Picking the right bullet for elk hunting with a 300 WSM

[mdellemonache]

Hi Guy's

I was hope people here can help me pcik the right bullet for my 300 WSM . I am heading out to montana to do some elk hunting with my Kimber Montana 300 wsm. Last year i took the same gun and i used the Fusion bullets. I am starting to get my things ready and i was doing some research on the fusion bullets and i looks like they are made for deer hunting. I was hoping you guys could give me some ideas on what bullet to buy. Do you think the fusion is a good bullet to use for elk hunting?

Thanks for all your help!!

Mo

 

[Speckmisser]

Welcome to JHO, Mo!

You'll probably get a bunch of replies to this question, and it's doubtful any of them will be the same. There's a lot more opinion on this than there are bullets. Heck, there are more magazine articles on this topic than there are elk in Colorado, I think.

Did you kill your bull last year with that setup?

Bottom line, if those Fusions shoot well for you out of your rifle, and you're confident in their performance, then you're already ahead in the game. That .300 WSM is an excellent elk caliber. A good deer bullet out of that rifle will work fine on elk... and vice versa, by the way.

If you really feel like you need to step up the game a little bit, you can look at some of the bonded bullets, such as the Winchester Accubond. They'll hold together a little bit better on heavy elk bones, and still give you plenty of penetration.

 

[Redneck75]

Not sure if you're handloading or buying factory ammo. In factory ammo...you can get by without any trouble with the gool ol' Remington Core-Lokt and go on up from there, depending on what you want to pay. I'd pick a 180 or 200 grain bullet and have at it. As you go up in price, you should get a bit better performance/accuracy but every rifle is different so you want to find whatever your rifle prefers. Read the boxes or check the websites for a bullet designed to give you good penetration on larger animals. I think the most important thing is to get a bullet your gun shoots accurately. An elk won't be able to tell which bullet goes through it's heart, whether it's a Core-Lokt or a "Premium" bullet. You generally want to stay away from the bullets designed for light-skinned game and certainly stay away from the varmint type rounds. Anything that is designed for good penetration is good.

 

[barel74]

I like the Accubonds. I've had some issues with the corelocks, fragmenting in elk.

 

[mdellemonache]

Who makes the Accubonds. I was at bass pro last night and i think the remmingtons had the accubonds. Is this currect?

 

[barel74]

Accubonds are a Winchester Supreme round, in a black box.

 

[Salty Bum]

If you load your own:

Case: W-W
Primer: Fed. 215
Bullet: C.T. (combine technology) 165gr. Fail Safe
Load: 75.0 grs. RL 19
Velocity: 3192fps
Reference: Nosler #4 page 359

If you do not load your own go get the Winchester Supreme 165 gr fail safe - you can't beat them.

 

[bkc]

I shoot a 270 WSM and use the Winchester Ballistic Silver tip w/the polycarbonate tip 130 Gr for Deer and 150 grain for Elk. 2 for 2 in a row for deer and 0 for 2 on the elk these shells just folded the deer and both were over 125 yards. This year I will be in Montana Elk and Deer so I will report. This weekend I will be in X1 so I will try the 150 Grain on the big Mullys and i will report.

 

[trophyfever]

I shoot a Sako 300wsm for past two years with Kahles 3x10x50 and I love it. My primary factory load that i like is fusion or vital shock barnes 165 grain for deer and elk. The barnes triple is deadly but paper target wise-both about the same at 200-300 yards.
I'm not an expert nor do I reload but i'm experimenting with all the loads at the range.Lots of hunters shoot the 180 gr winchesters but haven't used 180 grain yet. Did shoot a colorado bull with 30-06 vanguard with nosler partition 180 gr at 200 yards and two bulls with 308 norma mag with norma180 nosler and all the elk ran off 100 yards before dropping-of course tht may have been my shooting.
Definitely noticed the 180 grains fall out of the sky at a 200-300 yards so I prefer the flatter shooting with energy for long distances if needed,
anyway-my sako is fun and lighter and so far I like the 165 barnes the best.

good luck to you

 

[Railguner]

Accubonds are made by NOSLER. I also shoot a Sako 75 Finnlight and love the 140gr Accubonds that Federal has for my .270WSM. Here is a picture of my Dads 385 Bull last year..shot with my gun. Here is a picture of the recovered bullet and the bull. The bullet was found just under the skill on the opposite side bulging out the hide that was over it. RG

 

[trophyfever]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Railguner @ Oct 3 2008, 01:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Accubonds are made by NOSLER. I also shoot a Sako 75 Finnlight and love the 140gr Accubonds that Federal has for my .270WSM. Here is a picture of my Dads 385 Bull last year..shot with my gun. Here is a picture of the recovered bullet and the bull. The bullet was found just under the skill on the opposite side bulging out the hide that was over it. RG

[/b]

I'll try some accubond 140's with mySako finnlight 300 and see how they do.Thanks for the info.
What a great bull! Sure you weren't looking for antelope in that wide open grass country.That bull muyst have looked enormous and he sure is. Was he shot with 140 gr?
Where was the hunt?
congratulations!!
Where's your next hunt? going to use my Sako in Colorado elk hunting in November hopefully.

 

[Railguner]

The 140gr Accubonds are for my 270WSM. You need to use 180gr Accubonds, Partitions, Barnes Triple Shock or MRX. Try the Accubonds or Partions in your gun and go with whichever is more accurate. RG

PS Yeah that area used to hold Buffalo way back when. It's kinda like Montana's Missouri River Breaks area...Plateau tops with cooleys all over.

 

[sancho]

i shoot the nosler partition at everything. (never hunted lead free). i love that bullet. everything just seems to drop no matter what caliber i shoot. for mulies, i shoot a .257 weatherby mag, that literally shuts them off. and this is with a 120 gr bullet. for bigger encounters, i shoot an .06 with 180 gr bullets. the elk die just fine.

i think it is all about the bullet placement. practice, get confident...and buy the best bullet you can afford. you will not go wrong.