding a bullet. This goes to show how tough an elk is!

Good luck in your decision.

This thread is more about recoil than cartridge choice. The bench rest is for load development and zeroing. It also puts you into a posture to absorb a lot more recoil. Don't have her shooting from a bench. Have her do her shooting from various field shooting positions. The recoil will not be so severe.

I suspect if you keep her shooting off the bench she would handle a 260 or 7mm-08 just fine and with a bit of practice a 270 win.

In general, a common refrain and mistake that folks fall into is,

"I wanna run with the big dogs, but I want to use my little dog tools. To make matters worse, since it is on the Internet the respondants assume the hunter in question (and everyone else for that matter) is always an absolute crack shot capable of perfect placement under all conditions.

As a general rule, I recommend not asking what cartridge you can use to get by when everything is perfect, rather ask what cartridge can you use to get by when things DON'T go perfect. Let that guide your choice.

If she can't move up a serious bit from 243, then I'd encourage her to not move up from deer to elk. If she can then, well cool.

Your proposed plan sounds pretty good to me --- alter the rifle to lessen the recoil and utilize a cartridge with the cojones to get'er done with some leeway (30-06).

quote:

I think I'm going to suggest a 30-06 with the R3 pad and a mercury recoil suppressor. Start with a 160 grain load and work up from there.

Now the next question is if she can carry it under elk hunting conditions, but then again, part of proper elk hunting is suffering a little.

I’m really starting to get tired of this condescending bullshit. Let me try to explain this again. I’m typing nice and slow.

I said that I recommended a 30-06 to a friend for elk. The recoil was too much for her, but she has shot and is comfortable with a .243. So I asked “Is a 243 adequate for elk, if not what else can she use?†Which part of that is not clear? I asked people with more experience than myself to recommend something that was adequate if the 243 was not. I can’t explain this any simpler. I never said she is planning on shooting an elk with a 243. That is what some of you are ASSuming.

You people, not all of you but the ones speaking out of your ass, don’t know this person or what her future intentions are, so stop judging her, her intentions, or what you think she is going to do.

quote:

I asked people with more experience than myself to recommend something that was adequate if the 243 was not.

Kory,
The .243 IMO is not adequate for elk. The lightest recoiling cartridge for elk IMO is the .260 Remington. Handload some premium (Read A-Frame etc) 140 grain bullets and prepare the table for elk roast. The .260 has very light recoil.

The 7mm-08 would be my minimum, very light in recoil. I agree with vapodog that premium bullets are essential in the smaller calibres.

Kory your recommendation was a good one.
Don't discourage her! We need more women in the field. Instead show her there are some others that are active. The "Huntress" tv show is good, Nugents wife Charmaine hunts, ect. You know what I'm saying.

If you reload you can start with lighter bullets that aren't stoked to the hilt in a bigger caliber. A mild load in the '06 won't be a whole lot different.(100gr in the .243 vs. 110gr in the '06) Most .243's are fairly light weight, a heavier '06 shooting 110gr varmint bullets at targets away from the bench will probably feel like less recoil.

Not knowing what you / she has available to her makes it difficult to offer the next step up. If she gradually moves up in bullet weight she may be able to handle a 160 or 165gr bullet. At this level of performance there really isn't a reason why an elk wouldn't be in the freezer.

I personally know a woman whose used nothing but a .243W and she's taken elk and moose even. It can work but must be done within it's limits. I've witnessed some very poor performance from the .270W on elk as well. This poor performance has convinced me the .270W isn't really all it's been cracked up to be either.

I start thinking big game at .257" and in the heavier weights. The .257 Roberts would be my absolute bottom recommendation and preferably the .25-06 as was mentioned by someone else would be better by just a bit. If you have access to a .270W have her try it with 130's and see what she thinks. It can start with as light a bullet as the .243 and go up to 150's. It may be a good choice with 140's with Barnes tsx or similar.
The .260 is right in the same neighborhood although I've yet to witness it on game. The 6.5 Swede is used on moose and it's a fairly mild round.

If you can put a 7-08 in her hands with 140's it may be just the ticket. If you load you can start with varmint bullets and move up gradually. If you can get her up to 160's she's as good as anyone really, especially with a controlled expansion variety.
Anything bigger will be better until you reach a point where the recoil and muzzle blast bother her. Shooting from field positions at informal targets will help tremendously. If you can move her up in size away from the bench first she probably won't notice much. Then once she's comfortable shooting at "stuff" ( jackrabbits help), have her go back to the bench to show her how well she's doing. Nate

Shot placement is everything regardless of your caliber. I would suggest sizing up and have a muzzle break put on. You can get them now with a "cap" that you can install when hunting in the field. No one feels recoil when there is hair in the scope. If you wear the proper hearing protection when sighting in then you have a larger caliber and no worries!

