Best bullets for elk?
05-31-2010, 06:48 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: eastern washington st.
Posts: 5
Best bullets for elk?
I live in Washington state where it is legal to use any type of bullet. I plan on hunting elk this fall and was wondering what a good choice for an elk bullet would be for good penetration and holding together if it hits bone? Any good advice from you successful elk hunters out there would be great!
05-31-2010, 07:00 AM
#2
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Boncarbo,Colorado
Posts: 9,186
05-31-2010, 07:05 AM
#3
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 11,703
musketman59
I am totally predjudice so take all of this with a grain of salt... IMO the Nosler partition is a great bullet for elk. I use the .458/300 grain Nosler Partition Protected Point. I shoot it with a 120 grains of T7-2f which would work very well for you since you can not use a 209 ignition system.
The .458 is a true rifle bullet made for a 45-70/120 rifle.
I copied this post from another thread, so if you have already seen it I appolgize
I shoot boards, jugs of water, clay dirt banks, and even paper but the real proof is in the results...
This was with a .458/300 grain Nosler...
More of the story....
I really like this one...
Here is anothe one...
It is not a great bull but it is a nice one....
And there are a lot of these little guys....
Almost forgot the bullet information..... These are the only 2 Noslers I have ever recovered from shooting an animal - most are always a complete pass thru.
Believe me - Noslers work here in Idaho - Africa - Alaska - Canada and where ever else you might use it....
With all that said - I am actually going to try another bullet this year... Lehigh, a manufacturing plant, in PA is producing a new style hollow point brass bullet, that uses a completly different theory of operation for harvest. I used one of these bullets last season during deer season and it worked awesome but I have to admit the shot I made I could have probably made with any bullet and it would have dropped the buck on the spot.
Here is a picture with some bullet profile comparisons...
I am totally predjudice so take all of this with a grain of salt... IMO the Nosler partition is a great bullet for elk. I use the .458/300 grain Nosler Partition Protected Point. I shoot it with a 120 grains of T7-2f which would work very well for you since you can not use a 209 ignition system.
The .458 is a true rifle bullet made for a 45-70/120 rifle.
I copied this post from another thread, so if you have already seen it I appolgize
I shoot boards, jugs of water, clay dirt banks, and even paper but the real proof is in the results...
This was with a .458/300 grain Nosler...
More of the story....
I really like this one...
Here is anothe one...
It is not a great bull but it is a nice one....
And there are a lot of these little guys....
Almost forgot the bullet information..... These are the only 2 Noslers I have ever recovered from shooting an animal - most are always a complete pass thru.
Believe me - Noslers work here in Idaho - Africa - Alaska - Canada and where ever else you might use it....
With all that said - I am actually going to try another bullet this year... Lehigh, a manufacturing plant, in PA is producing a new style hollow point brass bullet, that uses a completly different theory of operation for harvest. I used one of these bullets last season during deer season and it worked awesome but I have to admit the shot I made I could have probably made with any bullet and it would have dropped the buck on the spot.
Here is a picture with some bullet profile comparisons...
05-31-2010, 08:21 AM
#5
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 5,602
this could have a long list but for me the short list would be.Any .45x Partition
Barnes MZ or X coppers in at least the 275gr class and above.
Barnes Original 300gr Semi Spitzer or the 400gr if you can get it to stabilize..ive never tried the 400gr.
Any Lehigh with 250gr or more. I would lean toward the 277gr .459 since it fits better in my guns than the .458. Ive never tried the 305gr so i cant comment on it.
Swift .458 A frames
Combined Technologies copper poly tipped 300gr .458 SOCOM bullet if it shoots well for you. Its a boat tail so.... but the pricing is right and its made by Nosler for Winchester.
No particular order on the above. Whichever shoots best for you and the range/conditions you are likely to be shooting.
The best part is the Partitions are on sale right now in .452-260 and 300gr for half price $24/50 or less. Thats a steal for a bullet that has almost no chance of failure. The Partition .458s are still about a buck each.
