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This is going to be the first year that I will use handloads for hunting. I am shooting an 06 with a failsafe bullet. What are your favorite bullets? | ||
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I know, I know..........Sierra matchkings are a no-no..... But I've taken 8 elk so far, without a single hitch. My first three were with a 3006, shooting a 180gr SMK the first year, and 200gr SMK the next two kills. The first one was at 491 yards, the other two were around 200 and 350. They were all broadside or slightly quartering away/toward (yes, I know not to take a hard quartering away shot with these, not enough penetration), and all of the exit wounds were about 1/2". But, inside the boiler room was massive damage to the lungs/heart. I try to avoid shoulder shots, and go more for lung shots, as the SMK don't like large bones and have a tendency to break up quickly on bone. Hope this helps dispell the myth. In the end there are many great Elk bullets out there, but don't count out the SMK's, no matter what the armchair quarterback's say. I now use 220 SMK's out of a 300RUM, and have taken 5 elk with that load.........no problems. I'm going twice this year, I hope I can change that number to 7 within the next month  good luck with your hunt, cheers, Jordan You only live ONCE!!!!!!!!!! So LIVE it UP!!!!!!!! | |||
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My favorite out of my 300ultramag is the 180gr tsx. | |||
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180 Grain accubonds from an 06. Outstanding Elk medicine. | |||
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Joe, My standard "for Everything" load in my .30/06 Sprg. is a 165 grain Nosler Partition. That load has pretty much done it for me on small, large, larger Deer & Antilope around the world. Other successful load alternatives for my trsuty '06 use (oh Gosh, non-premium bullets!) Sierra 165 gr. HPBT's and Hornady 180 gr. Round Nose. Like Capt J related; before I was affluent enough to afford Noslers and prior to the large Mail-Order Discounters of today, I used whatever the local gunshop had; Speer's, Sierra's, Hornady's, Remington's, Winchester Silvertips, etc.. So much to the chagrin of premium $3.00 a bullet Guru's - Elk sized Deer will actually expire when a properly placed, old-fashioned, Cup & Draw, vanilla-flavored bullet is inserted into the boiler-room of large Deer! I did have a Client with a .300 WSM & 180 Failsafes three years ago who didn't have a positive expereince with those bullets on RSA Plains Game because they were too hard; just pencilled through. 3 animals & 13 bullets later we finally recovered one, just barely mushroomed at the tip. I'm pretty sure that was just a one-off since there are obviously many satisfied Failsafe users. Do I consuider them a bad product? Do I condem them due to one expereince? Heck, No! Net, there are so many good Elk bullets, especially in .308" caliber to choose from today that you almost have to sorta pick one and go from there or you's spend all your time at the range working up loads and not hunting. Today, most .308" 165, 180 & 200 grain Nosler, Speer, Sierra, Hornady, Northfork, Barnes, Norma, Woodleigh & RWS (did I forget to mention one?); are outstanding bullets, if you do your load development part and make a good shot you'll take an Elk. Have fun on your Elk hunt! Cheers, Number 10 | |||
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Nosler partitions Free men should not be subjected to permits, paperwork and taxation in order to carry any firearm. NRA Benefactor | |||
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180 g. Nosler Accubond out of a .300 Win Mage at 3050 fps !!!!! | |||
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200gr Accubonds. | |||
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30-06 180gr Nosler AB or Sierra Gameking IMR 4350 @ 56.0 Fed 210 Match Primer FC Nickle Cases Fail Safe good for the heaviest of game.... Bullet too tough for light game! Good Moose Load! Jeff North Pole, Alaska Red Team 98 | |||
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I'm shooting the 168 gr TSX in all my 30 calibre rifles these days, usually they are the most accurate or very close, they penetrate like crazy, but still open up fast enough or quite dramatic kills even on deer. here's one I just recovered from a large moose shot from my 300 Win at about 3200 fps, the shot was about 250 yards, took out a rib going in , both lungs, the top of the heart, the shoulder blade onthe other side and came to rest in the hide. The moose went less than 10 yards, the guys I was with(very serious moose hunters) estimate live weight at 1200 lbs.   | |||
