# Best elk bullet



## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

I am headed out on the general elk hunt next week and I just need to decide which load to go with. I shoot a 300 WSM and I have been working up loads for the last 7 months. I have the following bullets that I have tried: Barnes TTSX 150, Barnes LRX175, Berger Hunting VLD 155 gr, Hornady SST 155??, Nosler Ballistic Tip 150, Nosler Partition 150, Nosler Accubond 150 and some generic 150 gran stuff. 
The accuracy has been in this order (best group shot): Accubond .41", Berger .49", Barnes 150 .72", Barnes 175 1.1"... 
I am just trying to figure out which the best one would be, so I start reading around and find opinions like this one from a guide service stating that there are only a handful of bullets worth anything http://www.eliteoutfitters.com/hunting-trips/hunting-equipment-info/rifle-elk-equipment/
What do you guys think? 
I am leaning towards the Accubond knowing that they are the most accurate even though they may a hair light for the job, despite the outfitter's opinion about bonded bullets. All of them would be accurate enough for the ranges at which I would be shooting, <300 yards. 
I know that I have read many reviews that are favorable of the Accubonds as well, but I don't recall any specific elk experience, just general opinions or on deer.
Thanks in advance guys!


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

My .340 Weatherby loves the Barnes TSX and hates Nosler bullets for some reason so that is what I shoot. From the looks of your results I would go with the Accubond but would look at some 165-180 grain ones.


----------



## elkman (Sep 1, 2013)

If the accubond can stay together at high velocity when hitting bone go with it. I know the partition has a great reputation.


----------



## elkman (Sep 1, 2013)

if you have time try some 165 grain bullets. maybe a little heavier will fly better?


----------



## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

Every elk I have shot with Accubonds has fallen to one shot. 150's are light for your caliber, I would recommend a heavier AB, but they will work fine.-----SS


----------



## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

Accubond even more if you plan on that light of a bullet. The SST is a good bullet but I wouldn't recommend them for elk and neither does Hornady. 
Don't use the Nosler BTs either for elk for the same reason as the SSTs The jacket is to thin and the bullet wont hold up in larger game like an elk. 
The Barnes and Bergers are good but I would look into at least a 165 grn bullet, best would be a 180 gr. or bigger.
I shoot the 300 win mag and I loaded up some 200 gr Accubonds and shot a cow elk last year. The bullet worked perfectly, dropped a cow at 240 yards dead one shot. 
My wife is also going to be using this combo on her elk and buff hunt. 
The 200 might be a bit much but with the 300 win mag it works fine.
The 150s will also work of course just not as much room for error.


----------



## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

I somewhat agree with the outfitter. Barnes TTSX leaves an exit wound the size of a softball.


----------



## Firehawk (Sep 30, 2007)

My opinion as well, go heavier than 150. 165 would be an absolute minimum for me even with a 30-06 let alone a win mag. Go 180 partition or Accubonds and don't look back. You'll find that at long range they shoot flatter, and close range they will hold together better than their 150 grain counterparts. Higher sectional density means better penetration given similar bullet construction. Also in similar bullet types (150 vs. 165 partition or accubond vs accubond), the heavier (longer) bullets will have a higher ballistic coefficient. Higher BC means better job at bucking the wind and fighting the effects of gravity on velocity.

The monolithic bullets are a unique difference. Due to their construction (no lead, all copper alloy of sorts), they are longer than their lead core counterparts of equal weight, and shed less weight upon striking their target. This can allow them to penetrate further all things being equal. This is why some people use lighter Barnes ttsx bullets and get good results and penetration.

Have fun!

FH


----------



## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

I also speak for the Accubond, 150gr will do just fine, but I would shoot the heavier bullet (165gr+) just because they have a better BC... I have a buddy that shoots long range equipment, and he loves the Barnes TSX. Hail yes elk are tough, but they aren't bullet proof


----------



## hunting777 (May 3, 2009)

I shoot a 7MM and prefer the both of these.
Barnes TTSX 150, Nosler Partition 150

These have both flown straight and true for me. I shot a spike at 550yds with the TTSX and it definitely did the trick.:mrgreen:


----------



## crod (Jul 18, 2013)

I also shoot a 300 WSM, and I like the 180 grain accubond... Very accurate & enough weight to ensure great energy at range.


