The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting American Big Game Hunting 270 for elk...opinons wantedGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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In previous elk hunts I have used my 300 Ultra and 300 Jarrett to successfully take some nice bulls. This year I have finally found my version of the "Holy Grail", a virtually unfired pre-64 (1949) model 70 in .270 Winchester. I am a big O'Connor fan as you might guess. I had a crazy idea to do the O'Connor thing on next fall's elk hunt just for nostalgia's sake and wondered what other people that have been there and done that think. I have posted before on this forum and have repeatedly stated that I believe that elk, as big as they are, deserve all the horsepower you can throw at them, caliber wise. If I do this, I am obviously going against my own better judgement. What the hell...I want to see if I can do it just one time with a 270 like ol' Jack would have done. The ranch where we hunt in New Mexico (fair chase only) has yielded three nice 6x6's to me. They tend to run on the big side, averaging a thousand pounds apiece. Most, if not all shots, average 150 yards to about 200 or so...not the long range stuff that I would have suspected. If I decide to do this, I would only try it with some sort of bonded, heavily constructed bullet. I cannot find any old style Trophy Bonded Bearclaws in 270, so I am looking at possibly North Forks in 140 grain or possibly good old Partitions. Any comments would be appreciated. | ||
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Facts: -.270 always has, always will kill elk. -Bigger guns always have always will kill them a bit deader (ha) and as long as you can shoot them accuratley. -People will always argue this point and not reach a conclusion. These facts will hold true even during the current fashion craze of ultramags and ATVs with angry looking "eyes". You very well may hear of amazing stories of elk who were only wounded by the dinky .270. News Flash: elk are wounded by all calibers when shots are bad and bullets are crap. Opinion: Don't wait for some ninny with a grudge against the .270 to knock your choice and style: take your sweet '49 model 70, get a Jack O-style hat, jacket, boots and circular eyeglasses and hunt!!! | |||
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At the ranges you listed with a good bullet you'll probably be ok. I have a friend that has taken a dozen or more elk with a 270. Most of them were cows at 100-200 yards. He's never lost one. He has had to shoot more than once from time to time. Elk are tough and don't always fall over without a fight. A big bull will be tougher. I'd prefer "more gun", but it works the 270 works for a lot of people. Good shot placement and a good bullet will be required. | |||
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My first comment was going to be Jack used one. I like the idea of hat, boots and glasses should be a good time. | |||
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If I was to use my 270's to hunt elk. The load would be simple. Barnes 140gr TSX over any combination of brass, powder, and primer that shot accurately enough with respectable velocity. Put in the boiler room and you have a dead elk. Next on the list would be the 160gr Nosler Partition. Make sure you put a use a fixed 4 or 6 power scope to finish the show. | |||
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Add a 150 gr barnes XXX and you're golden. I know a lot of folks who have taken a lot of elk with good old 150 grain core-lokts. | |||
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While not my 1st choice, you do have a handle on range limits a good 150gr or 160gr bullet will get it done, especially if you wait for your shot. I'ld go w/ the NoslerP as fast as you can run it. LIFE IS NOT A SPECTATOR'S SPORT! | |||
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Well, like you, I PREFER to hunt elk with a bigger gun, but a 270 will darned sure kill one. I usually use my 338 Win Mag or my 300 Wby Mag. Both put elk on the ground real well. But, my step-son and his kid have been shooting elk lately with a 270 Winchester with good results. These are big bodied Roosevelt elk on the Oregon coast. I admit these have been cows, but they are BIG animals. They have had very good results with factory Winchester Supreme ammo loaded with the 150 grain Nosler Partition Gold. In fact, in one instance the bullet passed through the cow they were shooting at and killed another behind it. Good thing they had plenty of tags. If you use the 270 just be carefull of bullet placement and do not take any questionable shots. (like elk stand around and let you choose your shot, yeah right) R F R Flowers | |||
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I can't see one person that responded to this thread that I disagree with....good points and well appreciated. The majority of the shots we have all have been shots that were not "rushed"...for the most part, we have had time to place our shots. Dadgummit, I just had LASIK surgery this past year, so I won't be able to do the O'Connor glasses thing though. Got my fedora hat though. 'Preciate the comments and observations. | |||
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.270 + well placed shot = dead elk. I've killed quite a few elk with my .270 and not once did I think that I didn't have enough gun. MG | |||
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Jack O'Connor was a dink who couldn't stand recoil. Ask what Elmer Keith would think about using a whitetail rifle on an elk. | |||
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It was nice of you to ask, but you really didn't need to ask. The 140 gr. TSX at 3,000 feet will do the job well. I've used my 7x57mm and 160 grain bullets to do the job with no problems. Just shoot the hell out of your .270 so you are completely comfortable and completely confident with it and you'll have no problems. As far as the elmer keith type fellow, I always get such a kick out of their antics. Anyway, have a fun time of it ... Tom Purdom | |||
