Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Heavy or Light-for-Caliber bullets for Elk

I have a Mk V Ultra Lightweight in 30-06 that is my go to hunting rifle. I've got a 180gr Partition and a 165gr Accubond load that both shoot sub-MOA. When I was in AK, I always carried the 180gr for moose, and the 165gr for sheep, black bear, etc. I've always been a believer of heavy-for-caliber bullets and high sectional density. But how much does that matter for elk? Am I better off with the higher velocity, higher energy, flatter shooting, higher BC Accubond that's 15gr lighter? Or the heavier 180gr where I've got to compensate more for bullet drop and drift? (2.5-8x36 VX-3 Duplex scope). And I'm considering working up a TTSX load...would you start with the 150gr, 165gr, or 168gr TTSX?

The 180 isn't really "heavy for caliber" for the old 06. Now if you were talking 200 gr up to 250gr, then I'd agree...:





I've seen elk stop the 180's in 300 magnums, but the 200 sails through them better from what I've seen.

I'd just load up some 155 grain Scenars and a little H4350 and kill your bull. But obviously about any bullet is going to do fine at 30-06 speeds.

I'm not an expert at elk hunting, but I'd be comfortable hunting elk with any of the bullets you listed.

You didn't say what kind of country you plan to hunt. I might roll with the 180 if the hunting was going to be only in dense timber, but I'd want more BC on the plains.

After a scope failed on a 7 mag during zero check, I killed a big cow in New Mexico in December using a 7-08 with 120 gr Nosler BT's. That's not the combo I originally wanted to use, but it worked well.

I’m not the smartest dude in town but the 180 partition and 165 accubond have a near identical B.C. I have no issue whatsoever using 180 partitions on everything in Alaska
180 part- 474
165 ab- 475

Either will work just fine.

Whichever you prefer. They're both a good choice.

My .06 has killed, from antelope to moose with 165gr.

165 or 168 tsx, unless yer using cup and core bullets

Maybe not the smartest dude in town, but obviously smarter than me. Not sure what the heck I was looking at before, but you’re absolutely right on the BCs. Doh

*looking around for my dunce cap*

bsa1917,

You have a good point about 180 not being heavy-for-caliber. I guess I was thinking more along the lines of anything heavier than 180 in a non-magnum 30 cal is just too slow for anything other than a brush gun, and I definitely wasn’t clear in my OP that I was think more along the lines of open country hunting. But with that said, you’ve definitely got a good load there. Mind sharing the recipe and velocity?
-jeff

Pick one. No wrong choice.

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All you need is a shoulder in the scope, a sharp knife, salt and pepper. Your already ready for anything in North America..

For elk, no flies on a 180 Partition from an ‘06. I’ve used the 180 Accubond without any problems from 25 yards to 475 yards and would expect the same with a Partition.

Any bullet you listed would be good. I would go 165 Partition if I had to choose.

I always preferred heavy for caliber with several different rifles .Since I very seldom shoot an elk past 100 yards, a 220 gr RN C&C has been my favorite for a lot of years

The 165 Accubond is a great bullet in the 06. I’ve got a few pictures of them recovered on the far sides of elk after hitting heavy joints and still holding up well. The 180 Partition is darned near legendary amongst our group. I have seen them torn up real heavily from big bone joints from a 300 magnum on occasion though.

My pick would be either one of them. The load that shoots the best at your max range will handle any bull walking just fine if you hit it well.

BSA’s 200 grain Partition load is a sleeper in my opinion. That or the Accubond at 2600-2700 doesn’t give up much to the lighter bullets and does even better as distance increases. Modern data gets those 200 grain Noslers up to 2700 pretty easily as well.

Good luck, whichever you choose, the proof would be getting them on paper or steel, learning your dope. The rest is pretty easy.

In a .30 cal, 165 to 180 gr Premium bullets do fine. I prefer the 165 and 168 TTSX personally. In a 7mm, I use 150 TTSX with great success. I like the penetration and exits I get with Barnes TSX and TTSX. There are many good options. I just stick with what works for me. Good hunting!

I've killed bulls with both the 180 NP and 165 NAB... basically it's a coin toss in terms of real-world performance. I'd always go for less recoil, in which case I'd chose the 165 NAB.

I've only shot five bull elk and assisted on two others, funny the two assists were with an old browning safari 375, what fun that was, anyway, being a flatlander that doesn't live there, or have the luxury of a full resident season of hunting, I have to go heavy for caliber, I've carried 175's in 7mm, 200's in 30 cal, 250's in 338 cal, and 300's in 375 cal.