.270 for Elk

[Spotnstalk80]

So I'm in the process of picking a scope and deciding what type of rounds to use in my upcoming virgin quest for elk. I currently just have the bushnell 3x9 scope on my rifle that it came with when I purchased it. Looking to upgrade that to something with a little more power and maybe some yardage adjustment capabilities. I'm also curious to get some input on what rounds I should consider using. I'm pretty sure the light grain stuff I've been using on these mini deer in CA aren't going to be what I want to run on the elk. So if YOU were setting up a .270 what would you use? Just so you know also I've killed quite a few deer at many different distances so I'm a very capable shot but will probably limit myself to around the 300-350 yard mark on an elk. Thanks for any input in advance.
Rich

 

[txhunter58]

I have a leupold 3 X 9 variXII on all my rifles and that is plenty out to the range you will be shooting. A 4 X 12 would be a good choice as well. I will admit I like leupold and I don't think you could go wrong with that brand. If your bushnell has performed well for you, there is no reason you have to upgrade, but I have a ingrained distrust on Bushnell products on things as precise as scopes and for looking through them during low light, you could sure use an upgrade.

I would probably use something like Federal Premium in a 140 grain trophy bonded tip. Should be good out to 300 yards, which would be my personal limit with a 270 for elk.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

 

[sageadvice]

I agree with tex58! The one bullet i would absolutely NOT USE is the Remington 150gr Round Nose Core-loct!! A terrible performing bullet at any distance over 200 yds.

IMO, look for a good bullet with a Rep for penetration and holding together. Some i'd use, Accubonds, Partitions, and Barnes products, There's others but those are good ones!

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

 

[rmanwill]

Both replies so far are right on the mark. Great advise there.

 

[Spotnstalk80]

Thanks for the quick response and advice. I haven't had a lot of trouble with the bushnell yet but I have noticed that it has seemed to bounce a little on shooting and I just want something a little more sturdy than what I have and low light has been an issue. I am leaning towards something 4x12 so I'm glad the initial response was along that line. Thanks again. Any more experience with various products any suggestions are certainly welcome!
Rich

 

[cmbbulldog]

IF you are looking for a new scope, the Zeiss Z-series has some good ones for what you are looking for. I got a Z-800 on a good deal at camofire. They put them up for sale pretty regulary, or just give them a call.

 

[mthillrunner]

Killed a lot of elk with my 270. Has always had a Nikon 3-9 power on it. Taken elk at ranges from 100-425 yards. I liked the winchester fail safes, then they quit making them. I now use federal 130 gr trophy bonded tip. Great penetration, accuracy and bullet performance. Took my 5th elk with this combo this fall.

 

[Vanilla]

A huge factor in scopes will be how much you are willing to spend. Tons a solid options out there. I just put a Zeiss Conquest 3x9 on my .338 last year and I have really liked it. I'm not planning on long range shooting so the 3x9 will be plenty for me. At your range limits I think a 3x9 will be sufficient. 4x12 would be as much as I'd go, personally. As for which one....again, depends on your budget. Once you set your budget, go look through a few options in that price range and see which you like the best. I'd definitely look at the Vortex scopes. The Zeiss Z series are very nice as well. Lots of others.

.270 will be plenty for elk. As for bullet, I'm a Barnes guy. I like the TSX or the TTSX. I don't have the experience shooting that others do, but I can't imagine a bullet performing better than these have for me.

 

[sagebrush]

I assume will still use that same .270 for deer as well as elk. I have two rifles topped with a Leupold VX-3 4.5-14X40 with the CDS, one of them being a .270. I would heartily recommend that combination. As for bullet, there are tons of them that will work. Placement is far more important than construction IMO. Can't go wrong with the Nosler Partition or Trophy Bonded Tip if you find a load your rifle likes. A lot of people will recommend a 140 or 150 gr bullet, but personally, I don't think you need anything more than a flat shooting, accurate and well constructed 130 gr pill.

 

[darter]

LAST EDITED ON Feb-27-14 AT 11:51AM (MST)[p]Leupold VXII and 140gr accubond or nosler trophy bonded would be a good choice.

 

[littlebighorn]

As long as you are using a well constructed bullet, (I too am a Barnes proponent and believe they are the best for big boned animals like elk) you are fine with the 270. A 130 grain bullet, especially in Barnes, will work, but if you are going with something else, I would look at the 140-150 grain bullets.

