Wife's/Young Son's First Elk Rifle?

[AnaxImperator]

Is the 7.62x39 legal for elk?

That would depend on where you are... in MT it is legal. Might not be overly advisable depending on how far you plan to shoot and your abilities, but legal. If you do make sure to use a good expanding bullet of some type and not FMJ.

I wouldn't hunt anything larger than deer with 7.62x39, even if it is a legal caliber for elk. And I didn't think it was legal to hunt with FMJs anywhere?

There's a couple guys over at Gunboards who use 7.62x54R to take elk & bear (razorback too), and it seems to be a popular caliber for the same with the Europeans. I personally am getting excited about using my M38 this season, which IMHO a good rifle for the area I'm going to be hunting in.

 

[41magsnub]

I wouldn't hunt anything larger than deer with 7.62x39, even if it is a legal caliber for elk. And I didn't think it was legal to hunt with FMJs anywhere?

MT is wide open in that regard. We are the exception for better or worse.