Elk hunting question
 

Hey guys. I am going on my first elk trip and would like to get some thought about bullets and loads. I live in California and get to hunt deer and pig mainly. I have been using a 150 grain Winchester supreme E tip for the last couple of years due to non lead restrictions here. This bullet has worked very well for me dropping a deer from about two hundred dead in its tracks and recently a 350 plus boar. The boar I shot on the run quartering away at 90 yards. Bullet blew out back shoulder penetrated lungs and left a perfect mushroom in the front shoulder. This round seems to shoot well out of my 30-06 but I am wondering if those who hunt elk regularly think it will be sufficient for elk especially if a 300 to 400 yard shot is required.

Thanks for the help.

Josh

what you are shooting will work fine. i have used the 150s out of my 7 mag with good success. that being said i am going to a 338 win mag this year just to get a little more knock down power. the last 2 years the bulls i shot got up after being hit solid. both times it was a killing shot but just didn't have the impact to get them on the ground to stay. the tissue damage inside the chest cavity was not that great with the 150 bullet. next year i will be shooting 210 nosler partition bullets.

change?
 

Do you think there is a big enough difference between the knock down power of the 150 and the 180 to shoot the 180? I was origially shootint the 180 grain but felt i got a little more consistency with the 150 thus the switch.

If you are shooting a good quality 150 grain bullet and are confident in your shot placement then use them. A lot of elk killed every year in Montana with a 150 grain bullet. Some will tell you you need a heavier bullet but a 150 bullet that holds together out of a 7mm will do fine in the yardages you specified.

You should be just fine with the 150 E-Tip, but remember that these bullets are designed to expand at 2,000 fps or more so your limit will be somewhere around 400 yards. I have shot a good number of elk and have never had to take a shot as long as 400 yards yet. With the E-Tip I think a 150 will serve you well.