Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Elk/Mule deer factory ammo recommendations

Going on an Elk/Mule deer combo in in Colorado for 2nd rifle season in November. I need advice on best factory ammo. I've never shot anything bigger than a whitetail (probably 75).
I am taking my weatherby vanguard 257 Wby mag. and a winchester 70 .270 win

I already have 2 boxes of 257 Wby 100 g norma spitzers. will these work or do I need a tougher bullet?

What ammo should I take for my .270 win?
Thanks

Whatever shoots best in your rifle. Placement trumps construction as long as you’re using a hunting bullet.

Shoot them through the lungs.

I’d go with that myself.

+1 I use 150's in my .270, either NP/AB depending on what shoots, you'll be ok with some such bullet.

I would use the 270 with a 150 grain bullet. If you can find Federal Premium 150 grain Nolser partition would be ideal----130 partitions would work also. If you can't find them----150 grain Hornady interlock would be my 2nd choice.

Look for something with good bullets, and get started now so you don’t have to “settle” any more than you already may have to.

I've shot a lot of elk with a 270 and 150's. I've used Partitions and Speer Hotcores with great success. I never saw much difference between those two. Everything I shot was reloaded, though. I don't know what's on the ammo market now.

120 gr. Partitions in the weatherby work well . Never shot anything with my 270 but would certainly trust a 150 partition to work well.

Big bulls are tough and the rule of thumb is bigger is better. The heavier bullets almost always have thicker jackets, give better penetration and ruin less meat, especially on the smaller animals like deer. That has been my experience.

If you can find some Federal premium 270 Win. loaded with the 140gr. Trophy bonded Tip, you’ll be all set! Another good one is Barnes Factory ammo loaded with a 129gr. LRX.

I agree with 150 gr Partitions for the .270, or 130 gr if you end up with a mono like a TTSX or E-Tip.

For the .257 I’d try to find 120 Partitions, 110 Accubonds, or 100 gr TTSX. Pick whatever shoots the best in your rifles.

I’ve killed several elk with different 150 gr bullets from a 7mm RM & much prefer the TTSX. These days I’m shooting 180 grain TTSX out of a 300 Weatherby that seems to anchor them a little better but they all died with the 150’s.

Elk react differently to the shot then deer sometimes showing very little sign of being hit. Don’t assume you missed because it didn’t go bang flop & certainly keep your eyes fixed on the animal you shot if it joins the herd going out of sight. My philosophy is that if they are still standing I’m still shooting.

With a good shot placement, no other hunters nearby, snow on the ground, no boundaries close your chances are good you will find it within a few hundred yards. If you anchor it in sight your chances go to 100%.

I had to stop my partners big gut shot cow last year since she had covered 200 yards & was almost at the ranch fence. He had knocked his scope mounts loose & off zero the day before & would have lost her. He kept shooting and missing and she would certainly have left public & started a painful process of getting permission & a long tracking job with no snow.

Some years ago, I took a bad fall on loose shale and dinged up my scope. I shot it a couple times and it was right on so I didn't worry about it. Turned out that something broke inside and the x-hairs would move whenever they felt like it. A couple weeks later, I shot a cow from about 200 yds. Even from a rest, I got a bad hit that I credited to user error at the time. When I got to her, she was lying down but head up. I was only 10 yds away and had a rest but it took 4 shots to hit her neck. I found out later that the x-hairs had moved and it was way off.

Try the 150’s out of your Bee sometime 😉

IMO the ammo companies got you covered.

Remember Garanimals ?

They had pictures to help you dress your child.

The Ammo box usually has pictures of the size of game the ammo is designed for.

It’s your job to find which one with the proper picture you and your 270 shoots adequately.

I enjoy reading terminal ballistics research on the internet. This sight discusses this topic ad nauseum.

Best of luck.

BTW I got a bull bugling in the hay field next to my house. It is 1.5 hours before legal shooting light.

Should I drag my bow up the hill , or my rifle for cows only, or both?

The three elk I have seen shot multiple times (5+) were two with a 270 with 130 gr SST’s, and a 338 ultra mag with 210(?) gr partitions. The 270’s were mostly shoulder shots that got limited penetration. I would go with a heavier bullet, probably a ttsx or partition over 130gr.

The 338 was just weird. First three went in the chest and the last two were in the back half. That bull soaked up a lot of energy and still made it a few hundred yards.

270, 130 ttsx hands down for elk. It will work on deer as well.
If you want cup and core. 150 partition is a gold standard.
But I’m a fan of 140s in the 270. They fly flat and stil carry a punch. Just make sure it’s bonded. Like Accubonds.
The ttsx shoots well in all my rifles. I’d try couple different brands and have the rifle tell you What it likes

AMEN!

Sounds like a story a guy makes up because his Leupold is doing Leupold things. What scope was this?

I have purchased 2 boxes of .270 150 gr nosler partitions.

Now trying to narrow down what to buy in .257 wby, which is in shorter supply.