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Bullets that kill elk

Rooster52

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I talked to a man yesterday,now retired,but used to work for an outfitter in Montana.We talked a lot about elk hunting and eventually got to guns and bullets for elk.He said when asked he would always recommend the Nosler Partion in a heavy for caliber bullet ,but also said most of there hunters would show up with what ever was onsale at there local WALMART or retail store and they would kill elk.
He still recommends the Nosler but also says nothing wrong with the factory Remington/Winchester or Federal /they killed a lot of elk.
 
I use a 200 gr nosler partition, but I think more about hunter and shot placement.
 
There are discussions day in and day out about which bullet is best. Virtually any bullet will kill an elk on a perfect, broad-side shot. The conversation changes when you start talking about shots that are at less-than-perfect angles, or through heavy bones. For my money, premiums are really worth it for elk. I am a Nosler fan, also.

After spending a lot of money on an elk hunt, why even chance the bullet performance of a standard bullet?
 
In 7 elk seasons I've killed 6 Wyoming bulls with Nosler Partitions from 20 to 350 yards. The Federal Premium loads in .300 Win Mag. Recovered maybe 4 or 5 under the skin on the far side. All have been nicely mushroomed with the base intact.

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Just having the confidence that the bullet is going to do its job makes me able to concentrate on aiming.
 
I like a bullet that will chew through a shoulder if need be. In my .308, a generic 180 SP will do that. In my .300, a premium is required.

Adequate construction depends on velocity as much as actual construction.
 
I like a bullet that will chew through a shoulder if need be. In my .308, a generic 180 SP will do that. In my .300, a premium is required.

Adequate construction depends on velocity as much as actual construction.

I agree totally. At .308 velocities, a standard bullet is fine. My kids killed a couple elk with 165 Hornadys. They perform just fine. The higher the velocity, the more apt the standard bullet is to perform badly on heavy animals. A deer is a non-issue. They are not hard to kill and deep penetration is not as necessary.
 
When I started reloading my ammo 30 years ago ,it was a 30-06 and 180 Hornady inter locks.then as time went on I started using the nosler solid base,great bullet. Then came the Partition,that took over for my big game bullet.Now it is the Accubond! That bullet turned my hunting rifles into target guns.I mean they are the most accurate bullet I have ever used.Not shot a lot of game with them but the accuracy I get has got my confidence.Still got a lot of bullets by different companies that I shoot,but hard to beat that accubond .
 
When a guide recommends something, pay attention. He has a reason for saying so.
 
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I've always been a big fan of Accubonds and Barnes TTX. Did some testing with several different factory loads this year and found out my 30-06 likes plain jane 165 gr. Cor-lockts the best. So now I'm shooting Cor-lockts.

I'd sacrifice a tiny bit of accuracy to not shoot a thin jacketed bullet like a Hornady SST, but for me I let my rifle tell me what it wants to shoot.
 
When a guide recommends something, pay attention. He has a reason for saying so.

Depends on the guide. Some of them still think a 7mm Rem Mag shoots so fast that a bullet doesn't have time to "open up."

Just like any group of people, they are subject to human failings.
 
All this talk about bullets. Everyone knows there is only one bullet that works every time on elk. The well placed one.
 
Depends on the guide. Some of them still think a 7mm Rem Mag shoots so fast that a bullet doesn't have time to "open up."

Just like any group of people, they are subject to human failings.

Yep. It is amazing how many people still think ridiculous stuff like that. I guess that I have slow 7 mags. My bullets open up extremely well.:eek:
 
Going against the mushroomed bullet grain...I've had TREMENDOUS success w/ the Berger hunting VLD's in my .300 RUM.

+1 on a well placed bullet as being the most effective though.
 
I agree totally. At .308 velocities, a standard bullet is fine. My kids killed a couple elk with 165 Hornadys. They perform just fine. The higher the velocity, the more apt the standard bullet is to perform badly on heavy animals. A deer is a non-issue. They are not hard to kill and deep penetration is not as necessary.

Well, not really. I had some cheap ammo that was coming apart and spraying lead all over the insides of the deer. They ruined a lot of meat.

I now shoot all copper because I like my meat unleaded.

rg
 

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