Hornady Precision Hunter

[youngbuck2]

Switching from 140gr SST and looking at the precision hunter 145 eld-x out of my .270 for my upcoming elk trip. Looking for some feedback. My gun like hornady ammo and I was super accurate with the SST but didn’t get pass through on my elk last year.

 

[youngbuck2]

Sorry about the spelling error in the thread subject. Autocorrect got me.

 

[JimP]

Just because you didn't get a pass through is no reason to change ammo. Did the elk die? Did the bullet do it's job when it went through the internals of the elk? Lots to be looked at here.

I have had complete pass through shots on elk at 300 yards and with the same ammo I have had it stop on the far side ribs or under the skin. In all cases the elk died.

I would also not be changing ammo this late in the game but use what my rifle likes and shoots well. Then after the season if you want then go ahead and try some other ammo that you think might be better for the circumstances.

 

[youngbuck2]

Thanks Jim, I’m having this thought as well. The elk did die, I just worry that if I get out to 400-500 yards is the SST still going to perform?

 

[JimP]

Just don't over complicate it this close to a season. My closest shot on a elk with my loads was at 15 yards and it stopped on the far side skin, the elk ran 100 yards and I finished it with a second shot. The first shot was a kill shot but with elk you need to work on the idea that if they are still on their feet you keep shooting.

On the range of the ammo, all ammo has its restrictions on range. 400-500 yards is a long ways to expect a 140 grain 270 bullet to perform to what is expected of it. That range is a long ways for a lot of bullets to perform they way that they really should.

On a side note I was just reading about the all mighty 6.5 Creedmore and how it would perform as a long range hunting rifle and a lot of the people using it are saying that it is a gong dingier and that it just doesn't have the oomph to take down a elk at extended rages but might be just fine on deer and antelope. But then deer and antelope are built a lot lighter than a elk is and it doesn't take as much power to kill either as it does to take down a elk.

 

[youngbuck2]

I have the same mentality. My elk last year was hit all 4 times from 350 yards, it wasn’t going anywhere. I will probably stick with the SST for now as I have boxes of them on hand they’re proven for me.

 

[JimP]

You need to look at a ballistic chart and see what those bullets are doing at that range as far as velocity and energy.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

I look for a pass thru Archery hunting,but with a rifle prefer the bullet
to stay inside do maximum damage and take the animal off it's feet.

 

[youngbuck2]

The superperformance SST are flying faster and hitting harder at all distances while shooting flatter. Thanks for talking some sense into this eager mind of mine.

 

[JimP]

Depending on who you talk to the amount of energy to humanly kill a elk is in the 1000-1500 ft/lbs at the range that you are shooting them at.

According to Hornady's site they are showing 1721 ft/lbs of energy at 400 yards and I have found that factory published figures to be quite a bit less than is actually going on. This is because they don't use a actual rifle to compile their information but test barrels that are also usually longer than a normal rifle barrel along with other factors. I came to that conclusion by testing factory rounds through various rifles and then comparing them to what the factory publishes as the velocity and energy.

So after saying all of that those bullets should still fall into the kill cataglory of around 1500 ft/lbs of energy at 400 yards + or - some. But they are reaching their maximum at longer ranges no matter what the factory says that they will do. Remember that as the bullet slows down so does the performance of that bullet as far as destruction through a body cavity and the body cavity of a elk is quite large. It is also interesting to see just what the bullet does once it goes through the hide. I have shot elk where they is just a little bit missing from the lungs and others where just about all of the lungs are just gone from the hydro-static energy of the bullet hitting and destroying them.

Ballistics is a fun thing to play around with when you have the time, that plus looking inside of the animal to see just what a bullet does gets quite interesting.

 

[Ikeepitcold]

Sorry about the spelling error in the thread subject. Autocorrect got me.

I fixed it for ya

 

[Ikeepitcold]

My Savage loves the Hornady ammo. .308

 

[youngbuck2]

I wish I would’ve taken the time to look at the inside of the elk last year to see the damage. If I’m lucky enough to get the opportunity this year I will definitely take a look. I went and shot my gun again yesterday with the 140gr. SSTs and there’s no way I’m going to make a change at this point. Now I just have to wait for November to come!!

 

[HuskyMusky]

see how a 130gr TTSX looks.... may have a higher bc and faster/more energy at long range...

my 270 loves 130...

could buy a couple boxes of the 145 eld-x ammo and see how it groups...
check the charts, how much more energy does that 145 have at 500 than the 140??

Have you thought about the fact that you may have a great excuse for a new rifle...?
7mm rem.mag., 300wsm, 340wby,

 

[JimP]

see how a 130gr TTSX looks.... may have a higher bc and faster/more energy at long range...

my 270 loves 130...

could buy a couple boxes of the 145 eld-x ammo and see how it groups...
check the charts, how much more energy does that 145 have at 500 than the 140??

Have you thought about the fact that you may have a great excuse for a new rifle...?
7mm rem.mag., 300wsm, 340wby,

I like the way this guy thinks, good excuse a new rifle. I love my 340 Weatherby and 225 grain Barnes TTSX bullets at 3000fps

 

[HuskyMusky]

I like the way this guy thinks, good excuse a new rifle. I love my 340 Weatherby and 225 grain Barnes TTSX bullets at 3000fps

That's what I'm shooting, 225 TTSX, but haven't used it on anything yet, have you? results?

 

[JimP]

A number of elk, a couple of mule deer, and 7 plains game animals in Africa. The ranges were from 90 yards out to 479 on my kudu. All have been complete pass troughs and one shot kills except for my gemsbok which I screwed up.

My rifle shoots them sub moa out to 400 yards, that is as far as I have tested them

 

[youngbuck2]

I’m going to do some tinkering when I get through this season, that’s for sure! As far as a new gun, I just might do that! I have a .300 WSM and can’t stand it, currently. Still working on finding the right bullet to get it to group the way I want. Just haven’t got there yet. It’s going to take a lot to get to the comfort level of the trusted .270!

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

You have received some great advice. It is difficult for a bullet to perform the same at 100 yards and 400+ yards. The bullet slows down a lot and that effects expansion. Hitting bone on the way into the animal also has a big effect on expansion.

You made the right decision to stick with the loads you already worked up.

 

[CODAK]

I made the switch on my .270 several years ago from SST to ELDX and have been very happy with the results, accuracy and knock down of the eldx. ELDX definitely has better bullet retention from my experience, SST were way more common to shard