Savage Model 16 Accuracy

[Hilltop]

I have had great luck with the SST round in terms of accuracy and fatality on both deer and elk. However Im going to take your guys' input back to the drawing board and see if I can find a bit heavier factory load that shoots the same. I am going to do this for both my .270 and .300.

So, what factory ammo do you guys have the best luck with or prefer. At this point Im open to any manufacturers other than remington. (bad luck in the past, both rifle and shotgun). Ive also reached out to a guy about building a custom round for me, but well see where that goes.

There are a gob of good/great bonded bullets in factory ammo on the market. If your gun shoots the superformance well, no need to switch, just go to the interbond or GMX. I buy it by the case for my 30-06. I have heard of many other guys with accuracy complaints but my gun seems to love them for whatever reason.

 

[Tim McCoy]

130 grain Barnes TTSX’s out of my 270 almost always exit. This years elk was through both shoulders and spine on a hi shoulder shot, bang flop. While I avoid soft bullets for elk, like the SST, bullet placement is king. Put a decent bullet where it belongs and elk die quick. A 180 grain 30 caliber is arguably better for elk, but I’ll take a smaller bullet placed better. My usual elk rifle is a 280 with 145 Barnes or 175 Partitions, but my 270 works just as well, with tough 130’s or better yet 140’s or 150’s.

 

[Plainsman]

I could chime in here with my limited insight. Shot a total of 9 elk with the following: Nosler Accubond, Winchester Super X, Remington Core Lokt, Federal Fusion and Barnes TTSX all in 180 gr. bullets from a .300 Win Mag. My honest pick of the litter is the Fusion bullet...they just flat out dump energy into an animal. I have recovered several from elk because I'll keep feeding rounds until they tip over. They expand great and hold fair weight. Arguably, I've killed most of my elk with Barnes bullets and no doubt they work great, punch holes through both sides, etc... but I don't see the same amount of shock and internal hemorrhaging from Barnes as I have with the Fusions. Nothing against a TTSX, they shoot extremely well from my rifle and man can they punch through bone, but cup n' core/bonded bullets can surprise too!

 

[youngbuck2]

Thanks for the input everyone! I too am a believer in a well placed shot over everything else. My elk this year walked 50 years after I shot 4 rounds into it. I will make a bullet change and we shall see what happens! 2019 elk hunt is only 50 short weeks away!

 

[JimP]

Thanks for the input everyone! I too am a believer in a well placed shot over everything else. My elk this year walked 50 years after I shot 4 rounds into it. I will make a bullet change and we shall see what happens! 2019 elk hunt is only 50 short weeks away!

Wow he actually walked for 50 years and you just shot him last year, holy time travel.

I don't know if it has been mentioned yet or not but some rifles just won't shoot as good of a group as we want them to, no matter what the ammo is. For a hunting rifle a 1"-2" group is acceptable at hunting ranges as long as you don't really try to push it. You have to figure that elk are large critters and have a lot of area to hit for a killing shot. Deer not so much but it is still within that accuracy.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

When it comes to bullets, I'm old school. My .300 Wby shoots sub moa groups with my handloads using Nosler Partition bullets. I use the 180 gr Noslers and have for 30 years or more. Killed elk, moose & bear with them and flat do a number on the animals. There is NO new bullet offering out there that will do any better, so why change. I still have 500 or more bullets in inventory, probably enough to last me the rest of my life.

Same with my 30-06 & 25-06. Been using Sierra Game King BTs for longer and the same applies to them. The only way I would change is if lead core bullets were banned.

 

[AKaviator]

I kind of like trying out different bullets. I shot a cow elk this season with a 210gr Barnes TSX. I shot her twice but she was dead with either shot, just still standing. Never took a step.
I shot a mule deer with the same rifle but with a 200gr Woodleigh. Both bullets worked great but I didn't recover any of them
The elk was 296 yards the deer 240.
I was using my 338-06, which I think is a really good all around caliber, since I've never needed to shoot over 300 yards.

 

[Winchester]

When it comes to bullets, I'm old school. My .300 Wby shoots sub moa groups with my handloads using Nosler Partition bullets. I use the 180 gr Noslers and have for 30 years or more. Killed elk, moose & bear with them and flat do a number on the animals. There is NO new bullet offering out there that will do any better, so why change. I still have 500 or more bullets in inventory, probably enough to last me the rest of my life.

Same with my 30-06 & 25-06. Been using Sierra Game King BTs for longer and the same applies to them. The only way I would change is if lead core bullets were banned.

Guess I'm the same way CC. My Winchester pre-64 Model 70 30-06 has been shooting Nosler Ballistic Tips very, very well since they first came out. My father and I have killed a lot of different animals with it and the results have always been excellent. No reason to change. I would consider changing to the Partition Bullet for some animals/circumstances but my rifle doesn't shoot it quite as well.