First harvest

[Buckys]

I was fortunate to harvest my first elk on a cow only hunt recently.

Range was less than 200 yds. I was hunting with my 7RM using Federal Premium 160 Partition ammunition ~2950fps.

I was able to make a double lung shot and managed to keep my eyes on target at impact. Saw an impressive shock wave centered around POA and was certain I did my job.

Found my quarry no more than 50yds from where she stood but she dove into some thick brush that made the tracking job harder than the distance implies.

Blood trail was off and on - troubled me that my eyes had deceived me.

What I found on the meat pole was what looked like an exit wound that had created a chasm between the ribs and hide - I did not find a lot of blood because most of it was in this chasm.

I'm wondering how common this is and opinions on what I might have done differently to have a better chance at a better blood trail? I know partitions are considered bad medicine for elk and that many LRH folks might prefer a bullet that would expend more energy inside the chest cavity.

 

[Ckleeves]

I don't think there is anything you could have done different, sounds like your shot placement was good?

Bullets act slightly different on game all the time, depending on impact velocity, angle, shot placement etc. You could take that exact same shot next year and hit 2" different and have blood everywhere, or the elk could be quartered away and not get a exit and have less blood then you did this time.

If you want them DRT you could change your shot placement to high shoulder but you will have more meat loss vs double lung shots. You could go to a softer bullet that's gonna frag pretty good at 200 yards and it might put them down faster but you also may not get a exit so that's something else to consider.

I have seen quite a few elk shot with partitions and as long as your not shooting real far they are a fine elk bullet, load them up again and go kill another one next year!

 

[Reelamin]

Awesome and you be hooked to the jawbone now. Bar none the deadliest elk round I have seen since 93 is a 7RM pushing a 160PT @ 3050. Just flat kills elk very time.

 

[Buckys]

I don't think there is anything you could have done different, sounds like your shot placement was good?

Bullets act slightly different on game all the time, depending on impact velocity, angle, shot placement etc. You could take that exact same shot next year and hit 2" different and have blood everywhere, or the elk could be quartered away and not get a exit and have less blood then you did this time.

If you want them DRT you could change your shot placement to high shoulder but you will have more meat loss vs double lung shots. You could go to a softer bullet that's gonna frag pretty good at 200 yards and it might put them down faster but you also may not get a exit so that's something else to consider.

I have seen quite a few elk shot with partitions and as long as your not shooting real far they are a fine elk bullet, load them up again and go kill another one next year!

Yes, shot placement was good with full penetration through both lungs and roughly 1" exit wound through broken ribs. She stopped less than 50 yds from where she was standing. Understand the point of the shoulder shot option, the POA was intentional to preserve meat. At the end of the day, I achieved all three primary goals - harvest an animal, preserve as much meat as possible and do that as humanely as possible.

I was carrying more fragmentitive ammo in case of a much longer shot opportunity but I loaded the partitions at the top of the magazine for something inside ~400yds. And considered that option for the closer shot as well - as you mention the trade-off is more internal damage (good insurance if I'm off the mark) at the expense of a lesser or no exit wound.

Obviously I'm happy with the outcome but hunting is hunting and things happen where the shot placement is not always ideal and its easy to extrapolate what that tracking job might have looked like given the limited blood trail found on this hunt. So I'm reflecting on what I might change for my next opportunity. As far as bullet choices go, I chose the 160 partition and the 162 sst as they both shot very well for me - but this rifle is very content (generally 0.75 MOA or better) with almost every 160-168 bullet option I have tried.

I know that I could get a little bit of the best of both worlds trying the 160 Accubond or even 160 Federal Fusion next time (although the AB is a bit more nimble for reaching out longer). I'm also going to work with the 168 Berger Classic Hunter and will likely try the 143 Hammer Hunter as well. I'd love to hear from the Berger and Hammer fans on their experiences around my particular dilemma.

My understanding of the physics of the terminal ballistics at play, though, tells me that there is not a lot that I can do to prevent a decent exit wound from bleeding out inside the hide. Reducing MV and/or slightly more fragmentation are the only practical ideas I've had so far.

 

[Northkill]

I love the Partitions. With more recent experience with the Hammers, you'll find as I have that they will run faster, hit hard, and drill deeper. All that, even with lighter projos. Have also had good success with Bergers, though I've had 6.5mm 124 gr Hammers easily out penetrate 7mm 180 gr Bergers. Don't count me as a rabid Hammer fan. Just honest personal experience. The Badlands are also great but might take more work to get them shooting tight. Again, just my experience with multiple rifles.

 

[Mark37082]

Congrats. You have a freezer full of tasty meat.

 

[Buckys]

Congrats. You have a freezer full of tasty meat.

Very grateful for that. Thanks.

 

[Buckys]

I love the Partitions. With more recent experience with the Hammers, you'll find as I have that they will run faster, hit hard, and drill deeper. All that, even with lighter projos. Have also had good success with Bergers, though I've had 6.5mm 124 gr Hammers easily out penetrate 7mm 180 gr Bergers. Don't count me as a rabid Hammer fan. Just honest personal experience. The Badlands are also great but might take more work to get them shooting tight. Again, just my experience with multiple rifles.

Thanks. I definitely want to try the Hammers as well. In this situation in search of a blood trail, I might opt for 160AB for more fragmentation. But the Hammers may do that as well, assuming that I understand correctly how they are to shed their petals after expansion.

 

[Northkill]

Thanks. I definitely want to try the Hammers as well. In this situation in search of a blood trail, I might opt for 160AB for more fragmentation. But the Hammers may do that as well, assuming that I understand correctly how they are to shed their petals after expansion.

Yes, our experience has been very strong blood trails.

 

[Wyoming Drifter]

Sounds like that shot should have dumped that elk in its tracks. Im fortunate enough to live in very good elk country and am able to Harvest two and up till this year three elk every season. I use a 270 WSM shooting the old style 140 Sierra game kings. It's pretty rare if they make it over 10 or 20 yards. Most of the time they drop right there. I'm not a long range shooter though.

 

[Chase723]

It's common. Think about it for a second. If you shoot an elk 1/2 way up the body through the lungs, unless it's literally pumping out the hole most of it will stay in the chest, especially if it doesn't exit the other side. Combine that with the fact that they will now be moving (unless they drop on the spot) the blood trail is likely to be sparse until they slow down. That's why you often don't see much until you're within 10-20 yards of where they lay down. At that point they are moving slowly/wobbling and the blood has a greater amount of time to a) fill up the chest b) pour out onto the ground.

 

[Hard rock]

Exactly a lung shot isn't going too leave a good blood trail until the cavity fills up and pumps out of the exit .

 

[Buckys]

That was my conclusion as well. I expect that this is common with Partitions.

White tail hunting for me is accubond or fusion and typically results in something closer to a fist sized exit wound. Blood everywhere.

So my conclusion was that - elk are big and have more volume to store blood under the hide, partitions make tiny exit wounds and so this is likely common for that combo (maybe for something like tsx as well) and the higher you target the lungs, the longer it will take to get a steady blood trail.

And so the point of my original question is for all the seasoned elk hunters here - if you don't want to go for the shoulders, what is your recipe for shots < 200yds? Personally, I want to avoid a really frangible cup-n-core bullet here as I don't want to use something could blow up before it gets past the ribs on the entry side.

Thanks for all of the replies and helping me get better with experience

 

[ShtrRdy]

Congrats on the cow elk! Should be really good eating.