Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting .270 145eldx?

Finally ditched the 140 Berger due to availability issues, it has been my go to load for years on deer and cow elk. Switched over to the 145 ELDX and the external ballistics have been fantastic with a final load clocking at 3075fps. I have an either sex tag for a fairly open area, any concerns if I treat it like the Berger regarding shot placement?

Yes--it needs to be behind the shoulder for best results, in my experience. I sank a 162gr ELD-X into the shoulder blade of a cow at ~300yds and it only went into the near side lung.

The same 162gr load blew through an antelope and a mule deer, but for elk I'd be picky with my shots.

I had similar results last year using 30-06 178 eld-x. Shot a spike at 200 yards on the shoulder. Jacket separated and found it in the opposite arm pit when quartering. But it was still a dead elk.

I’ve seen easily twenty elk shot with different chamberings pushing the eldx. They separate most every time but get the job done, and shoot very well.

Thank you gentlemen, my hunting partner absolutely swears by it in his 6.5. I will treat it as a simple cup and core and take shots accordingly.

varmintsinc
Are you still shooting the same Tikka 270

If the bullet is similar to the ELDX from a 6.5 Creedmore......definitely treat it as you would a Berger! memtb

Yep, little over 6,100 rounds through it and accuracy is still obscene. I shot a ladder at 400 yards with the ELDX that had less than 2 inches of vertical. One of these days I'll shoot it out and rebarrel it for a real long range round. 😁

RL-26?

I've been playing with the bullet in my .270 with H-4831 and H-1000. Not paying the local price for the pixie dust - $51 / lb

Those bullets are going to bounce off even with perfect placement, or maybe not.

You tell us how they work but would be surprised if things don't die quickly.

You should let us know what caliber and cartridge but assuming .277.

Good Luck.

Re 26 is still made of unobtainium out here, went with re22 and was pleasantly surprised. I have heard it was not as temp stable as others but load was worked up at 60 degrees, has been shot as hot as 101 a few days ago and no problems.

John, my bad, yes the .277, pushing it at that speed makes it tough to justify a new 6.5 PRC.

Have been taking my elk with the Barnes 6.5 120 gr X bullet starting in 1994. Have never recovered one. Now using the TSX. Took my very mature elk last season with my 6.5 & the 121gr Hammer copper mono. . Due to vegetation only a shoulder shot was open. At the shot the elk drooped. One shot, complete penetration thru both shoulders. Many times broadside shots thru the ribs are not presented. Raking shots from front or back may be your only opportunity to harvest an elk. . This is where the mono copper bullets excel. The ELD-X is a C&C bullet & can fail significantly on raking shots. Plus C&C bullets tend to destroy ( blood shot ) large amounts of precious meat. Copper mono's tend to leave only very small bloodshot area's. As the saying goes , eat right up to the hole. For elk a very tough deep penetrating bullet, properly placed is what my experience has taught me is the best option.

I would follow Hesp advice. The eldx's I have used on deer were similar in performance to the Amax which is even more frangible than the eldx. I have never been let down by a Barnes bullet. I would see if you can match the eldx with a Barnes 129 LRX and carry both, but if in doubt the Barnes would be first up.

It mystifies me why people consider using bullets about which they have performance concerns. I concur with the Barnes LRX recommendation. Or Nosler AccuBond or ABLR. Or Partition. Or Swift Scirocco II or A-Frame. Or some other bullet that will perform well at a wide range of velocities/ranges/angles. High B.C. and lower bullet cost are way over-rated IMHO.

So you have never tried something new and asked about performance? Early on the barnes had lots of problems with failing to expand due to a lack of consistency in both their base materials and design issues, both of which were significantly improved after feedback from the field.

I can't say the basic Hornady interlocks ever disappointed me but I do like to know the abilities and limitations of any product that is new to me.

I would not have any concerns. Two years ago the only shot a mature 6 bull presented was sharply quartering away. At the shot he stopped, so I shot twice more. He then crumpled.

All three shots entered at the rear hip and exited the chest.

This was a 7stw with 175eldx. No grenading, just nickle sized exits and a dead bull.....and a two day pack out.

Helping a friend load for his Tikka Lite in 270 WSM. Also right at 3075 but with Re-26. Tried Re-19 but couldn't get anywhere near 3100. Super accurate combo with the Tikka. I'd like him to consider an ABLR or Barnes for an elk, but, with this kind of accuracy, it'll be tough to get him to change.

I am the same way. If I am ever fortunate enough to go elk hunting, I won't be wondering about how my chosen bullet will perform.

I just picked up a Tikka 270. Would you guys mind sharing a good starting load for it. Rifle will be used for deer and elk.

