I'm headed to Colorado this fall to hunt elk and I'm looking for a good .50 caliber bullet that will 1) Work well on elk, and 2) Meet with Colorado's requirements, i.e. no saboted bullets.

I hear that Power-points are pretty popular, but I've heard mixed reviews on how they hold up once they're in the elk.

Any experience would be appreciated.

I use the 460 gr. Hornady Great Plains. I have had good success on three Cows with them. My buddy uses the 380ish gr. aero tips and has had equally good success on a buck Deer and three Cows.

I have not recovered any of the slugs from my Elk, but my buddy has generally recovered his from just under the hide on the off side.

I think a relatively heavy bullet that shoots well in your weapon placed in the vitals will take care of things at reasonable distances.

I tried several bullets and the only one I had great sucess stabilizing out of a Knight inline was the Hornaday Great plains buffalo bullet. (I use the 385gr.) It was very effective on the two bulls I have killed. As stated in the earlier post, I recovered it just under the hide on the far side.

quote:

Originally posted by Deertick:
I'm headed to Colorado this fall to hunt elk and I'm looking for a good .50 caliber bullet that will 1) Work well on elk, and 2) Meet with Colorado's requirements, i.e. no saboted bullets.

I hear that Power-points are pretty popular, but I've heard mixed reviews on how they hold up once they're in the elk.

Any experience would be appreciated.

What gun? - what distances? - what powder?

1 in 10:

They're 348 grain aerotips.

You might try the Harvester Sabertooth bullets. I have read some reports that claim better performance on game with the bullet staying together better. I have shot cow elk with both the 295gr. and 348gr. Powerbelt with fair results. The 348 stayed together and the 295 went completely through so I assume it was also together when it exited. Both shots .50cal with 90gr. Black Mag'3 at 100 yards or less completely broadside shots. I am experimenting with full conicals in heavier bullets. I just bought some of the White bullets made for .50 caliber rifles with standard .500 bores. Have not shot them yet but they are nice looking bullets.

COPhil:

I've checked the numbers and from what I can determine, my 460 gr. Great Plains solid lead masters of mayhem are 112 grains more better than your 348 gr Aero tips.........if that's even their real name.

Thanks for the advice ...

I should have noted, I'm shooting a T/C Black Diamond, open sights. I will not shoot beyond 100 yards.

I'll try the Hornadys as they are a Nebraska company, and probably the T/C too. It will of course come down to what shoots best from this barrel.

Dtick, I shoot a T/C Black Diamond XR. My shots have been from 10 to 40 yards. I've not been too anal in my load development. The 460s with about 110 gr. of Pyrodex has worked well for me.

Give the heavy Buffalo bullets a try also.

Like MLKeith, I have some of the White bullets to check out before my next ML hunt.

Where are you planning to hunt Deertick?

The hunt area is "to be determined." I'm thinking of Unit 15 or perhaps south of there. On the other hand, the flattops to the west need some study, too.

I like Pyrodex and 777 ... I'll need to do some experiementing this summer.

quote:

Originally posted by Deertick:
Thanks for the advice ...

I should have noted, I'm shooting a T/C Black Diamond, open sights. I will not shoot beyond 100 yards.

I'll try the Hornadys as they are a Nebraska company, and probably the T/C too. It will of course come down to what shoots best from this barrel.

The 338 gr Platinum Powerbelt should be fine for your elk hunt & the type of gun/distances you do.

A T/C 320 grain mini ball worked OK for me. First broke the large bone just below the shoulder joint. Went just beyond, the second went thru both lungs and exited. Shot with 100 gr. 777 in the 75 yard range.

I really like the 410 gr Hornady Great plains. Ron

Deertick, don't tell 1 in 10 where you're gonna hunt, or the next thing you know, he'll be in your camp, mooching food and beer. That's how I met him. Kind of like a mother-in-law who comes to visit and just won't leave. Now I buy cheap beer for him, and hide the good stuff.

We had drink moochers at a NYS Right of Way training session at the NYS Campus of the Gideon Putnam Hotel who would go room to room mooching drinks and then head to their rooms every evening w/o ever sharing their drinks with anyone else but they were taught a lesson .Mineral water was available free of charge in Green Label, Yellow Label & Red Label.Green was safe to use ,yellow was a mild laxative and Red was a fast acting laxative so some of my friends poured the red into a green labeled bottle and mixed the moochers a couple of drinks.They never showed up at the restaurant that evening supper or for anymore "free" drinks .

Dtick,
South of Unit 15 or in the Flat Tops sound like great options.

On another note, since when does loading the cooler with PBRs qualify as "hiding the good stuff"?

Try the No Excuses 460 grain conical...

Loads easily....Very accurate, at least in my old T/C Hawken, and CO legal...

Made a PERFECT mushroom, lodged under the hide on the far side of the 6 point bull I killed with it...

Hard to fault that kind of performance..