Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 165 Grain Bullet for Elk

I must admit that I shot my first elk (and about a half dozen after that) with a 165-grain Partition from a .30-06. I don't remember any of them needing a second shot, and I believe that all but one died within earshot. Had I just ignored the shooting and outdoor magazines and kept hunting elk the same way, I probably would have never used anything else.

If you are planning on dropping a spooked bull in his tracks - you may be disappointed. If you are planning to find a dead elk in 1/2 mile or less from where you shot it in the vitals you should be good to go particularly if you shoot to stop them until you do

Considering I use a 150gr E Tip for moose in a 300 you'll have zero issues on elk with those 165 Noslers and your 06. Not much I wouldn't hunt with a 165 Part and the 30-06. Both golden standards

Absolutely!! My first elk was killed with a 150 gr deer load I had for my .300 H&H.

Personally I think the 165's are the best all around bullet for the '06. If I can put a bug in your ear try the Barnes 165 TSX's.

I was waiting for someone to recommend a Barnes. Any of the Nosler 30 cal 165 gr hunting bullets would be good for an all-around load, in my estimation. I prefer heavier bullets, but that is more for the gack than for killing stuff.

In my opinion a barnes 165 grain bullet might be best, I believe any 165 grain hunting bullet out of a 30 06 will easily harvest elk.

Many years ago a friend needed a load for a recoil shy brother in law to use in a light weight Savage 110 in 30-06 on a cow elk hunt.

I picked up fifty of the (new at the time) Winchester 30 caliber Failsafe in 165 gr and loaded them up to 2400 fps MV over 40 gr of 3031.

I sighted the rifle in 2 inches high at 100 yds.

My friend got his BIL within 150 yds of a cow and set him up with a good rest. That is when the fun ended and the work of butchering and packing began.

Yes, again they will definitely work. But as long as I can handle the increased recoil and shoot a heavier rifle accurately I will feel more comfortable with the extra power.

I too am a big fan of 165 Interlocks, my 30 Gibbs loves them as my Wifes 300 Savage does.

Either is fine

165 partition, Varget, and a bull elk.

I'm driving a 165 NPT at 2950+ out of a 30-06AI and have some experience with the bullet. Normally winds up just under the skin on the off-side of elk and moose. I have taken both with everything from 6.5 to .338 and It's always the same. 60 feet or less and you have a dead animal. I only have 50 or so ears of experience to draw on.

NRA Life

HUH!?! That will drop an elk just as fast as anything else and no elk will go 1/2 mile after being shot through the lungs with a 165 Partition. A gut shot may go that far with anything.

It is funny how people will praise a 300 with the same bullet and because an '06 bullet may stop under the opposite hide instead of blowing through every time, it somehow is inferior. If you are hunting elk at reasonable ranges (400 yards or less), that bullet/rifle combo will do all that you need.

I've had elk run between 0 and about 250 yards shot through the lungs with normal bullet performance in relatively flat areas. In the area I hunt that is steeper I've had a head shot cow roll over 150 yards down hill. The attempt to keep her on top of the ridge with a head shot didn't work.

A 165 grain partition will kill elk all day long how far they travel depends on lots of things like placement then penetration and distance of shot, did you break the on or off side shoulder, was the elk on the run or unaware, how steep is the place where you shot them. It's always nice when they drop but it isn't abnormal for them to cover some ground on the last run.

I use120gr tsx in my daughters 7-08 for moose. So I'm sure that 165 partition will work just fine for elk.

I shot my first elk last year at 200 yards. It was a young cow and I fired 3 rounds with 2 hits and didn't find a bullet.

168 TSX loaded at 2880 in .30-06. This is a very accurate combo in my rifle with H4350. Of course a Partition, Accubond, etc. would have been more than enough also in a 165.

In my experience though, being in shape is a lot more important for elk hunting. The .30-06 will more than do the job if you are physically prepared.

Evidently, this picture is worth two ivories.

quote TOM "What do you mean by "fine"? If you equate that to "ideal", then no. Adequate? Usually. I prefer 180s in the '06 for everything from tweety birds up. However, if my '06 had an noticeable accuracy preference for 165 grain accubonds or partitions, I'd use them.

Penetrating an elk's shoulder depends on a lot.

Is it a nice clean elk or did it just stand up out of the wallow with 2 inches of mud you have to shoot through before encountering hair and hide? What's the angle ... how much meat do you have to shoot through before hitting bone? How far away is it? In other words, how fast will the bullet be traveling when it hits bone and is it already mushroomed out or not?

Further, what do you mean by "shoulder"? The shoulder blade? Upper leg bone? Or the ball joint? Those are pretty different. Most of the shoulder blade, other than that big ridge, is no thicker than a rib bone and should be pretty easy to shoot through unless the angle is pretty glancing. The upper leg in the shoulder area is a lot tougher and the ball joint is tougher yet.

I'd rather aim for the opposite shoulder and shoot through the vitals FIRST rather than shoot through a hardened target and hope to have enough bullet left to make a clean kill second. Sometimes elk cooperate, sometimes not.

If they're cooperative, a .25-'06 or .257 Roberts will work really well. If they're not, hand me a .338. In between ... is in between. smile"

This +10 is worth all the other advice together, vitals 1st, bones second, never failed me yet when I had to make an angled shot on an animal that needs to be anchored on the spot. Magnum man

shot a cow elk once in Montana.... at about 175 yds, running broadside in front of us...was taken with a 165 grain ballistic tip, out of an 06, with an MV of only 2250 fps...

penetrated the right lung, cut the esophagus in half, turned the left lung into a bowl of spaghetti, along with the top half of the liver...

bullet was bulged on the hide on the far side....

cow elk was 11 years old and weighed about 650 lbs on the hoof according to the Montana F& G Biologist at the check in station....

that one worked well...

You should get acquainted.

Would you consider 3100 fps moderate velocity?