I've never been elk hunting but what I hear on here is that a 150 grain Nosler Partition or Barnes TSX or TTSX at about 2800+ FPS is the ticket. For deer I use a 130 grain Sierra Game King over about 57 grans of IMR 4831 or 59.5 grains H-4831. I also like a Ballistic Tip 130 grain. I also have always liked the CT 130 grain Silver Ballistic Tip. But the Sierra is my favorite.

I've tried lots of new things, including bullets. But I've never considered hunting with one where I was concerned about performance after impact. First bullet I used on big game was a 162g Interlock from a 7mm RM on a bull elk because that bullet had been recommended by my mentor. Performance was very disappointing with no exit and less than 50% weight retention. That bullet hit a nearside rib, appeared to slip between the offside ribs and was recovered under the skin. Switched to 160g Speer Grand Slams the following year and it took me over 20 years to recover one. That one destroyed both shoulder joints on a bull elk, was recovered on the far side and still had over 70% weight retention.

Tried the blue coated 160g Barnes X bullets in my 7mm RM thinking they would be as good on game as they were in accuracy. Nope. Tried the TSX on paper and they were great in various rifles, but I could never bring myself to use them on game. When Barnes introduced the tipped version (MRX), I tried them too. They were great on paper and game. Now I use a lot of TTSX and LRX. My preferred bullets are TTSX and LRX, Nosler AccuBond and AccuBond LR. Swift Scirocco II and A-Frame get limited use (one rifle each) and I still use a lot of the no-longer-available North Fork bullets (of which I have a lifetime supply in multiple calibers and weights).

Recently I've worked up loads for Federal's new .284"/155g Terminal Ascent for my .280 Rem and 7mm RM. Based on my experience with the standard North Fork SS bullets and HP prototypes, I think the Terminal Ascent design may be the best hunting bullet ever and I look forward to using them on game.

With one exception, I save the cup-and-core bullets for range work, leverguns and handguns. That exception is the 95g Hornady SST I load for my .243 Win. I use it for antelope exactly once because I was confident it would do the job, which it did, and it was the only load I had worked up for my .243.

Not afraid to try new things, but not one to try something just because it is new or improved, either. Show me a bullet's design and I can tell you very quickly if I would consider using it on game or not.

Fair enough. I did a lot of field testing for Barnes in the 1990s since I lived in a lead free zone that was filled with pigs. You were right about that blue coated version, never trusted it and had multiple failures to expand. I strongly considered using my old load of the 110 TTSX at 3,400 fps but it's been so impressed with the 140 berger when properly placed. I definitely agree the mono medals give a little more latitude with regard to angles but where I will be is miles of sagebrush and waiting for the shot will not be an issue.

I appreciate all the feedback and experiences from everyone, another reason that makes the campfire amazing.

About 60 grains of Reloder 26 and whatever 150gr bullet you prefer.

This^^^

Of course, if you don't have RL26--which is apparently unobtainium--H4831 still does the job.........

I've given up wondering why there is a segment of guys out there who insist on using marginal bullets for elk........

Prior suggestions on bullets, e.g., bonded, monometal, are good ideas for elk but you may want to consider a "softer" higher BC bullet like an ELDx if expected range is way out there with velocity dropping.....

My best ever bull taken in 2014. One shot from my old Rem 700, 264 mag , bought new in 1964. Bullet was the Barnes 120 gr TSX. In the 270 use one of the 130 gr mono's your choice. It will penetrate completely thru dense muscle & bone. Why take a chance with a lesser bullet ?

"Lesser" bullets are only "lesser" in your mind.

That's a heckuva awesome bull Hesp! Congrats on him.

I killed a cow elk here in Oregon a couple of weeks ago. 7mm Rem Mag, 69 grains R26, 162 Eldx out of a Tikka T3 stainless. The shot was a hair over 375 yards. The bullet center punched the big front leg bone about three inches below the shoulder joint, broke a rib, double lung, then broke another rib before stopping under the hide. The big bone was impressively wrecked. I didn’t quite get to the count of 11 before she died.

The bullet expanded to .515” and weighed 95.2 grains, or 59%. Major bone, both ribs, both lungs, 11 second death. Not bad.



P

I’ve killed several elk over the years with .270s and 150 gr Nosler Partitions, have never recovered one. Violent damage inside all of them. They shoot superbly, sub MOA in a Mauser 98 custom; out of it’s 24” barrel I get 3025 fps (60.5/RL26).

Life’s too short to worry if a bullet will act right. Partitions, Accubonds and TTSXs are some that work.

You shouldn't have used a lesser bullet.

