Pronghorn are small-framed and light-boned. Elk are big. Both are staple animals in the Rocky Mountain West. Here are five cartridges that will handle both.
by Jace Bauserman
I’ve read too many outdoor articles about pronghorn being the ultimate “gateway” species to hunting the West. I’ve hunted pronghorn across the West for 25 years. They are an amazing critter to hunt, and don’t get enough respect.
Elk, on the other hand, get all the respect. These 500-plus-pound ungulates are big and stinky, and the bugle of a rutting bull will make the hair of any hunter, newbie or seasoned, stand up.
Both are popular western big-game animals, and once hunters come West, whether for elk or pronghorn, they tend to return. If they hunted pronghorn, they want to hunt elk and vice versa. Many fall in love with both species and do everything in their power to hunt them yearly with a rifle.
The problem: Elk are big and heavy-boned, and pronghorn are small and light-boned. A mature bull elk will push the scale north of 700 pounds. A mature buck pronghorn will top out at 140 pounds. Most bucks are under 130 pounds.
For this reason, many western hunters have a preferred cartridge for pronghorn and another for elk. That’s fine. However, these cartridges will take down both.
6.5 PRC
I’m a PRC fan and have killed elk and pronghorn with the 6.5 PRC, 7 PRC, and 300 PRC. When it comes to a great western do-all, I like the 6.5 PRC.
Developed by Hornady in collaboration with George Gardner of GA Precision, the 6.5 PRC packs more of a punch than the 6.5 Creedmoor but doesn’t abuse the shoulder like traditional long-action magnum cartridges, and that was its purpose. Hornady wanted a fast, flat-shooting cartridge that promised excellent ballistic performance.
During design, Hornady took a .300 Ruger Compact Magnum and necked it down to 6.5mm to create a short, chubby case that allows for maximum powder capacity to push 6.5mm bullets at high speeds.
What I love about the cartridge is that it’s hyper-accurate and effective at longer ranges on light-boned game like pronghorn, but packs enough punch to bring down elk.
Make no mistake: the 6.5 PRC does not have the long-range knockdown power of the 7mm Rem. Mag, 300 Win. Mag., or other long-action magnums. Keep that in mind when you’re hunting elk. The 6.5 Precision Rifle Cartridge was designed to be hyper-accurate. If you get familiar with our rifle and your chosen cartridge, you can hit the hair you’re aiming at. I’ve killed pronghorn over 600 and bull elk out to 400 with the 6.5 PRC.
.243 Winchester
Some of you are rolling your eyes already, but piles of elk have been killed with the .243 Winchester. Both my boys killed their first bull elk with a .243 Win., and my oldest son, Hunter, killed his first pronghorn with a .243 Win at 394 yards.
Introduced in 1955 by Winchester Repeating Arms Company, this .30-caliber, which evolved by necking down 6mm (.243-inch) bullets, has the X factor. Put your crosshairs where you want to hit, and bullets weighing between 95 and 100 grains will sizzle downrange with supreme accuracy and hit with a wallop I can’t explain.
Winchester wanted to create a cartridge with manageable recoil that would deliver power. Bullet options are endless, easy to find, and this is a great cartridge for small-framed shooters. I love that I can pop a prairie dog while looking for pronghorn bucks, crush a speed goat at 400 yards 20 minutes later, and shoot a bull elk in October with this cartridge. Even better, I know that if I do my job, this 3,000-feet-per-second cartridge will perform.
6.5 Creedmoor
More eyerolls? That’s OK. I like the 6.5 Creedmoor and have killed elk and pronghorn with this hyper-accurate cartridge. Two years ago, I double-lunged a 401-yard bull elk that took 12 steps and tipped over. The 6.5 Creedmoor is a killer.
