Hummm Fuzzy sounds like a testing experiance comming up some time in the near feature???? .243 WIn Elk hunting trip. sounds dangerous LOL have to test that out someday. maybe SOON. SO you have a .338 RUM huh???? How do you like it??? I was recently on the debate of weather or not to go ahead and get a .300 RUM or a .300 win mag. Still deciding...What do you think is the RUMs worth the extra time and money????

No, I don't own any of the rum's but, I have seen a few in the field and at the range and a friend uses a 300 rum for elk and black bear. They look punishing.
I did buy one of the 300wsm's. I like it better than the 300wm I used to have.
I favor the 30 cal's. 30-30 and 308, 30-06, 300wsm on the elk.
I do own a 243win single shot that throws 80gr and 100gr spitzer like a ray gun but, I use it and a single shot 30-30 mainly for the blacktail in thick cover.
I've got a heavy load in 30-06 and a load in 300wsm I have taken a liking to for elk. As well as a 45/70 load I'm working on now.
I don't think I'll be trying a 243win, for elk, anytime in the near future but, it would be sweet.

Hit it in the right spot and you can kill an elephant with a .22 short. That doesn't make the .22 short an appropriate caliber for elephant hunting. Likewise, a head shot with a .243 doesn't tell us anything about the suitability of that caliber for elk hunting.

I had a friend who thought he was the "head shot master" until he tried it on a spike bull one day up on my Grandparents place and then we spent the rest of the day trailing an elk with one side of his face blown off.I have never seen a wounded animal go as far as this one did,he hit it on the side of the head while it was looking straight at us and it blew off the cheek and jaw on that side.If we didnt have snow we never would have found him,followed a blood trail from 8 am to dusk when he finally stoped long enough for me to finish him off with a shot to the shoulder,he was using a 30-06 and a decent shot but I will never hunt with somone who trys to tell me that is a good shot placement again!!

Nonya your friend sounds like a total loser, why would anybody want to shoot any game animal in the face, especially using a caliber as the 30-06. A well placed shot in the chest would have been more than sufficeint. His hunting license should be revoked. Nothing about an Elk being shot in the face sounds humane. I have read lots of your post and you seem like a good enough hunter to let your friend know that he needs to work on his accuracy. I believe a head shot is only required for charging game and I seriously do not think your friend mastered the "head shot" by shooting charging game, but thats only my opinion.

Just another one of the people who brag about making headshots on game like its somthing to be proud of,like the guy who brags about shooting an elk every year with a .243 in the head.I dont understand why you would even consider it when you have a large vital area that makes an easier target.

Nonya I was wondering what caliber and gun do you use the most for hunting whitetail

I use my 7mag for everything I hunt here in MT.

You think a 30-06 is capable of being the only gun I use here in Arkansas,

absolutly,30-06 would be a great choice.