Scopes are a matter of choice. I am also a Leupold fan (well constructed, lower priced) There are lots of good scopes out there now days, but getting hung up on higher power is more cosmetic than anything else in my opinion. Jack O'Connor used an old Weaver 4X scope for almost all game for his 270, and he killed lots of elk with that rig.
Good luck on your elk quest.

 

[elkhunterUT]

The .270 is a great option for elk - I have had good results thus far with the Hornady Interbond 150 grain bullet. As many have already stated, pick a bullet with a reputation for holding together well and find the one that shoots best out of your gun.

I have a Vortex Viper 4-12x40 scope on my current .270WSM and really like the scope. Some of the newer Vortex models are really nice with the exposed turrets for MOA adjustment on longer range shots. I would definitely take a look at the Vortex Viper and Razor line.

 

[txhunter58]

I am a Hornady Superformance/ Interbond fan as well. Unfortunately, they are not in producing them currently and haven't been for quite a while. Don't know when that will get fixed.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

 

[utelk]

My boy shoots a 270 and I have recovered the 140gr Federal Trophy bonded bearclaws out of four elk. They were all stuck to the hide opposite the entrance hole and retained most of their original weight, even if they went through heavy bone. Seems like a good bullet.
Don't feel you are under gunned because you shoot a 270.

Scopes are a matter of what you, or your buddies, think is neat and what you can afford. There are a lot of really neat good scopes out there so you can have fun shopping.
Over the last forty years my hunting guns have been topped with a lot of different brands and types of scopes. Variable scopes are on a few guns, and others are on the shelf but none of them go hunting anything. I've had too many failures with variables in the field, even with the high end brands, and the light transmission is relatively poor compared to fixed power scopes. So, with that said, my bigger elk guns, a long barreled 300 Win Mag and a 30-378 Weatherby Mag, have Swarovski 8x56 and 8x50 scopes on them, respectively. My lighter packing rifle, a Browning ABolt, in 280, has a Leupold 6x42 on it. I like that scope, just wish Leupold would make it in the eight power.
My advise is, forget all those turrets and moving rings. When you see an elk spend those precious seconds getting a good rest and relaxing for the best possible shot.

 

[Silentstalker]

Lots of good bullets out there. I shoot the 150 gr. Partition. It shoots accurate and does a number on deer and elk!

 

[2lumpy]

LAST EDITED ON Feb-27-14 AT 11:50PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Feb-27-14 AT 11:48?PM (MST)

Really good advice from everybody. Every opinion is excellent. I agree with every one including the Bushnell business, I too don't trust any Bushnell product nor the company behind it, three strikes and your out, in my case.

Also, I hunt a fair amount and I've never had an issue with a number of different variable scope like one gentleman mentioned, but his point about fixed scopes is thoughtful and I can't disagree with it for a minute. The more things there are to a product, of any kind, the more chances there are for something to go wrong.

Having said that, I'm a great believer in what the mind does to one's shooting ability. Be it a Bushnell or the best scope money can buy, if the scope is in working order, been sighted in properly, and you've shot the gun and scope enough to know, without a doubt, where that bullet is going when it leaves your barrel, it does not matter what scope you're using. On the other hand if you have the least doubt about the accuracy of gun or the scope, change to a different set because when it's time to drop the hammer, if you still wondering where that bullets going, there is a high probability you'll miss, even if everything is perfect with your scope and rifle. Your doubts will do it to you, more often than your equipment.

Regarding a .270 and elk. Great caliber. Plenty of punch with extra left over. With any caliber, shot placement is absolutely everything. I've seen deer, elk, caribou and moose take .300 win mag and bigger and never look back, gone and never found. However, I've yet to see a double lung shot, with any caliber larger than a .223, not die and die fast. If your rifle and scope can put that round through an elks lungs every time you pull the trigger, and you know without the slightest doubt that it will, dead elk, every time.

If I were going to buy a scope for an elk hunt, I'd buy the best low light scope my budget would handle, regardless of the brand. And the only way to compare them is with your own eyes, just before it's too dark to see at night or just before it's light enough to see clearly at dawn. (except for bushnell, of course, cause I wouldn't care if you could see in pitch black, I'll never recommend a bushnell)

Success to you,

DC

 

[hossblur]

Normally I would agree with the anti bushnell crowd. However, I have topped my American 7mm-08 with a bushnell elite. Pretty good scope, although I will admit that is not my hunting rig, its for my youngsters. I have said over and over that if you went into any elk camp in the west you would find 7mm, 300win, 30-06, .270 in the majority. I am personally not a 270 fan, but it is fine for elk. My question would be where are you hunting elk? While the TV loves to show wide open vistas filled with broadside standing bulls, I personally hunt some deep dark timber. Of all the bulls I have killed there, 50 yrds was the long shot. 4x12 is a waste in these conditions. I hunt a vx11 3x9, but it never is turned up past 4. I love trophy bonded bear claws in my 30-06 for elk. In the conditions I hunt, fast handling, light guns(very vertical over 9000ft) are more important than flat shooting, or long range. Elk are TOUGH, one shot kills are the minority, so a fast followup and ablility to get back on target are the most important.


