# Your preferred elk bullet.



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

What do you shoot at wapiti? Tell us why you choose this bullet and what your experience has been with it on elk.


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## stevedcarlson (Apr 19, 2011)

The reason I shoot accubond is that's what my Savage 300 win mag like and I reload and as long as it will shoot well then I will continue to reload them!


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

I also roll my own ammo. 300Win Mag - 200Gr Accubond.

Accuracy is great, performance is awesome in close and out a ways. Ive also killed plenty with the good ol' (streching things) Remmy Corelokt. 


... granted, the shooter does their job any decent bullet will too.


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## Mr.CheddarNut (Jan 16, 2013)

Shot an elk last year with one using it for the first time. Shot was 60yds with a 300RUM bullet retained its weight well and lost all of its energy in the elk. Found it hanging to the skin on the exit side of the animal.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I think that you left out one of the best, the Barnes TSX or their TTSX bullets. 

I purchased some wayyyyyy overly expensive Weatherby factory ammo for my .340 with the original X bullet in 225 grain and right out of the box they would shoot a sub MOA at 100 yards and hold it out to 600 yards, the furthest that I ever shot at a target. 

Since that time I started to reload them to save money and have found a load of RL22 and a 225 grain bullet that my Mark V rifle just loves. Barnes bullets have gotten a bad rap with people saying that they don't expand, well I have taken a dozen elk, a few mule deer, and a bear with them with no problems encountered and only a couple of bullets recovered even on the long shots.


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## hunting777 (May 3, 2009)

Accubond for me. I have tried a few other of the listed, and found my 7MM seems to be more accurate with Accubond.


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## Charina (Aug 16, 2011)

This will be my first year shooting an elk (hopefully) with TTSX. There are several reasons I have switched to the all-copper Barnes bullets, the primary of which is to avoid lead fragments in meat. Lead fragments from traditional bullets can migrate quite a ways from the wound channel. I want my family's food as lead-free as possible, and if there are effective bullets to kill with that do not have lead, all the better.

Federal has a video on their website showing ballistic gel slow-motion video of various bullets they offer. (see the bottom video at http://www.federalpremium.com/tv_video/all_videos.aspx) That video, along with other sources show incredible penetration of the TTSX. From what I gather, the greater penetration is in part due to better mass retention (maintains SD rather than loosing SD after impact).

The tipped TSX isn't as likely to have the expansion issues at lower velocities that some of the older (X) styles had. The 150 grains out of my '06 will be moving plenty fast for full expansion well beyond my capabilities of shooting accurately. I also like that I feel confident that a marginally flatter shooting 150 gr will still have adequate SD to bore right through a leg bone and keep on going.

http://www.huntingwithnonlead.org/


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

My preference wasn't listed: Bemen ICS400 with an XC-3 tip.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I liked, and used, everything on the list except the GMX. I have no idea what a GMX bullet is. I thought GMX was a car made by American Motors back in the day.

.


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## willfish4food (Jul 14, 2009)

Partitions don't shoot well from my rifle. I use Accubonds, brother uses Interbonds. 

I'd give the swift products a look if they didn't cost so much. I know when you look at the overall cost of hunting, the price of the bullet is a non-issue, especially since I reload, but when I'm swiping the card at the store the noslers mean 50% more shooting than the swifts.


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## Kevinitis (Jul 18, 2013)

I use 130 grain barnes TSX out of my 270 wsm


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## silentstalker (Feb 19, 2008)

Nosler Partition. Shoots great out of my rifle, penetrates through bone, deep.


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

Every big game animal I have ever shot was with Core-Lokt. This year I'm busting out the Nosler Trophy Grade Accubond's.

I hope to be handloading by next season.


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Accubonds kicking some serious butt in this poll!


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

^^^^^^There is a good reason for this. Fly like a Ballistic Tip, perform like a Partition. Pretty hard to beat that combo. Nosler knows how to make hunting bullets.-------SS


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## fishreaper (Jan 2, 2014)

Depends I suppose on the rifle. A 405 grain hardcast would be the ticket out my 45-70 dream. But otherwise, any bullet of appropriate weight should perform fine as long as it is in the boilers.


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## lintfisher (May 12, 2013)

180g Interbonds in my 300. Win., because they're half the cost of the TTSX's I started with when working up a load. Loved the BC of the TTSX but with all those grooves, I couldn't get a consistent crimp on the bullet. It kept slipping into a different groove and changing my OAL. Getting great groups w/ the Interbonds, now we'll see if it holds up in a critter.


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

I killed both of my elk in their tracks with a Barnes TSX 150 grain, one at 236 yards and the other around 20 yards.


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## hunter66 (Apr 23, 2008)

Wish they would bring back the old Winchester silvertip series. Never had a problem with them. Newer isn't always better. Love the 180 and 220 grain silvertips.


