Hello all,
Assuming that most of the hunting to be done with this rifle will be for mule deer and antelope, but I will be taking it on at least one cow elk hunt (I have always shot my elk with either 7RM or 300WM), because I just have a personal desire to take an elk with this rifle, what bullet would you load? Either the Barnes 100 grain TTSX at 3600 fps or the Nosler 110 grain Accubond at around 3500?
Thanks in advance for your opinions.
I've had really good luck with the 110AB in 25-06 so I would try it first then go from there. Either would serve you well though so long as they provide to be accurate.
I've missed it somewhere, did you pick up a new rifle? 'Twer it me, I'd run the Barnes offering.
ABs for the deer and antelope.
For the elk, I'd have to stick with the TTSX. Know you didn't mention them, but the 120gr Partitions would be another you may think about.
I used the 25-06 with 110 AB's on a few deer several years back. DRT results, but with that came more bloodshot meat than expected. I was getting top muzzle velocities as well, a bit under what your 257 Wby will obviously get, but top end velocity, nonetheless.
I switched to 100gr. TTSX's and have not looked elsewhere since. Incredible terminal results and as with the .270 WSM (130gr. TTSX's - deer) and two 300WSM's (180gr. TSX's - elk), I've had the exact same experiences. I also have experienced better accuracy with the TTSX's than when using the AB's. I've found that all of the TTSX's and TSX's that we have handloaded are some of the most accurate loads that we've ever worked up.........some 4 decades worth. Chewing down on copper and lead fragments and cutting away substantial amounts of bloodshot meat have quite literally, become a thing of the past.
If I were after an elk (cow or bull) and had to make a choice between ANY other .257 bullet offering and the 100gr. TTSX.....it would be the TTSX you've mentioned. If there's a comparable TSX in that weight, however, and you might grab that Wby more often than just every few years to go after elk, I'd opt for the TSX as it will still be deadly on deer and 'lopes, but offers just a skosh more penetration through the tenacious hide and thick bodies and bones of the much larger elk.
I can't think of a better bullet for deer, antelope or elk, in a .257 offering.
Good luck!