# Your preferred elk cartridge?



## Huge29

The OL's best elk rifle thread made me wonder what is realistically the most commonly used cartridges used, so...
I personally use 300WSM as the 308 caliber offers such a wide range of bullet sizes available to cover nearly any type of game. 
Poll would only allow 10 options, so I will leave an "other" option.


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## lifes short

.338 win mag 210 Nosler Partition

The Nosler Partition is more important than the caliber


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## jpolson

300wsm with a partition or accubond. I like 300 win mag also...but having a short actions cuts the weight of the rifle by half a pound.


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## Critter

.340 Weatherby with a 225 grain Barnes TSX at 3100fps. 

I read about the .340 Weatherby in a Outdoor Life magazine back in the 60's and liked it then and love it now.


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## wyogoob

I have no favorite but harvested more elk with a .308 Remington Model 7 and 180 gr Partitions than anything. Most of the elk I kill are under 75 yards.

I think the last 4 elk I killed were with a .300 WSM, again in a lightweight Model 7.


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## Springville Shooter

300 Win Mag with a solid copper 180 grain bullet is tough to argue against. Mine is a Weatherby that the wife got me for Christmas a few years ago. Kicks way too hard, but is very accurate and killed everything I've aimed it at with one shot.-------SS


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## COWAN

300 mag shooting Remington core-lokt 180 grain bullets. These shoot the best from my rifle.


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## mikevanwilder

300 WM with 200 gr Accubonds. I have a Ruger M77 and love it. Even though it kicks like a pissed off mule!
But more than caliber is bullet choice when it comes to elk.


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## Loke

Where is the 243?


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## Mauserwonk

Lots of 300 WM fans on this sight. And it is a great Elk round, but I cant tell you how many times I have seen guys with rounds like that over at Lee Kay show up and then pack it in after less than one box of shells. Not good. I voted other because I feel like the 338/06 is pretty much the perfect Elk round. It will take care of business out to 300+ yds, and anyone who cant get that close needs to work on their stalking skills.


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## Springville Shooter

Mauserwonk said:


> Lots of 300 WM fans on this sight. And it is a great Elk round, but I cant tell you how many times I have seen guys with rounds like that over at Lee Kay show up and then pack it in after less than one box of shells. Not good. I voted other because I feel like the 338/06 is pretty much the perfect Elk round. It will take care of business out to 300+ yds, and anyone who cant get that close needs to work on their stalking skills.


I agree. Many people have a 300 WM, very few can shoot one well. I must admit that I struggle to shoot mine well because of the recoil and or muzzle blast on my rifles that are braked. Only after years of practice developing good shooting discipline am I able to really shoot the big cartridges well. Even now, I will begin to develop bad habits and have to spend a few hours on the bench with a light kicker to get back in the swing of things.

As far as the 338-06, I had an Ackley but lost interest and sold it. I did the same thing with a Whelen. Wish I had them back now.--------SS


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## Christine

I love my 300 win mag. (tikka t3 lite) :grin: I usually only shoot a box or less at the range with it but that's mostly because I get tired of waiting for the barrel to cool down between shots. I'm a newb to Utah and elk hunting but I did pull a cow elk tag and got my first elk with the 300wm. 250 yard shot and she went about 20 yards... mostly due to gravity and a steep hillside. I have always aimed for the heart (I'm mostly a bowhunter) but that's a habit I should probably try to break with the rifle. Bullet hit the offside humeral head and stopped just past the joint capsule. There was surprisingly little meat loss but there would have even been less had I not hit that shoulder. 

I used a barnes 165gr ttsx bullet. (preloaded stuff)

I put a limbsaver recoil pad on the rifle. With that on there, it's a pleasure to shoot compared to my 870 with 3" deer slugs. You have to be a real masochist to shoot more than a few shells through that beast.


