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Best .270 bullet for elk
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posted
Your opinions please...

What style, size, brands do you guys recommend?

By the way, I'm looking for factory-loaded ammo.
 
Posts: 31 | Registered: 11 October 2005Reply With Quote
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Federal loaded with Nosler Partitions....150gr


Birmingham, Al
 
Posts: 834 | Registered: 18 December 2006Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by DTala:
Federal loaded with Nosler Partitions....150gr


I'd try this one as well or the 140 grain Accubond offering. I've used 150 Partitions hand loaded, and they have accounted for more than one cow elk.
 
Posts: 2242 | Registered: 09 March 2006Reply With Quote
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I don't know just exactly what brand of bullet it was. I do know it was a 150 grain bullet and judging from its penetration I figure it was most likely a Nosler Partition, But I witnessed a guy drop a 5x5 at slightly over 500 yards with one shot from a 270. The bull made it about 25 maybe 30 yards before going down.


Even the rocks don't last forever.



 
Posts: 31014 | Location: Olney, Texas | Registered: 27 March 2006Reply With Quote
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quote:
The bull made it about 25 maybe 30 yards before going down

doesn't sound like the bull "dropped"
i've killed 35+ elk with 130 grn nosler ballistic tips in my 270.
when i was killin elk with a 270
 
Posts: 2141 | Location: enjoying my freedom in wyoming | Registered: 13 January 2006Reply With Quote
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I used the 130 grain Nosler Partition for Elk.
If put in the right place they will do the job.
 
Posts: 1371 | Location: Plains,TEXAS | Registered: 14 January 2008Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by ravenr:
quote:
The bull made it about 25 maybe 30 yards before going down

doesn't sound like the bull "dropped"
i've killed 35+ elk with 130 grn nosler ballistic tips in my 270.
when i was killin elk with a 270


I used the 270/130NBT on one elk, a good 5X5, and got really erratic bullet performance. One "exploded" and two went clear thru?????

troy


Birmingham, Al
 
Posts: 834 | Registered: 18 December 2006Reply With Quote
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I've been using Barnes since 1992, and have settled on the 130gr TSX. They work great and are very accurate.

I've only recovered one Barnes out of a big game animal, a 140gr X bullet, out of a bull elk. It had 100% weight retention.

The 270 with a Barnes is an excellent performer.
 
Posts: 620 | Location: Colorado | Registered: 04 January 2005Reply With Quote
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quote:
I don't know just exactly what brand of bullet it was. I do know it was a 150 grain bullet and judging from its penetration I figure it was most likely a Nosler Partition, But I witnessed a guy drop a 5x5 at slightly over 500 yards with one shot from a 270. The bull made it about 25 maybe 30 yards before going down.


ravenr, care to re-read my post and show me or anyone else where anything was said about the bull dropping???

I guess I am pretty green at hunting elk, but from my limited experience a bull going down within 25 or 30 yards of where it was hit at that range and with a 270 is a good clean kill.


Even the rocks don't last forever.



 
Posts: 31014 | Location: Olney, Texas | Registered: 27 March 2006Reply With Quote
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The one elk I've taken with a .270 was a Sierra 130 SPBT. The range was about 20 yards. He trotted about 15 yards and piled up.

That said, I'd go with the 160 Nosler Partition.

Or better yet, a .338 or 9,3x74R


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Posts: 1582 | Location: Arizona and Nevada since 1979. | Registered: 19 December 2005Reply With Quote
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The best 270 bullet for elk is the one that you put right through his shoulder. If you shoot him behind the shoulder, even with a cannon, you're creating the possibility of a long tracking job.


Pancho
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Posts: 937 | Location: Roswell, NM | Registered: 02 December 2002Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Pancho:
The best 270 bullet for elk is the one that you put right through his shoulder. If you shoot him behind the shoulder, even with a cannon, you're creating the possibility of a long tracking job.
That seems a silly statement. Where you should shoot an animal relative to its shoulder depends on its orientation. Shooting an elk in the near shoulder when it is quartering away from you would result in nothing but a flesh wound without damaging any of the internal vitals. The proper place to shoot when the animal is quartrering away is definately "behind the shoulder". It is also true that when the shot presented is straight-on, the proper striking point would be between the shoulders, not "though the shoulder".
 
