Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Amax and elk

Shooting through elk and cow bone before the hunt was a good idea. I'm sure it gave him gobs of confidence. I did that with my .454 and 260 grain Freedom Arms bullets. They beat the 175 and 160 partitions from my 7STW!

I had a yound hunter this past season hunt elk with his younger brother's 300 Win Mag and a 168 AMAX loads that were intended for hunting coues deer. He shot a fairly big bodied bull in the lower shoulder where the bullet, had it penetrated, would have taken out the heart. As it was, the bullet exploded on contact, making a very nasty would, breaking the leg but no damage deeper than about 1/2". It was a brutal tracking job taking part of two days.

I would never intentionally hunt elk with that bullet- way to explosive. I have seen similar Berger shots placed when the outcome was much better.

Another buddy said they tried them for shooting the small whitetails but they blew the capes up too bad to salvage. Did kill with spectacular results on 90# deer though.

Because you asked how many I've shot and not recovered. My answer was 'none'.
There is simply no reason to use a bullet proven by the manufacturer to be wrong for the job when there are so many proven ones out there. It's a trick shot just to see if you can do it. The elk is the one that suffers if it doesn't work.

"After shooting several elk with 180 gr AB's in a 300 WSM, that's exactly the kind of performance I expect from them. I won't use them again."

Rock Chuck, you posted this some time ago. You used a manufacturer recommended bullet, you got what you consider poor performance, and you used it at least two more times. How can you criticize others for using a bullet that works for them but you continued to use a bullet that didn't work for you?

That's not what I asked and I'm pretty sure you know that. Let's be clear on that point, here's what I said, verbatim:



And the reason I asked the question is because you keep talking about hypothetical animals shot with an Amax and not recovered. I just wanted to make it clear that you have no personal experience with the bullet, unlike other posters with dead elk and photos.

As much as you want to make this about you, your preferences, and the bullets you choose to use, it's not.

I saw 3 large bull elk meet 162 amax bullets last fall. "Smoked meat!"

Not to change the subject, but speaking of target bullets and big game, has anyone gotten much experience with the .284 150 grain Scenar? Seems to have ".280" written all over it.

Or the 180 grain scenar. I'd like to run them in my mashburn.

173 yds.
High shoulder.
105 AMAX in 243AI
Never took a step.

I'm shooting the 208 amax in my 300 @ 3150. Shoots very well. Will use on elk next chance I get.

That'll leave a mark. RUM?

RUM

Not enough gun and using a target bullet.... you're fired from the internet!!!



Seriously, impressive work there.

You just caused a few strokes.

Quote. the bullet exploded on contact, making a very nasty would, breaking the leg but no damage deeper than about 1/2". [/quote]

I seen this happen out of a 300 win mag using Remington factory 180gr core lokts. Blew up just under the hide

Don't reckon you guys saw the bear Stick Amaxed with a 6BR?

?

16 how can we possibly know that with any degree of certainty? With any bullet?

Any "proof' would be so full of holes it would sink the Queen Mary.

If you hit an elk in the right spot, any old bullet will do but when you hit them in a marginal spot and need that penetration the 162-168 Amax is NOT the bullet you want to be shooting.

Had he been using a 208 grain Amax I think we would have been fine. That's not what was asked. I had never seen a 180 grain Corelokt blow up on the skin- maybe if there was mud there.

I think if you ask enough people you can find examples of almost any bullet failing.

Just started to run the 162's from my 7-08 and Im glad to hear good results from the field as my gun really shoots em well. Thinking 2700 FPS or so will be magic on critters.


I mean for a "target" bullet that is................... LOL