Good luck

quote:

"....I've witnessed some very poor performance from the .270W on elk as well. This poor performance has convinced me the .270W isn't really all it's been cracked up to be either...."

I agree, pretty much overated IMHO. The new wonder bullets are helping it out; however, there are so many other solid choices. Our group has established the 30-06 (preferrably with 180gr Partitions, though a lower weight Barnes TSX would work) as the minimum for our elk camp.

Two years ago we had a 14 year old young lady at only about 100 pounds with a borrowed 30-06 get her first elk. She slapped two rounds into it in short order.

When questioned about how the 30-06 recoil treated her she was flat out indignant, "what do you think I am, a whimp?"

The plan of using the 30-06 with mods should work, a-s-s-u-m-i-n-g the lady is up to doing her part.

quote:

"....I've witnessed some very poor performance from the .270W on elk as well. This poor performance has convinced me the .270W isn't really all it's been cracked up to be either...."

Awh crap here we go again! Ya know I'm beginning to think the only thing the 270 is good for is ground squirls!

quote:

"....I've witnessed some very poor performance from the .270W on elk as well. This poor performance has convinced me the .270W isn't really all it's been cracked up to be either...."

It is obvious to me that you don't have very much experience killing elk.

It warms my heart to know you are so enlightened.

270 was my first rifle as a child of 14. I really thought it was the hot stuff and bragged it up to anyone who would listen, because, well, I really knew what I was talking about.

Good luck.

quote:

"I wanna run with the big dogs, but I want to use my little dog tools. To make matters worse, since it is on the Internet the respondants assume the hunter in question (and everyone else for that matter) is always an absolute crack shot capable of perfect placement under all conditions.

So just to clarify if the 270 isn't a big dog tool what is for you? A 416 Rigby? And I'm guessing that your position in the Big dog camp is self appointed.....right? I just get a kick out of people that are self appointed experts on elk hunting and then make a statement that the 270 isn't all its cracked up to be, ie it's to small for elk hunting with. If the 270 isn't doing a good job your either A. NOT a crack or even decent shot (you don't have to shoot .5 MOA to place a good shot on an animal like an elk) B. You are shooting beond YOUR ability for distance (not the calibers problem) OR C. You can't shoot at all and should stay at home behind the computer.

quote:

Two years ago we had a 14 year old young lady at only about 100 pounds with a borrowed 30-06 get her first elk. She slapped two rounds into it in short order.

Never had to "slap two rounds" into an elk with a 270 One round has always done the trick in short order. Maybe the 30-06 is inferior to the 270.............hhhmmmmmmm one wonders.

Bearcat....

Sigh, sloppy and emotional....

quote:

quote:
"I wanna run with the big dogs, but I want to use my little dog tools. To make matters worse, since it is on the Internet the respondants assume the hunter in question (and everyone else for that matter) is always an absolute crack shot capable of perfect placement under all conditions.



So just to clarify if the 270 isn't a big dog tool what is for you?

The big dog quote you refer to in your diatribe was used by me to address the issue of a new elk hunter possibly using a 243 for elk. You are the one that is trying to graft it onto a 270 discussion. Weak.

Little dog and big dog....
Deer at 200# and elk at 500# and up....
Varmit/Deer rifle (243) versus something more capable...
If you can't follow the correlation, then it seems unlikely that myself or anyone else trying to explain it for you any further will help.
============================

Regarding your question as to what is a big dog tool? In the realm of big dog tools or little dog tools, an appropriate rifle would vary according to the size and toughness of game being pursued. The minimum for prairie dogs would not be the same as for buffalo, so no one gun does it all well. Sorry.

You appear to have a talent for of extracting more conclusions than what the facts of a situation will support. You may wish to apply with the CIA in their Persion Gulf division --- you may fit right in.
============================

quote:

quote:
Two years ago we had a 14 year old young lady at only about 100 pounds with a borrowed 30-06 get her first elk. She slapped two rounds into it in short order.


Never had to "slap two rounds" into an elk with a 270 One round has always done the trick in short order. Maybe the 30-06 is inferior to the 270.............hhhmmmmmmm one wonders.

Regarding your quote regarding the young lady's two shots from the 30-06....

She was a good student, though she was new.
She was told to not admire her first shot and quickly follow up until the animal was down. She did so.

Are you comparing your skills to hers? She had not handled a center fire until the summer previous to the season. You don't appear to be strengthening your position.

The purpose of her story was to point out the doability of the recoil for her with that cartridge not impress you with her not-fully-developed laser/sniper skill.

