Premium bullets worth the price?

[BRazz]

Another rifle-related question. Please help my indecisiveness!!!

I havent rifle-hunted elk for probably a decade, though I am the guide/sherpa for our annual family trip. I own a .270 Win, and when I was younger I would use basic soft-point 150-grain. Only shot one elk with it since I usually borrowed my dad's .300 win mag. So I have a couple boxes of Winchester Power Point in the 150-grain, but I'm wondering whether I should bite the bullet and get some premium ammo for a pretty penny. I am halfway convinced that this whole "premium" bullet stuff is a marketing scheme... but halfway afraid of blowing my opportunity and injuring an elk. I also am able to shoot my rifle very well, for what that's worth.

It's likely my shot opportunities would be less than 250 yards, but possible that I'd have shots out to 400 yards. I'm looking for confidence that if I take that 400-yard shot I can trust my gun and bullet. Thoughts?

Other sites have threads on this topic, but you know... other sites... meh.

[Lefty]

Ive loaded and shoot Particians. I Use to shoot Ballistic tips and will load Barnes next reloading session To me it is good physics
Many other things may go into a Premium bullet: accuracy, expansion and fragmentation are my concerns
Do I think Premium bullets are generically needed under 100 yards, no but if Im shooting a cheaper bullet I want to go up in weight
But the bigger the game the further the distance I want a better bullet
As a reloader .20 ( twenty cents ) more a bullet is nothing compared to the cost of a hunt and shouldn't in my mind be a consideration, and at $10-$15.00 more per box off the shelf after you spent $ 500- $10,000 for a hunt the cost is money well spent

My daughter drew on a Once in a Lifetime hunt moose hunt. I had 160 gn Particians for my 7 MM. I bought her 175 grain Federal big game loads. Still held a 1 5/8 group at 100 yards but I wanted some more weight even 15 gns. I planned on only letting her shoot deer and her moose under 100 yards ( and made her pass in the snow, rain and darkness at a book moose at 90 yards)
She shot her moose at 7 yards hit the top of the heart and the heart both times and the moose still went 180 yards the cheap bullets fragmented and never exited. ( not that you need an exit hole)

If you cant shoot worth a darn, shoot the cheap loads, use a large bullet keep your shots closer

[twinkieman]

I would have to agree with Lefty on this, I've been reloading for several years, and all the bullets he listed are available now, as a factory load. The Barnes bullets are tough to beat, and Nosler Partitions are also a great bullet. I also like Nosler Accubonds, the old Remington Core Lokt, while not in the same class as the newer breed of bullets, still has put down a lot of animals.

[Wyo67]

I've used my trusty .270 with 150 grain on cow elk and have had an issue with them. But.... I would not trust it to go 400 yards, especially on big old tough bull. Just my $0.02.

[Lefty]

,... the old Remington Core Lokt, while not in the same class as the newer breed of bullets, still has put down a lot of animals.

Remington Core Lokt In my opinion the best old-school bullet out there!!

[Lefty]

I've used my trusty .270 with 150 grain on cow elk and have had an issue with them. But.... I would not trust it to go 400 yards, especially on big old tough bull. Just my $0.02.

Whos' bullet and load. And sometimes even what is or should be a good shot, elk can be tough

[Elkduds]

I've posted plenty about my transition from 7mm Rem Mag to 270. The short version is, modern bonded or partition bullets hold together for deep penetration; an elk's vitals are more than twice as thick as a deer's. These modern bullets also expand consistently across a wide range of velocities. You will get penetration and expansion @ 75 yds, and @ 375 yds. I expect a partition bullet of 150 gr from my 270 to basically equal a 175 Gr. Core-lokt from my 7 mag, in performance on elk out to about 250 yds. The 270 will still be lethal on a broadside hit to ribs/chest for at least 150 yds after that. Well worth the price, IMO.

[Wyo67]

I've used my trusty .270 with 150 grain on cow elk and have had an issue with them. But.... I would not trust it to go 400 yards, especially on big old tough bull. Just my $0.02.

Whos' bullet and load. And sometimes even what is or should be a good shot, elk can be tough

All 3 cows taken over the last 3 years were with Remington Core Lokt 150 grain. Two were unsuspecting broadside shots about 150-175 yards. Neither went more than 10 yards. One pass through, the other hit far side shoulder bone and we found it while quartering. The other was hit while moving after one of the kids missed. Cilpped the front shoulder bone, no pass through but she only went about 100 yards after.

I wouldn't hesitate to take the 250 yard shot, but 400 would be a touch long for me.

I haven't shot any of the "premium" bullets, so I can't offer any insight for those. Maybe forced to though soon as the Remington 150 grains are getting hard to find here in Cheyenne.

[Indian Summer]

You get what you pay for. I reload and it's not to save money. I have used lots of Nosler Partitions in the past and these days I'm using their Accubond bullets for better downrange accuracy.

That said when I don't have time or desire to reload for a particular gun I am a fan of Federal Premium Vital Shok ammo. It has always done well for me for both accuracy and damage. I buy the Nosler partition version. I've used it in both my 7mm Rem mag and my .300 R.U.M.

I like old school cars and motorcycles, old school music and people with old school values. But I'll take the newer school bullets thank you. Not that Nosler is exactly new school right. I'm not a big fan of long old school tracking days either! lol Elk can be pretty stubborn about falling over dead when you want them to.

