Which bullet for elk?

[26Reload]

Country Bumpkin...that sound like fun.....one shot kills are what we shoot for.....but multiple shots are just more excitement til next year....

As for bullet selection....dad & 270 whatever he has used and sighted in that rifle....dont make him change rifles now...270 is plenty rifle for elk..my brother has killed and been back up to his buddies for many years with his 270...even handed his buddies his rifle to shoot when they ran out of ammo in their rifles......idiots....
And this other rifle is a 300wm...it has killed many elk as well...
As said before.....doesnt make a difference which rifle...just be a shooter...

 

[Rum Man]

Funny story ..20 years ago our group went into the Meeker Hardware store to get out tags . (Non Res.) I'm in line and I'm looking st the ammo shelves ..a few of every cal...except the 270 win.and the 338 win. They were stacked to the ceiling!! So I asked the nice lady why there was so many of those two ..she was very nice and said ..well you out of staters think you need a 338 for elk , us locals well we just need 270 ..lol
I still tell that story !!
Anyway find some 168 bergers and good luck !!

 

[WyoHunter1]

When in doubt if you need a bullet that wont fail the partition is always a #1 choice.

 

[HARPERC]

Leaving Tuesday? The basic 2 options I'd use the partition.

The 3rd choice of taking a .270 he's experienced with is where I would go.

 

[WildRose]

Leaving Tues for an elk hunt. Which bullet would you recommend from a 7mm Rem mag? Shots will be less than 500 yards.

Berger VLD 168 grain or a Nosler Partition 160 grain?

This question should have been asked six months ago.

I'm no fan of the Bergers at all but at this point the only reasonable answer is "whichever load you already have that shoots most accurately".

If you don't even have an accurate load for the rifle I hate to say it but it is irresponsible to even attempt to hunt with it.

If nothing else, go pick up two or three boxes of different factory loads, and find one you can shoot decently meaning no more than a 2" three shot group at a 100yds and limit your shots to no more than a 300yds max.

I'd suggest some Federal Premium, Hornady Precision Hunter, and maybe Nosler Trophy Grade with the 160+ plus grain bullets and use a good hunting bullet, not a VLD/Target bullet.

Let me throw Barnes in there as well. They produce very good factory ammo as well. The TTSX is a decent bullet but use it to punch the shoulders not just the lungs.

I don't mean to come off too harsh here but I can't endorse this. If you'd already done the work and had a last minute failure or stolen rifle or something and had to try to come up with something in an emergency that would be different but this just sounds like a choice and a very poor one.

If I'm reading it wrong I'll go ahead and apologize right now.

 

[KamoAggie]

This question should have been asked six months ago.

I'm no fan of the Bergers at all but at this point the only reasonable answer is "whichever load you already have that shoots most accurately".

If you don't even have an accurate load for the rifle I hate to say it but it is irresponsible to even attempt to hunt with it.

If nothing else, go pick up two or three boxes of different factory loads, and find one you can shoot decently meaning no more than a 2" three shot group at a 100yds and limit your shots to no more than a 300yds max.

I'd suggest some Federal Premium, Hornady Precision Hunter, and maybe Nosler Trophy Grade with the 160+ plus grain bullets and use a good hunting bullet, not a VLD/Target bullet.

Let me throw Barnes in there as well. They produce very good factory ammo as well. The TTSX is a decent bullet but use it to punch the shoulders not just the lungs.

I don't mean to come off too harsh here but I can't endorse this. If you'd already done the work and had a last minute failure or stolen rifle or something and had to try to come up with something in an emergency that would be different but this just sounds like a choice and a very poor one.

If I'm reading it wrong I'll go ahead and apologize right now.

I appreciate the concern but I have owned the rifle for several years. Have shot both bullets out of it for several years and have both bullets dailed in. I can literally make one adjustment and either will be shooting 1 MOA or better and sited in at 200 yards. My dad has killed several animals with this rifle and is comfortable with it. I simply asking the question regarding internal performance of each bullet on an animal as big as an elk as I have never shot an elk with it.

 

[WildRose]

I appreciate the concern but I have owned the rifle for several years. Have shot both bullets out of it for several years and have both bullets dailed in. I can literally make one adjustment and either will be shooting 1 MOA or better and sited in at 200 yards. My dad has killed several animals with this rifle and is comfortable with it. I simply asking the question regarding internal performance of each bullet on an animal as big as an elk as I have never shot an elk with it.

Great to hear. Like I said I didn't want to come off to harshly if I was reading it wrong but it came off like you just decided to grab a rifle and go kill an elk..

Between the two I'd take the Partition hands down.

 

[Martin@Hin]

I agree with Pulpwood.
A 7 pointer lost to the wolves in the dark timber would have been anchored by a south bound shot from a 340.
Gun like that also feels good if there is a dispute with a Grissly

Guys I didn't mean to imply that any round below a .300 would not kill an elk . A perfectly placed 22long rifle will harvest an elk. But as others have said before if a hunter knows his or her limitations and experience with any round things can be kept in perspective .

 

[PT1967]

Perfect answer. I shot one at 400 yds with a Barnes VOR-TX Ammunition 7mm Remington Magnum 150 Grain TTSX Polymer Tipped Spitzer Boat Tail. Dropped him. Shot placement and what that particular rifle of mine liked. Remington Sendero.

 

[Buano]

Leaving Tues for an elk hunt. Which bullet would you recommend from a 7mm Rem mag? Shots will be less than 500 yards.

Berger VLD 168 grain or a Nosler Partition 160 grain?

ALWAYS choose the partition with a 7MM Rem mag if shots may be close! I used a 7MM Rem for my first elk hunt and was prepared for shots to 600 yards (as far as I had a place to practice). I was using premium bullets (Accubond). I hunted hard, got lucky, and shot a large 6x6 bull at all of 9 yards. The bullet velocity was so high at that range that the bullet failed — a shot I put in his shoulder broke up before it entered the chest cavity. Thankfully my previous shot entered behind the ribs, hit nothing hard, and made it to his lungs! Since then I will only use bullets guaranteed not to break up if there is a chance of a high-velocity impact.

 

[sconnierider]

Placement trumps all! That aside, my handloading experience leans towards the 168 gr Berger VLD.

 

[TSX]

Put it in the vitals and it won't matter which one. However, use the one that shoots best out of your rifle.

How long have you had your tag? Your leaving Tuesday for an elk hunt and you now ask that question?

 

[Bigaldepr]

If "blackaj" can one shot drop an elk at 940 yards with 6.5 SAUM and a 147 grn. bullet I can't imagine there being any difference which 7mm RM bullet you choose. Its all about placement.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Elk from Saturday. 168 vld at 2980 fps. Lungs shot, clipped a rib bone on its way in, peppered the opposite side of the rib cage, no exit. I stay away from shoulders.