Best Elk Bullet

lancetkenyon said:

Just about any bullet will work if you put it where it needs to go. Hunting or "target" bullets alike.

I like 215 Hybrids out of my .300RUM @ 3100fps too. 437 yards, 20 degrees uphill, 15 degrees F.
Bull dropped in his tracks. rolled once downhill, kicked 5 times and done. Impact was just a bit high, and bullet did not exit. Hit a rib on entering, took out both lungs, shattered a vertebrae, and stopped just under the skin on the offside. One of only 2 bullets I have ever recovered. The other was an SMK. But both animals dropped instantly too. No tracking at all.

I know it is a different bullet, but my daughter also shot a big cow elk with a 7mm 180 Hybrid @ 3000fps @ 75 yards, and bullet exited in a spectacular 3" fashion. Blood trail was excellent for the 60 yards it went.

You might look at the Barnes lines if you want an exit. 200LRX, 175 LRX, 180 TTSX, 200 TSX, etc. They have worked great for me in every rifle I have shot them out of. From .257" 100 TTSX, 6.5mm 127 LRX, .270 150 TSX FB, 7mm 140 TTSX & 168 LRX, .308" 175 LRX.

I have used the 175 LRX @ 3310fps out of the same gun with decent results. Bullet exited.
175 SMK @ 3150 worked well. DRT. Not a twitch. Bullet was just under the offside skin again.
210 HVLD @ 2960 as a reduced load killed a bull @ 250 yards with a total of 2 steps. Bullet exited from a quartering away shot.

A 127 LRX @ 3050fps out of a 6.5 SLR took a big muley this fall for my 14 year old daughter. 637 yards and dropped at the impact. Bullet broke front shoulder, took out both lungs, shattered a vertebrae, and exited the off shoulder. We couldn't find it to weigh it.

A .257" 100 TTSX @ 3580fps travelled diagonally through a muley buck @ 488 yards and exited. Buck never took a step.
Same gun with a 115 HVLD @ 3400fps had the best blood trail I have ever seen for all of 15 yards before the buck dropped.

.270 150 XFB exited from an elk @ 160 yards. Elk dropped at the shot.

7mm 168 LRX dropped a coyote @ 30 yards.

Click to expand...

BULLBLASTER said:

If you don't like the on game performance of the Berger you most likely won't like the eld x. I killed 2 deer with them last fall and both had the bullets come apart. I recovered one bullet that started at 143 grains and weighed 87 grains and the core had separated from the jacket.

I will second what Broz says about the 215 Berger. To me it is the best choice for the 30 cal.

Click to expand...

WildRose said:

I'll second that. I was as excited as anyone to see the ELD-X come out but totally disappointed with the fact that instead of using the same bonding process they use with the Interbond, they chose instead to save a little money and just do the cannelure.

I had the same experience as you on the first deer I shot with an ELD-X in November and even though I'd seen the earlier reports of others having that problem but I was hoping those were just flukes.

Click to expand...

ski-dooz said:

I agree nice write up. The reason why I ever started this all is two years ago I lost a elk that I shot at 150 yards with a 185 Berger and it has haunted me ever since. I know I hit it in the lungs quartering forward it folded and ran away. No blood looked for 4 hours never found it. I know it was dead some where but again no blood. When I got back I started looking for answers so I called Berger. That's when I found out they are not supposed to exit. I ask about heavier bullets and they said to use the 210 hunting. Whitetails are tough animals and they do take a lot to KO.

Click to expand...

FEENIX said:

This reminds me of my 2013 elk season;

I shot my bull elk at 931 yards with 190 Berger VLD handload off my .300 WM, the bull managed to run with the herd about 200 yards before it dropped.

My buddy Troy dropped his bull elk from the same herd at <300 yards with HSM 180g Berger VLD off his 7MM Rem Mag, DRT.

3 weeks earlier, my other hunting buddy dropped his bull elk at <100 yards but needed 3 180g Barnes TTSX factory ammo off his .300 WM.

IMHO, all shot placements were good and bullets used worked as advertised, however, the 3 elk expired differently.

Click to expand...

FEENIX said:

That's good to know, I have some 212s and 220s to try. gun)

Click to expand...

bigngreen said:

Wow you just can't wrap your mind around it can you, it's very clear you and the tech at Berger have killed way more elk than all of us so I'll just watch and learn from some real elk killers!

Click to expand...

ski-dooz said:

OK AGAIN! ONE MORE TIME FOR THE SLOW GUYS THAT CAN'T READ SO GOOD! I said I was looking for some experience from other bullets. NO BERGER! Right in my question! So before you chime in again elk killer learn how to read! Now I know why are country is so screwed up. People want to tell you all about what you don't want to know so they can hear themselves talk about themselves and how great they are. I do not care if you made all elk extinct with Berger bullets! I'm not looking for Berger data at all! I DON"T CARE!!!!!!!! Now Please I'm Looking for another manufactures bullet and their performance on elk. Thank You!

FYI: If Berger said don't use them for hunting. To say FU I'm going to use them anyway is not only show you have mental problems. It shows your risking not being a good ethical hunter knowing the bullet you are using was not designed to kill humanly it was designed for putting holes in paper. In fact that was the exact quote!

Click to expand...

FEENIX said:

I'm sorry to hear your bad experience with Berger. I like others have very good end results with the Berger bullets. Bergers are indeed designed to expend most of it's energy upon impact/penetration. Which is one of the things that I like about it because I don't have to worry about pass through and hitting another game or other non intended targets beyond.

https://youtu.be/pDoTOoCR2_A?t=59

However, despite our best intentions and properly placed shots, Murphy gets in our way and will yield different results ...



Below is an exit wound from my son's MT muley buck he shot last season with 215 Berger out my .300 WSM.

Cheers!

Click to expand...

WildRose said:

I'll second that. I was as excited as anyone to see the ELD-X come out but totally disappointed with the fact that instead of using the same bonding process they use with the Interbond, they chose instead to save a little money and just do the cannelure.

I had the same experience as you on the first deer I shot with an ELD-X in November and even though I'd seen the earlier reports of others having that problem but I was hoping those were just flukes.

Click to expand...

mtmuley said:

200 grain Accubond. Absolutely wicked elk killer. mtmuley

Click to expand...

BULLBLASTER said:

Hey skidooz have you heard how awesome the Berger 215 hybrids are on elk yet? They kill them real dead.

Spout off on here all you want, and call people unethical all you want... guys will still be out there killing elk with bergers while you are on the phone and posting to forums.

Some guys like to use their own judgement and experience to determine what they want to use instead of going on forums and blasting people who have good reputations and share their experience and testing with actual data....

Click to expand...

ski-dooz said:

I bought some of the LR to try.

Click to expand...

ski-dooz said:

Once again the communication process has broke down! You need to read what I ask! I don't care what you have to say about Berger bullets and now about anything else. I said NO BERGER! Please learn how to read before you respond it will save you time and effort.

Click to expand...