Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Bullet Advice Please

Taking the sensible approach. As for partitions being overpriced. For the last 3 years, they have been price gouging the hell out of us, and some of us have said F them. $80+/box of bullets is overpriced. They lost a lot of good customers because of this. As for Barnes, they have not missed a beat. Their prices were always in line with what partitions cost, and they are still in the $4x.xx/box realm. I buy them much cheaper, but I find the deals. The last ones cost me $19.95/box.

I also know good ol Hornady interlocks work on elk, just load heavy for cartridge and you'll be golden. Like you said, put the bullet in the right spot.

Hell, I bought some old Barnes the other day, for $15/box, that would work in a pinch. They are the 250gr originals. The nice thing about the 30-06 is its flexibility. Use a 150gr monometal, up to a 250gr cup and core, and you'll be just fine. I'd also start with a 180gr, if using a C&C bullet. The old Winchester power points worked well too, if you can find them.

There are so many good choices, especially if you get out and look..

I do have a few 180 gr partitions that I bought for $13/box of 50 from SPS. They didn't kill any better or faster than what I have always used.Better bullet? Probably. Required? No.

In the bigger picture of elk hunt expenses, even my local hunts, I can't see getting too hung up on the price of a bullet! May just be me though. Of the OP's choices I would pick one of the TTSXs

Those were the good days. I have some 200gr partitions from about 5 years ago, that only cost me $13.50/bag. I should have bought a truck load at that price, but did not realize they were going to be pricing how they are now. For elk, the 200gr in the 30-06 is the real winner. You can definitely get by with the 180 though. However, the OP doesn't want to buy Noslers.

I was at a damn shop in Reno a few days ago, and there was an old open box of .308 180gr Nosler partitions. The old ones that were turned on a lathe. I asked how much they wanted for them, and the guy comes back, and says "these were the first Nosler partitions, they want $100.00 for this box". I told him they can keep them for that price!!! This was at Mark Fore and Strike. I don't do much business with them, as their prices are generally way too high on stuff. Then, the manager comes back, and asks if I wanted the bullets, as they were the first partitions. He said, "did you know that?". I said yes, I have some at home, but I for damn sure did not pay $100.00 per box for them!!!! He looked dumbfounded.

This has always been my contention…..not just elk, but any game. Most of us will spend more $ on fuel in one hunting season, than all of the bullets fired in the year! memtb

Barnes TTSX or LRX
Maker TREX.

The question wasn't about price. It was what bullet.I have heard the old saying for 50 + years that the bullet is the cheap part of the hunt. If one listens to a lot of guys on this forum they would think you could load you rifle with Barnes bullet, lean it against a tree, and come back the next day to find an elk laying there.

It’s worked exactly like that for a lot of us! 😜

Seriously though, some welcome innovation… while some of us reject innovation! I’m as guilty as some about rejecting….. though some things are so obvious, that “even a blind squirrel can recognize them”! 🤔

Heck fire….you may remember some folks that thought that rifling in a barrel was one of “ Satan’s temptations. 😂 memtb

But in the original post,the Nosler was off the list of choices due to price. A 200 grain partition in my 30-06 would be my first choice for my spots.

I would be extremely interested to see a picture of that if you have one

As I have said before the 180 gr Partition, can't beat it.

Good grief, any decent bullet from a 30-06 will take elk. Finding the elk is the bigger problem.

Why would you want to use anything but what you perceive as the best

In the last few years I have been using Accubonds, for elk. I have yet to recover a bullet. Last years elk was 150 yards, he paused and i hit him just behind the near shoulder, and the bullet came out in front of the offside hindquarter. Cannot beat that. I have been using primarily Nosler products for nearly 60 years , and while i have tried others I have always gone back to the Nosler bullet. Between me and a few others over a 100 elk have been taken with a Nosler bullet.

I've used a 30/06 my entire hunting life. When I was reloading the Hornady 3070---180 grain interlock spire point was my bullet. Then I started using factory loads & plain old Winchester 180 grain power-points worked great. Lots of dead elk with both. Bulls & Cows.

This ^ or the 180gr Hot Core or Hornady.... inexpensive, accurate and all the bullet you need for elk.

Brad, called it.... the hard part will be finding that elk!

168 TTSX is your huckleberry. I use the 168 TTSX in .300 Weatherby and switched to 175 LRX for .30-06. I’ve only shot 1 buck with the 175 LRX but it performed as advertised and the 8 pt succumbed immediately. Either would be a great choice.

I love that 200gr partition. It even works on deer!! Now, we all know the 180gr partition is the gold standard in the good ol 06, but after using the 200gr, it made a believer out of me. It penetrates much better than the old tried and true 180. It's also extremely accurate. But like someone else said, the partition was not on the list. Hence, the reason I said TTSX.

Oh, yes you can. And by a long shot. Try a 200gr partition.

I’d guess since you always want pics and proof, you have a pile of pics of dead stuff to back up the claim?