Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Bullet performance report--120 gr .264 Nosler E-Tip on cow elk

Just a quick FYI item---

I shot a cow elk at perhaps 80 yards with a .260 Rem and the 120 gr Nosler E-Tip, mv 2920 fps, and the terminal performance was great. I was above the animal, and it was quartering toward me. The bullet entered in front of one shoulder, and out the ribs behind the other. The cow never took a step, but rolled downhill a goodly ways. It was late, and the truck was still a couple hour hike away, so no photos or detailed post-mortem. But upon skinning the animal the next morning, the exit wound was compact and tidy--not a blown out hole, leaving me with the impression that the bullet was still hanging together nicely.

A lot of us have extensive Barnes monobullet experience, but the ETip is newer. This was my first hunting use of one, and it gave me confidence in the bullet.

Thanks for the report. Did you have any issues achieving accuracy? I'm hoping to field test the 127gr LRX out of my 260 this fall, both on elk (cow) and whitetails. I have nothing but respect for the 120gr TTSX, but thought I'd go a tad heavier for the elk.

Kaiser Norton

Not the 6.5, but I have had like results with the 100 grain out of my 25-06. Accuracy has been excellent and load development short.

Have been waiting to get my hands on some of the new this year 55 grain 224 bullets to try in my 1-8 twist 220 Swift. Has anyone got their hands on any yet?

Thanks for the report! I really need to either lighten up my current 260 or get another that's lighter so I use it more.

Great report. Thank you for the details.

I did not do extensive load development, but am getting around 1" three shot groups at 100 yards.

This rifle weighs 7-4 even with an oversized Minox scope and seems to punch above its class.

That is the way of it with .264 caliber.

Kaiser Norton,

I've been shooting E-Tips into animals since 2007, when I took some 180-grain prototypes to South Africa and used them on big game from pronghorn-sized springbok at almost 400 yards to elk-sized blue wildebeest up close. In fact deliberately shot a wildebeest in the big shoulder joint as it quartered toward me in hopes of recovering a bullet, as up to that point all had zipped through. The bullet was found under the hide at the rear of the ribs, retaining 100% of its weight.

Since then have shot them in a bunch of other rifles in calibers from 6mm on up. Most rifles shoot them well, and sometimes very well. My NULA .257 Weatherby, for instance, will put five (not just three) into around 3/4" at 100 yards.

Very occasionally, however, a rifle just doesn't like them. Sometimes this can be cured (or at least reduced) by seating them somewhat deeper, the same technique that often helps TSX's. Once in a great while it can't, but in my experience that's rare.

The list of animals my wife and I have now taken with various E-Tips includes springbok, bushbuck, warthog, red hartebeest, warthog, gemsbok, blue wildebeest and zebra from Africa, and coyote, pronghorn, mule deer and elk from North America, including one of my bigger 6-point bulls. The cartridges have run from the .240 Weatherby to the .300 Winchester Magnum, including more moderate-velocity rounds such as the .308 Winchester, and I haven't seen anything remotely resembling a bullet failure yet.

Great info. I have sure been wondering about them every time I see a bunch of over-runs at SPS.

Good report on the 120 gr E Tip, it is on my list to buy but haven't come across any yet.

I have used the 7mm 150 gr eTip quite a bit taking game in Texas, Alaska and Africa with velocities of 2850 in my SAUM and 3,000 in my REm Mag.

I've found the eTips to be very accurate, consistently delivering 3/4" or better groups at 100. In fact, when Nosler put a bunch of overruns out for sale I bought 500 of them.

Game taken has included:

2x Sitka blacktail on Kodiak
1x Texas whitetail and 3x hogs
Springbok, Black wildebeest, Blue wildebeest, Red hartebeest, Zebra and Eland.

All were one shot kills except the Eland and the only bullet I recovered has been from the Zebra (after nearly 36" of travel, two ribs and a shoulder). The Eland bullets didn't exit but I forgot to ask the skinners to save the bullets.

The Zebra bullet held together perfectly and was a textbook mushroom.

I've experienced no pressure issues, however my velocities are about 50 fps slower than similar loads with same weight accubonds. To be fair, my loads are usually a grain or two under max as I'm after the best accuracy I can get. Nosler recommends stopping in the middle range of the load data. Work up slowly and carefully...

In short, I like them a lot and they are my go to hunting bullet for my 7's.

I think my barrel and scope weigh that much... Once I lighten it, I imagine my 338 Win will get carried much less as it too is pretty heavy. Especially for cow elk and smaller critters.

I've been kicking around the idea of trying those 150 e-tips in namibia next Summer. Any reloading recipes you guys will share in a 7mm Rem Magnificent?