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At least this topic isn't as hot as suggesting a 45/70 as a good choice for a DGR! I have always hunted elk with 30 cal or larger...were I to find myself in an elk hunt with a 270 I wouldn't feel handicapped...I would prefer a 150 or 160 grain bullet and preferably Nosler Partition. Good hunting, Andy ----------------------------- Thomas Jefferson: “To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.” | |||
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While I wouldn't have a 270 or a 30-06, just because of personnal preferences, I witnessed a shot made on a decent 5x5 elk in western Colorado a few years back, that turned out with a range finder at being 500+ yards. The shot broke both shoulders, and exited. The bull made it about 30 yards after the shot, and went down. It was made with a 150 grain bullet out of a 270. It was probably the most impressive shot I have ever seen a person make. I helped field dress the bull, and was absolutely amazed at the performance of that bullet. I think any shot of 350 yards or less on an elk, is easily within the performance level of the 270. JMO Even the rocks don't last forever. | |||
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I went from a .270 to a .338 on elk. Then I tried a .300 and went back to the .338. A .270 will surely kill an elk, but if I'm going to spend big money to get into a trophy area, I surely want more gun than the .270. My .338 has made some impressive "knock 'em down right now" kills. I just feel better with the .338 should that 400+ bull be climbing the canyon wall 350 yards away. Elite Archery and High Country dealer. | |||
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It is funny that every year thousands of elk are killed with 270's. Also every year a thread like this one comes up and about half the guys say it is not big enough. The 270 can, has, and will kill elk. Ron | |||
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If you use a good bullet, place the shot well and keep it to less than 300 yards.... you'll be just fine. | |||
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There are so many quality bullets out there for a 270 that are more than enough bullet for a 1000 pound bull elk. I wouldn't hesitate to use ANY of the following: 160 Partition 150 Partition 150 AFRAME! (BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED "BONDED") 150 TSX (no brainer) 150 Northfork 140 TSX (no brainer) 140 Aframe 140 Failsafe Because you mentioned a bonded bullet, my first recommendation would be the 150 Aframe. These are very accurate bullets. BUT, my choice would be the 150 TSX.
Well, I'm not one to swear on a Bible but I don't think even Elmer Keith considered a 270 a whitetail rifle at all. If memory serves, he considered a 270 a "damn good coyote rifle." Moreover, he openly did not like O'Connor, so naturally anything O'Connor liked, Keith despised. Regardless of what Keith would think, the facts are the indicator, not his opinion. The 270 works on elk just fine with a good bullet and a good hunter. Ps. (...but I'd aim for the spine/shoulder)  Ted Kennedy's car has killed more people than my guns | |||
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Elmer Keith had a classic case of "Little Man Syndrome" - he was a bandy legged little runt who tried to compensate by shooting the biggest rifles he could lift. A .270 is plenty of rifle for anything on this continent, and for damn sure anything in the lower 48 states. Your biggest problem is going to be that it'll ruin a quite a bit of meat. | |||
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A 130 TSX properly placed = dead bull.  | |||
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a 130gr TSX will work atleast as well as a 150gr partition. There are SO MANY good bullets that the bullet isn't the problem.... the SHOOTER is the problem. If you can hit a target the size of a 45 record at your intended range you can kill any north american animal with it, so there isn't a good reason why a 270 won't work. (I trust you can shoot better than a 7" group at 300yards?) Now one of the resident assholes will appear and ask how many elk I've killed....  AllanD If I provoke you into thinking then I've done my good deed for the day! Those who manage to provoke themselves into other activities have only themselves to blame. *We Band of 45-70er's* 35 year Life Member of the NRA NRA Life Member since 1984 | |||
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A 270 will certainly kill elk as will a 25-06 or even a 243win.However,I prefer to use larger bores myself. | |||
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The Apache guide I contracted with advised me he hunts with a 130gr 270 for elk it's all shot placement.A friend of mine uses a 6mm Ruger #1 to take elk but he either hits them in the head or neck. | |||
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Go to http://www.noslershop.com and click on reloading for factory 2nds(blems) for partition and accubond plus others,when I spoke to a nosler saleman I was informed they all use the blems to hunt with.I've ordered several bags of 165gr Solid Base bullets the most accurate I've ever fired in my Sako Finnbear 06 plus Accubond, Partition and Ballistic Tip bullets. | |||
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oh the mythical elk,made a lifetime of killin elk with a 270 and before i could afford a 270 a 243.they are big and tough but they don't read ballistics charts.shot placement not bullet weight is what kills,this year i will kill my 50th elk.i've never used anything other than 130gr | |||
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An elk shot in the ass with a 416 is just as wounded as one shot in the ass with a 243. Just as they are just as dead when you hit them in the heart with either round. I think more and more that people who think you need a larger caliber to shoot an elk are more into dick swingin' contests than actual hunting.  | |||
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I can tell you exactly what Elmer would say as he said it to me in the early 80s. To paraphrase him he thought that the 150 gain partition turned the 270 Win from a good deer rifle into an excellent deer and good elk rifle. After over 30 elk and a couple of moose I agree with Elmer. 465H&H | |||
