Bullets suitable for Elk

HIGHLANDBEAGLES

HIGHLANDBEAGLES

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
74   0   0
Location
Eastern Ontario
Hello all
I am looking for some feedback from elk hunters, as to what bullets work well, and just as important which ones receive a failing grade. I am hoping to book my first ever elk hunt for this year and would like some actual hands on feedback. Not to be disrespectful to anyone, after reading many articles on various bullets I believe that I can speculate with the best of them and would prefer to have mainly feedback from actual kills.
My go to bullet for deer has always been the Hornady Interlock and suspect it will not be nearly adequate for elk ? The rifle I plan on using has a 26" Bbl and is chambered in 300 Win Mag. Choosing a proper bullet depends on many factors, bullet performance being at the top of course. Others include - the velocity you are running, the range you suspect to be shooting, what bullets are available, the price ( why spend 2x the amount on a bullet when you could use one every bit as good for 1/2 of the cost ) Some of the bullets I am considering are in weights ranging from 165gr - 200gr they are Nosler - Partition, Accubond, Hornady - ELD-X, CX, Interbond, Speer - Grand Slam.

All I know is that I will be hunting somewhere in western Canada, and have very little knowledge what to expect about the possible range I may be shooting and will need to locate an outfitter.

I would like to thank everyone who responds, in advance for their advice.

Lloyd.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: DGY
Im Alberta and I'd recommend any good 150gr - 180 grain. Nosler PTs or ABs and one you didnt mention at all, Barnes TTSX, my personal favorite for elk and moose. Haven't used my 300wm for elk but I do use 150gr ttsx in my 7rms for them. 3009 fps. Usually pass throughs if you don't hit big bones.

My recommend in the 300wm would be 165gr TTSX . Nice to have a little extra speed. 180s would be fine as well but the idea with monos is to drop down in grains and keep speed up. Not that you'll have to worry a bunch about super LR shots probably.

Hardest I've ever seen an elk pile up was with a 270 and a 130 gr ttsx at 225 yds. They arent rhinos. Hit them right and they tip over.
 
Last edited:
I’ve taken a few bulls and cows with a 160 accubond from a 7mm mag. Ranges from 70-250 yards in the foothills here in Alberta. Overall I was satisfied with its performance. Recovered maybe 40% of them on the far side hide. Expansion was good as was weight retention. they held up just fine. The largest bull was still a young 5x5 in the 200-220” range so not big in terms of elk that’s for sure. Some are bang flop. But some not so much. One bull in particular at 150ish yards took 3 solid chests shots broadside and still managed a good 100 yard run to jump a fence. Even the small ones have amazing determination to run after absorbing fatal hits. You certainly can’t go wrong with what you mentioned. A well constructed bonded type bullet or partition is ideal IMO. I’ve mentioned the ballistic studies website here before as many others have as well and I truly think that his findings are as non bias as it gets. Worth a look there. I hope your hunt is a success and a memorable experience, best of luck!
 
I have seen a lot of dead critters that accubonds worked very well on. Partitions and grand slams were a go to for years prior to the bonded bullets becoming available. I will say that I’m not a fan of the eld series for big game, I know plenty of people love them but in my experience they haven’t performed well.
 
I have a few with a 300wsm shooting the 200 eldx. All dropped and put in my freezer. No tracking or wounded elk, all dumped on the spot or within eye sight. Shot from 60 yards up to 450.

I took my last elk with a rem corlok as well, 45-70 at 5 yards. According to internet warriors a corlok isn't good either.

Your interlock will work.
 
Last edited:
I've been chasing and shooting elk, moose, deer, etc for a bit over 70 years now, and wandered back and forth between calibers and bullets particularly when I was a young single guy with big pay cheques to spend on my obsession to have the perfect rifle and bullet.

Spent a lot of money buying and testing bullets while agonizing over what would be the absolutely perfect choice. So much so that I eventually wore out the barrel on my original rifle, one of the 1960's Husqvarna Husky rifles imported by Tradewinds back in the day.