BTW, in your quote regarding this young lady you forgot to include her comment which I included as it was germane to a central issue of the thread's original post i.e recoil (what a concept)....

quote:

When questioned about how the 30-06 recoil treated her she was flat out indignant, "what do you think I am, a whimp?"

Thought beyond mere emotional reaction prior to posting may be a consideration,
Good luck with that.

My father has taken a few elk with the .243Winchester when it was the only rifle he had at hand. Then, he's been killing elk for at least 50 years and is one of the best game shots I've encountered. The .243 would not be anywhere near the ideal beginner's elk rifle. I've got one sister that weighs probably 110-115 pounds. Her deer and antelope rifle is the .250 Savage. She's shot all her elk with a .300 Savage under 200 yards. My other sister is around 115-120 pounds and likes the .257 Roberts Improved for deer and antelope. Her elk rifle is an 8mm Mauser she had built. Again, however, both ladies have been hunting and shooting since they were knee-high to a Montana jack rabbit. Experience, keeping your cool, and placing the shot accounts for alot when using what I deem marginal calibers for the larger game. Just the opinion of someone who killed his first elk at 12years of age and hopes he doesn't have to stop until he's on his deathbed!

Wow some of you are pretty touchy! (MadGoat, Bearcat)

You managed to pick one sentence out of what I had to say that you strongly disagree with and now your running me into the ground? You should have noticed I said that I had witnessed poor performance from the .270W in the paragraph comparing it to the .243W. As in just because you move up to an "approved" big game caliber doesn't mean it's the end all to elk hunting.

I don't use a .270W but my best friend does and has since the age of 14. He's taken quite a few animals with it while I've been with him and it isn't a death ray!

I guess I should bow to your holy presence. I'm not an elk expert but I have seen less than stellar perfomance. You accuse me of being a terrible shot? You have no clue. Your emotional attachment just ran over your thoughts.

The .243W while legal and able doesn't mean it's a good choice. And just because you use the mighty .270W doesn't mean elk are just going to fall down!
Ifyou even bothered to read, what I suggested was having her try the .270W if it was available to her. So was that bad advice? You are after all the Elk Master.

Before you stick your foot in your keyboard again, two years ago I was hunting the Bitterroot's for deer and also had an elk tag in my pocket. My rifle of choice was a .25-06. Not exactly what you were thinking is it? Did you make it down to the part where I mentioned practicing from field positions? I don't see where I flamed, insulted, or otherwise personally attacked anyone. What's up with you sensitive guys?

Stuff happens in the field that will affect changes in thought. Nate

BigNate: Nothing sensitive about me just pointing out that the 270 is WAY into elk territory, and as you mentioned in your post so is the 25-06. You can get poor performance out of just about any caliber that you choose to use, things happen in the field doesn't matter whether your useing a 300wby or a 25-06 doesn't mean either is an unrealiable cartrige. I'd be willing to bet that the 270 has taken as many elk cleanly as anyother caliber on earth, no statistics to back that up just see alot of em being used for a looonnng time now.

ELKampMaster: Don't really have anything to say to you I believe the condesending bullshit comment was mostly for you above, and since you didn't get the sarcasum of my post you are either anal retentive, 15 years old, or a college prof. Take your pick doesn't really matter.

Buy your "friend" a 7-08. Start her out shooting say 120's, or even 100's. Shooting upwards to 100 rounds at least once a week. Over the summer, work up to 160's. For elk, work up a max load using 160gr NP's or Grand Slams. Respect her limitations.
Start her on a fitness program (this would certainly apply to most men) so she can lug a rifle uphill and down for a week. Many elk are never seen because the hunter was not in shape enough to climb one more hill and peep into one more drainage. That might account for a lot of the poke and hope shots at game because the hunter was not fit enough to make a stalk.

Kory,
Since she is recoil sensitive, I would go with anything based on the 308 or 57mm mauser case starting at 7mm and going up to a 8mm.
Handload some lighter loads for lots of practive and gradually work up to hunting loads.

I suggest a premium bullet so you can shoot a lighter for caliber weight (less recoil) and get good performance.

I have seen elk shot with a 243, it worked, but I can't endorse it. In fact, I think I could kill and elk with my 22-250 and Barnes TSX bullets, but you can bet I won't being trying that anytime soon nor suggesting it. I have seen more than a few elk killed with a 270 Win. It worked a whole lot better than the 243, but I wasn't super impressed and I am a huge 270 fan. I have personally shot elk with a 270, 338WM and 338-06. I currently shoot a 338-06 for elk and I am more than satisfied with the results. But I don't think your friend would like the recoil.

With all else being equal, including shot placement. A bigger hole=better. But shot placement is the most important part of the equation in my opinion.