Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Are premium bullets needed for elk?

I should've added he was shooting them square in the shoulders from different angles and had photos of exactly where he was breaking bone.

I suppose it depends on cartridge and impact velocity. As people hunt elk with smaller and smaller cartridges I see the need for premium bullets increasing overall. For older, low velocity stuff ... .30-40 Krag, .300 Savage, .45-70, with heavier bullets and lower velocity, I think standard cup and core is ok, but you wouldn't catch me hunting elk with a .257 Weatherby and 100 grain Sierras for instance where I might use it with 120 grain partitions. Given the overall cost of elk hunting, I see no reason to try to save a couple bucks by using cheap bullets. It seems disrespectful of the animal to use something more likely to fail to deliver a clean kill and disrespectful to myself to use something that increases the chances of a longer pack out even if the critter is equally dead .. eventually.

Tom

Most bullets will work most of the time.

Are premium bullets "needed" in those situations? No.

Will premium bullets sometimes provide the desired results where a standard bullet failed? Yes.

Premiums are cheap insurance for those other times in my view.

How come any bullet failure comes from people digging bullets out of dead n animals?It has been my experience that a goodly portion of those claims of bullet failure ended up being shooter failures.Like a quartering shot when only one lung was clipped. No one ever fesses up to making a poor shot.Nope it was the bullet.If you select the wrong bullet to do the job,it isn't the bullet's fault. Cheap insurance doesn't makeup for poor judgement.

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THIS Rio7

If I'm shooting something well north of 3,000 fps, I would prefer either a bonded, monolithic, or NP or A-Frame, or whatever won't come apart on close shots--on anything larger than a deer. A non-magnum .243 does that. A 200gr .300 magnum generally doesn't. I'm not arguing for hyper-velocity cartridges, but, if you're using them, you might consider something other than a non-bonded C&C--aside from whether it's "premium" or not. A NBT may be a "premium" bullet, but it would not be my first choice for a bullet launched at 3,500 fps against a large animal, even though they would work most of the time.

Our grandkids will still be arguing premium bullets and cartridge choice for elk long after we are dead.

Nothing to argue really, the .308 with a 165 is the clear winner.

Ha. I agree and hope my grandkids love elk hunting enough to argue with your grandkids about what kills elk deader’er!

My future grandson's father already has decided that the 168gr, not the 165gr, .308 is the greatest.

Judman: Consensus here is to use Nosler 165 grain Partions in 30 caliber Rifles and Nosler 160 grain Partitions in 28 caliber (7m/m) Rifles.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Good placement doesn't guarantee desired bullet performance, even if that bullet and load have been used satisfactorily many times previously.

Likewise, cheap insurance does not provide a guarantee - but I do think the premium bullets I use increase the odds of satisfactory performance - regardless of range.

I've shot elk with Core Lokts, Partitions, Interlocks and SST's. The only one I would not use again is the SST. It basically blew up. Hit the bull behind the shoulder and went straight up and hit the bull in the spine at about 150 yards. Killed him but not what I expect on a broadside shot. My favorite elk bullet is the Interlock. These were all 180gr (except 1-165gr Interlock) and fired from a 30-06. Ranges from 50 to 350 yards. 7 or 8 bull sample. Nearly all were shot broadside, behind the shoulder (don't shoot shoulders on purpose) and most walked off like nothing ever happened, then drop over dead within 50 yards.

Common sense is more important than premium bullets. Push any hunting bullet to IT'S recommended velocity and range and almost any bullet will work. Pushing a standard cup in core to 3200-3500 fps won't.

I’ve only killed 14 elk so I’m waaay down the list compared to some of you guys. Based on my experience if the only bullet I had access to was the Remington Core-Lokt I would hunt with confidence.



P

That’s pretty well put pharm... I’d align with that.

Man, it’d suck to lose the good Bullets though

Careful Tmax . Start talking with common sense and some one here will jump on you

You are right 264, and that is why premium bullets were developed!!! I have shot dozens of elk with various rifles 7mm. & 30 Cal. magnums.. I used cup and core bullets.. I was hunting for meat, so shots were taken that were certain.. I have never looked for a trophy elk.. Except one time.. I took partitions then.. When I hunted in Africa I took only partitions.. I shot one wildbeeste in the shoulder on the left side, it was found in the off hip.. A 200 gr. Nosler .30 cal.. I have shot elk with them also.. They never have failed to do as promised.. Do I need them for elk hunting.. Not really I am a meat hunter when I bother to try for them.. So if a good shot is not presented, I pass.. But if I wanted to besure of an animal I would use a premium bullet.. It can drive through at angles that would never fly with a conventional bullet.. Much of this discussion involves what a hunter is trying to do and why.. Yes regular bullets do fine.. Premium bullets are an insurance of getting to the vitals under less than perfect conditions.. Hunters will bullshit you and say they never shoot unless the shot is perfect.. Lots can happen in the field when a great animal presents itself.. I had a friend who was a bow hunter and a good one.. He told me of shooting a huge 6x6 from the front.. He said he knew better but could not resist because it was so big.. Never found it.. He is a good hunter and regretted his poor decision.. If you are serious about you hunt and the animal you are hunting, you should use the best you can buy..

Ok, now that we’ve concluded the .308 Win with a non premium 165/168 gr bullet is the holy grail of elk hunting, let’s argue the important stuff.

8X or 10X? 42 or 32 objective? 8X42 for me.

Kifaru, Stone Glacier, Mystery Ranch or other? Load shelf or bag for meat? Back and forth between SG and Kifaru for me, load shelf.

12X or 15X if using bigger glass? Really liking the 12X more and more.

Chest harness or strap for binoculars? Which of either? Alaska Guide Creations for me.

Can’t really argue boot fit, but Zamberlan for me.

Eta; yes I’m bored.

Laffin.....

Yes on the Alaska guide creations. 👍😂😂