Last edited by Gm54-120; 05-31-2010 at 02:29 PM.
05-31-2010, 09:20 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Rapid City, South Dakota
Posts: 3,732
The answer here is the 300g 45 caliber Nosler Partition from Wideners. The price is right, and the performance is right. If price isn't an issue, you have several other good bullets to choose from, identified by previous posters.
05-31-2010, 09:41 AM
#7
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 11,703
musketman59
The .458/275 grain Lehigh is shown here with some of the rest of the line. The Lehigh, Gm54-120 talked about, is a .458/277 grain is not pictured but basically the same bullet as the 275. If I am hunting the early Idaho rifle season I will be using an Extreme with the 277 grain bullet.
To use these or any .458 bullet you will need the MMP HPH-.457-.458/50 Orange sabot.
If you need a range bullet to use to sight in with, cause they are way less expensive - Sierra offers a .458/300 grain bullet for a lot less money.
The .458/275 grain Lehigh is shown here with some of the rest of the line. The Lehigh, Gm54-120 talked about, is a .458/277 grain is not pictured but basically the same bullet as the 275. If I am hunting the early Idaho rifle season I will be using an Extreme with the 277 grain bullet.
To use these or any .458 bullet you will need the MMP HPH-.457-.458/50 Orange sabot.
If you need a range bullet to use to sight in with, cause they are way less expensive - Sierra offers a .458/300 grain bullet for a lot less money.
05-31-2010, 02:19 PM
#8
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
Before I get carried away, what rifle and twist will you be shooting? You want to try a lot of bullets. And don't over look conical bullets. What ever one gives you the best and most consistent accuracy, and meets your hunting needs.
For instance, if my shots were longer in distance then 100 yards, I might go with a Barnes MZ Expander in 250 or 300 grain. I would shoot them with as much powder as I could that would still be accurate. In my case, my Genesis with 100 grains of Pyrodex RS will really shoot that bullet. So will my Knight Disc rifle.
If my shots were in woods, where the shot would be under 100 yards, I would be shooting a Bull Shop 460 grain or 500 grain Conical Bullet with 80 grains of Triple Seven 2f powder out of my White Ultra Mag. I would aim for the heart and lungs and put a world of hurt on them with that big conical bullet.
I have a Black Diamond XR that shoots Nosler 260 grain .452 bullets and 110 grains of Triple Seven 2f with some extreme accuracy. While that Nosler Partition's is not a 300 grain bullet, I personally feel it is plenty to handle the job.
Now for my disclaimer... I have never killed an elk with a muzzleloader. I have killed a lot of deer, but no elk as Wisconsin is still a little elk shy. But I've shot a ton of bullets on the range and into different media and do know what penetrates and expands. Just my two cents.
There are other bullets also that I feel could do the job. My recommendation again is, try some and see what your rifle shoots the best.
For instance, if my shots were longer in distance then 100 yards, I might go with a Barnes MZ Expander in 250 or 300 grain. I would shoot them with as much powder as I could that would still be accurate. In my case, my Genesis with 100 grains of Pyrodex RS will really shoot that bullet. So will my Knight Disc rifle.
If my shots were in woods, where the shot would be under 100 yards, I would be shooting a Bull Shop 460 grain or 500 grain Conical Bullet with 80 grains of Triple Seven 2f powder out of my White Ultra Mag. I would aim for the heart and lungs and put a world of hurt on them with that big conical bullet.
I have a Black Diamond XR that shoots Nosler 260 grain .452 bullets and 110 grains of Triple Seven 2f with some extreme accuracy. While that Nosler Partition's is not a 300 grain bullet, I personally feel it is plenty to handle the job.
Now for my disclaimer... I have never killed an elk with a muzzleloader. I have killed a lot of deer, but no elk as Wisconsin is still a little elk shy. But I've shot a ton of bullets on the range and into different media and do know what penetrates and expands. Just my two cents.
There are other bullets also that I feel could do the job. My recommendation again is, try some and see what your rifle shoots the best.