Posts: 13245 | Location: Henly, TX, USA | Registered: 04 April 2001Reply With Quote
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My .270 WSM's like the 130 and 150 grain North Forks, the 130-150 grain Nosler Partitions, the the 130-140 grain Nosler Accubonds, the 140 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips, and last but not least the 140 grain Barnes TSX. My preference being the 150 grain North Fork, but they all will shoot very good. Good shooting.


phurley
 
Posts: 2363 | Location: KY | Registered: 22 September 2004Reply With Quote
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Cant go wrong with the 150 gr. nosler partitions in the .270 , Im not sure I would want to try a ballistic tip of any grain.

I have actually seen them downed with a 100gr nosler partition .243, though this is nothing I would advise.

Bullet contruction and accuracy is the major factor in harvesting any game as far as I am concerned.

Tom


Tom Kessel
Hiland Outfitters, LLC (BG-082)
Hiland, Wyoming
www.hilandoutfitters.com
 
Posts: 402 | Location: Central Wyoming | Registered: 14 March 2010Reply With Quote
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I've just killed two elk in my life but one was with a 140 grain .277 Accubond at around 2950fps.


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Posts: 7361 | Location: South East Missouri | Registered: 23 November 2005Reply With Quote
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Partitions and accubonds seem to be a popular choice.
We have had great luck with both.

I tend to avoid bullets like the ballistic tip on heavy boned animals, if only for "worst case scenario" type shots.
 
Posts: 19 | Registered: 10 May 2009Reply With Quote
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Go buy a box of 150 grain partitions, 150 grain interlocks, 150 grain Accubonds, 150 grain TSXs or any two of those and see which one shoots best in your rifle.


Mike

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.



What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10136 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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Heaviest premium bullet you can find. TSX's would be a great choice if your gun likes them.


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I don't shoot elk at 600 yards for the same reasons I don't shoot ducks on the water, or turkeys from their roosts. If this confuses you then you're not welcome in my hunting camp.
 
Posts: 566 | Location: Ouray, CO | Registered: 17 November 2006Reply With Quote
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Picture of Crazyhorseconsulting
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quote:
Go buy a box of 150 grain partitions, 150 grain interlocks, 150 grain Accubonds, 150 grain TSXs or any two of those and see which one shoots best in your rifle.


+ 1000


Even the rocks don't last forever.



 
Posts: 31014 | Location: Olney, Texas | Registered: 27 March 2006Reply With Quote
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Thanks for the advice.
 
Posts: 31 | Registered: 11 October 2005Reply With Quote
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I shoot Federal 130 gr Barnes TSX bullets at my elk. No problems killing them.
 
Posts: 10378 | Location: Texas... time to secede!! | Registered: 12 February 2004Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
quote:
Go buy a box of 150 grain partitions, 150 grain interlocks, 150 grain Accubonds, 150 grain TSXs or any two of those and see which one shoots best in your rifle.


+ 1000


Make it +2000.

This is the best single piece of advice in the post. Use whichever quality 150 gr bullet that groups best in your rifle. Put the bullet in the vitals and get the skinning knife ready.
 
Posts: 2940 | Location: Colorado by birth, Navy by choice. | Registered: 26 September 2010Reply With Quote
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Picture of Crazyhorseconsulting
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ravenr, I am still waiting for you to come back and explain where the word "Dropped" was used prior to your one post, and why a 25 to 30 yard run before going down on a 500 yard shot is such a bad thing?


Even the rocks don't last forever.



 
Posts: 31014 | Location: Olney, Texas | Registered: 27 March 2006Reply With Quote
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With Barnes you may have to drop down to 140gr, depending on your barrel twist. What I discovered with my FN Mauser was that 150's were keyholing; too long to stabilize. So I switched to 140's & got good accuracy. I believe that 140, in a Barnes, is adequate and is the equal of other 150 gr bullets, because of its construction.

But, if I am just after elk I use my .338WM & 225gr Barnes, whether X or TSX. Not to demean the .270; I just think its (.338WM) a better tool for the job than the .270 or .30 mag. (If all I had was a .270 I would not hesitate to use it: it has killed a lot of elk.) For me the .338 is the perfect elk round. (There, that ought to start a donneybrook.)
 
