Help me pick a bullet. 4 local choices.

[zorkieo]

Hi Everyone I am going on a cow elk hunt next year and have decided to use my .270 instead of buying a new gun. I want deep penetration with controlled expansion for my shots out to 350 yards tops. These are choices I have locally available (I already own the cx superperformance.) What would you guys recommend out of those choices?​

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Hornady CX Superformance 130gr​

3190 FPS

2937 FT LBS

Nosler Trophy Grade Accubond 150g​

2850 FPS

2705 FT LBS

Sierra GameChanger 270 Winchester 140gr​

2960 FPS

2723 FT LBS

Barnes VOR-TX LR 270 Winchester 129gr​

3140 FPS

2825 FT LBS

 

[zorkieo]

those are the listed muzzle velocity and FPS. I'm using a 24" Bergara with a brake.

 

[wpeach1912]

Any of those will work fine, so pick whichever helps you sleep at night. Plug it into a ballistic calculator to make sure you’re above minimum expansion velocity at 350. Get a bunch of bullets and go practice

 

[35WhelenAI]

This would have been a great poll.

You have the CX, especially if you have a couple boxes, that's your hunting load. That will last you for many years. An inexpensive cup and core bullet load from major manufacturers is your practice in the offseason. Verify zero before the hunt and use the CX with confidence. However given my experience with Barnes...

Granted I've never taken an animal in over 30 years with a factory load. However I have over 30 years of hand loading experience with Barnes Bullets. Between what I've taken, what family members have taken and what friends have taken with said handloads using Barnes bullets, never a single failure to put meat in the freezer from an animal when the trigger was pressed.

Barnes 129 LRX all the way, Accubond in a close heat for second place. The lead issue is an oftly debated and heated topic, yet unequivocally, 30 years says Barnes does the job.

Shooting lead long term whether becoming octogenarians on our last hunt in 20-30 years or the next generation starting at that time, it is a dying breed as an ingredient in bullet construction.

 

[Leaf Litter]

The only bullet that doesn't fit your list of wants is the gamechanger, it doesn't have controlled expansion, more of a fragmenting bullet.

Honestly, LRX would be my pick, followed closely by the AB and Gamechanger. I don't have any experience with the CX, so I won't comment on that bullet.

Edit: if you're shooting factory ammo, buy 2 boxes of each and determine which shoots best in your gun. Some copper bullets shoot comparatively more poorly in barrels fouled by copper from lead core bullets, beings gilding metal alloys of copper are vastly different than the monometal bullets. If you notice the solit copper bullets shooting poorly, clean your barrel thoroughly with copper solvent and try again.

 

[wind gypsy]

Sierra > Nosler > barnes > CX

But really:

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I'd shoot that Sierra. And if you're relying on box velocity for anything, please don't.

 

[rookieforever33]

Important question, which shoots best?

 

[TaperPin]

A couple girls in our family think many guys spend way too much of our lives talking about bullets. They checked zero and shot both their elk with the same box of regular old basic federal power shock 150 gr in a 270. Lol

 

[FLS]

I’ve killed a bunch of game with the Sierras Gamechangers in multiple calibers. They would be my first choice. IME they are not a fragmenting bullet. They penetrate deeply and expand quicker than bonded but not as violently as Tipped Match Kings or ELDMs. I used a 110 TGK out of my 25-06 for my elk last season. At 260 yds they ended up under offside hide after wrecking his vitals. I’ve killed 6 deer so far this season with 165s out of my 308from 200 to just short of 400. All exited after destroying the vitals and none took more than a couple of steps after being hit.

 

[Airohunter]

I've killed a pile of elk with Nosler ballistic tips in the 270 and 7/08.
I'd use whatever shoots well in your gun.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

All will get the job done.