Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Best .264 Elk Bullet

I have been toying with the idea of buying a new rifle for a few elk hunts, but I really have other things I should spend my money on (I know, I know, a rifle is never a bad purchase). I have a 264 win mag that I have used on deer for 30 years. I currently shoot the 130 accubonds and it performs well on our S.C. deer. For those that have shot elk with a 264 mag, what bullets do you like best? I am leaning towards a 140 grain partition, but am open to other ideas. Now, if I can find a way to lose about a pound and a half off the rifle it will feel a lot more nimble. It's a 700 Classic with a Leupold 30mm VX6 so it's pretty heavy right now. I have been thinking about buying a McMillan Edge for it, but then I might as well get that Tikka Superlite in 300wm I have been thinking about .

Dan

Well Dan, I’m guessing that you are from Louisiana.....if so, I grew-up just a bit north of you (Zachary). I’m unapologetically a huge Barnes bullet fan. Personally, I’d look at the 127 grain LRX. After that, take a look at at the Hammer Bullets, lastly....you have the “tried and proven” Nosler Partition! I’ve used Barnes mono bullets since 1993, and have never had a disappointment! Of course....there’s always a first time for everything! Good Luck with the bullet choice and the elk hunt!

I’m also “very” opinionated of caliber selection for elk. While many elk are killed every year with smaller, less horsepower rounds....I like elk calibers that start a .3 in the caliber designation! memtb

Have not used the 264 but the Partition would never be a choice as well as the Barnes LRX. These and the Accubond and Interboad have worked great in my 6.5x55.

A friend got the Tikka in 300WSM which allegedly kicks less than the 300WM and it was too much for him. He ended up getting a muzzle break. this partly due to too much load work up with 60 + shot strings.

Although maybe not cost effective the 264 with an edge stock and a lighter scope would be an excellent mountain rifle. Even a light 264 is fairly manageable in the recoil department.

130 or 140 Accubond will serve you well in 264 Win Mag. I have recently started messing with the Barnes bullets. I loaded some 120 TTSX in my 264 Win Mag for a hog trip in Texas. It performed very well. Shot one in between the eyes and the bullet traveled length wise and blew out the left ham on exit. We figured the bullet traveled better than three and a half feet.
The 120 TTSX is traveling 3400+ FPS out of my 26” Sako.

Thanks for the suggestions

That 120 TTSX would have me interested.

The Nosler 125 Partition has been killing elk for years in my country.. Top choice for the .264,,

In my 26 Nosler, the 120 TTSX and 120 E-Tip are ballistic twins, both half MOA at 400 yds.

They kill well with lots of tissue damage, terminal performance about equal.

The 127 LRX, in this rifle, is not quite as accurate, still MOA or better.

Any of these should work well in the .264 WM. They’d be high on my list.

DF

Some times the Nosler Partition is difficult to make accurate in a lot of guns. If you can get it to perform to your accuracy standards, It is the gold standard in most hunters book. Remember you really don't need 1/2 inch accuracy at a hundred yds for an elk. They are rather large animals.

Thanks

What is the longest range at which you would shoot? Choose accordingly.

My Sako 264 Win Mag shot a five shot two inch group at 400 yards with the 120 TTSX. I use my Sako for my woods/mountain rifle.
For setting up to shoot across bean fields or out west open country I use my Sendero 264 Win Mag with 130 or 140 Accubonds running over 3000 FPS.
I’m starting to like the Barnes but I am not completely sold on them yet. But that is based on kills of the Accubonds vs Barnes.

I doubt seriously I would shoot more than 400. I’ve taken deer at 425 but that’s certainly not the norm.

So under 500 yards. B.C. will matter for wind drift but not a great deal. Bullet construction would be more important to me, with a concern that it would hold together at high velocity (close range) impacts. At 500 most .264 WM loads will have enough velocity remaining to ensure reliable expansion.

My choices are the same I use in my 2.57 Roberts (+P loads), 65-06AI, .280 Rem, 7mm RM and various .30's:
Barnes TTSX and LRX
Nosler AB and LRAB
Swift Scirocco and A-Frame
North Fork SS
Speer Grand Slam
Nosler Partition

I use them with equal confidence. When it comes time to load for hunting, the choice is based on the loads I've previously worked up and the bullets I have on hand.

If under 400 for a 6.5, I'd run the 140 NP, 127 LRX, or 140 Hornady IB for elk. Couple of other secondary choices that would be fine too, including the 140 Berger VLD....

I'm running the 142 LRAB pushed by some RL33. Through both shoulders on this one at 137 yards.

I’d take the 140 partition all day every day. I load them in a 256 Newton, a 6.5 creemoor and a 6.5x55.

