Candidus
Would you like to maximize your opportunities in this hunt.
In other words, yes under ideal conditions & at a short range with some bullets the 223 will kill an Elk, if you lung him or shoot him in the head. Yes, that could be done.
However, do you know how this Elk will be standing, what angle will you have to shoot this Elk & at what range. Speaking for myself & the people that I hunt with, we don't know these things until the shooting opportunity exists. This is what I mean by maximizing the opportunities, I want
a gun in my hands that can bust his shoulders from the side if that is the shot offered, or do a high shoulder shot which will bust the point of the shoulder & penetrate the
lung, Kidney area if quartering to me, or be able to shoot
if he is quartering away into the rear of his vitals & bust
his off shoulder. I also want to be able to harvest this great Animal at any reasonable distance which can be long range. The 223 CANNOT be relied on for any of these shots.
Soooo, why not go prepared for the hunt as we always should?
If you don't want an unused gun sitting around (hope my Wife does not see that), why not buy a rifle you know you can get your money back on & start practicing. Then after the hunt, sell it.
Or if the initial outlay is a problem, buy a Handi rifle in
270, 280 or 30-06 for about $225.00-250.00 & you can sell it too! You can come back from the hunt without economic issues & have a hunt with good life long memories & no regrets.