What is your favorite load for Elk in colorado ? No sabots , and must be loose powder. I use a 50 cal. Encore.

I would opt for a 400-500-grain bullet, pushed by 100-grain vol equivalent of 777. It will be a stiff load, but should be plenty accurate for what you are hunting.

I use a 405gr. powerbelt over 100gr. of loose 2ff triple 7 in my encore. I havent killed an elk with this load yet but i did take a Mule Deer in colorado in 2005 with it. I played with most of the PWBLTS and the heavier ones shot the best in my rifle. Maybe this year i'll draw a bull tag and try them on something bigger. Karry

My load is 100 gr. of 3F with a patched round ball in my .54 flinter. One of our group used 80 gr of 2f in a 50 cal. T/C with a patched rorund ball in '99 to take a 5 X 5. and another used 80 gr of 2F with a power belt in a 50 cal. inline to take a 5 X 4 in '06. Both were one shot kills at 50 and 90 yards. We hunted unit 49. Good luck

In my .50 cal T/C Hawken, I use the Noexcuses 460 grain conical with 80 grains of 3f 777...Loads easily and VERY accurate...

I shot a 6x6 with it 3 years ago and the bullet was a perfect mushroom, with excellent weight retention...

My buddy shot a 5x5 on the same hunt with his .50 Encore...He used the T/C 370 grain maxiball and 3f 777..I'm not sure of the charge, but I think it was around 90 grains...That combo worked well also..

I'm shooting a stainless laminate Omega and have taken several animals with a 460 gr. No Excuses conical over 90 gr of 3F BP. Accurate and plenty of downrange energy.

Thanks guys, thats the info I am looking for ,anyone have one to add. We are going to area 53 or 54 i think, with Elk Basin Outfitters .

Toby Bridges on his High Performance ML site endorses the Harvester Sabretooth equivalent of the Power Belt because it will hold together in the animal (as well as load easily, etc.).

It is definitely a candidate for Colorado.

jim

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to harvest an old bull Buffalo here in Montana. The 435 gr T/C Maxi Hunter over 100 gr of Pyrodex gave the best accuracy in my .54 Green River Hawken. One bullet, 495 lbs of hamburger.

Killed a elk last fall using a 50 caliber 320 grain T/C mini ball over 100 grains of triple 7. First shot broke the large bone in the front shoulder. Penetrated a couple of inches more , still weighing 197 grains. Second went thru the lungs and was not recovered.

Hunt4, I shoota.50cal. Encore also and 348-grain PBs with 100 grains FF 777 shoot best in my rifle and are adequate for elk if I do my part.