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## Christine

Some pics... because yeah, I'm still pumped from this hunt. Elk are even bigger than I thought. I was off on my own for the hunt and when I got to her, I realized... I'd better call for help. :mrgreen:



















Recovered bullet


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## wyogoob

Christine said:


> I love my 300 win mag. (tikka t3 lite) :grin: I usually only shoot a box or less at the range with it but that's mostly because I get tired of waiting for the barrel to cool down between shots. I'm a newb to Utah and elk hunting but I did pull a cow elk tag and got my first elk with the 300wm. 250 yard shot and she went about 20 yards... mostly due to gravity and a steep hillside. I have always aimed for the heart (I'm mostly a bowhunter) but that's a habit I should probably try to break with the rifle. Bullet hit the offside humeral head and stopped just past the joint capsule. There was surprisingly little meat loss but there would have even been less had I not hit that shoulder.
> 
> I used a barnes 165gr ttsx bullet. (preloaded stuff)
> 
> I put a limbsaver recoil pad on the rifle. With that on there, it's a pleasure to shoot compared to my 870 with 3" deer slugs. You have to be a real masochist to shoot more than a few shells through that beast.


Yeah, some of the 12 ga 3" deer slugs kick like a mule and make the .300 win mag look pretty tame.

According to Chuck Hawks recoil table the .300 Winchester Magnum produces *25.9 lbs.* of recoil firing the 180 grain round out of an 8.5 lb. rifle. 
The heaviest recoiling 3" 12 gauge round (1 7/8 oz):* 54.0 lbs*.

.


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## wyogoob

Christine said:


> Some pics... because yeah, I'm still pumped from this hunt. Elk are even bigger than I thought. I was off on my own for the hunt and when I got to her, I realized... I'd better call for help. :mrgreen:
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Great pictures, nice elk, and welcome to the forum.


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## colorcountrygunner

I'm surprised to see how well represented the little .270 Winchester is. Magnumitis hasn't set in too terribly bad on the UWN I see. I'm also surprised to see how under represented the old .30-06 is. I figured it would be the most popular of the non-magnum calibers. I voted .300 WM. I hunted elk with an old mauser .30-06 for years but never so much as got the opportunity to even pull a trigger on an elk with it (killed some nice bucks with grandpa's old gun though). However, while elk hunting this year I was able to take my first elk, a spike bull, with my dad's Browning BAR in .300 win mag. In order for a caliber to be my favorite elk caliber I must at least have shot an elk with it right?

You guys may be right about those 3 hundies beating up your shoulder. I've never shot a .300 win mag other than my dad's Browning BAR so I have nothing else to compare it too but it doesn't seem to bother me any more than the .30-06 I grew up hunting with. Those semi-auto BAR's must really take the edge off the recoil. I love my dad's BAR so much I'm planning on getting my own BAR chambered for .300 win mag.


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## Huge29

colorcountrygunner said:


> You guys may be right about those 3 hundies beating up your shoulder. I've never shot a .300 win mag other than my dad's Browning BAR so I have nothing else to compare it too but it doesn't seem to bother me any more than the .30-06 I grew up hunting with. Those semi-auto BAR's must really take the edge off the recoil. I love my dad's BAR so much I'm planning on getting my own BAR chambered for .300 win mag.


I have a BAR in 7mag that recoils way lighter than an '06 in a bolt, due to the heavy weight of the rifle and the action both reducing that felt recoil.


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## Nambaster

After shooting a friends .325 wsm at 9" paper plates off hand at a distance of 300 yards I am a believer in the .325 WSM for light recoil and sufficient energy at long distances on elk. Currently I use either my existing 30-06 or my .308 but I would say that the .325 WSM definitely has an advantage over both of my rifles.


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## woollybugger

Those who picked .270, .308, 30-06; did you do so because you think it is the best cartridge, or because you want one caliber for both elk and deer? 

I choose .338 win mag. Elk are big animals.


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## Critter

woollybugger said:


> Those who picked .270, .308, 30-06; did you do so because you think it is the best cartridge, or because you want one caliber for both elk and deer?
> 
> I choose .338 win mag. Elk are big animals.


I shot my deer last year with a .340 Weatherby and didn't loose any meat other than a couple of ribs.

A big round isn't just for elk.


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## Mr Muleskinner

Critter said:


> I shot my deer last year with a .340 Weatherby and didn't loose any meat other than a couple of ribs.
> 
> A big round isn't just for elk.


My father in law has hunted with the bigger rounds for as long as I can remember. (300, 338, 340) He has never lost anymore meat than I have. I have a 7mm rm that I use for pretty much everything. I have taken bear, antelope, deer, elk and moose with it. It really comes down to preference and shot placement anyhow. Always has. I have never seen an elk survive a .243 to the vitals. I doubt I ever will.