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Your logic escapes me _____________________________________________________ A 9mm may expand to a larger diameter, but a 45 ain't going to shrink Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened. - Winston Churchill | |||
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Allen DeGroot What is a 45 recoed???  | |||
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There are two types of people that belive that the 270 win is not enough gun for elk. 1.People who have never sht a elk with a 270win 2.People who have shot a elk with a 270win and blew the shoot and now they blame the 270win instesd of their piss poor shooting. I don't worry about either type they are both full of Manure  | |||
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DrB, if your gonna ask you could atleast spell "record" right.... I think they are an obsolete sound playback media, but it's been a while  Hey, I KNOW you are old enough to have atleast SEEN a working record player... AllanD If I provoke you into thinking then I've done my good deed for the day! Those who manage to provoke themselves into other activities have only themselves to blame. *We Band of 45-70er's* 35 year Life Member of the NRA NRA Life Member since 1984 | |||
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With proper bullet placement the .223 will kill deer just as well as a 270win will kill elk.However,I don't believe that the 270win is ideal for elk hunting any more than the .223 is ideal for deer hunting. | |||
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It's usually those that say the least that have the most to say... the above is a perfect example. | |||
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Allen DeGroot I'm lucky that they didn't grade spelling in Medical school. At least I'm in good company. Winston Churchill, Richard Branson, John Lennon, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Picasso, Jackie Stewart, Agatha Christie, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michael Faraday, Henry Ford, Ted Turner, Walt Disney, Harrison Ford, John F. Kennedy, Enrico Caruso and an estimated one out of five people on the planet have one thing in common …Dyslexia. Dr B | |||
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Hey, worry not. I tend to type so fast I misspell stuff all the time, I rarely go back and check for spelling. I think folks here get the pcitrue.  Ted Kennedy's car has killed more people than my guns | |||
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And those in the teaching profession seem to think dislexia is a "handicap" or "disability" when infact it's "different". Frankly I see anyone with a lesser grasp of spacial relationships as having a "disabling handicap" BTW, I always take the time edit the errors out of my posts If I provoke you into thinking then I've done my good deed for the day! Those who manage to provoke themselves into other activities have only themselves to blame. *We Band of 45-70er's* 35 year Life Member of the NRA NRA Life Member since 1984 | |||
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The only problem I've had with the .270 is using a Barnes at close range, trying for a heart shot. I had a caliber hole in and not much bigger going out, I didn't hit any bone. I was certain of the shot, so I didn't pull the trigger again, but it took a while for the elk to go down. He ran about 100yds. (The elk was only about 40yds when I pulled the trigger). Other elk I've killed I have gone back to the Nosler partition and not had that problem, If you can call it a problem. The last elk I shot, I used a good old Sierra 130gr. head on at about 100yds. The bullet spent it's energy, taking the heart and one lung, stopping just shy of the diaphram. It did a lot of damage. All in the chest cavity. The elk only walked a few feet before dropping in a heap. The old 130gr. with a max load of H4831 does just fine. | |||
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I talked w/ a Elk Guide a couple of weeks ago for a couple of hours. He's been at it for several decades so he knew alittle about the critters. A little of the conversation went like: He said he sees his clients bring 243Wins, 25-06s, and 270s every year and though it's definitely not his choice, he said his clients get their bulls. He was a .338-06 Barnes X fan but, said just about anything through the lungs was meat in the freezer. In his words "Hell, thousands are taken w/ a bow every year...Now, tell me which would you rather have, a 30-30 or a bow when that big bull is broad side at close range?...." One other thing I found interesting from this ole' guide was that he strongly advised against shoulder shots on bulls. He said he'd seen just about every cart from .375 H&H to small cals deflect on big bulls shoulders and produce mere wounds. Can't say I agree 100% w/ that but, it was interesting. I even asked him what he thought about a 270 on elk and he said that it was well suited for them.... Good Luck on your hunt! Reloader | |||
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When I first got into hunting some 20yrs ago, i met a freind of a freind. This fellow his Dad, and his Uncle, all shot pre 64 mod. 70's with 130gr. Partition reloads. At the time the cumulative total of elk harvested between these 3 gentlemen was something in excess of 20 bulls. also add to the tally 50+ bull moose, 3 grizzly bear, deer out the wazoo, caribou, antelope, sheep, goats etc. There is a resounding cominality to this observation. A 270 will kill elk. | |||
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When you take your 270 this season be prepared to see the largest bull elk you've ever seen (including photos) at 300yards facing slightly away from you. At this point the words often uttered 'I'm happy to pass on less than perfect shot angles' take on a different significance. | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting American Big Game Hunting 270 for elk...opinons wanted
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