My thoughts exactly. If I had used some ultra-premium hand made one at a time bullet she might have died in eight seconds, not 11.



P

I have taken a fair amount of elk with C&C bullets & partition's. Years back I used a 338 mag ( which I still have ) & Hornady 250gr C&C bullets. Every elk I shot with it, I recovered. . Have also used 30 cal's with C&C heavy for cal bullets with complete success . Some penetrated well ,some did not. Those that did not penetrate well I still recovered but the elk went a ways. Some times a long ways. So C&C bullets especially heavy for cal absolutely work when placed properly. Since I primarily hunt for the meat & not horns it bothers me when large partitions of precious meat are blood shot & destroyed. You don't always get a rib cage shot. Many times your shot is at sever angles from front or back. Some times uphill or down hill , & again at sever angles. Maybe your shot is thru a opening in the vegetation, trees or brush where only a shoulder is available to shoot at. When presented with these difficult options you either shoot or let the elk go. If you shoot under these circumstances with a heavy for cal C&C bullet you can be assured of substantial meat loss. With the copper mono's meat loss from blood shot damage is minimal. This has been my experience base on
60 + years of hunting . The deepest penetrating bullets are solids. The expanding mono is a solid with an expanding nose. They retain maximum weight ,some nearly 99% which in turn retains maximum momentum for max. penetration. The copper mono is my preferred bullet for elk & will continue to be so unless some thing better arrives.
In 1948 the partition came out & was " the " bullet for penetration. Bullets have evolved over the years, & now the mono's. Your choice.

Well to try to make everyone feel better the 129 lrx did not shoot well with Re22 or 4831,(over 2 moa at 300yards) the first inch of the throat is gone so I'm sure that is not helping. I was only able to get one box locally so that definitely limited the opportunities for multiple recipes. The 110 TTSX at 3400 FPS was still under 1.5 moa, they have not shot great since about the 4,000 round mark. I'm now at 6300 rounds and I am guessing the jump tolerant design of the ELDX is still helping with the accuracy.

Considering I'm shooting very open ground would you all rather have sub 1/2moa accuracy and absolute faith in placement with the ELDX or go with the TTSX that will occasionally throw a wild and unpredictable flyer?

Yes, a rebarrel is planned in the future but not enough time for this year.

I've found that killing animals well at any range is more about confidence in the rig to do what you need it to do than it is about the characteristics of specific bullets, or the caliber, or the make or style of firearm or scope, or even the paper accuracy of the chosen ammo. I'd shoot the thing that gave me that confidence, then I'd go hunt.

Well, just pick up a box of 150gr Partitions, add a little H4831SC and your problem is solved.

I've found the 150g ABLR over H100V to be very accurate in two different .270 rifles and would give that a try, Standard TTSX instead of LRX might be better as well.

But if limited to you two options, I would go with the ELD-X.

Based on component availability it's going to be the ELDX or the 110 TTSX. Only other option on my shelf is vanilla 140 grain interlocks.

It's only tough if math is required

Learning to shoot is more important than bullet worship. A $.20 bullet is cheaper to practice with and still puts elk in the freezer. A good shot is still a good shot with a cheap bullet and a bad shot isn't made better with an expensive bullet.
My two cents worth.

Any of you used the 140 grain Nosler Partition on elk? In the .270 win. that is.

No, not yet, but I've seen the 130 Partition used quite a bit, to excellent effect, on bulls and cows, over a couple decades. I have some 140 Partitions, but I really like 150's coupled with R-26 in 270.

Not too shabby on a bullet that's not "supposed" to be shot through bone. ;o)

The 150s would likely be best for elk but I'd like one round that would work for deer and elk. Thinking the 140 would be that.

Guess what? That 150 gr Partition works just great on deer too. KISS - one rifle, one load.

Not too much meat damage?

The 150's work fine for deer. When I carry an elk rifle, I also have a deer tag in my pocket.

I should say that the 140's would too. As would the 130's. It's really about what you prefer. I prefer a 150 at 3000 fps.

Nope, less than a 130 moving out 100-150 FPS case that I have seen, but either are real hard on meat.

I'm with you - one load for both. Doesn't matter what rifle I'm carrying as I hunt both in the same season. Often use my 'elk" loads on antelope as well. Good practice for the main event, which is later in the year, and have yet to have one fail.

Meat damage is more a function of bullet design and impact velocity than weight. A slow .45-70 460g slug will cause far less bloodshot/ruined meat than many fast/light bullets. Doubt one could tell the difference in meat damage between a 140g and 150g Partition from a .270.

Most meat damage I've seen was caused by a 168g A-MAX that came apart.