Posts: 205 | Registered: 31 July 2008Reply With Quote
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Crazyhorse: I got your meaning right at the outset. The bull dropped after it went 25-30 yds; you never said it was DRT. If the guy wants to get so technical; what if it went 100yds & dropped; it still dropped. Frankly, I think any critter that goes down after a 500yd shot, whether 25, 30, 100 or 200yds, deserves congrats to the shooter. I think most of us realize the skill required to pull off a 500 yd
DRT shot- and the vast majority of shooters do have that ability. So, this one went 25-30 yds; it was still a premo shot.

For some reason, a few of the posters on AR, feel a need to pick apart what some of us say. And, usually, they are way off base.
 
Posts: 205 | Registered: 31 July 2008Reply With Quote
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Correction: Prevoius post should read: ". . .vast majority of shooters do NOT have that ability>"
 
Posts: 205 | Registered: 31 July 2008Reply With Quote
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I think I know why this person in particular was doing that, I had a run in with one of his little playmates on another thread and he just wanted to take up for his buddy.

I don't know if you or anyone else has noticed but some folks, seems like usually younger members have this little gang/fiest dog mentality and if you say something out of the way to one of them, the rest have to take pot shots at you trying to prove how manly they are.


Even the rocks don't last forever.



 
Posts: 31014 | Location: Olney, Texas | Registered: 27 March 2006Reply With Quote
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Crazy: Really did not want to take the subject on a tangent, but sometimes it is warranted. What strikes me is some of the insults that are hurled- which I very much doubt the individuals would ever say directly, in person. The anonymity of the internet however seems to bring out the courage of some poor souls. My upbringing was such that when insults were thrown someone was going to be brushing off the seat of their pants.
 
Posts: 205 | Registered: 31 July 2008Reply With Quote
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Yes Sir, but folks these days would not understand why they got the hell beat out of them, simply because they should have been listening instead of talking.

Such is the price we have to pay for an enlightened society.


Even the rocks don't last forever.



 
Posts: 31014 | Location: Olney, Texas | Registered: 27 March 2006Reply With Quote
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quote:
But I witnessed a guy drop a 5x5 at slightly over 500 yards

But wait,wait for it.....
the bull made it 25 or maybe 30 yds before going down.
sound familar???
oh, and any time you want to "beat the hell" out of someone who "should be listening"
let me know and i'll forward you my address and include a google map and a personal invite.
 
Posts: 2141 | Location: enjoying my freedom in wyoming | Registered: 13 January 2006Reply With Quote
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Ravenr. Go home and tell your mama she's calling you. stir Lighten up dude. There's a big difference between "dropped" and DRT. (Dead Right There) coffee Just a matter of semantics. I've seen elk that "dropped" DRT so hard tey bounced. I've seen deer that were dead on their feet run for some distance before "dropping". One deer ran close to 200 yards before hitting a fence, bouncing back and hitting it again before "dropping". The hit was a perfectly good chest cavity hit with a 100 gr. pre-Interlock Hornady from my .243 that I was letting youngsters use for their first deer hunts. My buddy and I would act as guides but they did their own shooting. There is a difference between "dropping" and bang/flop DRT.
Just to bring this back on thread, if I had to use a .270 for elk, I'd seriously look at the 150 gr, Nosler Partition ot the 130 or 140 gr. TSX. Someone said they had stability problems with the 150 gr. bullet in their rifle so while I would try then to see if they worked in my gun, I would be prepared to use one of the other bullets.
Apparently the OP does not reload his ammo which does place limitations on his options. About the only time I buy factory ammo anymore is if I buy a new gun. I'll shoot a box of factory to get case head and pressure ring measurements. The only exceptions to that is if factory ammo is only made on a seasonal basis. I do have a supply of 7x57, .358 Win. and .35 Whelen factory ammo on hand. I also have a darn good supply of new brass as well.
Paul B.
 
Posts: 2814 | Location: Tucson AZ USA | Registered: 11 May 2001Reply With Quote
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One more added to the Ignore list.

I've had really good luck with Superior Ammo. They offer sample packs with several different bullet choices. Saved me a fortune trying find a load for my finicky .300 RUM. I don't have the time or space for reloading and Superior is the next best thing!

http://www.superiorammo.com/


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I don't shoot elk at 600 yards for the same reasons I don't shoot ducks on the water, or turkeys from their roosts. If this confuses you then you're not welcome in my hunting camp.
 
Posts: 566 | Location: Ouray, CO | Registered: 17 November 2006Reply With Quote
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Picture of Crazyhorseconsulting
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The best think in the OP's facvor, is that lots of companies offer quality ammo any more for calibers like the 270, along with the more specialized firms like Superior that offer custom quality.

