Leupold BX-4 Rangefinding Binoculars

2019 elk, weapon and ammo

Jocho

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May 28, 2019
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I will be shooting a 270 this year for rifle elk and am wondering what grain you guys would think is best for putting him down and thoughts on using a 270 for elk hunting thanks in advance
 
270 is plenty big enough for elk. Find a good, well built,150gr bullet that shoots well in your rifle and then practice real world shots to get ready for your hunt. Hitting your target is more important than what you hit it with.
 
I agree with elkantlers, the 270 is fine for elk. The only difference is that I would choose either a Barnes, Nosler or Hornady 130gr all copper bullet, ( either the GMX, TSX or TTSX, or ET). I believe there are some that would split the hairs and say using a good bullet in 140gr, would be the best choice. Either way, I don't think you can go wrong. Good Luck!
 
The 270 is a really fine elk cartridge. I have loaded for a buddy of mine who has taken several nice bulls with his .270. His load is 130 gr. Nosler Partitions. I would try some 130-140-150 gr. bullets and see what your rifle likes. There are a lot of fine bullets out there but the Nosler Accubonds, Partitions, and E-tips are pretty tough to beat. If I were to choose the E-tip, I would go with the 130 gr. bullet to get a bit more velocity.
 
I typically don't shoot a rifle enough to hand load. Most of my hunting with a rifle has been for Pronghorn. My T3 liked the Hornady light magnum in 130 gr. Interbond. That is all I have been using for the last 15 years. This year is my first Elk tag but I ran out of ammo. Hornady no longer makes the light magnum. The replacement is Superformance. No more interbonds in the Superformance .270 win so I will be using the GMX in 130gr. The solid copper alloy GMX is supposed to retain most of the bullet weight so there is really no need for a heavier bullet (in theory) . I am supposed to be getting 3190 ft/sec muzzle velocity. The barnes bullet pushes out 4 petals where the GMX is supposed to be a one piece symmetrical mushroom at 1 1/2 times the bullet diameter. The caveat with the GMX is that 2,000 ft/sec velocity at the target is needed to expand the bullet. Plenty of range for elk though.
 
270 works fine on elk, as said before pick a bullet designed to stay together and penetrate. I use Nosler Accubonds.
 
As others have posted, the .270 Win has killed plenty of elk over the years. As to bullet type and weight, I'd probably use a Nosler Accubond or Partition or a Barnes TTSX and weighing either 150 or 160 grains, whichever is the most accurate in YOUR rifle. The Barnes bullets retain their weight better than lead core bullets (especially Partitions that are designed to loose the lead in the front half), so you can drop down one weight. I aim 1/3 up into the body, right behind the shoulder.

After killing elk for many years with a variety of cartridges and bullets, my favorite elk cartridge now is my .300 Weatherby shooting 180 grain Barnes TTSX bullets.
 
Here’s one 6.5mm bullet and two 7mm bullets pulled from elk. Guess which is which. You will generally fall in the middle for expansion if you can even tell the difference between the 6.5 and 7mm

3915E970-F611-43D4-BB2C-5DC2E6F649E3.jpeg
 
30-06 165 ether nosler partitions or hornady interlocks with 57.5 of H4350
 
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