My 264 is loaded with the 140 Accubonds over Retumbo for about 3200 from my Model 70. I have yet to take an elk with it but have 0 qualms about carrying it. It's accurate and easy to carry. I'd go for the EDGE filled stock of your choice and see how it changes it. Mine sat in the original Sporter stock and switching the Hunters EDGE made a world of difference in the rifle.

I am a monometal fan, so a 130 gr TSX is where I would start.

Have been taking elk with various 6.5's since about 1991. . Used both the 120 & 130gr Barnes X & now TSX. Can't tell the difference. Have never been disappointed. They both give complete penetration thru bone & heavy muscle. You don't always get a soft sided rib cage shot. When an angled shot thru bone is required the Barnes TSX/TTSX excel. The mono's easily out penetrate the partition. My .338 mag which I used for years before is kept just for nostalgia. Haven't fired it in years & have never missed it..

I’m taking my 6.5 SAUM to WY this year. Loaded with the 139 Scenar.

Killed a couple bulls with 140 accubonds, and a couple with 140 Bergers. From 150-650 yards. They all died with a single hit. Imo, just about any 140 will do the job, choose the one your rifle likes, and put it where it counts when the time comes.

I've only shot one cow with my 6.5 Creedmoor, and used 140gr Accubonds. The Accubonds work very well, but after some reading, I think I'm going to try to use monolithic bullets while my kids are small, just to be safe. I used the 127gr LRX @ a little under 2,900 fps last year on an Antelope and deer and was happy with the performance, so that's what I plan on using on the same animals this year, and possibly cow elk depending on what I draw.

My group uses a lot of Barnes TTSX for antelope - not because they are needed but because a) they work very well and b) in multiple cases they are the same loads used for elk and deer.

I've driven TTSX lengthwise through mule deer twice. They dropped like a box of rocks. Have sent them through mulies on broadsides with the same results. Still waiting to recover one or any tipped X bullet for that matter, MRX, TTSX or LRX. If memory serves correctly(somewhat doubtful!), I've only shot one elk with a tipped X, a 180g MRX on a 400 yard broadside. It swapped ends, took a couple steps and turned uphill. After a couple more steps it was down.

The cow I shot with a 150g AB/.30-06 was on the ground before I recovered from the recoil.

Pick a bullet you are comfortable with and go hunt elk. The truth is most bullets will work just fine most of the time. I prefer solidly constructed bullets (Barnes tipped X and various bonded for elk over standard cup-and-core for a couple of reasons:

1. Bullets that hold together penetrate deeper. If all you get is a quartering away shot or need to stop a wounded (or possibly wounded) elk that is headed to the next county, deep penetration is needed.

2. The only downside I've seen is cost, and that can be minimized by using cheaper loads that shoot to about the same POI for practice. Use the premiums for your last trip to the range. While I handload, I once calculated that they cost savings of using C&C bullets for a year of antelope, deer and elk hunting wouldn't buy me a glass of cheap wine for dinner out. Or a Starbucks coffee, for that matter. As recall, that glass of wine would have required several years worth of such savings. Hunters using factory ammo have a different calculation but often by less than anticipated. Midway has .264WM Remington Core-Lokt 140g for $53 while Nosler 130g AB is $58. That is a whopping $0.25 more per shot if using the AB. Hunters using a .30-06 have many more options and can buy a 150g Remington Core-Lokt on sale for $15 while 150g Nosler AB are $33. That is a $0.90 difference per shot, which is still not significant given the total costs for an elk hunt (licenses, lodging, fuel, food, processing, vehicle wear/tear/maintenance, processing, etc., etc.).

Daughter #1 hunted elk with her .308 Win and a 3045fps 130g TTSX for the last couple years. No shots, but I wasn't concerned about what would happen. This year she will be using a .270 Win and a 150g ABLR @ 2912fps. No worries about that, either.

I'd say for the 264WM the best bullet is the 160gr Woodleigh Weldcore, and it's not particularly close. Nothing else can match the sectional density/penetration while still maintaining a decent BC.

Load:
--------
160gr Weldcore
64.8gr Retumbo
Nosler brass
Federal 215 primer
Lee FCD crimp slightly over 1/4 turn
0.02" to lands

Velocity averages 2910 out of a 24" Winchester.

Accuracy is plenty good.

How many elk have you shot with that bullet?

Coyote Hunter,
Your cost comparison is what I’ve been trying to tell one of my hunting buddies for years. What the heck is 2 boxes of $40 ammo compared to the cost of an elk hunt, even a non-guided out of state hunt? I told another guy moaning about cost of premium ammo that if $40 was in the way of his elk hunt, he probably can’t afford to go anyway. If you have poor performance on game, you might save the processor’s fee. The way I look at it, the bullet is all that connects you to the animal. Not boots, binoculars, gps, clothes, etc. In my opinion, the two things not to scrimp on are scopes and ammunition since most rifles are reliable enough. Happy Trails

Used 127LRX on my best bull. DRT

[ I think I'm going to try to use monolithic bullets while my kids are small, just to be safe.

