I will be elk hunting this fall. Probably taking my 7 PRC. What bullet do you all recommend? I read Jim’s cheat sheet on bullets. I was leaning to the eld-x, ABLR, CX, or LRX. Thank you. Jim by the way. Keep up the great content! You taught me so much!
For elk specifically, I’d first ask if you’re wanting a copper bullet or traditional.
Second question I’d ask is if you plan to shoot past 400.
Overall, some top options for elk bullets for me would be Accubond Long Range, CX, LRX, Federal Terminal Ascent.
I have been trying to decide between copper and traditional bullet.
I don’t plan on going past 400 yards but I also want a bullet to preform at 30 yards. I don’t want it to just go straight through and do nothing
No way I am going to call myself an experienced hunter and never tried this but: When I’m hunting, I don’t keep a round in the chamber. I figure there’s plenty of time to rack one in If I see a deer/elk. So would it be reasonable to have a mag in the rifle with Game Kings, ELD-X or other frangible bullet for pop up close shots and a spare mag with ABLR, CX or deep penetrating long range? I figure if it’s out to 200 or 300 yards and you know your dope, the quick shot will probably work fine but if it’s a longer shot and you have time to set up your bipod and range finder, surely you have time to change a mag.
I don’t mean to over simplify, but copper bullets tend to retain100% of their weight and don’t send thousands of shards of lead slivers through the animal. I have shot several animals with Barnes copper bullets and recovered all of them with complete penetration, great blood trails and easy recovery. They also open up to 2x diameter. Blood trails a blind man can follow. I have yet to see a downside as the Barnes TTSX are also the most accurate in my Proof 308 and Bergara 30-06. I don’t seen a scenario in under 600 yards where I will be disappointed in its performance. Beyond that range I would pick a caliber that pushed a TTSX upwards of 2000 FPS. It maybe a misfortune on my part, but I resell rilfes that can’t shoot Barnes bullets well.
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Between my brother and I, we’ve taken a handful of elk using eldx out of 7mm mags and 6.5 CM. they’ve performed well and have been super accurate (we reload). They do start to come apart so as a safe guard I try to stay away from steep quartering away shots in case they come apart and don’t make it to the vitals. That being said, I took a steep, quartered away, follow up shot on a bull at about 550 yards with my 7mm mag, and it went in behind the ribcage and out the base of the neck. My brother has shot a couple bull using heavy weight Bergers out of a 6.5 CM. He has had good success with it, but he is a really good shot and he never shoots into the shoulder blade because they are so frangible.
At the end of the day, use a bullet that has been around awhile and has a good reputation, and make sure you know how it is made to work.
I’ve narrowed it down to the LRX or the CX. I’m leaning towards 145 grain LRX and 150 grain CX or would you guys recommend going with a heavier bullet? Max yardage would be 400
No personal experience with either. However I have several friends who shoot the LRX and think it’s one of the best bullets made today. Plenty of other people online forums also have used it with great success. I think the CX is a bit new and there’s just not much anecdotal evidence of how well or poorly it works at this point.
The one thing I have noticed with the Barnes LRX is that all the tips are off center and after doing a google search there are a lot of story’s about it and the tips just falling off. I think they have quality control issues.
I’ve noticed the off-center tips as well.
That with Factory loaded ammo, component bullets, or both?
I am a big fan of barnes copper ttsx factory load. this is from a 4x4 bull at 300 yds pulled from hide on exit side from a 300 WM.
I dare call it perfect. 165gr cranking along at 3120 fps at muzzle - (barnes data not chrono). I guess I could have washed my hands😀
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Have you looked at or tried the Lehigh Defence bullets for hunting?
If you’re thinking 400, even 5-600 and need a bullet that works, the Nosler Accubond 140, 150, 160, are hard to beat in the .284 category. Plenty of BC and a track record of solid performance on animals. Traditional design so pretty friendly to reload as well.
I just started playing with the Sierra TGK 140 grain (BC .545) in my 7 Rem Mag; plug in the ballistics to a calculator for a load at 3150-75 fps (63.5 - 64.0 grains of IMR 4350) and compare it to a 6.5 PRC, 7 PRC, for drop at 800 yards and see what it tells you.
Good luck
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Also, just saw a Berger reference above, the .284 168 Hunting Hybrid that has a more traditional design as well, is another I shoot in my 7 Rem Mag. Good BC and easy to load. Running 69 grains of Retumbo so getting right on 2950-75 in a 26 inch barrel.
Good Luck
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