Elk Hunting with the 300 BLK. What bullet would you choose?

Discussion about rifles in 300 AAC BLACKOUT (7.62x35mm), hosted by the creator of the cartridge.

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BuckySWT
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Re: Elk Hunting with the 300 BLK. What bullet would you choo

Post by BuckySWT »

and I know of quite a few guys that hunt em with a 7mm-08

bullet selection has a bunch to do with it.
shot placement is the other.

seen lots of "great" shots on tv that were high and back
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Re: Elk Hunting with the 300 BLK. What bullet would you choo

Post by ztug »

Just look at it this way, if you would use a 30-30 on it, you can use a 300BLK on it. I would think that anything that can be taken with a .308 can be taken with the BLK, just not at the same range. At what ranges are a 147gr .308 bullets traveling at the same velocity from each? The same bullet traveling at the same velocity will pretty much do the same damage regardless of what it came out of. The .308 will just do it from farther away.
Same goes for the AK round, if you would feel comfortable using it on an elk then the 300 will be just as good, maybe better. If you are of the belief that you need something that would take down anything on this continent with a single shot, not so much.
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Waveman
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Re: Elk Hunting with the 300 BLK. What bullet would you choo

Post by Waveman »

I guess I am old school, any animal larger than a deer I use 225 gr. 338 Winchester mag. Elk, Brown Bear and Moose all dropped on the spot. The bear did thrash around but didn't go anywhere. Just my 2 cents. Stay safe.
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Re: Elk Hunting with the 300 BLK. What bullet would you choo

Post by mj36639 »

300Blk wrote:
Dweezil wrote:Elk are big animals. IMHO, .308 with a well constructed bullet would be minimum.
How do you reconcile that with all of the people who Elk hunt with handguns and archery?

That is my line of thinking as well. Another consideration is all the elk harvested with non expanding 50 caliber lead round balls prior to the 20th century and 30/30's in the 20th century. I am of the opinion that any caliber above 30-06 for game animals in the lower 48 is overkill. I have taken bull elk with a WW1 German 8mm Mauser carbine. The Remington 170 grain Cor-Lokt only had a muzzle velocity of 2300 FPS through that rifle and that elk didn't go far. With improvements in bullet design I think the 300 Blk might not be to far behind in regards to terminal effects.

I think a shooter than puts thousands of round through his relatively low powered rifle every year will have at least as much success as the hunter that only shoots his 7mm magnum rifle once per year at a paper plate on the way to hunting camp.
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Re: Elk Hunting with the 300 BLK. What bullet would you choo

Post by eastern_hunter »

Most of the old guys using light rifles have lots of practice choosing their shots carefully. A skill they've learned the need of after losing a few animals to lousy hits.

As far as Bison go ... I must group the use of a 300 BLK on an adult Bison with the use of the 45/70 on Cape Buffalo ... is a stunt best done with a partner holding a backup rifle capable of downing the animal quickly. Bison are big animals capable of taking huge punishment before they cash it in. Good to not be in the way if they are merely wounded.

BTW: I have killed both Bison and Cape Buffalo.
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Re: Elk Hunting with the 300 BLK. What bullet would you choo

Post by mj36639 »

I spoke with a technical rep at Barnes bullets yesterday. He recommended I wait until the 110 grain Black tip becomes available again which should be soon. He explained the 130 TTSX, when fired through the 300 BLK at the muzzle is just above the minimum velocity required for any expansion which confirmed what I had read.
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Re: Elk Hunting with the 300 BLK. What bullet would you choo

Post by Dweezil »

300Blk wrote:
Dweezil wrote:Elk are big animals. IMHO, .308 with a well constructed bullet would be minimum.
How do you reconcile that with all of the people who Elk hunt with handguns and archery?
Easy: Handgun and archery hunting is different in almost every way. Shorter range, emphasis on shot placement and skill over power, earlier season with less hunting pressure. Also, most folks who do choose to handgun or archery hunt are more experienced/skilled than your average rifle hunter and even then there are scores of poorly shot, wounded elk that are never recovered.
If you choose to use a marginal caliber during the RIFLE season, with all that that entails, knowing full well that your effective range is limited, so be it.
Your rifle, your hunt, your choice.
BTW, comparing the 300blk to the 30/30 is questionable...unless there is a 300blk out there pushing a 170gr bullet to 2300fps.
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Re: Elk Hunting with the 300 BLK. What bullet would you choo

Post by Quiet Riot »

Not meant to be an argument against 300 BLK for elk, but a broadhead kills in a largely different way than a bullet. You have to be shooting a really big gun to match the penetration of an average bow with a good broadhead shot at normal archery ranges.
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Re: Elk Hunting with the 300 BLK. What bullet would you choo

Post by 300Blk »

Dweezil wrote:BTW, comparing the 300blk to the 30/30 is questionable...unless there is a 300blk out there pushing a 170gr bullet to 2300fps.
No, 30-30 cannot do that from a 16 inch barrel. Not at all.

30-30 pushes a 150 grain bullets at the same speed that 300 BLK pushes a 125.
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Re: Elk Hunting with the 300 BLK. What bullet would you choo

Post by eracer »

Next up: Stopping a charging bull elephant with 300 BLK subsonics.

(C'mon people....use the right tool for the job.)
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