[NoWiser]

I shoot a 270 WSM and for me, the premium bullets (Barnes TSX & TTSX) are worth it.

Most of my hunting is whitetail and I have fairly close shots. Any lead bullet that I've tried has blown up and mangled the deer. It killed them quickly but I don't like to waste meat and the bullets created a mess. With the Barnes I get a consistent entry hole the size of a pencil and an exit hole the size of a golf ball and the deer either drop in their tracks or don't make it far. I'm not picking out lead chunks when I process them, either.

I have not shot an elk with the gun (I'm determined to get one with a bow) but I did take a very large bodied bull moose with 140 grain barnes TSX with it at just over 300 yards. I took two shots and hit the bull behind the shoulder with both. One was a complete pass through and one was stuck under the hide on the far side. The moose made it about 30 yards before tipping over dead. No doubt I'm a believer! And, I can get incredible accuracy with these bullets when I handload them. A load I have for the 130 grn TTSX is the most accurate I've ever shot out of my gun.

[pointysticks]

i think 100% of my animals were shot with a nosler partition.

just made good math sense to me. in the grand scheme of things, in my type of hunting, the bullet was the relatively cheapest part of the hunt.

versus, landowner tags, fees, travel, etc.

so i felt that was not the area to skimp. i loaded my own for a long time, and then when i bought a 257wtby..i just bought the bullets.

[Migolito]

First deer I shot with my Savage 99 was with a Core Lokt (factory 150 gr)at about 30 yards. The bullet exploded on his shoulder and he ran off. I looked for 2 days to no avail, and, unfortunately he probably died a slow painful death. That being said more deer have probably fallen to a Core Lokt than all other bullets combined. Either way, I started ordering custom ammo for my rifles (barnes ttsx) after that and now reload my own. I haven't lost an animal since. Every single shot is a complete pass through and a dead animal.

[wawhitey]

Are you talking about home brews or factory ammo? I'm no gun expert but man some guns can't shoot modern hot factory loads. I have a 270 that shoots cheap factory ammo fine but put some superformance rounds in it you can't hit the broad side of a broad barn

[ST52V]

Here u go!! Buy some and try them in your gun. Worst case sell all the brass when you get done and you won't be out much!
http://www.shootersproshop.com/nosler-p ... -20ct.html
Or these
http://www.shootersproshop.com/nosler-p ... -20ct.html
Or these
http://www.shootersproshop.com/nosler-p ... -20ct.html
If any of those shoot 1.5" or less you should be fine to 400 yards. That should be 6" or less at 400 yards.

[ST52V]

Don't know why 2 links didn't show up? Shooters pro shop has 130 AB's and the 140's. The 130 were $30 some a box and the 140's were mid $40's a box.

[Indian Summer]

NoWiser... those are some darn light bullets for moose. I take it you weren't somewhere where having a moose walk out into 4 feet of water, as they often do in defense mode, and falling over dead there. That changes everything!

Migolito I hear you on the Core Lokts. My brother once shot a whitetail at 30 yards head on with a .32 Win Special. The deer reared up, turned around and walk over a rise. He figured it for good and dead so he sat down and had a sandwich. When he got up and walked over the small hill the deer was standing there eating! He shot it again and killed it. Later we found the original bullet just under the hide mushroomed out. It had only penetrated and inch!

[NoWiser]

Indian Summer,

Actually, we were 20 miles into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, surrounded by lakes. I shot mine right on the edge of a big swamp that led into a lake and luckily he headed for higher ground. We could have gotten him out of the swamp, but it wouldn't have been much fun. Speaking of not much fun, getting an 11 year old bull moose 20 miles out of the BWCA over 12 portages in 80 degree weather isn't much fun.

The next year my dad shot a very nice bull (about 1/2 mile from where I shot mine) with the exact same handloads I had leftover from my hunt and the results were the same. Two shots and a dead bull on the ground within 40 yards. I'd be comfortable hunting anything on this continent with those 140 grain TSX bullets out of my rifle.

I shot a 240 lb (dressed) whitetail with them and the deer looked like he was struck by lightening. It was incredible. He didn't even kick his legs when he hit the ground.

I think with the slower calibers the old lead bullets work fine. The premium copper bullets really shine as speeds increase.

I'd sure like to try them out on a big bull elk, but I just can't imagine hunting them out of the rut. I want one with my bow real bad!

[Rangerz]

High muzzle velocities and lead bullets don't get along well, which is part of the reason that the partition was developed. For a do all bullet, hard to beat some sort of bonded bullet. Just make sure you don't outshoot the expansion capabilities.

[twinkieman]

Another factor that hasn't been discussed here, are lead bans. In Calif., there is an upcoming lead ban statewide, full implementation will occur by 2019, but by 2016, no lead bullets will be able to be used in hunting. Here we will have very few choices concerning bullets. Barnes, Berger, and I'm sure more will become available, but far more expensive than what is available now. I hope this doesn't spread and affect more states in the future, The anti gun lobby has found a loophole, the 2nd amendment, does not cover ammunition. new will have no choice, but to shoot the premium bullets, in the not so distant future.

[BRazz]

You've convinced me. I ordered some Winchester Accubond CT in 140 grain. I'll get out shooting the next week or two and check back in...

Thanks for the help guys!