i am planning an elk hunt , our first for my son and i in 06 we will carry my old 300 mag and his 300 saum i load sierra 165 bthp game kings for whitetails in ga.150lbs. these bullets work fine. what do i need for elk thanks termite.
Dozens of bullets will work, but it's hard to beat a 180 grain Nosler Partition. That's what I'll be using next week in my .300 Winchester and in my son's .30-06.
You may have overall length problems with a 180 Nosler in an SAUM. But even with the necessarily deep seating, you can still get it up to .30-06 velocities with acceptable pressures. DON'T buy into the hype about the short mags somehow breaking the laws of physics and providing velocities out of proportion to their case capacities. Be happy if you can match '06 velocities with longer bullets. The extremely limited magazine capacity reduces the short mags to about the effective combustion chamber volume of the '06 with the heavier bullets, so similar pressures will give you similar velocites. But I'll guarantee you that a 180 Partition traveling at 2750 or 2800 fps is everything you could ask for to put an elk on the ground.
Good luck!
Posts: 13274 | Location: Henly, TX, USA | Registered: 04 April 2001
Dozens of bullets will work, but it's hard to beat a 180 grain Nosler Partition
yup....that's a good one.
Add the north fork, swift A frame, TBBC and a few others...
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Posts: 28849 | Location: western Nebraska | Registered: 27 May 2003
The barnes tsx will work very well in weights as low as 150gr.They penetrate well and retain more weight than most other bullets.Accuracy is also very good im my rifles and in several others that I have witnessed.
Posts: 3104 | Location: alberta,canada | Registered: 28 January 2002
I can only attest to the Winchester factory loaded .300 Win Mag with the 180 gr. Partition Gold through a Browning BAR. Shot a large wild boar; the bullet enter the front part of the left shoulder and end up in the right rear ham under the skin. This hog was all jacked up inside. Ruined one whole tenderloin. One shot; one hog; no run. Shot a six point whitetail; pass through but went through the heart; one shot; one deer; no run.
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Posts: 339 | Location: Texas via Louisiana | Registered: 29 October 2003
Originally posted by termite22: i am planning an elk hunt....300 saum i load sierra 165 bthp game kings for whitetails in ga.150lbs. these bullets work fine. what do i need for elk thanks termite.
For the 300 SAUM--168 gr Barnes TSX over H4350, N560 or AA2700 should go 3000-3100 f/s. It does for me.
i dont care for 300 Win mags particulaly but 200 gr Noslers are a great elk bullet in a 30 Mag of any flavor. The Noslers 180 gr, have already been mentioned excellent choice/
The old Barnes 250 gr. RN were about a close as you could get to delivering a frieght train with a magnum case. Its a dark timber round, and there really is no suitable replacement. Closest you will come is a Nosler 220 gr or a Woodleigh in 220 gr, close but doesn't get the duck to drop down and deliver the prize.
And did I mention that the new Barnes SUCKS?
Drop the bullets with the X's and bring back out the originals!!!!!!!!
Posts: 1486 | Location: Idaho | Registered: 28 May 2004
Originally posted by schromf: The old Barnes 250 gr. RN were about a close as you could get to delivering a frieght train with a magnum case....and there really is no suitable replacement.
Maybe not yet...but stay tuned.
Posts: 920 | Location: Mukilteo, WA | Registered: 29 November 2001
My first choice for an elk bullet in any 300 magnum cartridge would be the 180 grain Nosler Partition.
The last two elk I have shot with my 300 Wby Mag using that bullet have bit the dust, right now!
However, if you like the Sierra bullet line, just step up to their 180 grain flat base Pro Hunter. This is a good bullet as well. I prefer it to their boat tail designs, I think it holds together better. This bullet is usually quite accurate as well.
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Posts: 1220 | Location: Hanford, CA, USA | Registered: 12 November 2000
I'm not personally making them, but I've ordered some from Richard Graves of Wildcat bullets. He's waiting on 30 cal jackets from the jacket supplier right now but by next season I'm planning on using a 240 bonded core bullet that should be everything the Barnes 250 was and a whole lot more. He can do 210's, 230's...even up to 260 grains available bonded or not with a couple different ogives to choose from (although I don't know if he does round noses).
