If all goes to plan I'll be hunting the last week in october. I'm planning on using my 30-06 but could use a 338 if it were really important to do so. I'm looking for a load that works out to 250 yards or so. Would a partition in 165-170 grain be suitable? Please feel free to make suggestions, as I've never shot an elk before so everything will be new to me here.

TIA,
Mark

Mark
From what you have said the 30-06 is your rifle and the 338 would be a borrowed rifle?
In the 30-06 any of the premium 180gr bullets in either a hand load or a factory load will work just fine. You might try the Federal High Energy loads and see if they shoot good in your rifle.
While a 338 is a great elk caliber a 30-06 that you can shoot well, and have confidence in, and practice with will take an elk with a proper hit, much better than an unfamilar rifle and a bad hit.

Mark,

If you reload, go with a 165 grain Partition in front of whatever favorite powder you use. If not, try the Commercial stuff with the same bullet.

I have used the 165 Partiton on elk and African plains game with no complaints.

Hornady Light magnums will give you a 180 grain load that is equal to most .300 win mag. They shoot good and preform excellent. I have shot eland, zebra, elk, and bear with them. One shot kills.

165 Noz or the 180--makes no difference take the one you like and that shoots the best and get after those elk.

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

The biggest elk I ever shot fell to a 165g Nosler Partition. in my 30-06. Shot placement is much more important.

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm leaning towards the 165 grain partition. NE 450 you are correct, the 338 would be a borrowed rifle, the 30-06 is one that has already gotten me lots of meat over the years. Most recently I had a major racoon problem last winter with them getting into my outbuildings, so I shot many of them at a measured 110 yards with this gun which leads me to believe that an elk at 200 probably won't be much more difficult. <G> I just wasn't sure if the 165 grain partition was good at that distance on something like an elk.

I think that the good advise of a 165 grain partition is an excellent one.

Did you say you were a handloader or Not?

If so, or you know one. I load an /06 to its max for several friends who wanted max punch for an /06 for elk hunting, both here in Oregon and also in Montana.

Work this load up. It is just fine in the rifles of the guys who have shot it, but there is always some guy in the wood pile who just can't wait to pipe up that 'he read in some book that this is way over what someone else recommended'.

61.5 grain of H 4831SC with a Non Mag primer, and a 200 grain Speer or Partition, chronographed at 2825-2850 fps in a 24 inch barrel and at 2900 in a 26 inch barreled 1917 Enfield/Winchester Manufacture. Sectional density is over 300 and the BC is over .500, so it is a hard hitting, flat shooting and penetrating load. Recoil is stouter than the old 180 grain load, but less than a 300 Mag at the same velocity, with the same bullet weight.

Good luck !

My son has shot 10 elk with 165gr. Hornady hand loads in a 30-06. So your partitions will do fine. Good Luck!

Mark, Try the 165 Interbond from Hornady in the '06', It'll give you more weight retention than a Partition, and should be a nearly perfect bullet for elk. Jay

Jay--To make a statement like that you would have to have of shot quite a few elk with each of thosee bullets. It sounds like you have a lot of conviction there.

How many elk have you shot with the Nozler also how many elk have you shot with the Interbond?

From the sounds of your statement it would appear that you shot a fair number with each. And I would love to hear your findings thru the testings.

Thanks for your time

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

[ 07-14-2003, 09:25: Message edited by: Mark R Dobrenski ]

Dog, Just a suggestion to try the Interbond over the Partition, from the tests I've seen on Interbonds, I've seen no less than 83% weight retention, whereas I've done tests with the partition, and consistantly got 60%. But, I'd use either bullet with complete confidence when the situation arises. Jay

Advertised claims do not an elk bullet make. The Nosler Partition has been a proven elk performer for about fifty years, while the Interbond is brand new......

My favorite elk load for the .30-06 is the 180 gr. Nosler Partition in Winchester cases with enough IMR4350 or IMR4831 to produce 2700 fps. or better with consistent chronograph readings and MOA accuracy. You can go with 200 gr. Partitions if you like, but I don't recommend bullets weighing less than 180 grs.

AD

Allen I agree about the bonded bullets and will add that most of them open to a large frontal area prohibiting deep penetration. I'd rather have the 180 Nosler that'll peel back, lose much of its front half and drive deep. As long as expansion is reliable and penetration is deep I want nothing more from an "elk bullet" despite all the gaga over the minutia of retained weight. I'll be using 180 Partition's this year for all my elk hunting.

BA

Seafire,

I will be that guy that pipes up, but not because of somthing I read in a book. Based on my experience 200gr @ 2825-2850fps in a 24" 06 seems VERY HOT, but I will trust that it is safe in your rifle. Strongly recomend that you explicitly advise folks to start out 10% lower then work up. You might be surprised that some guys not knowing much better will start off with that load, then..... I hope you/they safely get the ballistics you claim since that would be a strong load.

Deke.