You won't need the extra penetration on small kids, even up close! (Sorry, couldn't resist, ha!) Are you talking about the not handling "lead" around them and if so, how would they be exposed to it? Just curious...:)

"Nothing else can match the sectional density/penetration while still maintaining a decent BC." ?????

The .264" 160g WWC has an S.D. of .328 and a claimed B.C. of .509. While these are good numbers, B.C. and S.D. alone aren't the only things that determine penetration. Bullet construction comes into play, as does velocity at impact. Another factor to consider is that "more than an handful is wasted". Once a bullet exits there is no such thing as "more penetration".

A relatively standard 1-9 twist rate will provide marginal stability for the 160g WWC at 2850fps.

I'm willing to bet that a 120g TTSX or 130g LRX or SCII or 140g Partition or North Fork will penetrate as deeply out past normal shooting ranges. I put a .284" 140g North Fork (lower SD. and B.C.) through an elk at 400 yards with massive blood loss out the off side. Probably true for a variety of other bullets as well.

+1 on the 140 NP- it will do the job better than most other game bullets,particularly at the ranges most elk are shot at. Elk are big and they need to be shot well with a bullet tough enough to penetrate through shoulders. Remember, any 6.5 is on the lighter side of which consistently works well, so bullet construction becomes a little bigger concern. Don't get me wrong, a good 6.5 will flatten any bull ever born. I like them and use them a lot, but in my experience the 130-140 gr Accubonds are not the best choice for big bulls if heavy bone is hit. They are fantastic on the preferred broadside double-linger, but in the real world that shot presentation doesn't always work out. Best of luck on your hunt!

The fact remains that it has exceptional penetration given the high SD and near-100% weight retention, and elk are large animals. Combined with the good BC, this makes it ideal. The bullet's designed impact velocity is 2900 to 2000 ft/s, which fits the .264WM to a T.

The bullet is fully stable in all plausible weather at sealevel out of a 1:9. Being a flat base, it is more stable than calculators using the Greenhill or Miller formulas would suggest. They were calibrated for boat tails.

I will happily take a bet on penetration depth for the 160 Weldcore vs. a 140gr Partition with any reasonable protocol for up to $200,000. Let me know if you're serious and not just an internet blowhard who says they're willing to bet until it's time to bet.

I have no doubt that the 160WWC would win that contest! We are just suggesting that the 140NP will do a good job for him on elk. If extreme penetration were the only goal, why not just load a 156gr steel jacketed RN? Cuz it's a crappy choice for elk, that's why!

On a record of one elk, my .260 Rem 725 using 140 grain factory Corelokt did a bang/flop on an elk at around 150 yards.

People way over-think these things....

Which isn't to say I don't like my '06's and .338WM. With which I have taken, with various other calibers, around 100 caribou and moose, several sheep, bear, and one each lonesome goat and wolf.

Hint: It ain't what you hit them with, much, as where.

Llama_Bob -

We've never recovered a Barnes TSX, MRX, TTSX or LRX from any animal. I've twice driven them lengthwise through mule deer. I've also driven a 140g 7mm North Fork from ham to sternum on a mulie buck and through cow elk on a broadside. Not sure how much more penetration is required.

As to the bet, I have a seven-foot high stack of one-gallon milk jugs in the garage. While not flesh and bone, they make for a very consistent test media that is easily and quickly prepared. Bring a .264 WM with a 160g and I'll take my 6.5-06AI (not quite a .264 WM, but close) and we can head to my range and test the 160g WWC against a Swift 130g SCII, 120g TTSX, 127 LRX and 140g North Fork SS. Loser buys the beer. I'll provide the steaks.

I have read of some folks using the wildcat 6.5/280 Ackley Improved. Surprisingly, they used the 120 Nosler Ballistic Tip almost exclusively, even on moose! That's very intriguing to me as I used that bullet in my one and only 6.5/284 (pre-SAAMI) and the 125PT. I had both going 3200fps ( necked down 284 Winchester brass, very hard tough cases. Later on when I tried Hornady/Lapua and Norma made brass, It was all too soft to get that fast) They were wonderful bullets on deer/exotics and I never recovered one! Anyone used it yourself, on elk?

Whichever one reaches and destroys vitals

I have not shot any elk but I do have a 6.5-300&6.5 Creedmoor. If I was going to chase elk it would prolly be with my Weatherby in 6.5-300. I have killed deer with three different bullets in this rifle. I really like the Aframes in 140 grains. The second one I like is the 127 grain Barnes LRX. Either one of these would work I would think. Of course my experience is with deer but I have not recovered one yet.