Swift Scirocco, Nosler Partition, Barnes TSX or others best for ELK?

[bs1865]

Interested to find out what bullet designs you would suggest for an elk hunt. Tops on my list now are Swift Scirocco and Nosler Partition. Your thoughts? Shots should be under 200 yards from a .338 Federal.

[pruneemac]

all 3 are excellent bullets. see what shoots best in your rifle. In Calif. we now have to shoot lead free so Barnes is the one. really have good ones in my 300WSM

[Nathan123]

Take a look at what Woodleigh have to offer. Their projectiles are brilliant, i have never had one fail, And i have shot everything from cats to big mud caked top end pigs to donkeys to Water Buffalo with them.

Here is their projectile list. Bullets

[Phil Lozano]

I choose Swift A-Frames and Woodleigh's for my hunting.

Trophy Bonded are good bullets as well.

Barnes . . . . . . . . pretty much crap bullets. I see about 1/3 to 1/2 fail every time a client brings them. The TSX's I have seen are horrible.

Never has a Swift A-Frame or Woodleigh fail.

JMO

Best,
Phil
_____________________________
Stay out of sight and down wind
Professional Hunter ~ Tanzania

[Magnumsrule]

I would suggest the partition or an accubond. My dad shot an elk at 280 yards with his 300 win. The bullet entered around the collerbone and busted the backbone, was redirected down and excited out the back. The Bull was flipped over sidways. I have yet to try a tsx, but has anyone tried the new Nosler E-tip?

[turner]

Originally Posted by bs1865

Interested to find out what bullet designs you would suggest for an elk hunt. Tops on my list now are Swift Scirocco and Nosler Partition. Your thoughts? Shots should be under 200 yards from a .338 Federal.

210 and 225gr Nosler Partition

225gr Speer Grand Slam

230gr Hawk Spitzer Hawk Precision Bullets PRICE LIST

225gr Hornady interBOND

[Ron AKA]

The 210 grain Nosler Partition would be my choice.

[Phil Lozano]

I find Hornady's and Accubond's to be very soft, soft pointed bullets. Personally, I don't trust or like the non-bonded core bullets.

Best,
Phil
_______________________________
Stay out of sight and down wind
Professional Hunter ~ Tanzania

[AKHunter]

So far the biggest test of the partition I have witnessed was on the big (1800lbs) moose I shot this past fall. Range was about 90 yards ( I didnt pace it off, just estimated ) Slight quartering to me almost head on. .338wm, 225 partition, 2800fps. The bullet hit him a couple inches below the shoudler joint smashing it, on through the ribs, through the center of the heart and through the body cavity nearly the length of the animal. I did not recover the bullet as I wanted to, because I do not find pleasure in mucking about the contents of the digestive system.

Moose are heavy boned critters and for this kind of penetration after going through the leg bone and ribs as it did I was quite satisfied with its performance. BTW the skin on this moose was 1/2" thick in some places, it was amazing.

I'm sure Phil has seen countless more examples of this bullets performance than I, but so far on NA game it has done predictably well for me. Woodleighs and A-frames are tougher but I dont think NA game requires such a bullet. Barnes X of whichever generation I have only used to make holes in paper and the groups were unsatisfactory.

[Brother Bob]

Originally Posted by AKHunter

So far the biggest test of the partition I have witnessed was on the big (1800lbs) moose I shot this past fall. Range was about 90 yards ( I didnt pace it off, just estimated ) Slight quartering to me almost head on. .338wm, 225 partition, 2800fps. The bullet hit him a couple inches below the shoudler joint smashing it, on through the ribs, through the center of the heart and through the body cavity nearly the length of the animal. I did not recover the bullet as I wanted to, because I do not find pleasure in mucking about the contents of the digestive system.

Moose are heavy boned critters and for this kind of penetration after going through the leg bone and ribs as it did I was quite satisfied with its performance. BTW the skin on this moose was 1/2" thick in some places, it was amazing.

I'm sure Phil has seen countless more examples of this bullets performance than I, but so far on NA game it has done predictably well for me. Woodleighs and A-frames are tougher but I dont think NA game requires such a bullet. Barnes X of whichever generation I have only used to make holes in paper and the groups were unsatisfactory.

