Bullets for Elk hunting

[buckhorn2]

I shoot powerbelt 348 grain and they have worked for me. I have friends who used 295 and don;t anymore.

[gadwall]

Yeah those powerbelts do "pancake" even on broadside shots through blacktail deer, through nothing but ribs and lungs. I am going to try Harvester bullets this year. They have a couple of different types that I like and the prices are reasonable.

http://www.harvesterbullets.com/

I am going to give the Harvesters a try this year as well.  My buddies that use them on whitetails shot end to end through a small square bale of hay at 75 yards with the 280 grain bullet and 2 pyrodex pellets with 80% + weight retention.  I will also be shooting the 360 gr. dead center bullet.


Gadwall.

[jdb]

I shoot 370 grain maxi balls.

[Moose Eyes]

I prefer custom conicals in the 460 - 495 grain range.

[bobcat]

I prefer custom conicals in the 460 - 495 grain range.

I think those heavy conicals are a good choice, but I just don't like the recoil. 

[Moose Eyes]

I prefer custom conicals in the 460 - 495 grain range.

I think those heavy conicals are a good choice, but I just don't like the recoil. 

70-80 grains does the trick in my Whites.  No need for 120-150 grains like some folks think they need.

[Whitelightning]

I prefer custom conicals in the 460 - 495 grain range.

I think those heavy conicals are a good choice, but I just don't like the recoil. 

70-80 grains does the trick in my Whites.  No need for 120-150 grains like some folks think they need.

I agree Moose Eyes, 70-80 grains is all you need with a good Muzzle loader and big conicals. Recoil is minimal and the bullet is devastating on big game. I have never had to use a second shot on any Big game I have shot with a heavy conical.

[Jellymon]

180gr nosler partition

[hillbilli]

i'd like to try the barnes copper bullets, i think they are 295's. but i'll probably use the 300gr xtp's, as i used those for the savage mz, and have a bunch of them. i've been pretty happy with their results on whitetails, but havent shot anything bigger with them. i concur with what was said about neck shooting elk- i shot one through the neck a few years ago- a follow up shot on a wounded animal, and the way he was laying all i had was neck, the broadhead cut an 1.25" hole, and got nothing but muscle- theres a lot of muscle above the spine to hold that rack up.. i was fortunate- he only ran another 125 yds and was down and dead from the first arrow.      

[carpsniperg2]

i'd like to try the barnes copper bullets, i think they are 295's. but i'll probably use the 300gr xtp's, as i used those for the savage mz, and have a bunch of them. i've been pretty happy with their results on whitetails, but havent shot anything bigger with them. i concur with what was said about neck shooting elk- i shot one through the neck a few years ago- a follow up shot on a wounded animal, and the way he was laying all i had was neck, the broadhead cut an 1.25" hole, and got nothing but muscle- theres a lot of muscle above the spine to hold that rack up.. i was fortunate- he only ran another 125 yds and was down and dead from the first arrow.      

are you mixing a archery story with a muzzle story? i am lost i would never shoot a elk in the neck with a bow but would not have a problem at close range with my smoke poles but it sounds like you are talking about a archery hunt in the muzzloader discussion? just wondering.

[bobcat]

A neck shot on an elk is not good with arrow or muzzleloader bullet. I know, I shot a cow elk at 15 yards with a 435 grain Maxi Ball out of a 54 caliber Renegade. She ran a quarter of a mile. I ended up getting her, but only after I was able to put a second bullet through both lungs.

[Whitelightning]

Bobcat I agree I have never been a fan of neck shots too much can go wrong and maybe not be able to finish the animal. Double lung is always a guaranteed shot

[WSU]

I have done the neck shot thing on 2 elk, and it worked poorly.  First was a cow that I shot with my .300.  It was the second shot as she ran after being double lunged.  I heard the bullet hit but she just stumbled and kept on truckin'.  The second was the bull I killed last year.  Lung shot with the muzzy.  He ran out of the clearcut and into the reprod.  I go in a while later and he jumps up, I shoot him at about 15 feet in the neck.  I wasn't aiming at the neck, but shooting through at 25 foot fir, that is where my bullet ended up hitting.  He goes down, and then rolls over and lifts his head up looking at me.  All I can see is neck so I let him have it again in the neck.  Flops over, lays there for 20 or 30 seconds, then lifts his head up and looks at me again.  Instead of trying another neck shot, I walked up and blasted him at the base of the scull.  As you can tell, I'm a fan of shooting them until they stop moving.  All told, I've shot elk in the neck 3 times (only two elk) and none appeared to be lethal (although all were after first shot lethal hits).  Elk are damn tough critters...

[carpsniperg2]

yeah i have never done it my self because i don't muzzle hunt for elk i archery elk hunt. i wonder if that was because the bullets were opening up to much i call it pancakeing like the lead power belts do. my dead centers as went threw a lot of bone on deer and the new barnes bullets i am  shooting with 125 grains of powder with a shot under about 40 yards i would think i would have no problem but have not tried it. i have shot a ton of deer in the neck and so has my little brother it seems like that is the shot he gets almost every year for one reason or another and out of about 15 deer that i have shot or been around like my little bro and family only 1 was not down on impact but it cut the jugular and he did not go far. but elk are a lot bigger and tougher for sure.

[bobcat]

Well, a deer's neck is a lot smaller and you're much more likely to hit something vital when neck shooting a deer.