Jay--so I take it you have not shot elk with them yet?
I'd say let the tests be done on the hill and on elk--just my thoughts on this.

You sounded like you had some elk/interbond/partition experience from your original post. Maybe not eh?

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

Allen and Brad I am with you I used a G33/40 for a few years in a 21"-06. I used the 180 Noz Pt and IMR 4350. I also used--gasp but the lowly Sierra 165 BTHP-it worked just fine.

Dog, No, I haven't shot any elk with the Interbond or anything else for that matter, just noting the weight retention over the Partition. Allen Day, You should have told Jim Zumbo about using 180gr Partitions over the 165, I think he killed over 20 of them with the 165 in his M70 Featherweight. Jay

165 or 180 Nosler Partition, or 165/168gr Barnes XLC...if you handload, you can pretty much duplicate 7mm Mag ballistics with the XLC's. If you don't handload, look at the Federal High Energy loads that have already been suggested..165gr Nosler, or Trophy Bonded bear claw at 3000fps should make for a great combination. Good luck with whatever you choose.

With the Federal High Energy 180gr TBBC I'm getting 2905fps out of my A-bolt Stainless Stalker. With 1 1/4" groups at 100 yards.

[ 07-14-2003, 21:10: Message edited by: mark65x55 ]

Jay--who the heck care about what the gun writer thinks or uses-I sure as heck don't!

Allen just gave his opinion-personally I'll go with a hunter like Allen and Brads opinions over some gun scribe any day.

Sure the 165 will work so would the 150.

And I would ask again-since you are just noting retention over the partition how many elk have you shot with each of those loads to make that comparison?
"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

[ 07-14-2003, 23:19: Message edited by: Mark R Dobrenski ]

Jay, I'd share the same opinion with Mr. Zumbo or anyone else, and with all due respect, not spite. Just so you know, I've been hunting elk for thirty years, and I think I'm entitled to my opinion that elk are heavy-for-caliber animals....

AD

Deke,

Thanks for the comment. I hope that the people on here reading have enough common sense to work up. I am tired of our society acting like, because lawyers exist, no one has to use common sense.

People can't go much over load on that, as the case is pretty much full. One may be able to squeeze in an extra gain of H 4831 maybe.

I did see some pressure testing on that load somewhere and surprisingly it was at about 50,000 psi or cup, can't remember which, but it was not a high of pressure as one would think. Of course I worked this load up to that point in half grain increments.

I take that and common sense as a given from people in here. It is not any of our jobs to baby sit the stupid. In older manuals I have seen loads of 60 grains of H 4831 with a 200 grain bullet.

Also saw a load on here from an Aussie gent who loaded 61.5 grains of H 4350 with a 180 or 200 grain bullet. I worked up to that a while ago, and it will blow primers in my Remington 30/06.
No questions asked.

Yet he claims it worked for him.

Mark - I have killed over 15 elk with my 30-06 using Federal Premium fractory rounds with the Nosler Partition bullet. I have not had a single problem.

You can surely kill an elk with about any decent bullet, given various circumstances. Any 30/06 or 300mag user should be looking at 180grs or more for elk IF you want to kill one cleanly under the widest set of conditions. I've been chasing those critters for over 30yrs now and have learned one valuable lesson and that is to use plenty of bullet weight, regardless of caliber.

I've only shot one elk (average 5x5) and used the 180-gr. Nosler Partition in a Federal Premium load. This load is very accurate in my rifle but chronographs sloooowww, I'm talking 2500 fps.

Of course, it worked fine anyway.

I have shot a lot of elk...I like the 180 and 200 gr. Noslers in the 06...nothing less for me....I might have to shoot one going away and I want something that will put them down....

My preference, the 338 Win. with 300 gr. Woodleighs or 210 or 250 Noslers, they do a better job and thats all there is to it. A big bull will go perhaps 1000 lbs live, that can take some killing and I like the extra punch..I can tell the difference and I have killed elk with the 25-35, 250 Sav. and the 30-06 plus some others and the 338 is ideal. Why send a boy to do a mans job....

I shot 4 elk with 165 grain partitions. 3 where shot at less than 100 yards, one about 150 yards. Except for one head shot they all needed at least one finisher. The 180 grain bullets just seem to hit harder, and put them down quicker. The 165's work, I just think the heavier sluggs work better. 150 & 165 bullets seem to bring the 30-06 down to 300 Sav/ 308 win status.

I like the 220 grain Sierra in a 30-06 for elk. It has enough trajectory for 250 yards.

Mark
www.gun-tests.com/
go to Tools & Techniques, Ammo, there is a comparision of premium rifle bullets in .30-06.

I use a max load of H-4831sc and a 180 gr Nosler Partition when I hunt with my .30-06. But my primary rifle for elk is either my .300 Wthby (82 gr of IMR-7828 and a 180 Grand Slam) or my .338 Win with 225 gr X bullets over a max load of RL-22.