Spending time at the bench and finding what an individual rifle functions best with is the only way to figger out what needs to be obtained for getting the performance desired.


Even the rocks don't last forever.



 
Posts: 31014 | Location: Olney, Texas | Registered: 27 March 2006Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Paul B:
Ravenr. Go home and tell your mama she's calling you. stir Lighten up dude. There's a big difference between "dropped" and DRT. (Dead Right There) coffee Just a matter of semantics. I've seen elk that "dropped" DRT so hard tey bounced. I've seen deer that were dead on their feet run for some distance before "dropping". One deer ran close to 200 yards before hitting a fence, bouncing back and hitting it again before "dropping". The hit was a perfectly good chest cavity hit with a 100 gr. pre-Interlock Hornady from my .243 that I was letting youngsters use for their first deer hunts. My buddy and I would act as guides but they did their own shooting. There is a difference between "dropping" and bang/flop DRT.
Just to bring this back on thread, if I had to use a .270 for elk, I'd seriously look at the 150 gr, Nosler Partition ot the 130 or 140 gr. TSX. Someone said they had stability problems with the 150 gr. bullet in their rifle so while I would try then to see if they worked in my gun, I would be prepared to use one of the other bullets.
Apparently the OP does not reload his ammo which does place limitations on his options. About the only time I buy factory ammo anymore is if I buy a new gun. I'll shoot a box of factory to get case head and pressure ring measurements. The only exceptions to that is if factory ammo is only made on a seasonal basis. I do have a supply of 7x57, .358 Win. and .35 Whelen factory ammo on hand. I also have a darn good supply of new brass as well.
Paul B.



You are challenging Rav on his interpretation of "dropped" and you want us to believe you have seen elk "bounce". That is hilarious!!!

Perry
 
Posts: 2249 | Location: South Texas | Registered: 01 November 2005Reply With Quote
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Mine shoots the 130 Accubond really well, took a cow last season with it. I'm working on the TSX's now. If they shoot anywhere near as well at a decent velocity I'll switch to them.
 
Posts: 29 | Location: Oregon | Registered: 28 December 2009Reply With Quote
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It is harder to find a bullet that will not work than one that will. As long as you start at 130gr an work up.

Mike Dettore got the list off to a very good start.

Even had a friend kill a 6x6 with a 150gr Ballistic silvertip out his 300 WSM. Oh wait, those aren't suppose to work on elk.
 
Posts: 2034 | Location: Black Mining Hills of Dakota | Registered: 22 June 2005Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
But I witnessed a guy drop a 5x5 at slightly over 500 yards with one shot from a 270. The bull made it about 25 maybe 30 yards before going down.


I would have to stick up for ravenr here. The post clearly states dropped and made it x distance. Certainly could be interpreted as contradictory and/or confusing.

I think most people wouldn't interpret dropped, and traveled 25 yards before going down as the same thing.


Howard
Moses Lake, Washington USA
hwhomes@outlook.com
 
Posts: 2339 | Location: Moses Lake WA | Registered: 17 October 2000Reply With Quote
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I'm with Mike-D on this--

(then again I've killed'm with a Norma cup&core 120 out of a 257AI)

All of the Below have Good reputations
Find one that shoots well in your rig

Woodleigh 180

Swift A-Frame 160 & Scirocco II 130

Combined Technology 150

Barnes TSX 150/140

NorthFork 150

Nosler Partition 160 or AccuBond 140

Speer Grand Slam 150

Hornady InterBond 150 or GMX 130

Sierra GameKing 150

and yes even the

Berger 150 HVLD


DuggaBoye-O
NRA-Life
Whittington-Life
TSRA-Life
DRSS
DSC
HSC
SCI
 
Posts: 4593 | Location: TX | Registered: 03 March 2009Reply With Quote
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quote:
You are challenging Rav on his interpretation of "dropped" and you want us to believe you have seen elk "bounce". That is hilarious


Oh did I pick on your buddy? How rude of me. sofa
All I will say is laugh all you want. You were not there. Even my guide commented on how hard that cow elk hit the ground. Enjoy your laugh. moon
Paul B.
 
Posts: 2814 | Location: Tucson AZ USA | Registered: 11 May 2001Reply With Quote
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