"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun"

 

[hhunter23]

Ive been using my 270 for elk for ten years and haven't had any issues. again shot placement is huge. shooting hand loaded 140 Grn Accubonds.i personally like the 140s over the 130s for the BC, but i wont get into ballistics, its too touchy here. all in all, if you hit that bull in the lungs or heart, back-straps for dinner!


"Shoot Straight"

 

[sagebrush]

I have to disagree with utelk re: scopes. With the 4.5-14, I zero my rifle at 200 yards. Through range practice, I learn the hold overs out to 400 yards. I set the power for the conditions I encounter on the hunt. Lower power for still hunting in heavy cover, higher power while hiking in more open country. If a big game animal presents in a situation requiring a quick shot, I'm ready. More often than not, I have plenty of time to get into position, get an accurate range, and adjust the CDS to hold dead on. All the benefits of a fixed power scope plus the added benefit of not having to hold over on longer range shots. I have never had a power or elevation adjustment on a Leupold scope fail. But that's why they make so many different types of scopes, so we can each choose what we like.

 

[godeep]

Quality optics to make a very accurate shot is first in my book. I use a .270 130 grain Remington coreloks never had an elk get away. The key is a well placed shot and being honest with yourself about your effective distance. I can shoot 400-500 on the bench all day long, but I'm only truly effective and accurate to maybe 250 in the field.

 

[Whiterock]

I just went thru the same thing for my 7MM Short Mag.I ended up with a Nikon Buckmaster 3-9x40 and shooting Nosler 150 grain Partitions.

 

[Gator]

Leupold 4x12 would be a good one for that rifle.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
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[BillyBoB]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-02-14 AT 10:28AM (MST)[p]I shoot a 270. Ive killed deer and one cow elk. The cow I killed was 320 yards away. I used the 140 grain Accubonds. She only ran for 20 yards. I also use the Zeiss Z plex scope. The Rapid Z 600 is what Zeiss suggests for the 270. Its BDC lines are accurate to the yard out to 600 yards. I've tested it. Awesome scope. I usally shoot a Winchester Ballistic silvertip 130 grain when I'm deer hunting but the 140 grain Accubonds work great too.
Just find a round that has a high Bullet co efficient and plenty of muzzle velocity. I shoot about 3100fps with my 130 grain and 2975 with the 140 grain.

Ive never tried killing a Bull. To me it is about bullet placement anyways.

Good luck



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means."

 

[paddlehead]

I have had great success and accuracy with Hornady 140 grain boat tails. Killed elk form 40 yards to 450, all though 450 is REALLY pushing it. .270 is a great elk gun.

 

[StormTheMountain]

I shoot a .270 for elk. My setup is a fixed 6x Burris Signature Series scope and 150 grain Nosler Partition bullets. I absolutely love the 150 grain Partition bullet. I have no plans to shoot anything besides that bullet. I do sometimes wish I had a 3x-9x or 4x-12x scope. The Burris scope I have is a really nice one, but sometimes I wish I had a little more magnification. With my current setup, I am confident out to about 300 yards. I shot a cow elk at exactly 250 yards this last fall and it was a perfect one shot kill.

 

[dz]

I shoot a 25-06 with a Leupold 2x7. I leave mine on 2 power always, when I'm moving. I have jumped animals at 20 yards and was able to shoot them in heavy cover running that would be much more difficult to do even with 4x. You should really think about what your capable of and what matches your style of hunting. I never stop moving, because I have to hike around and find a dumb one. For me I haven't seen the advantage of the higher power for hunting. I love to shoot a 12x off the bench. This year I had 68 head of elk around 400 yards. I looked at them through 7x and it was do able. I wanted better then do able so I made a 2 mile end around and took a offhand shot at 75 yrds. The higher power probably would have given me the feeling the 400yrd shot was a good one.

2 cents, DZ

 

[tyef350]

+111111 On the Vortex scopes. They have a VIP warranty. If ANYTHING happens to it they will fix/replace for LIFE!!! There customer service is top notch.