Elk rifle musings and 30-06 168 TTSX experience

[SJB358]

I think your 165 AB load is EXCELLENT. As Joel already showed you, it will crush bones but it will open up really well. Were I hunting elk tomorrow with a 30-06 that would be my load of choice.

Your 338 looks excellent with the 210 TTSX and 200 AB. I've hunted with the 200 AB in my 338 and have 0 reservations about its performance.

I hope you take both but a big bull at 400 yards and a gun to my head would probably have me picking a 30-06. A buddy and I got into a double on elk a few years back. Him with a 300 and 180 PTs and me with 338 and 210 PTs, both elk were at the 400 mark and both of us noted the 338 really hitting them a touch harder. Both have taken elk just fine. At a max of 400 I'd be fine with the 06. It's more about the right Bullet than the headstand.

 

[jmm]

Thanks for the welcome. I don't know much but I have been shooting the 30-06 a long time. I have always been interested in bullet performance and have kept notes on most of the game I have shot. I have culled a lot of elk/white tail here in Texas, red stag in Argentina and for different concessions in Africa. Most of the time it boils down to shot placement, but hydrostatic/hydraulic pressure as well as penetration come into play. I enjoy working up different loads and seeing how they perform in the field.

 

[tddeangelo]

Question that seems pertinent here:

I have my 270 Win shooting 150gr ballistic tips (grey ones) at 2900+ and shooting really well.

I've thought of reworking it to shoot a 150PT. Seems the 150bt is not a fragile bullet. Worth the effort to change to a PT, do you think?

 

[DrMike]

To some degree, I would imagine that the question is answered by what you intend to hunt with your 270. I wouldn't not be particularly intimidated by game in my AO if armed with a 270 slinging 150 grain BTs. I have no problem hunting this area (which includes some very large game animals, some of which sport rather large claws and fangs) armed with a 280 shooting 140 grain pills. Within reason, your 270 will handle about any animal in NA, Tom.

 

[tddeangelo]

For the foreseeable future, my hunting expeditions would max out on elk.

I've never FULLY come to trust the BT, even though I've seen a fair body of evidence that they'll work on elk.

My worry is impact with bone. Maybe not intended, but sometimes "stuff happens".

Or... my shot opportunity comes with a longer shot at a not-broadside elk.

That's where I start to wonder if a Partition might be a better idea...?

 

[DrMike]

I certainly like the Partition; I'm more likely to load PTs than BTs for my various cartridges. However, I believe the BTs are a good bullet that will serve you well with elk. The 150 grain BT will maintain integrity even after a hit on the shoulder bone, Tom. The mass alone is sufficient to ensure that it will wreck the shoulder. If that was what I was carrying, I would practice to ensure my ability for a quick follow-up shot. Two hits from that bullet launched at that velocity will work marvelously on any elk.

 

[salmonchaser]

TD I've shot an awful lot of mule deer with the 30 cal 150 BT. Pretty certain I started the year they came out. My concern as an elk bullet has always been heavy leg bone. My favorite deer hunt puts me well above most the deer I kill. I've spined several, right between the shoulder blades. Only bullet fragments made it into the vitals.
That being said, there are more than a few elk being put in the salt with BT. Part of what makes this so entertaining.


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[c. schutte]

Tom,

You know what I'm about to say before I say it.......................... never stopped me before:>)

If there is any doubt in your mind why not just try the 150 grain PT's. It won't take you long to get them shooting well. Even 1.5" at 100 is more than good enough for an elk. With a PT no shot is in doubt.

 

[SJB358]

For the foreseeable future, my hunting expeditions would max out on elk.

I've never FULLY come to trust the BT, even though I've seen a fair body of evidence that they'll work on elk.

My worry is impact with bone. Maybe not intended, but sometimes "stuff happens".

Or... my shot opportunity comes with a longer shot at a not-broadside elk.

That's where I start to wonder if a Partition might be a better idea...?

If in doubt, load the Partition.. Chances are it'll shoot the same, and even if it shoots 1.25/1.5" versus what it is doing with a Ballistic Tip, you are talking elk, and your ranges are supposed to be fairly short and probably under 500 yards. I have never been able to really see the difference in a 3/4" rifle and a 1.25" rifle once I got on the ground and started shooting like I would in the field, if both loads are consistent.

 

[SJB358]

Darned Chuck beat me to it! :mrgreen:

 

[pharmseller]

My brother shot this meat bull with my handloads, 168 NBT over Hunter powder. The tracking job was maybe 15 feet, it didn't take long to find him. .30-06.

P

 

[tddeangelo]

I have a bag of 150PT's. Now I have 3 more inbound, so 200 of them to mess with.

I also found a bag of 100-ct 150ABLR's I didn't know (or more correctly, forgot) I had in my stash of components.

I can't imagine this should take long to sort out a PT, but I might run ABLR's for giggles and see what they do. I don't expect they'll be tackdrivers, but weirder stuff has happened.

 

[SJB358]

Either of those should be pretty wicked. You never know with the ABLR's, hope they shoot for you.

 

[tddeangelo]

I'm going to set my seater to my BT depth setting and swap in PT's and just see what happens. I'm rarely that lucky, but it's worth a try at least.

 

[SJB358]

I'm going to set my seater to my BT depth setting and swap in PT's and just see what happens. I'm rarely that lucky, but it's worth a try at least.

I can load the BT's and PT's interchangeably in my 270 WSM.. It is the one rifle that does it pretty easily.. Plus, it is a 270, so you have alot of good things going for you.. :mrgreen:

 

[c. schutte]

I'm going to set my seater to my BT depth setting and swap in PT's and just see what happens. I'm rarely that lucky, but it's worth a try at least.

I can load the BT's and PT's interchangeably in my 270 WSM.. It is the one rifle that does it pretty easily.. Plus, it is a 270, so you have alot of good things going for you.. :mrgreen:

^ What he said........................ :wink:

 

[SJB358]

I'm going to set my seater to my BT depth setting and swap in PT's and just see what happens. I'm rarely that lucky, but it's worth a try at least.

I can load the BT's and PT's interchangeably in my 270 WSM.. It is the one rifle that does it pretty easily.. Plus, it is a 270, so you have alot of good things going for you.. :mrgreen:

^ What he said........................ :wink:

Man, I knew I liked Texans! :mrgreen:

 

[tddeangelo]

It's a pre64, too.

 

[SJB358]

It's a pre64, too.

Well, being as all of the stars are aligned it should probably shoot...

 

[c. schutte]

Jack is probably standing over your shoulder whenever you shoot it too.

Jack on shoulder better than tico behind you.

Folks are going to wonder about that statement.