Slower than the 6.5 PRC and .243 Win., the 6.5 Creedmoor, with 120- to 147-grain bullets, is a tack driver. Not designed for raw speed, the heavier, sleek bullets resist wind drift and hit behind the crosshairs. I’ve rang steel with this cartridge to 1,250 yards, and its accuracy never fails to impress me, especially since bullet speeds aren’t off the charts. Rather, the 30-degree shoulder ensures exact, consistent chambering; the case capacity balances powder and volume; and the bore is designed to send bullets down the barrel without extreme pressure. All of this leads to remarkable accuracy.
You can’t go on social media without seeing comments (mostly negative) about the 6.5 Creedmoor. Many are calling it the “6.5 Needmoor”, and there are more negative skits and memes about the cartridge than any other. You can believe the skits and memes and let the noise distract you from owning one of, if not the, most accurate calibers of all time. Don’t do that! Shoot pronghorn and elk in the lungs with the 6.5 Creedmoor, and they die.
6.8 Western
Browning’s darling cartridge, the 6.8 Western, much like the .234 Win. kills. I’ve killed elk, deer, pronghorn, bear, ibex, and more with this outstanding cartridge.
A shortened-down 270 WSM, the 6.8 Western utilizes a 2.020-inch case with a 35-degree shoulder angle. The total cartridge length is 2.995 inches. What makes the cartridge great is that it sends a low-drag, high-BC bullet at high speeds. The bullet holds its speed downrange, cuts the wind, and ensures maximum accuracy. Recoil is extremely manageable, which means the hunter can fire a heavy-for-caliber bullet without getting beaten up. This means quicker follow-up shots if necessary.
Likely the best option in this quintet if you want more power and less recoil, my Browning X-Bolt 2 Speed chambered in6.8 Western, depending on wind and other environmental factors, flies at 2,153 fps at 500 yards and hits with 1,771 foot-pounds of energy with Browning’s 175-Grain Long Range Pro Hunter. It hits with a bigger whallop than the 7mm Rem. Mag. at this distance, and produces far less recoil.
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield doesn’t get enough respect anymore. It has been around forever, and in the hunting world, anything old is often treated like it has been passed by. That’s nonsense. The .30-06 remains one of the finest cartridges for pronghorn and elk.
I’ve carried one after both species, and its greatest strength is versatility. Load it with a 150-grain bullet, and it shoots flat enough for pronghorn while delivering more than enough energy for a long cross-canyon shot. Load a 165- or 180-grain controlled-expansion bullet, and you have a dependable elk hammer capable of penetrating heavy bone and reaching the lungs.
The cartridge doesn’t abuse your shoulder like a magnum, ammunition is available almost everywhere, and every major bullet company builds excellent .30-caliber projectiles for it. That matters when you’re traveling West and need reliable ammunition.
Is the .30-06 the fastest cartridge on the mountain? No. Does it need to be? Also no. Put a quality bullet behind the shoulder, know your rifle, and this old warhorse will take pronghorn and elk cleanly, confidently, and repeatedly.
Final Thoughts
Hundreds of pounds may separate pronghorn and elk, but they share one important trait: both demand accurate shooting, sound bullet selection, and a hunter who understands the limits of his rifle. The five cartridges in this article can handle both animals, but none is a substitute for practice or ethical judgment.
The 6.5 PRC offers speed, accuracy, and manageable recoil in a modern package. The .243 Winchester proves that a mild-kicking cartridge, loaded with a quality bullet and placed through the lungs, can be far more capable than critics suggest. The 6.5 Creedmoor continues to demonstrate that accuracy and consistency matter more than internet jokes. The 6.8 Western delivers heavy, high-ballistic-coefficient bullets with impressive downrange performance and modest recoil.
Then there is the .30-06 Springfield, the old warhorse that still refuses to fade. With the right bullet, it is flat-shooting enough for pronghorn and powerful enough for elk. It may not be the newest or fastest option, but ammunition is easy to find, bullets are plentiful, and its record speaks for itself.
Ultimately, the best cartridge is the one you shoot well and trust completely. Put a proper bullet into the lungs, respect your effective range, and any of these five can turn a western hunt into a memory that lasts forever.
