Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 284 on elk

What bullets and loads would suitable on elk. My savage 99's really like the 139 hornady btsp's would this be suitable or should maybe look at 140 accubonds. I know the accubonds are longer and would lose case capacity.

The bullet that I use in my .284 has been the 145 Speer Grand Slam. I choose it because it is a short/blunt bullet for its weight, and I do not have to seat it so deep. I have not shot elk with it, only deer, but believe that it would be adequate to the task. Otherwise I think I would be looking at the 140 Partition.

For whatever reason, I have never been able to get Hornadys to shoot well in my guns, so have never shot a critter with them. Lots of experienced people like them, however, and they have a reputation for toughness.

The 145 grand slam sounds perfect to me. I've lean towards heavier bullets on elk, but given you're length limitations, you might also think about 160 gr Speer Mag Tips.
I shoot 175 Mag Tips in my .280 and they've been great.

I liked the 140 Nosler partition for that round.

I have shot several elk and caribou with 140 grain Nosler Partition in one of my 284s. Nosler Partition, Yesterday's Bullet Today.

I have driven a Barnes 120gr 7mm bullet clean through an Elk. A large bodied Roosevelt Elk at that. My dad and I ahve also used this bullet in Africa. I just recieved a shipement this week of 5 boxes of these. In my view, a true do it all bullet for anything you should be pointing a .284 diameter hole at. You can drive it nice and fast, and it will out penetrate a 140 or 145gr bullet of lead core design while also expanding quickly and reliably and making a royal mess of thing inside Mr. Elk.

The 175 mag tips are impressive. I've got away from them since I sold my 280 and my kid likes partitions in his 7 mag, but I'd use them again without hesitation.

Another vote here for the Barnes 120 TTSX, or the regular TSX. If they shoot well in your gun, they will certainly be up to the task of cleanly killing elk.

AndI would be VERY surprised if they did not shoot well in your rifle. Again, with this one bullet you would be well covered for any big game in the lower 48.

I've only shot two elk with my .284 but another eight with a .280.

The 120 gr. TSX will pass through both shoulders of an elk as will the 140 gr. I used the 140 gr Barnes on 7 of 10 elk and went to the 120 on a whim. But after looking more closely at the ballistics I've decided to return to the 140. The area I hunt tends to provide long shots.

I've loaded the 145 GrandSlams and they shoot very well in my rifle but never used them on game.

Barnes TSX 160gr 7 mm rem mag fly really consistant and hard hitting out of my Browning x bolt. I have not shot an elk with it but they sure laid a beating on the big moose I shot last year.

The 160 Nosler Partition is an elk wacker out of the 284.
JMHO
Tim

In the Savage 99, you need to stay with a lighter bullet but one of tough construction...I used the 99 in a 284 for some time and I liked the 150 or 160 gr. Noslers for elk...but avoid going away shots is a good idea..otherwise the .284 is an excellent elk caliber, much the same as the .280, 270, .308 and 30-06

Where I hunt elk these days is in the Selway and in the thick nasty bottoms and all shots are going away so I had to go to a bigger caliber. The 338 with 300 gr. Woodleighs or the 375 with 350 gr. Woodleighs is really working for me..these combos really lay them out..

Ray-kind of curious but why should one stay with a lighter slug in the 99?

One old 284 that I missed once upon a time was a Safari and I think it had what they called the pencil barrel. Seemed like a way cool rig but at the price of them now a days my G33 will do me just fine....

Thx
Dober

Some good advice here. I've used the 140 TSX on a couple elk(plenty of deer, antelope) with great results. The 140 & 150 Partition, 150 Win PP, 175 grain Speer Mag tip all are good choices.

+1 Great bullet

I shot my bull with a 140TSX at 2950 this year.......at 328 yards I blew through both shoulders with zero issues..........

I used to carry a 340 around for elk but for my next one, Lord-willing, I'll carry my 6 lb 284. The 140-g TTSX in 7mm is about as long as a drinking straw and goes way down in the case. Well, H4831 SC happily compresses very well and I get just short of 3k in my rifle and it shoots clover leafs. I know with homogenous bullets we can go a click or two lighter but I like a 140-grainer in the 284.

Im sure the 284 win. will be a fine elk rifle,the 140 would be my minimum choice for elk but I would probably go the 160-175 class of bullets but thats just me as I believe heavy bullets at modest velocities take big game the best........

328 yards with a 7-08AI 140TSX at 2950fps.....