Posts: 920 | Location: Mukilteo, WA | Registered: 29 November 2001
Partition. My personal favorite is the 200 grain offering, but the 180 grain bullet is equally up to the task. The TSX and Fail Safe are great bullets as well.
Posts: 1250 | Location: Golden, CO | Registered: 05 April 2001
The Barnes bullets are probably the best. I've also had good luck with the Accubond and Interbond. Just about any "bonded core" bullet or premium (Nosler partition or Barnes TSX) in the 165-180 grain range will work. In the WSM I'd consider the 150 grain Barnes TSX.
Elk are big and tough, and they must be taken with tough, controlled-expansion, premium bullets. When it comes to elk, the bullet is more important -- by far -- than the exact cartridge. In other words, and good bullet out of a 30-06 is better for elk than a "tin-foil" bullet out of a 300 RUM any day of the week.
My favorite bullet for elk or anything else in my current 300 Win. Mag. is the 180 gr. Nosler Partition. This bullet has proven to be so accurate and so reliable for everything from whitetails to elk to 2000 lb. eland that I have absolute, 100% faith in its ability to perform according to script. So that's what I'll recommend to you.
But just in case you rifle doesn't digest the 180 Partition to your satisfaction, you can try 180 gr. Swift A-Frames, Trophy-Bonded, Barnes TSX, Winchester Fail-Safe, Woodleigh, or North Fork and be at least as well off. They're all great bullets, so go with the one that shoots best out of your rifle.
Excellent advice on using the 180grNP. If you find this bullet a bit long for the SAUM, the 180gr Speer GS will fit nicely but I prefer the NP. The 165gr or 180grNorthFork is another great bullet, just not as easy to come by. The 165gr Swift would also be a good choice for both.
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Posts: 7752 | Location: kalif.,usa | Registered: 08 March 2001
Originally posted by Stonecreek: Dozens of bullets will work, but it's hard to beat a 180 grain Nosler Partition. That's what I'll be using next week in my .300 Winchester and in my son's .30-06.
Well, I said it would work, and it did.
My son took a nice bull with his '06. I had loaded 180 Partitions to about 2750 fps. His bull was at 200 yards, and the shot took it through the near shoulder (where the fast-expanding front portion left a palm-sized area of bloodshot). It jello-ed the heart and lower lungs, and the rear portion kept going as usual and made a caliber-sized exit in the offside ribcage. The bull was dead on its feet, but trotted about 45 yards, at which point he put a second into its neck and it dropped. It looks as if it would have dropped at this spot anyway, second shot or not. This is classic Partition performance. As usual, the front portion did all of the work, and the rear portion made you feel good about shooting a "tough" bullet. In reality, virtually any ordinary cup-and-core bullet would have done a similar job -- it was the heart and lungs where you needed the trauma, not the far ribcage. My experience is that the Partition gives you the advantages of a rapidly expanding bullet, which is what you need 90% of the time, coupled with deep penetration, which can help on that odd 1 in 10 occurance of poor angle combined with direct strike on bone.
I would be nervous using some of the "super-premium" dollar-a-shot monolithic bullets or bonded bullets. Their makers seem to spare no expense making sure that they perform like armor-piercing military ammo, but don't do enough to ensure that they will actually expand and inflict signigicant organ trauma on your typical thoracic cavity shot. Like military FMJ's, an elk shot thought the heart with one of those "tough" bullets (whether with a .223 or a .375) will become a dead elk. The question is where and when?
Posts: 13274 | Location: Henly, TX, USA | Registered: 04 April 2001
Originally posted by termite22: i am planning an elk hunt , our first for my son and i in 06 we will carry my old 300 mag and his 300 saum i load sierra 165 bthp game kings for whitetails in ga.150lbs. these bullets work fine. what do i need for elk thanks termite.
I was a long time user of Seirra Gamekings but have switched to Barnes TSX bullets that are superior. I shot 3 deer last week in Lumpkin and the 140TSX worked perfectly in the 7mm08. For larger game I would use my 300SAUM and 180 gr TSX. The 165 Sierra Gameking shoots very well in this rifle and I shoot them for practice since they are cheaper. The odd thing is that I can use 62.5 gr of H4350EXT with both bullets and they hit at the same elevation and under 1/2" at a 100. Good Luck
Posts: 1159 | Location: Florida | Registered: 16 December 2004