----------



## Bo0YaA (Sep 29, 2008)

A 150gr bullet out of your 300wsm is going to be traveling somewhere in the 3100-3300 fps range. From my experience bullets with a SD of .230 and under typically come apart at those speeds causing all kinds of tissue damage and also fail to penetrate well when they come in contact with large bones. I would say if you want the benefit of high velocities and lower recoil of the 150gr bullet and don't want to sacrifice penetration, stay with the Barnes TTSX.


----------



## exterpro (Aug 18, 2013)

I just had the LE elk tag and took a great bull. I have been shooting the 150gr accubond. The bullet did just what I wanted it to do. It dropped the bull. It had a great mushroom pattern and did not exit the other side. It stopped just under the hide. Great bullet.


----------



## 300 Wby (Aug 14, 2008)

I believe that BoOYaH has it right, Barnes for sheer penetration. I don't have any experience with handloaded accubonds I have a lot of experience with Nosler Partation and Barnes TSX & TTSX. Hands down Barnes in my opinion, I shoot 200 TSX out of a 300 Wby for elk while my father and brother use a 180 TTSX out of a 300 Wby for elk. Always had complete pass through creating a huge wound channel.


----------



## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Great information guys! Booyah, I think you hit my next question right on teh head. I was reading this article by Chuck Hawks and he does talk about keeping the SD>260 and I think you have said it pretty well. http://www.chuckhawks.com/elk_cartridges.htm
I checked SW and they do not have any of the larger accubonds, so it looks like we will use the 175 Barnes, which would be the equivalent of 200+ grains due to their 96% weight retention, according to Barnes' reading material. Thanks again guys, I do enjoy reading all of your opinions. 
It has made me look back over the numerous decades that my family has hunted using the most basic of all bullets and had decent success, but then again many times when they could not find their game or had to place up to 6 bullets to take them down. So, I do like the idea of increasing my odds by using the best available equipment at my disposal.


----------



## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

exterpro said:


> I just had the LE elk tag and took a great bull. I have been shooting the 150gr accubond. The bullet did just what I wanted it to do. It dropped the bull. It had a great mushroom pattern and did not exit the other side. It stopped just under the hide. Great bullet.


First of all, where are the pics? Then, what caliber did you use and where was the contact? Thanks for the info and congrats on your bull!


----------



## El Matador (Dec 21, 2007)

If you were starting from scratch I would say go with a 180 grain bullet for elk. But since the hunt is coming up quick and you already have a very accurate load with the 150 Accubond I would not hesitate to use that for the hunt. The main idea here is to cause damage to the vitals and your 150 ABs will do plenty if you get a broadside shot. I'm not a fan of the Barnes bullets because they open up a little slower than jacketed bullets. A "softball-sized" exit wound may sound impressive but I would rather have a bullet expend it's energy inside the animal.


----------



## Bo0YaA (Sep 29, 2008)

For future reference, the Barnes 165gr TTSX is a great choice for elk in your 300wsm. Equivalent to or better than the best bonded 180gr bullets out there for penetration.


----------



## trclements (Jan 17, 2012)

I would also suggest going with a heavier bullet if you can, but given the time frame I would go with the 150 grain accubond. I just finished working up a load for my Tikka 300 wsm that shoots 2.5" groups at 300 yards and .75 groups at 100 yards.

180 grain Accubond
Winchester brass
CCI 250 large rifle magnum primer
65.5 grains of RL17


----------



## exterpro (Aug 18, 2013)

Huge 29 check out an earlier post called south cache bull. That is my bull. I am shooting a 7mm wsm. Really enjoy the gun. I hope you the best in your hunting.