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

colorcountrygunner said:


> Accubonds kicking some serious butt in this poll!


They produce some purty lil mushrooms too...


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

hunter66 said:


> Wish they would bring back the old Winchester silvertip series. Never had a problem with them. Newer isn't always better. Love the 180 and 220 grain silvertips.


What was the difference between those and the ballistic silvertip?


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## BYUHunter (Oct 7, 2013)

Can't say enough good about the .30 165 Gr Sierra Game King. Shattered both shoulders and exited my Bull last year.


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## Charina (Aug 16, 2011)

BYUHunter said:


> Can't say enough good about the .30 165 Gr Sierra Game King. Shattered both shoulders and exited my Bull last year.


You might have just gotten lucky then. Federal believes that GK is a weak bullet intended for rapid expansion with minimal resistance, and best used on smaller game. Doesn't even make it through 18 inches of ballistics gel with a whitetail hide draped on the front. It'll kill them, but there is a really good chance you won't have much of a blood trail as it is apt to not pass all the way through and elk.


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## bfr (Apr 26, 2009)

Guess I've been lucky for the last 30 yrs but I'm happy with the results. I use the 165 sierra boattail in my '06 loads on deer and elk. About 75% dropped in their tracks none travelled more than 70 yds downhill before going down. Had one elk quartering away, bullet entered behind ribcage and broke the offside shoulder, expanded bullet was under the skin. Most of the elk and all the deer were pass thru with an excellent blood trail.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Longgun said:


> They produce some purty lil mushrooms too...


 NOt bad, but you have to admit it aint as purty as this shroom and I aint talking about Goob's kind:


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

bfr said:


> Guess I've been lucky for the last 30 yrs but I'm happy with the results. I use the 165 sierra boattail in my '06 loads on deer and elk. About 75% dropped in their tracks none travelled more than 70 yds downhill before going down. Had one elk quartering away, bullet entered behind ribcage and broke the offside shoulder, expanded bullet was under the skin. Most of the elk and all the deer were pass thru with an excellent blood trail.


My old man used to load 165 sierra grain kings for his '06 and had results similar to yours. Used them for elk, killed a few bulls, and never had one get away from him.


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

What's the difference between the Sierra Game king and the Match king?


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## willfish4food (Jul 14, 2009)

30-06-hunter said:


> What's the difference between the Sierra Game king and the Match king?


Gamekings are their hunting bullet and Matchkings are thier target bullet. I think Matchkings have a thinner jacket, but since I've never shot Sierras, the only thing I know about them is what I can remember from when I started reloading and was researching bullets to use.


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## bfr (Apr 26, 2009)

Correct, Matchkings have a thinner skin. With Gamekings you can get soft point or hollowpoint, both work very well. Matchkings, hollowpoint, I used one on an antelope by mistake, left a fist size hole on the exit, messed up a lot of meat due to separation.


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## 300 Wby (Aug 14, 2008)

Used to shoot Partitions with good results on elk, deer, caribou and moose. Switched to Barnes TTSX or TSX and have never looked back, excellent results on elk, deer, caribou, moose and Plains game from springbok to Eland.


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## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

I really like Barnes bullets in everything, I shoot the 180 grain TSX's in my '06 and the 245 grain Spitfire MZ's in my muzzleloader. They have never let me down, they have excellent weight retention and penetration and if you happen to recover one they will look just like the pictures in their advertising. No lead is a bonus to me also.


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## BYUHunter (Oct 7, 2013)

Charina said:


> BYUHunter said:
> 
> 
> > Can't say enough good about the .30 165 Gr Sierra Game King. Shattered both shoulders and exited my Bull last year.
> ...


Of course federal would say that... they're trying to upsell you on their $40 a box nonsense that you don't need. According to Sierra, the game king is suitable for large game if the impact velocity is < 3000fps, which it is in my .30-06. I've taken a large 4 point buck, a bull, and a cow with this load. Bullet passed through all three. I'd call that a well made bullet, not luck. I don't think Sierra makes a bullet that isn't awesome for their advertised purposes.


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

Pumpgunner said:


> I really like Barnes bullets in everything, I shoot the 180 grain TSX's in my '06 and the 245 grain Spitfire MZ's in my muzzleloader. They have never let me down, they have excellent weight retention and penetration and if you happen to recover one they will look just like the pictures in their advertising. No lead is a bonus to me also.


Try the TSX in 150 grain, I was playing with the 180 and 150 and found the 150 to be far more accurate and was plenty to take my spike and calf with. I researched it before trying the 150 and didn't come across any large game where they didn't retrieve at least 140 grains intact from the animal.


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

Huge29 said:


> NOt bad, but you have to admit it aint as purty as this shroom and I aint talking about Goob's kind:


I love the AB's, but never did have much a problem with the Ballistic Tips killn stuff either. My go to slug was a 165Gr BT for years.


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