I've read some past threads on several bullets and many individual experiences. Today is my first post. I'm going to Colorado, and Wyoming for elk, mulie, and antelope. I'm taking my 300 RUM, and a couple of .270's. I've loaded 180 Sciroccos with Retumbo, H1000, and Re 25 with great success but no game yet. I took a good mulie last year in CO with the new triple shock, 130 in my 270. My friend shot his buck with my gun too and I must say, the Barnes Triple shock in my gun is extremely accurate and consistant. It's my first experience with the Barnes bullets ever. However, I hear that they are very hard on the throat and bore. I'm ready to try any other bullet in the 300 and .270 for elk. I've never shot one. Opinions seem to fly from far right to far left on bondeds, non bondeds, etc. Any recent experiences with elk loads?

You are right about opinions varying greatly.I have taken five elk and two moose with the 300ultramag using 180gr ballistic tips while some people would have you believe that any ballistic tip will break apart on contact with any game animal.I am however working with the 180gr accubond to develop a load that is accurate in my rifles.

That's good on the Accubond. I just bought some 200 grainers to try. I've always had success with the ballistic tips on whitetails. NEVER a failure. Shot over 100 animals with the 140, 150 grainers. All ranges, even hitting bone.

However, I'm still an 'insurance' type of hunter and since I have no experience with elk, I'd rather take a tougher bullet to the hunt.

For the game you will be hunting, there is certainly nothing wrong with those Barnes bullets you are now using.



I like the 150 grain Nosler Partition with 53.5 grains of IMR 4350 in the .270 for elk, and a 200-grain Nosler Partition in the .30 caliber rifles for the same size game. For deer with the .270, I use a 130 grain Nosler Partuition and 55.5 grains of IMR 4350. Of course, today there are a lot of new slow powders that may be better in the .270, like RE 22. But my .270's have been so accurate with IMR 4350, I have just never bothered experimenting with other powders in this caliber.



However, I do plan to try the Accubonds for large game. Just bought 100 of the .375 260-grainers to test before next elk season. They certainly LOOK good!

200 grain accubond and RL25! Many, many believers in that load.

Here's some info that I've heard from a couple of elk/mulie/deer outfitters in Montana, and Wyoming:

One guide used to shoot the good old Hornady 165 in his 300 RUM. However, after I spoke with him last year and discussed my accuracy success with the 180 Scirocco, he has since made a switch to try them also. He tested the bullets by shooting them into some steel plating...result, passed right through. He has also watched a mule deer fall to the bullet at an exceptional range, I believe it was over 450 yards. Excellent results.

What I may have failed to tell you is that I have a 28" barrel on my 300, a Shilen. I also have a 25.5" Hart barrel on one of my .270's. Therefore, even if I use a quicker burning powder, like IMR4350, the extra barrel length makes up for some original velocity loss. Either way, in my mind, accuracy is the ultimate key. The inherent flat shooting ability of the cartridges themselves gives me confidence, let alone, the high BC of the 180 Scirocco and even better the 200 Accubond. Thanks for reading, and the input. Any other experiences is always appreciated. Lets face it, the Sierra Match bullets kill a lot of animals though that is not what the design is for. doc

My very good hunting buddy in PA has been using 180 Sciroccos in his .300 RUM for the last few years. The bullet, at closer ranges, does not seem to be a good penetrator at .300 RUM velocity. He has recovered 2 on fairly small does on slightly quartering shots. Of course, they were in the offside hide and looked like a pancake, so did their job. Not sure if they would have made it that far on an Elk or not given the size difference. At longer ranges, the bullets have zipped on through, but the wound channels have been impressive, showing massive expansion. I am not saying the bullets blow up, but they do turn themselves inside out when started at 3300 fps and hitting something fairly close.

-Lou