----------



## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

My cow will be shot this year with a Barnes TTSX 210 grain in .338 win mag. I've got 16 elk points, and when I finally draw my bull will get shot with the same load. Love Barnes TSX and TTSX. Killed my Pauns buck with a 180 grain TSX in .300 win mag last year. (Bro's gun) Tried the 165's but the gun shot the 180's better. 

If you've got time, and the gun will shoot the bigget bullet as effectively, I'd go bigger than 150. If not, then dance with the girl that brought you and kill a good one!


----------



## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Thanks again guys. I tried SW and Gallenson's for the 180 Accubonds and no luck; I will try Scheel's in the morning, if they don't have them I will be using the Barnes LRX 175's.


----------



## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

exterpro said:


> Huge 29 check out an earlier post called south cache bull. That is my bull. I am shooting a 7mm wsm. Really enjoy the gun. I hope you the best in your hunting.


This one where the other poster put up the pic? http://utahwildlife.net/forum/12-big-game/52202-south-cache-elk.html


----------



## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

Huge to bad your not in price. The Walmart has the accubond 180 for $30 just sitting in the discount section! Yesterday they had 6 boxes.


----------



## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

mikevanwilder said:


> Huge to bad your not in price. The Walmart has the accubond 180 for $30 just sitting in the discount section! Yesterday they had 6 boxes.


What?! I may have my sister run down there.


----------



## FSHCHSR (Aug 30, 2008)

> Huge 29 check out an earlier post called south cache bull.


the picture of his bull is in the thread called first time bull


----------



## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

Huge29 said:


> What?! I may have my sister run down there.


Tell her they have it at the end of the fishing aisle. I probably should of picked some up to.


----------



## exterpro (Aug 18, 2013)

sorry yes the post first time bull is mine sorry.


----------



## MadHunter (Nov 17, 2009)

I have not read through all of the posts and I may sound like an ass in saying this but here goes....

An elk has a kill zone of about...say... 15", give or take. You are shooting sub 1.5" groups with all your bullets. In all honesty and practicality at the speed your bullets are traveling the kinetic power of any of them is more than enough to bring down the animal down. So.... i don't think it matters which one you use.

I say go with the one that makes you feel more comfortable based on what you know about it and how confident you feel with it. Shot placement is the biggest factor. I've shot elk with a .243 80Gr Federal Premium load. Dropped like a sack o' bricks.


----------



## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

I hear you Madhunter! I just want to put the best out there that I can. Thanks to Mike's scouting tip; I have 5 boxes of 180 grn Accubonds coming my way, I guess I should have been more specific on quantity. Anyone in the market for some Accubonds? I now have a monopoly on the market, more than Scheel's, Cabela's, Gallensons and Sportsman's combined. Hopefully they are returnable as they are not actual ammo.


----------



## trclements (Jan 17, 2012)

Huge29 said:


> Anyone in the market for some Accubonds? I now have a monopoly on the market, more than Scheel's, Cabela's, Gallensons and Sportsman's combined. Hopefully they are returnable as they are not actual ammo.


I may be interested. How much per box?


----------



## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

trclements said:


> I may be interested. How much per box?


I wont have them until tomorrow night (just in time to load them up and try them out on Saturday), just the purchase price of $32 with tax. PM me if you want to discuss further.


----------



## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Just my 2 cents worth but tons of elk have been killed with a .270 using bullets less than 150 grain. Shot placement will more than compensate for a bad shot with a larger bullet. Just sayin.


----------



## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

LostLouisianian said:


> Just my 2 cents worth but tons of elk have been killed with a .270 using bullets less than 150 grain. Shot placement will more than compensate for a bad shot with a larger bullet. Just sayin.


Absolutely! I struggled with that question in that the lighter bullet with its flatter trajectory makes the more accurate shot more likely, but any shot even just a few inches out of the zone or even through the shoulder blade I think I like my odds better going a little heavier. My shooting distance will likely be fairly short, so the flatter trajectory likely wont be a huge factor. I hope to make the perfectly placed shot and I have spent a significant amount of time at the range and at the bench getting the groups dialed in, I keep going back to the pro's opinions of keeping the DS to 260. I will see how it goes at the range on Saturday and make the final decision.