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Most reasonable .30 caliber bullets kill elk just fine, but some provide a little margin of confidence that others may not. I use a 180 Nosler Partition. It's front section opens rapidly if the shot is into the "soft" part of the thorax, while its partition construction ensures that it will penetrate adequately if the shot angle necessitates going through a mass of muscle or bone. Partitions have always yielded excellent accuracy in my guns, which is another important consideration. | |||
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I have my 30-06 loaded with IMR-4350 and Northfork 180s to 2800'/sec. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." Winston Churchill | |||
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Nosler 180 gr. Accubonds is a great choice. Best regards, Tom | |||
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 Prior to the mass advent of premium bullets most guys reloaded conventional constructed 180 to 200 grain bullets in 30 cal. Those a little more affluent used either Barnes originals or Nosler partitions.A number of guys switched over to 165 grainers when they came out. Can't say that I ever heard any bad reports from guys using any of these bullets in any .308 Win or 30-06 on elk. rogerOld age is a high price to pay for maturity!!! Some never pay and some pay and never reap the reward. Wisdom comes with age! Sometimes age comes alone.. | |||
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Couple questions -- What sort of terrain are you hunting elk in? What distances are you shooting? Locally, Oregon Coast and Roosevelt Elk, we're taking game at less than 100 yds, substantially less. Scopes are 1x - 4x maybe 6x but the magnification that gets used is the low end. Preferred caliber is 45/70 Govt. and 350gr. FP pills. Big hole and lots of energy at short ranges. Bullet drop is not a consideration at working ranges. That said, what are your "working ranges" ??? You get a flatter trajectory with a lighter bullet, more velocity. But you get a "bigger hole" with a heavier bullet at closer ranges. Locally, because of the terrain, heavy cover, and short working ranges, the favored bullet for Roosevelt Elk from a 30-06 is 180 gr. even up to 190, 195, 200 gr. -- 220 gr. -- But "in the woods" we like the 45/70 Govt. and 350 gr. FP bullets. In Eastern Oregon, hunting Rocky Mt. Elk at longer ranges, hunters use 180 gr. bullets for a flatter trajectory -- because out beyond 100 yds, estimating range in open country can be tricky. The flatter shooting bullet gives you a deeper "depth of field" where the bullet remains in the "kill zone." 30-06 is a versatile caliber. I have one and am very, very fond of it. Selection of bullets should probably be determined by "working distances." I know when I head "east" out to the open desert, I leave the 45/70, and pick up the "aught six." We're partial to Noslers because it's a local product. *S* Just like we're partial to Leupold. | |||
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What load do shoot in your 300 Win? Just got a Ruger No 1 and trying to work up a Moose load? Thanks
Jeff North Pole, Alaska Red Team 98 | |||
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Being a .30 caliber, the choices are almost endless for accuracy and penetration. I've always used Hornady Interbonds with great success on moose, bear and deer. We've all heard of guys using matchkings for hunting, so to hear it from the horse's mouth, I called Sierra and spoke to a ballistician, "not an armchair quarterback" and he strictly forbids the use of the matchkings for hunting, that is not their purpose and to do so is foolish and unethical. There are so many accurate hunting bullets to chose from, why take chances with a match bullet and lose an animal? Interbonds, accubonds, tsx, fs, np's, even the old standby's at standard velocities are fine, interlocks, hotcors, gamekings, prohunters are all excellent bullets just to name a few, I'm sure one will shoot well in your rifle with a little work. | |||
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That Faisafe is as good as any for elk. I use the Nosler partition 200-grain or the new 200-grain Accubond...... "Bitte, trinks du nicht das Wasser. Dahin haben die Kuhen gesheissen." | |||
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I have killed a few elk. Some years as many as six in one year. Most of the time I use a .30 rifle; when I do, I ALWAYS use either 180 gr. or 200 gr. Nosler Partitions. Haven't had ANY walk or run away beyond recovery after being struck. I agree that the modern super-premium bullets aren't required for large deer. Not for elk, moose, any others. (My first moose was killed with a 7x57 shooting 139 gr. Hornady SPs...two shots, both completely penetrated the chest about 3" apart and kept going. Moose was dead with the first one, he just didn't know it. After the first moose, I used the same combos I use for elk, except always the 200 gr. weight of Partition.) Anyway, premium bullets are fine, if a person wants to use them. Just not necessary for any shot I ever felt justified taking on deer of any size. My country gal's just a moonshiner's daughter, but I love her still. | |||
