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If all goes well, the new 375 Ruger will be my elk rifle next fall. I don't think I really need 270+ gr buffalo bullets for elk, so I'm looking at my options. So far, I like the 260 gr Accubond and the 235 gr TSX. How do the 235 gr Speer, 260 gr Partition, and/or the 250 gr Gameking compare? What .375 bullet would you suggest is right for elk - not too tough/heavy and not too light and fragile? ============================== "I'd love to be the one to disappoint you when I don't fall down" --Fred Durst | ||
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TSX bullets are extremely accurate and work well. Can't go wrong with them. Use them in my 338WM three shots under an inch @ 100 yards; two touching and one just off the two. JUST A TYPICAL WHITE GUY BITTERLY CLINGING TO GUNS AND RELIGION Definition of HOPLOPHOBIA "I'm the guy that originally wrote the 'assault weapons' ban." --- Former Vice President Joe Biden | |||
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Almost 40 years ago, I was finishing my military service at Ft Sill, OK. I used to go shooting almost every evening at the base range. One evening, there were two guys at the bench next to me that were shooting a .375 H&H. One of them told me that he had drawn an elk permit in the nearby Wichita Mtns Wildlife Refuge and that he borrowed the .375 because he was told that he needed that much rifle for elk. At that time, I had only killed one bull elk so I didn't say anything about his choice of calibers, so I just wished him good luck on this hunt. However now, 38 years and another 32 elk later, I would voice my opinion that you don't need that much power to kill an elk. Heck, one of my shooting buddies killed his bull this year with a single shot with his .22-250. That being said, on my last hunt in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, I shot 13 PG animals with my .375 RUM, shooting 270 gr Barnes TSX bullets. These antelope varied in size from Steenbok to Cape Eland, at ranges from 30 to 350 yds. These bullets shoot 3 shot, 1" groups at 100 yds from my .375 RUM, and they worked great. My favorite elk bullets are 160-180 gr 7mm-.30 caliber premium bullets at +/- 3000 fps. It's more about bullet placement than bullet diameter. NRA Endowment Life Member | |||
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I've used the Sierra 250 spitzer on both elk and black bear. Very accurate in my rifle and did the job. I think you're on the right track using any 270 grain or less bullet. I've worked with both the Nosler 260 Accubond and 260 Partition, either of which should do nicely on elk. The Accubond has a better B.C., so that might be helpful should you find yourself with no practical shot closer than several hundred yards. Whichever bullet shoots best in your gun should be fine. I personally don't trust the monometal bullets to expand consistently, but others swear by them; to each his own. | |||
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260 grain Partition at 2700 fps out of my Model 70  Frank "I don't know what there is about buffalo that frightens me so.....He looks like he hates you personally. He looks like you owe him money." - Robert Ruark, Horn of the Hunter, 1953 NRA Life, SAF Life, CRPA Life, DRSS lite | |||
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I would avoid the Speers and the Sierras at the lower weights. I would be concrened at 2850-3000 fps they might have a tendency for erractic performance if the shot is close in. 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. | |||
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I would have to say it depends on what your rifle shoots well. My Win 70 didn't shoot the Barnes (pre-tripleshocks) X bullets worth a dang. It shot the 300 gr partitions far better than the 260's. I went with the 300's. I only shot one elk with mine, and it didn't go down any quicker than the ones I've shot with my 338 WM. I mostly use my 338 WM (when I can draw a tag that is). I would be cautious of the light weight 375 bullets giving too much expansion and meat destruction. I loaded up some old 220 gr flat nose's once I had left over from a 375 win Contender bbl. At full power H&H levels I obliterated a coyote with one shot. It was pretty impressive, NOT a good pelt load. Si tantum EGO eram dimidium ut bonus ut EGO memor | |||
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Having shot something on the order of 10 elk with the .375 H&H, I settled on the 260-grain partition or the 270-grain TSX as the best combination of penetration and trajectory for me. Any of the 270-grain Hornadys are a close third for me. The only time I tried them, I had the 250-grain Sierra disintigrate on the shoulder joint without penetrating into the lung cavity. The 235-grain Speers did not shoot well in my rifles, and in any event, I prefer a bullet with a higher ballistic coefficient. One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got into my pajamas I'll never know. - Groucho Marx | |||
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I am using the 260 Accubond (MV ~2800) Shot a bull elk behind the shoulder at 50 yards. He jumped and ran so I gave him another through both shoulders at 30 yards. (He was beside a steep ravine that I did not want him to drop into) First shot was a pass through, the second lodged under the hide on the far shoulder (it dropped him instantly but was not needed) The damage was shocking. The heart was not hit directly but there were tiny speckles of lead all over it. Lungs (and considerable shoulder meat) were completely destroyed. I previously used the 270gr Barnes XLCs but they didn't impress me on Caribou and Black bear. I think they needed more resistance. I think the Accubomb is a perfect .375 choice for elk. (assuming they shoot well for you) The one I recovered weighed ~157.4 grains | |||
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Hi, I hunt for Red Deer, practically, Elk, for the past 25 years with my .375 H&H (Win Pre-64, 25" barrel). I have used, mainly, the 270 grs Hornady Spire Point. Plus some Win 270 grs Power Point factoy loaded, and a few 260 grs N Partition and the originals Barnes X 250 grs. All kill very well for me, at all distances, from 100 meters to 350 meters. I have but still didn´t use the Accubond 260 grs. In theory, this AB should be almos perfect for RDeer/Elk. As loads, I use for all those bullets R15 or any of the 4350s. My best loads for the Hornady 270 spire point are 74 grs R15 or 83 grs IMR/AA 4350. For around 2700 fps. And for the 260 grs Nosler Partition, I couldn´t find any better than 84 grs 4350 for 2800 fps. Very good and well balanced load in my rifle. All loads are with WW cases and WLR or CCI 250 primers. Good luck! PH | |||
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I've shot several elk with the .375 H&H and 300 gr Sierra GK's, a few with 260 NP's and one with 270 gr Hornady spitzers. The 300 Sierras generally do spit the core out. Never ever had to track a single bull once shot with the three seven five though. I have ZERO idea WHAT the .375 Ruger will do velocity wise. Never needed anything more than the std old .375 H&H. FN in MT 'I'm tryin' to think, but nothin' happens"! Curly Howard Definitive Stooge | |||
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Another bullet you may want to try is the 250gr swift a frame. I've had good luck with them on elk and mule deer. I plan on giving the 235gr tsx a try, until barnes brings out a 250gr ttsx(hopefully). | |||
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I've shot 300 gr Sierras in mine. Never had an elk go more than a few yards after being hit with 'em. | |||
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I have been using the 235TSX for a few years for our little local deer but would not use them on elk. If you look at the ballistics and retained down range energy of the 235TSX vs the 270TSX you will find that the ballistics are virtually identical and the 270 retains far more energy. Since penetration is a factor on elk size animals, I see no good reason to use the 235's. JMHO Have gun- Will travel The value of a trophy is computed directly in terms of personal investment in its acquisition. Robert Ruark | |||
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Thanks for all the info. I am going ahead with the 260 Accubond - assuming it will shoot well. This does seem to give the best combination of toughness, penetration, and ballistic coeff. If I do get to shoot anything with it, I'll post the report... ============================== "I'd love to be the one to disappoint you when I don't fall down" --Fred Durst | |||
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I have had impressive accuracy with my 260 grain NAB in my .375 Ruger. These bullets worked great on my Kodiak Mnt Goat. You will not go wrong with a NAB or a TSX. | |||
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