rifle ? for elk

D

desertlongrifle

New member
I was lucky enough to draw a Az elk tag this year. I'm going to use my 270 as I don't have anything larger. I'm also going to use a 150 instead of a 130gr sp. Are soft points good for elk or should I stick with some other bullet design? Also what distance should I sight my gun in? Its already dead on at 300 should I rezero?
 
Mr. Petterson an old fellow that used to hunt out of camp only used a .270 he did very well. He used 150 Gr bullets there wasn't any tracking involved when old Pete shot them. I'd look at the nosler Partition and the AccuBond 140 and choose the one that shot best in my gun. If you feel comfortable with that zero ok but I think I'd use 200 yards.
 
I say forget about your 270, sounds like you know it well, shoot it a lot, shot the elk thru the heart/lungs. You got a dead elk. rifle is just a tool. 270 130 grain or 150 is fine.
Now spend some time finding the elk!!! Find the Elk!!! scout, Find the Elk, find the shot!!!!!!!
You might think I think it is important to FIND the ELK, Have them put to bed the night before hunting. sleep with them if you can!!! I mean it, I have taken a sleeping bag and slept in the brush, 1000 yards from the herd.
anyway thats my two bits, and I have found them a few times. I prefer a 300 mag, but my 270 knocked over a few.
Carl
 
270 would be absolutely fine for an elk rifle
go with premium bullets in either weight and you will do fine I have heard that some eople claim the 243 is a excellent elk rifle so I think a 270 shoud be a good choice. But like Bonfire says scouting and getting in close enough is what matters
Good luck
 
What Bofire said. I know a set of twin brothers who have killed literally dozens of elk with 270's. They're also awesome hunters & woodsmen, hike like goats, and are dazzling shots in the field.
 
The 270 Win with the 150 gr Nosler Part. is all the rifle you will need to take your Elk. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
I agree with the .270 being adequate. Mine went to colorado this past fall loaded with 140gr nosler partitions. They fly well and hit hard. My problem was in not seeing elk so yeah get out there and find the elk, the .270 will be fine. It's better to take a rifle that you are fully confident with in terms of familiarity of ballistics.

Another little tip: copy a small slip of paper with the ballistic info so if you have to shoot out to 400yds you'll know where to aim. You might not need it but I felt better having it...that's just me, I'm nutso for shot placement and marksmanship. I copied it off a ballistics program, laminated it with tape and shoved it under the butt cuff along with a spare battery for the optics on the scope.

Congrats on the draw and good luck!
 
Last edited:
A .270 with a 150 grn bullet is very much a good choice. I would leave it at a 300 yard zero depending on the area you will be hunting the area we hunt in Idaho produces longer shots most of the time300-500 yards isn't unusual for us. If this is the case a 300 yard zero is better. But if 300 yards if the farthest shot you think you will take either zero will be fine.
 
I have harvested many many Elk with the 270 Winchester, Sierra 130 grain BTSP, loaded max with IMR 4831. Sight 2-2.5" high @ 100 yards. The family has used the same load for taking several moose, bear etc.

It will do fine if you do your part.
 
I use a 130gr Barnes TSX in my 270Win over a max charge of RL22. I have recovered only one Barnes X from an elk, all others have been complete pass throughs. The longest distance an elk went after being hit was about 20 yards, downhill.

As has been said though, shot placement counts for a whole bunch on any animal.
 
I have had very good luck with the Speer "Grand Slam" 150s, but I also know that the Hornady, Barns, Sierra, and Nosler bullets are very good.
 
I've killed lots of elk and larger animals. I use Speer Bullets. Hot Core and Grand Slam. You don't need to spend $1.00/bullet but if you want to use Swift. Use a bullet with LEAD in it. My opinion /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Your .270 Win with 150gr will be good.
bigelk.jpg

.280 Rem 145gr Speer Hot Core
elk20012.jpg

.280 Rem 145gr Speer Hot Core
eland12-1.jpg

7mm Rem Mag 160gr Speer Grand Slam
 
I love the 150 grain Sierra GameKings in my .270. It kills pigs, deer and elk just fine.

I am a little worried about your statement that the rifle is alreadt sighted in with a 300 yard zero however.

If you are sighted in with the 130 grain bullet (or any bullet or load other than the one you will hunt elk with) you need to re-sight in your rifle.

I would sight it in at the range you expect your longest shot to be. Often that is about 200 yards although most shots on elk are more like 40 to 100 yards.
 
Since everybody agrees that the you'll be fine with a .270, let me answer the rest of your post...

At 100 yards, my .270 shoots 130 grain partitions and 160 grain partitions (for elk, I opt for the extra weight) to same point of impact. I'm sure that changes over longer distances, but probably not by enough to matter.

The rule of thumb is that if you sight-in 1.5" high at 100 yards, you'll be point-blank range out to about 300.

Finally, If there is a chance that you'll want to take a shot at 2-300 yards, then practice at that distance.
 
I shoot 140 gr. Accubonds....very accurate and well constructed bullet...I sight in for 1.5" high @ 100 and I'm zeroed @ roughly 30 and 300.....
 
A 150 gr. Nosler partition out of a .270 will kill elk as well as most .30 cal. rifles will. It's as good as the .308 I'm shooting and I haven't lost a game animal I hit yet. I really like head or neck shots, when possible.
That Swift A-frame looks pretty good, too, but I haven't shot anything with them. In my opinion, $1 each for a premium bullet isn't a lot when I'm only shooting 20 of them a year. I know a Nosler partition isn't going to fall apart on the way through an elk, and that's about $1000 worth of good eats. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Back
Top