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I can't believe people still want to hunt w/ the SMK?  Pick any of the better game bullets for your elk hunt. I'm a 180gr Nosler partition user but NorthForks, NABs, Barnes, Swifts, all very good elk bullets for the worst case scenarios.  LIFE IS NOT A SPECTATOR'S SPORT! | |||
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I've never felt a "need" for any premium bullet in the '06 for elk. I've killed 17 on tag and a few others as a LEO. Also been in on the kill of quite a few others. Most bullets used were not premiums though a few were Nosler Partitions. I preferred the 180 Hornady SPBT or the Speer 200 gr HC but have settled on the 190 gr Hornady SPBT. I push these at 2740 fps out of my 24" barreled rifle with H4831SC. 3 years ago in NE oregon I dropped an elk at 458 yards and (missed two intervening hunting seasons do to Iraq deployment) this last season dropped one at not more than 50 yards. The majority of elk I've killed plus numerous deer, a couple caribou and a Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep were killed with the Hornady 180 or 190 gr bullets. Bullet failure? None. Larry Gibson | |||
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I shot my first elk with a 30-06 and a 200gr Speer Grand Slam bullet. I've killed a total of 12 elk (11 with other cartridges). None at a range over 200 yards. I used Grand Slams and NP's as my go-to elk bullet. I much prefer a heavy for calibre bullet. Velocity does not trump weight of metal going downrange! I don't insist on sub MOA accuracy from an elk gun. An elk is a pretty big animal. I'm more interested in what the bullet does once it gets to the elk. | |||
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Here's another vote for Nosler's Partition. This is my go to bullet for one main reason: it works well on everything so long as it is weight appropriate for the game sought. My experience with the newer Accubond has been positive as it is an easy bullet to make shoot straight. | |||
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You guys using the nosler partitions, how do you find the accuracy? I had a horrible time trying to get them to shoot well first in my .300 RUM then in two different 308 win. rifles. I just couldn't get them to group under 2 inches. I was using H1000 in the rummy and using varget in the winnies, both with the federal match primers. This is why I switched to the interbonds and big difference! when my 338 fed is complete I'll be using the 180gr accubonds. | |||
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True, the partition isn't as easy to work with as say the ballistic tip, but I've never had a tough time making them shoot straight, nor have I found them overly sensitive to C.O.A.L. Without exception I load mid to heavy weight partitions (180s and 200s in .308") over compressed charges of slow burning powder (usually IMR), and have never been disappointed. Without doubt, my worst experience has been with Barnes' XLCs. In the FWIW department, I've never had good luck with H1000 powder. In my opinion, it's faster burning than books imply, and changes burning rate in different bore/case sizes. This has been my experience in both 270WM and 7Rem mag. If you think you like H1000, try IMR 7828, you'll not be disappointed. Finally, some guns/barrels do best with boat tail bullets. Only trial and error will give you the answer. | |||
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My go to loads for a .300 Winny and Elk is 180 grain North Fork or 200 grain North Fork. The most accurate premium bullet I have ever shot, and I have tried them all.  Good shooting.phurley | |||
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by beretta96: You guys using the nosler partitions, how do you find the accuracy? I had a horrible time trying to get them to shoot well first in my .300 RUM then in two different 308 win. rifles. I just couldn't get them to group under 2 inches.QUOTE] I must be lucky, I have never had a problem getting the NP to shoot 1moa or better from my rifles. Some, like my .338-06, shoot better w/ the NP than a NBT. My .280 puts 160grNPs well under 1moa but struggles to get there w/ the 160grNAB, go figure.  LIFE IS NOT A SPECTATOR'S SPORT! | |||
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