Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 30-06 Elk Bullet - Cost is no object

Were it me, I'd buy 180 Sierra Prohunters (flat base) and 180 Nosler Partitions. The Sierras for practice and Partitions for killin'. In many guns, the Sierra's and Partitions shoot very close to the same velocity and point of impact.

The best advice on this thread is about being in shape. Unless, you live at 8,000 feet altitude and run marathons, you won't be "over conditioned".

I know I'm getting there when I can hike the local mountains (elev up to 6000 ft) with a pack and not stop. I do real world hiking with a pack and cardio at local gym. I use the eliptical - 45 mins, level 15 on 'Random' program. It sucks but in October I'm always glad I do it.

The "get in shape" is particularly important if you have to take part in the haul once you get one down. I have been able to do the hiking on my elk hunts, but it was the packing and dragging that, as many have said on other posts, 'just about killed me'.

I load most of the ammo many of the guys in our elk hunting group use and Ive loaded 190 grain hornady and 200 grain speer 30 caliber bullets for decades in 30/06 over a stiff load of WW760 and Ive never seen a well hit elk shrug of a single hit... you don,t need fancy or exotic bullets you just need to place them correctly to get good results.
personally I prefer the 200 speer and have never lost an elk using that in my 30/06

Were it me, I'd load 180 gr Hornady Interlock ( flat base) practice with them, then use the rest to hunt with....

I plan on using them on my trip.

Practicing with 165 SGK's, my standard whitetail round.

I'm hitting 2800 fps with my -06, and I'm not showing any pressure signs and still have a grain or so to go before I hit book max with H4350.

Like to see if I can get the TTSX up to 2900+.

http://shootersproshop.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=71_101

Keep an eye out here for factory seconds. When they list 180 grain Partitions, buy them. I've killed a bunch of elk with factory seconds. 180 NP with 59.0 grains of Ramshot Hunter. Good velocity, excellent accuracy. Kills 'em dead.


P

Thanks for the tremendous response!

I don't have a BOSS on the BAR. Hopefully it won't take too many shots to find a bullet that shoots well in this rifle.

Distances? I'm not sure but would like to be ready for 300 yards.

Sound like Barnes and Nosler are the favorites. 165/168 to 180 appears to be the happy medium. I'll have to wander over to Bass Pro soon and see what happens. The Barnes boxes sure look purty

I have been involved with the taking of well over a 100 elk with 180 grain Partitions out of an 06, 300 Win Mag, and 300 B. Tried a few others but we always went back to the PT

Kiss the BAR goodnight,then ask again in the morn. Only she nows what tickels her trigger not us.Kawi

As others have stated Shot Placement trumps Bullet brand. Pretty much any cup and core bullet at 30-06 velocities will drop an elk if you shoot it where you are suppose to. Just shoot em in the lungs and heat up the fryin pan.

^^This sounds like interesting advice. I don't know or understand what it means, but interesting nevertheless.

180 grain Nosler Partitions!

Recruit,
My go-to choice for the .30-06, regardless of game, has become the Barnes TSX, 165 gr. Accuracy in my Browning X-Bolt is exceptional. 165 gr., IMO, is a perfect balance between flatter trajectory and sufficient energy for about everything.

I would practice with the same bullets I intend to hunt with, especially as your hunt date comes closer.

That said- there aren't a lot of bad choices in .30-06 as far as bullets are concerned, including traditional lead-cores. The copper bullets have opened the door somewhat, allowing lighter bullet weights that offer excellent expansion and penetration over a wide range of velocities.

All the elk killed with my '06 (family/friend loner) have been with a barnes... original X and TSX 165. My gun shoots same poi as the hndy interlock... which I wouldn't hesitate to use on elk. Just always reloaded barnes so it's a tradition in that gun now.

Kent

Too many hunters over think this. There are thousands of hunters that every year go down to Walmart and buy what ever is the cheapest box of ammo there is and go out and kill elk with them.

I have been elk hunting for over 30 years I would suggest you do some shooting in different positions. One I like is to shoot using a tree for a rest shooting prone and off hand using the sling for support. Another good form of practice I find is take a blank piece of paper and try to shoot it in the center I find this practice can be done with a 22.to keep cost down but finish with your hunting rifle. I also practice pulling up quickly acquiring the target and firing. a blank piece paper is also good for this because making a quick accurate shot can make the difference between a trophy and tag soup by shooting in different ways it will help you in the field

And that's about the truth around here as well saddlesore. However, I have heard bad stories about Remington Corelokts from guys using 7mm's and 300 WBY's (who would have thunk). I'm thinking just about any 180gr. projectile that flys straight in the good ol '06 will suffice. Lately I've been shooting up the 750 180 gr. winchester powerpoints I bought from crod1972 (received excellent deal, some of you guys know crod's deals). Anyway, I've put enough bullets thru elk boiler rooms that I know I wouldn't be affraid to use these on any elk. The key is to put them in the right place (I know, we've all heard that 1,000 times):

This:


....Equals:


However, if you have any doubt, just use a good ol 180 partition. Problem solved...

^^This^^ Ingwe is wise. They really aren't as bullet proof as some like to think.

I have killed more than two dozen elk and most of them with a 150 core-loct fired out of my old '03 30-06. And nearly all at less than three hundred yards. And I never lost a one. Elk just are not all that hard to kill if you get anywhere near the "sweet spot."

Worry more about finding one and then get in your shooting range.

one thing to remember, Elk are not hard to kill...remember your basics:

shot placement

Shot placement


Shot placement

Most expensive bullet will not make up for a bad shot...practice.

I killed cow elk in Az with a 243 and 95g partitions, Grave yard dead...

Squirrley white tails are harder to kill in my opinion, especially if they are all jacked up on chasing a doe!