RE: elk bullet in 06
 

I was using the 180grNosler ballistic tip.

RE: elk bullet in 06
 

hey guys, who makes this tsx bullet i keep hearing of? thanks!

-Dave

RE: elk bullet in 06
 

Barnes,it's called the Barnes Tripple shock X.

Well good for you Stubble,I would still not recomend it.I know that Nosler has gone through great strides to improve the BLT over the years and winchester loads it in their line for CXP 3 game.I would still not trust it,there are so many more better bullets out their that are desinged for penetration and hold up well.
I used a 200 gr nosler BLT on spike bull 2 yrs ago,and allI found on the far shoulder was the copper cup of the bullet.I also know that 200 gr is on the lower end of the spectrem of .338 bullets.I would not trust this bullet to penetrate as deep as I would a Nosler part.,Barmes-x or a Speer grand slam or Bear claw.
But each to your own,good thread.
BBJ

RE: elk bullet in 06
 

Federal Fusions in 180 grain... Did my friends elk in at 340 yards last year.

RE: elk bullet in 06
 

I've used Winchester Premium Failsafe successfully with my .300 WM on my last 2 trips. I'm using the same brand with Accubond this year in that rifle and will take along my .30-06 as a backup in case needed with the Accubonds, too.

RE: elk bullet in 06
 

If you are able to place the bullet through the vitals, nothing is more effective than the Ballistic tip. I reapeat though, with the lighter BT's (165 grain and less). you need to hit the vitals without hitting major bones. The 180's seem to penetrate just fine as they have a heavier jacket.

RE: elk bullet in 06
 

150gr Sierra GameKing boat tail in my 7mm mag.

RE: elk bullet in 06
 

Go to a good hunting store with a decent selection. Buy 1 box each of TSX, Partitions, Accubonds, and any others you can afford. Then go shoot them at the max range you expect your hunt might involve.

Whichever shoots the best out of your gun is the winner as most of the top quality bullets will work on any elk. It's not so much in choosing the best bullet available, but finding one of the good ones that will shoot well in your rifle.

Good luck!

RE: elk bullet in 06
 

My 300 Win Mag is loaded with 180 Gr Barnes X that I handload for my 700 BDL.The bullet is proven elk-tough and ata hair under 3000 fps and sub 1 inch groups at 200 yards, I think Ihave all I need.

For a factory load, I like the 180 gr. Winchester Fail Safe. It too is a bone crusher if it needs to be.

I always have a back up rifle when hunting and for me, it's a Winchester M70 in 30.06. Currently it is running with 180 gr Winchester Accubonds since I don't reload for the '06. I haven't had any experience with this setup on elk yet but it knocked the piss out of a big whitetail at over 300 yards last fall.

In my rifle, the Accubonds seem to group better than the former Nosler Partitions I was using. However, I also like the 180 gr Fail Safes in the 30.06 and if I have a less than desirable experience with the Accubonds, it's back to the FS.

My friend uses a 30.06 and has wacked several elk with his pet load of a 168 gr Barnes XLC. That included dropping a 6x5 at 460 yards with one shot.

I love Nosler Ballistic Tips for deer and antelope but I wouldn't trust them for anything bigger. They don't holdtogether reliably enough for the big critters, in my opinion.

As for the cheap Remington Core-lok stuff---- I know some guys who use it and they always have to shoot their elk 2-4 times to drop them. And that is with good shot placement. The bullets work, it's just that there are much better bullets out there. And what if you only get one good shot in??????

Someone else already said it- You spend a lot of money to travel out of state for an elk hunt and then scrimp on spending another $10-$20 for a box of good ammo........
Three things you don'tcut corners on orit will come back to haunt you 1) Optics 2) Footwear 3) Ammo.

Just my $.02

Craig

RE: elk bullet in 06
 

Excellent post Craig!

I too reload and am using Nosler Accubonds. Federal sells them from the factory too so you can shoot Accubonds even if you don't handload. I just haven't had an opportunity to use them on an animal yet to report my findings with them.

I have used Nosler Ballistic Tips and they are great for deer. I've taken 2 with them and was very happy with their performance and price. I've shot 1 deer with Remington softpoints and they worked fine. 2 Elk with Partitions, I like them ok, but they are really expensive and don't shoot very well out of my rifle (with handloads) so I switched to the Accubonds. I've also shot a deer with the Swift Scirocco and performance was good, but almost too much penetration for a deer-sized animal, not enough expansion. Plus they are very long-for-caliber with all that copper (probably the same for the other bullets that are mostly or all copper) so if you handload you need to be aware of that fact. Hard to seat them long enough for some rifles without the bullets being too long to fit in the magazine.