----------



## hossblur (Jun 15, 2011)

Yeah I am stealing this one. I LOVE 165gr trophy bonded bear claws. Without a doubt the best bullet that I have ever shot out of my 06'. My a-bolt pretty much seems to have been made to shoot them. BUUUUUTTTTT, I can't find a FREAKING box of them anywhere!!! So for this season I have had to drop back to my old stand by, Core Lokt, 165gr. Started out with these back in the day and they do the job and shoot pretty good, BUT I WOULD LOVE SOME TROPHY BONDED BEAR CLAWS!!


----------



## trclements (Jan 17, 2012)

LostLouisianian said:


> Just my 2 cents worth but tons of elk have been killed with a .270 using bullets less than 150 grain. Shot placement will more than compensate for a bad shot with a larger bullet. Just sayin.


Shot placement is the most important thing, but each caliber has has an ideal weighted bullet that it shoots best. He is shooting a 300 wsm, which with a 180 grain bullet is basically ideal for that gun. A 150 grain bullet may shoot flatter initially but out at some distance the 180 grain will hold more energy for the kill.


----------



## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

hossblur said:


> Yeah I am stealing this one. I LOVE 165gr trophy bonded bear claws. Without a doubt the best bullet that I have ever shot out of my 06'. My a-bolt pretty much seems to have been made to shoot them. BUUUUUTTTTT, I can't find a FREAKING box of them anywhere!!! So for this season I have had to drop back to my old stand by, Core Lokt, 165gr. Started out with these back in the day and they do the job and shoot pretty good, BUT I WOULD LOVE SOME TROPHY BONDED BEAR CLAWS!!


I have read lots of good things about those; isnt Speer's newer version supposed to be comparable?


----------



## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

trclements said:


> Shot placement is the most important thing, but each caliber has has an ideal weighted bullet that it shoots best. He is shooting a 300 wsm, which with a 180 grain bullet is basically ideal for that gun. A 150 grain bullet may shoot flatter initially but out at some distance the 180 grain will hold more energy for the kill.


You're probably right. I reload 180 grain for my .30-06 personally. My .308 is either 150 or 165 grain. I did have a .300 Win Mag but got rid of it a couple of years ago. If I had it I would probably be reloading something north of 200 grains for that canon.


----------



## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

I finally got the Auccbond 180's last night, so I loaded some up this morning and took them to the range. I used three variations of loads, just amounts of powder and wound up with a group of .52", so I was pretty happy with the results. My scheduling did not allow me to hunt this weekend, but I will be at them as of Wednesday for a week. Thanks again for everyone's input; I am excited to get out there and see what these can do.


----------



## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

WARNING!!!!
Do not use SST bullets for elk. They are not constructed for game larger than deer.
I learned the hard way last year and lost a big bull hit high in the shoulder.
After this weekend, I am sold on the accubonds. I was shooting the 160 gr. out of my 7mm and they really did the job. The bull was hit high above the shoulder but died within a couple minutes and falling within 20 yards of being shot.


----------



## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

ridgetop said:


> WARNING!!!!
> Do not use SST bullets for elk. They are not constructed for game larger than deer.
> I learned the hard way last year and lost a big bull hit high in the shoulder.
> After this weekend, I am sold on the accubonds. I was shooting the 160 gr. out of my 7mm and they really did the job. The bull was hit high above the shoulder but died within a couple minutes and falling within 20 yards of being shot.


Thanks for the reminder! I do recall that thread from last year and good to hear on this year's success, congrats!


----------



## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

If you give me the option of a 150 grain bullet with a .41" group and a 180 grain bullet with a .52" group, I'm taking the 180 grain for elk every day. 

Glad it worked out for you, now go shoot a good one!


----------