Would I like a bigger gun? Sure. I would like several more small ones too.


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## willfish4food

Chose the 300 WM. It's all I have that would qualify as an elk cartridge, so it's what I prefer. 

I don't take too many shots at the range but not because of the recoil (though I admit the recoil is not my favorite part of the shooting experience). I only shoot enough to keep a good relationship with my gun.  Reasons are: 

Cost - even reloading, it's a dollar a shot with a quality bullet.
Component availability - Don't have a huge stockpile of powder and primers so I have to ration them.
Barrel life - Bought it used and have no idea how many rounds went down it before I got it, but I've already put over 700 down the tube myself.


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## wyoming2utah

woollybugger said:


> Those who picked .270, .308, 30-06; did you do so because you think it is the best cartridge, or because you want one caliber for both elk and deer?
> 
> I choose .338 win mag. Elk are big animals.


I chose my .270 because it tends to shoot flatter than some of the "bigger" guns and because it is also a good deer gun.

I don't care how big of an animal an elk is, a well-placed shot will always do the trick! I had a friend who used a 22-250 on elk...he swore by it and actually showed me up once using it. It is all about shot placement.


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## colorcountrygunner

wyoming2utah said:


> I chose my .270 because it tends to shoot flatter than some of the "bigger" guns and because it is also a good deer gun.
> 
> I don't care how big of an animal an elk is, a well-placed shot will always do the trick! I had a friend who used a 22-250 on elk...he swore by it and actually showed me up once using it. It is all about shot placement.


I have to agree with this sentiment. The more real world experience I get with elk, the more inclined I am to think that there are a lot of idiots on the internet who have no idea what they are talking about. I've seen guns and loads that many would consider light for elk hunting absolutely flatten them at some pretty long distances.

This year I shot a bull with a .300 win mag using 180 grain nosler partitions. Many people would say this gun/load combo is the gold standard for elk hunting. I shot my bull at close range (75 or so yards) and ended up having to put 3 shots in his rib cage before he was down for good. Was my gun and bullet not up to the task? It absolutely was! That's just how it goes with elk hunting sometimes. Elk are big animals and it can take a long time for those big old lungs to fill up with blood. The elk was dead on its feet after the first shot but I wanted a little insurance. My dad shot a bull on the Mt. Dutton unit several years ago with the very same rifle and bullets I was using and the situation was nearly identical. Close range shot, good vital hits, stubborn elk that wouldn't go down easy.

Now what if some guy had been in the same situation as me or my dad shooting a .270 Winchester. He could easily make the conclusion that the .270 is wholly inadequate and he would have been much better served using a big magnum for elk! I believe this scenario probably happens a lot and when Henry the Hillbilly tells all his buddies and posts about it on the internet it perpetuates this myth that elk are made out of titanium and non-magnum calibers simply will not do.


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## Mauserwonk

woollybugger said:


> Those who picked .270, .308, 30-06; did you do so because you think it is the best cartridge, or because you want one caliber for both elk and deer?
> 
> I choose .338 win mag. Elk are big animals.


 I prefer my 257 or 7X57 for deer. I do feel that the 308 and 270 may be a bit on the light side for a big bull, even though a 308 is what I carried this year (to no avail) :sad:. But I also think the 30-06 with a good 180 gn pill @ 2700-2800 fs makes excellent Elk medicne. As with anything, bullet placement is key. A 300 WM becomes a 30-06 @ 100 yards or so.


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## Mauserwonk

colorcountrygunner said:


> I have to agree with this sentiment. The more real world experience I get with elk, the more inclined I am to think that there are a lot of idiots on the internet who have no idea what they are talking about. I've seen guns and loads that many would consider light for elk hunting absolutely flatten them at some pretty long distances.
> 
> This year I shot a bull with a .300 win mag using 180 grain nosler partitions. Many people would say this gun/load combo is the gold standard for elk hunting. I shot my bull at close range (75 or so yards) and ended up having to put 3 shots in his rib cage before he was down for good. Was my gun and bullet not up to the task? It absolutely was! That's just how it goes with elk hunting sometimes. Elk are big animals and it can take a long time for those big old lungs to fill up with blood. The elk was dead on its feet after the first shot but I wanted a little insurance. My dad shot a bull on the Mt. Dutton unit several years ago with the very same rifle and bullets I was using and the situation was nearly identical. Close range shot, good vital hits, stubborn elk that wouldn't go down easy.
> 
> Now what if some guy had been in the same situation as me or my dad shooting a .270 Winchester. He could easily make the conclusion that the .270 is wholly inadequate and he would have been much better served using a big magnum for elk! I believe this scenario probably happens a lot and when Henry the Hillbilly tells all his buddies and posts about it on the internet it perpetuates this myth that elk are made out of titanium and non-magnum calibers simply will not do.