Woodleighs and A-frames would be my choice for coastal brown bears in your neck of the woods. The only reason I pick them is because grenades and SAM's aren't legal for hunting! LOL!

[rdale501]

Phil;
I think I read on one of your posts you use solids on Buffalo. I noticed on the Woodleighs product sheet there were none offered, unless I totally overlooked them. I was wondering what solids you do use. Also I'm thinking of Accubonds for elk and I see that you consider them soft. Are you saying they are too soft, and if you have had any neg. experience with them, let me know. Thanks, you are an asset here.

[Phil Lozano]

Originally Posted by rdale501

Phil;
I think I read on one of your posts you use solids on Buffalo. I noticed on the Woodleighs product sheet there were none offered, unless I totally overlooked them. I was wondering what solids you do use.

Here is the Woodleigh solids http://www.woodleighbullets.com.au/FMJ.html


I use them in my 450 3 1/4 as the Woodleigh's are the same shape as the Kynoch's it was regulated with. AND, they are very good bullets.

In my 458 Lott, I like Trophy Bonded Sledgehammers (I have a stock pile from when you could buy them).

Like them both very much. Never had either one fail when I needed it.

Originally Posted by rdale501

Phil;
Also I'm thinking of Accubonds for elk and I see that you consider them soft. Are you saying they are too soft, and if you have had any neg. experience with them, let me know

I think they are too soft. If using Noslers, I'd go with the partitions.

They are pretty good bullets.

Personally, I only use Swift A-Frames for serious hunting. You can't buy a better bullet than the A-Frames.

The Noslers and A-Frames are not the most accurate bullets, but the A-Frames are the best hunting bullets hands down.

Originally Posted by rdale501

Phil;
Thanks, you are an asset here.

I think that depends who you ask.

Best,
Phil
______________________________
Stay out of sight and down wind
Professional Hunter ~ Tanzania

[Magnumsrule]

I dont think i have seen a box of A-frames. However i always thought that they where about equal with the partition. However the elk and moose i saw taken with accubondes never travled more than a couple steps.

I just found this. I also have an article in a magazine.... but that dosnt really help you guys.

[rdale501]

[


I think that depends who you ask.

Best,
Phil
______________________________
Stay out of sight and down wind
Professional Hunter ~ Tanzania[/quote]

Don't need to ask....I make up my own mind. I enjoy your posts, simple as that.

[Magnumsrule]

Has anyone tried the new Trophy Bonded Tip? Its a TBBC with a polymer tip and a boat-tail. Skivied tip. Nickle plated case. Federal is offering loads, up here it will prob be at least a year before i see a box but has anyone down south seen em?

[Phil Lozano]

Originally Posted by Magnumsrule

However i always thought that they where about equal with the partition.

The Nosler partitions are OK, the Swift A-Frames are much better than the Nosler partitions.

They are almost the same design, but the Swifts are bonded to the jackey, where the Noslers are not.

The bonding makes a huge difference. They double their caliber and retain at least 90+% of their weight on average ( I have only seen 1 that did not retain 90% of it's weight, and it retained 85% of it's weight).

If there is a better soft pointed game bullet than the Swift A-Frame on the planet, I'd like to see it.

Best,
Phil
_______________________________
Stay out of sight and down wind
Professional Hunter ~ Tanzania

[AKHunter]

The Swift A-frame jacket is also a bit heavier than the Nosler partition. It is appearent when viewing cross sections of the two. The same is evident when comparing the Nosler Ballistic tip to the Swift Scirocco.

[Nathan123]

Originally Posted by rdale501

Phil;
I think I read on one of your posts you use solids on Buffalo. I noticed on the Woodleighs product sheet there were none offered, unless I totally overlooked them.

Woodleigh sure do offer solids. The abbreviations on the bullet list next to weight are as follows.

RN SN = Round nose Soft Nose
PP SN = Protected Point Soft Nose
FMJ = Solids

Information on each can be found at the top of the page.

[irish murphy]

Another vote for the woodleighs

[soonerborn]

I saw an elk dropped at over 900 yards with a Berger VLD, in a 6.5x284. Not that I would do it, just saying.