is it enough bullet

[catchdog]

i have a 30-06 with all the 180 gr bullets i have tried i only get 2 1/2 inch groups but with fed fusion 165 gr i get 5 rounds inside a inch. so is the 165 gr fusion enough bullet for elk.

 

[Litch]

i have a 30-06 with all the 180 gr bullets i have tried i only get 2 1/2 inch groups but with fed fusion 165 gr i get 5 rounds inside a inch. so is the 165 gr fusion enough bullet for elk.

The 2 1/2" grouping should be fine for the kill zone of an Elk. The 165 will do the trick, especially with the groupings you are getting. Good shot placement with a 165gr 30-06 and that Bull is going down.

 

[fishnhunt]

Yes...I load 165 grain for my GF. She likes a little lighter bullet and she shoots the lighter bullet better. Put it in the boiler room and the elk will die!!

 

[BigBoarinCA]

bullets

Ijust got back from elk hunting in october, killed a my first elk real nice 6x6 bull and was shooting those same exact bullets only difference is im shooting a 300 wsm and the bullets shot great for me as well, but i found 2 of the 3 bullets in the elk and they were basically just shrapnal, the bullets completely fell apart had it not been for a couple well place shots i think he could of never been found and went off and sufferd. Just dont want that to happen to anyone, now i now elk are big heavy boned animals but those bullets should of kept together way better then that, so if i was you i would try a different bullet one that has been used and proven on big game such as elk.

 

[7mm RM]

I feel your groups with the 180s is fine, most hunting situations I have found is not like at the "range". Go pratice off hand, sitting, on shooting sticks, prone using your pack as a rest and shoot all the way out to 300 yards. This is what works for me during my practice rounds. Good luck!!

 

[Redneck75]

I would certainly go with the 165 grain and not worry at all. More than enough bullet. Look how many get killed with a 7mm or .270 shooting bullets that small or smaller...you'll be fine.

Great call on not using the 180 grain. A 2.5 inch group out of a modern bolt-action is complete garbage and not a load I would even think about shooting at an animal...especially one as difficult to put down as an elk where shot placement is critical.

 

[baco]

165 is plenty of bullet. I use 150 winchester silver tips out of my 06 and have dropped the last couple of elk I have shot. Its all about placement. Good luck on your hunt

 

[DAWG]

I decided to take my old M70 30-06 this year, mainly because I had more than elk on the plate, AND heard so many negative comments from EXPERTS...

Anyway I used 165 Swift Sirroccos, 59 gr IMR 4350, check out my 6x6 bull from the post below. I guessed and held for 400, GPS said .24 mi. One shot, slightly quartering to me. Broke the big shoulder bone, about 2/3 of the bullet stopped on the opposite side skin. Tumbled him down the snow covered hill instantly, didn't take a step. BTW, three instant one shot kills this year, the other were antelope and deer, same load.

Honestly, I have shot/seen shot elk with up to a .375 H&H, and feel that as long as it's something reasonable, shot placement is 99% more important than anything.

 

[outdoorsman35]

I would say it matters most where you put your round. maybe you should shoot with a set up that you feel really confident with even at long range. if you feel confident and you can put the round where you want it in various conditions then you should be fine with whatever caliber you choose. if you are not confident i would go with a larger caliber and closer range.

 

[Modocer]

A 165 grain bullet in a 30-06 is a good round. The first elk I shot was with that round. It did a great job. It is all about shot placement. If you can make a 165 group, use that round.
Try reducing couple of grains of powder on your 175 grain round, It might make them group better.

 

[hank4elk]

I've been using 165 Fed Barnes for a couple years now with great results on elk and deer,pigs.I can't get the 180's much tighter than2-3inches in my 700 30-06, but the 165's are inside of an inch.

 

[REM3006]

I used 160 gns. Federal TSX bullet. Shot a cow elk about 200 yds. hit the right front leg, bullet sliced the heart in two, pulverized left front leg (bone) where the bullet stopped. It's all shot placement. See attached pics.

 

[DLS]

I think a 165 grain 30 caliber bullet is certainly adequate for elk, but I do not think that those fusion bullets are the bullet I'd take elk hunting. My understanding of them is that they're a light weight bullet in terms of their construction, and not meant to hold together on big, tough game. They are much more of a deer or pronghorn bullet if I'm not mistaken.

If I were going to shoot a 165 in my 30-06, I'd choose a nosler partition or accubond, Barnes TTSX, Trophy Bonded Bearclaw, Swift A frame or Scirroco, or even a Remington Core Lokt, before I'd shoot that fusion bullet. Of course, I'd shoot a 180 before I'd shoot a 165, but lots of guys kill elk cleanly with 165s.

Whichever bullet you choose, find one that shoots well in your gun, and you should definitely be able to get better than 2.5 inch groups no matter what bullet you select. Elk are very big, tough animals, and you want a quality bullet in the right place with the first shot to cleanly take a mature bull.

 

[sancho]

nosler partitions...love them. for me it is like shooting confidence downrange. i used 180 grains on my elk. blew the engine room up with the 1st shot. it just stood there wobbling at 150ish yards, so a sent another round 2 inches closer to the arse..it toppled..into a ravine, with a trickle of water. my bro dropped a beast the next day with a 165 grain partition. great bullet in my opinion.

butchering an elk in that position is no fun.

 

[jerryt]

I shot Remington Core Locks in my 30-06 and whether shooting 150, 165 or 180 grain bullets all groupings are well within an inch and many times the holes are touching. I killed my elk at 517 this year with a 165 grain Core Lock with two bullets in the boiler room. Couldn't take pictures of the bullet because both were pass throughs.

 

[LETSHUNT]

165 grain is just fine. I just harvested a cow elk in Colorado with a 270wsm using a 130-tipped Barnes triple shock. It’s all about shot placement