165 gr. Speer Hot-cors worked just fine in the 30-06 in the 60's. When I got perfection obsessed, I dropped them as though they didn't work and tried Bitterroots, and Nosler Partitions. The 30-06 gave way to a .358 Norma Magnum and Speer Grand Slams. They worked as well.

Getting towards the end of my hunting career now its a 168 grain Barnes TTSX in the 30/06 and 30 Newton and a 200 grain of the same in the short Mannlicher stocked 35 Whelen I carry the most these days. If I was told I had to go back to Speer Hot-Core bullets for the remainder of my hunting days, I would not lose any sleep.

The only things that I WASN'T impressed with on elk was the Ballistic Tip when it first came out and the Hornady Interlock - both in 30 caliber.

To be fair, I have a couple of acquaintances up the Elk Valley who have shot far more elk, moose, sheep and grizzly bears than most hunters will see in their lifetime. They will tell you I'm crazy if I didn't like the performance of the Interlock because that's all they've been loading and shooting in their various rifles since I met them in the mid 70's. They think it's the best bullet you can buy.

Anecdotal experience is useful, but it's just that: one person's anecdotal experiences.

I think it is hard to buy a substandard bullet these days. But you can certainly mismatch a bullet choice for the conditions you are going to fire it at game in.
 
Had a elk run nearly 1km on me after I hit it with a 180gr accubond in the boiler at 200y. Hot loaded 26" 300 win mag. Single lung most likely.

Bigger is better. I feel like with a 200gr accubond maybe I'd get an exit wound and thus a better blood trail. I've since decided to go with a 358 Norma mag.
 
While I have not personally shot an Elk with this cartridge. I have however loaded for someone who has. Nosler Accubond Long Range 190 grain with H1000. Excellent all round performance and carries to good distances. Bull River guides would be a good area to look into. Cheers
 
IMHO bullet placement is more critical, in my 50 years of hunting moose and elk our group has taken well over 2 dozen elk and I can't even count the number of moose. If you hit an elk through the lungs they are dead on their feet and might make 50 yards, my personal favorite is the 190gr accubond LR out of my 300 RUM but I have also taken them with a 280 Rem and 150gr nosler partition, 338 WM with 225gr hoirnady interlock, 270 Win with 140gr NAB. I can honestly say we have never lost an animal and never had one go more than 100 yards.
When I hear people say they drilled an elk in boiler room and had to trail it for a mile, well it was poorly hit, probably to far back, elk are not some super animal that needs a howitzer to kill if you hit them properly.
 
"The only things that I WASN'T impressed with on elk was the Ballistic Tip when it first came out and the Hornady Interlock - both in 30 caliber."

:D isn't that interesting, probably 80% of the game I've shot (no elk) have been with Hornady Interlocks, they were always accurate & did the job, not a mag fan so most moose sized animals been with 308, 30-06 & last 30 yrs 280. Hornaday bullets up here were always the most common to find & most economical in the reloading section here in the near north or near south depending!
Ballistic tip I've never used except maybe on paper in 223......no comment except accurate enough IMHO!
 
senior70 said:
"The only things that I WASN'T impressed with on elk was the Ballistic Tip when it first came out and the Hornady Interlock - both in 30 caliber."

:D isn't that interesting, probably 80% of the game I've shot (no elk) have been with Hornady Interlocks, they were always accurate & did the job, not a mag fan so most moose sized animals been with 308, 30-06 & last 30 yrs 280. Hornaday bullets up here were always the most common to find & most economical in the reloading section here in the near north or near south depending!
Ballistic tip I've never used except maybe on paper in 223......no comment except accurate enough IMHO!
Click to expand...
At the begining when the ballistic tips were manufacture, they would fragmentate. Nosler improved the ballistic tip with a heavier base to the bullet, renamed it the "Ballistic Tip Hunter." Better than the first generation however, not as good as the accubond.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom