.270 for Elk?

[Coveyleader]

All day, not even an issue. Seen 243s take the off their feet.

 

[Laelkhunter]

If you shoot off their feet, then they can't run away !!! That would be great!!

 

[kcm2]

I've killed about two dozen elk with a 270, most with the 130 partition. A few with the 150 partition, 2 with a 130 Hornady GMX in the superformance ammo (my new standard), and one with an Accubond 140. Ranges from 25-519 measured yards. Most one shot kills. My suggestion is you use a premium bullet, and practice under field conditions. The vitals on an elk are the size of a trash can lid. Get good enough to put a bullet in there when using an aspen tree or a sagebrush as a rest, or on your daypack, and you'll never think you need more.

 

[LaGriz]

+ 1 on it being enough gun.

In 2000 I met a gun store owner in Delhart Texas while in route to our NM rifle hunt. My hunting partner was using a .270 and had a worry about penetration on a heavy boned elk. The store owner showed us two recovered 140 gr. Swift A-frame bullets he recovered from the off-side of two different bulls. Text book mushroom with high weight retention. He when on to say that he had taken another 4 bulls with the same load that passed thru their targets. Ben did not get an elk that year but killed about 10 deer over the next few years with the two boxes of hand loads (Swift A-frames) the guy had sold him. I have managed to take 3 bulls with 160 gr. loads from a .280 Remington. I don't think a well hit elk could tell the difference between the two loads. We hunters often over think this stuff.

Had another friend that purchased a .338 Win mag four months before a one time elk hunt. He was also a .270 fan (and a good shot), but felt he need a better hammer for elk. He botched his only chance at a bull with 160 yard off-hand shot that he claimed he could make every day with his trusty .270. If he had gotten comfortable and dialed in with the heavy caliber it would no doubt have been a different result. He missed that bull and has not lost an animal with his .270 ever! I have shot that same Remington M700 .338 and found it has a brutal recoil. Might be the shape of the stock or something? Even though it is much lighter, my Kimber 8400 WSM is not nearly as punishing IMHO.

LaGriz

 

[Steve O]

I'm always messing with the perfect rifle/caliber for every hunt I go on. With that said, I typically would take two rifles everywhere I went. The "other" rifle was a laminated stainless M70 in 270. It seems I always had that other rifle in hand when I found the animal I wanted. I killed a very nice moose in the Yukon with a Swift 140g A-Frame. He was quartering to me at ~100 yards. I hit him on the inside crease of the shoulder...and I recovered the bullet in the opposite ham. If Photobucket didn't SUCK I'd post a pic or two. Elk are a lot smaller. If I were smart I would just own a 270 or two but unfortunately I am slightly a rifle looney and have 4 of the darn things and a safe full of other "ideal" rifles!

 

[mcseal2]

I haven't used it as extensively as you, but my back-up rifle is a 270 also. My primary rifles are a 264WM for flat country and a 300WM for steep country. The 270 goes along as back-up. It shoots decent with most any ammo I find at a gas station if the handloads get lost. The gas stations don't have ammo for the 300WM. I take handloads for the 270 also but know how many clicks it needs adjusted to switch to 130gr Remington CoreLokt bullets in a pinch. It has an old Leupold VXIII that's been very reliable for years, not as good in low light as the others but reliable. Perfect for the back-up rifle.

 

[Ross]

Indeed plenty of gun and key item is you are comfortable with it Shot placement is number one and comes with a gun you can shoot accurately and have confidence in..good luck

 

[ROJO GRANDE]

.270 is a great elk round. I've gone 3 for 3 with my .270 I'm a little hesitant taking a shot out passed 350 yards but I always sneak in as close as possible. With elk if they're still standing give them another shot it is amazing how tough those guys can be.

 

[Sako76]

I've seen a lot of elk killed with a 270!

 

[Ronb]

Gonna run these in my .270 this year. The energy numbers are significantly higher at the longer distances.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bluetick78]

When I guided hunts one of my favorite repeat clients used a .270 exclusively. He was a resident of Idaho that hired an outfitter to take all the prep time and headaches out of the hunts each year. Usually came on a spring bear and returned for mule deer and elk if he drew. He took 3 elk in 6 years, one of which was the largest bodied elk I ever guided a client to. No idea of the weight, but "damn big" is what I remember thinking when we walked up to it. It was a tough shot, quartering at 388 yds and trotting towards timber at first light. He shot, the bull stopped, took several steps downhill and expired. As we were breaking it down to load it on horses I was able to follow the bullets path from mid-ribs on the driver side to just under the skin on the passenger. It broke the passenger side shoulder after wrecking one lung and the heart. That gentleman used 130gr Remington Cor-Lokts for everything. I simply do not believe you need more gun than that for elk. I have used a .300 Win Mag for the better part of 20 years for elk. The rifle was a gift, and it shoots well. But every time I think of that big bull dropping to one .270 round on that frosty Idaho morning, I wonder why I don't use one. Someday I will.

 

[5MilesBack]

I picked up my first .270 recently and just finished preparing 100 pieces of brass Saturday. I will be experimenting with it to see how well a wide range of bullets fly out of it, from 85gr Barnes RRLP's and 85gr TSX's, up to 130gr TTSX's, a couple Accubonds, and perhaps some Bergers for longer range target stuff.

If they all work adequately, my daughter and I will use it for coyotes and some meat type hunts for pronghorn, deer, and elk.

 

[ATX762]

As mentioned by everyone else, you'll do great with a 270. Back in the old days people had to up-gun a bit because bullet technology was pretty damn simple--some copper wrapped loosely around soft lead. Bullets came apart a lot more back then so people compensated by using larger diameter and heavier bullets. Elmer Keith not only disliked the 270 (which is where a lot of the modern 270 disrespect comes from), he also talked badly about the 30-06 for a long time, simply because for about 15 years, a lot of the commonly available hunting bullets in 308 caliber just weren't that good--they didn't expand reliably at all. But those days are long over.

These days there are a million choices in bonded bullets and most of them shoot accurately, to boot. We're in a bit of a golden age of gear, guns, and equipment. Just find the bullet your rifle likes (as mentioned above, always best to start with the proven killers 150 partitions 140 accubonds etc) and shoot the heck out of it. And, of course, find some cheaper ammo to practice with...

One other thing worth mentioning is that unless you hand load, a lot of 7mm mag factory loads are not all that much faster than a 270, as long as you're using a 24" or longer barrel in the 270. 270's definitely appreciate and benefit from a bit more tube, if you can get it.

 

[peterbozeman]

A few years back when I was researching a new caliber (deeming 300WM too much for my shoulder) the 6.5 Creedmoor was the hottest thing in town. Everyone was talking about this wonder bullet. People were making it their new "everything rifle". From sika deer to trophy elk.
Well, a comparable 270 bullet out matches (in speed and FtLbs.) the 6.5 creed up to 800 yards. After that the 6.5's slick BC allow it to take over.
I don't know if people still feel that way about the 6.5 creed with all the new rounds out in the past few years. I have not paid much attention because I bought a 270 Tikka T3X Superlight and have been really really happy with it. I take it elk hunting and have no fear.

Here is a good write-up on the 270's potency from Ron Spomer:

6.5 Creedmoor Versus 270 Winchester — Ron Spomer Outdoors

In a 6.5 Creedmoor versus 270 Winchester ballistic competition, which wins? Drop, drift, retained energy, velocity, and recoil are compared.

www.ronspomeroutdoors.com

 

[pa_mountain_guy]

have personally watched 3 elk fall to the 270 and i would argue anyone that thinks a 140 gr accubond at any reasonable hunting distance isn’t more then sufficient