 Good post! I think an argument can absoloutly be made about the ethical responsibility of using enough gun for tough animals. But on the other hand, if I were a guide I think I would be more apprehensive about a nervous, excitable, twitchy, inexperienced Elk hunter with a 375 H&H then I would be about a steady, confident experienced hunter with a 270.


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## colorcountrygunner

Critter said:


> I shot my deer last year with a .340 Weatherby and didn't loose any meat other than a couple of ribs.
> 
> A big round isn't just for elk.


I have to agree with this also. I've never understood the argument that certain calibers aren't good for deer because they are "too big" and cause too much meat loss. What are these people doing? Shooting them in the rump?:shock: Shoot them just behind the shoulder like you're supposed to and you really aren't out much. Conversely, I've seen little 100 grain pills from .243's cause significant blood shot when placed in a fleshy part of a deer. A .340 weatherby definitely wouldn't be my first choice for deer but if I just had one do-all caliber and that was the gun I had I certainly wouldn't see any problem using it on deer-size game.


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## itchytriggerfinger

I've used a 308 30-06 7mm and a 338 for elk and deer for that matter. My wife has been shooting the 338 (has the nicest scope) the last two years and she is a little sporadic with her shot placement. Could be buck fever or flinching(since she scoped herself last year. So we will be getting a 270 for my wife for this next year. its pink camo and we don't have a 270 yet.


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## paddler

Mauserwonk said:


> I prefer my 257 or 7X57 for deer. I do feel that the 308 and 270 may be a bit on the light side for a big bull, even though a 308 is what I carried this year (to no avail) :sad:. But I also think the 30-06 with a good 180 gn pill @ 2700-2800 fs makes excellent Elk medicne. As with anything, bullet placement is key. A 300 WM becomes a 30-06 @ 100 yards or so.


MW, I'm a big 98 fan. Did you build up your 257 and 7X57? I have a couple of actions...

I only hunt elk with a bow, but if I used a rifle, it would most likely be with my 35 Whelen. Or maybe my 375 H&H. I like the old school stuff.


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## silentstalker

270 Win with a 150 gr. nosler partition. Shoots like a dart and the elk never complain. A poor hit is a poor hit regardless of caliber. A good hit with a quality bullet with good sectional density will do the job every time!


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## High Desert Elk

7mm WSM, I like this because I can shoot the same grain bullet (140) a little farther a little flatter than .270 WSM, but I use and like that one as well. Last elk I got last year was 606 yds with a 160 gr NP out of the 7 - performs well for me.


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## wapati

I have stuck pretty much with 30 cal to stay common with reloading components. having said that, 30.06 was my top elk gun for a lot of years, then bought a 300 ultra mag after seeing one at an RMEF convention. It bought the RMEF version so didn't want to modify (port/brake), so I learned to shoot it as-is ignoring the recoil. I didn't care much for the blazing speeds so started loading 220 partitions trading the speed for a heavier bullet, dropping it down to just over 2800 fps, since the area I hunt is really thick and shot opportunities are seldom beyond 200 yards (typical is more like 50-125 yds).


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## Firehawk

325 wsm with a 200 grain Accubond is my choice.


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## longbow

Admit it guys, the bigger the better. Unless you can't handle it, then it's the worst caliber you could shoot. It's always a good rule to hunt elk with the biggest gun you can handle accurately. If that's a 22-250 then that's YOUR perfect elk caliber. My favorite gun is a Accumark 300 Wby Mag. Anything bigger than that and I have to rub some Vagasil on my shoulder.


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## Huge29

longbow said:


> Admit it guys, the bigger the better. Unless you can't handle it, then it's the worst caliber you could shoot. It's always a good rule to hunt elk with the biggest gun you can handle accurately. If that's a 22-250 then that's YOUR perfect elk caliber. My favorite gun is a Accumark 300 Wby Mag. Anything bigger than that and I have to rub some Vagasil on my shoulder.


Vagasil?? a joke apparently.
I agree, I read an article that did a study on this topic in one of the major outdoor magazines. The conclusion was that accuracy is generally improved with the smaller calibers. I think that it is pretty intuitive that I will shoot much better when I am not thinking about my shoulder being sore for the next month from a 338 or an ultra mag... I can say that my 300WSM is quite comfortable for me, no issue at all and I just see no need whatsoever for anything larger. I think the underlying result is that a shot of any caliber be it 243 or 375 in the boiler room will humanely kill any game, on teh other hand regardless of the immense 300 grain bullet not in the correct spot will not be a humane kill, no news here.


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## fishreaper

Where is the lever-action love? 30-30's, 35 Remington's, 45-70's? What is the west if not a 94 or 1885 paradise?


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## 35whelen

i have a .300 win mag. I have never shot an elk. not for lack of trying. when I hunt elk next I will take my .35 whelen or .358 win. no particular reason. I know they will do the job and I have yet to take any game with either.


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## KineKilla

I picked the .270 WIN because that is what I have. I have shot numerous deer with it but never an elk...until October!

If I were to buy a new rifle specifically for Elk, Moose or larger animals I'd probably go with the 300 WSM from the reading that I have done.


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## 2full

I have killed 5 elk with my 30-06, with a 165 grain. 4 dropped in their tracks, and 1 went about 40 yards walking sideways. Never have lost one.
I'll stick with those results.


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## El Matador

I'll be hunting with a 300 WM this year and hopefully I'll be ok with such a light varmint caliber. Haven't had time to get any loads worked up for the 338-378 yet :mrgreen:


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## BPturkeys

What about that great elk slayer, the .223??....it is after all, all about shot placement isn't it?

(watch all the small bore sissy's come out of the woodwork and tell us about all the elk they've killed with there AR's)


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## RandomElk16

BPturkeys said:


> What about that great elk slayer, the .223??....it is after all, all about shot placement isn't it?
> 
> (watch all the small bore sissy's come out of the woodwork and tell us about all the elk they've killed with there AR's)


Sissy's huh? I am not one of these "sissy's" and don't use an AR but have seen AR's take down many elk, especially in thick areas where you get close.

Close-minded thinking strikes again.


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## 35whelen

is .24 minimum legal caliber for elk?


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## Critter

35whelen said:


> is .24 minimum legal caliber for elk?


Depends on what state you are hunting in. A .223 is legal in Utah but not in Colorado, or Montana. I'm not sure on Wyoming.


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## 35whelen

ok. for some reason I was thinking in UT .223 was minimum for deer and antelope but .24 was minimum for the larger species and bear. not sure where i got that.


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## Critter

The actual wording in the guide book is a center fire rifle round so we could include the .22 Hornet and the .17 caliber center fire rounds. I don't know if I would want to hunt a elk with one but you could.


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## wyogoob

Wyoming's weapon rules, new in 2013.

• For the taking of moose, bighorn sheep, elk, mountain goat, and black bear, hunters shall use any centerfire firearm of at least .24 caliber and with a cartridge at least two inches long.

• For deer, antelope, mountain lion, and gray wolf, the major change is the addition of .22 centerfire cartridges as legal ammunition. For the taking of deer, antelope, mountain lions, and gray wolves in areas where they are designated as trophy game, hunters can use any centerfire firearm of at least .22 caliber, using a cartridge at least two inches long and firing a bullet of at least 60 grains.

• For all big and trophy game species, legal firearms also include any cartridge of at least .35 caliber and at least 1.5 inches in overall length, or a cartridge that generally delivers 500 foot-pounds of impact at 100 yards. Shotguns firing “00” or larger buckshot are now legal for all big and trophy game. In addition, muzzleloading rifles or handguns of at least .40 caliber that fire a lead or expanding-point bullet using at least 50 grains of black powder or its equivalent can be used. All cartridges for big and trophy game must use a lead or expanding-point bullet with the exception of any shotgun firing “00” buckshot or a slug.


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