270 Weatherby ? and ? for Rocky

[300 RUM]

My brother in law has drawn a very good trophy elk tag this year. Last year he shot a cow elk with his 270 Weatherby and he was very dissapointed. The bullets hardly penetrated at all and they came apart. He found lots of little pieces only 5"- 6" inside the elk. He had to shoot the cow in the neck to finish it.

They were 130 grain weatherby loads, not sure of the bullet manufacturer. Now he is very nervous about wounding a big bull. His choices locally for loads are pretty slim. I think he should shoot at least a 140gr bullet of good construction. The options we have found are:

140gr Trophy bonded bear claw

150gr Hornady Spire point.

140gr Nosler Ballistic Tip

I think the 140gr Trophy Bonded Bear claw would be my first choice. But he is still nervous, he really wants a 150gr bullet. I think a lighter better built "tougher" bullet would be much better than a heavier "not as tough" bullet

What do you guys think??


Also is there anyone here in Utah thst could load him some custom reloads??
Rocky do you or someone you know have a 270 Weatherby die??

[Jack]

The Trophy Bonded Bear Claw is a tougher bullet than the other 2.
My opinion is that your brother in law has enough gun, but he probably didn't have an appropriate bullet before.
Were it me, I'd load the Winchester Fail Safe, Nosler Partition, Speer Grand Slam or a Barnes X bullet. All of those are proven large game bullets and would be good choices for elk.
And, you're right, a 140 or 150 would probably be the right weight bullet to look for.

[Rocky Raab]

Thanks, Jack. Exactly right.

If he's limited to factory ammo, then the 140 Bear Claws are the ticket to elk roasts.

If he or a friend can reload for him, then my personal choice would be the Barnes TSX, followed in close order by a Nosler Partition, or the Fail Safe. None of them are cheap bullets, but weigh their cost against the cost of an elk hunt - and success.

[300 RUM]

We havent found anyone we know with a 270 Weatherby Die. So factory loads look like our only option so far. He mainly hunts with a muzzleloader, I was really suprised when he said he was taking his rifle instead.

He has shot about 30 rounds thru the gun in the last 15 years. So he doesnt want to buy a die and all the components when he will probably shoot a box or two to sight in, then hopefully one shot on the hunt

Anyone here willing to load him some? ( if you have the dies)

He would gladly pay for all materials and extra for your time.

[Jack]

Given the amount he shoots the rifle, by the time you bought the dies, powder, primers and bullets, you could buy several boxes of factory ammo. If 15 rounds in 30 years is typical, handloading is a total waste of time and money.
Weatherby offers factory loads with the Nosler Partition and the Barnes X bullet. Either would do nicely for elk. Bite the bullet and pay for 1 or 2 boxes of that, and he'll be set for elk for the rest of his life.

[L. Cooper]

And, I might add, this hunter's energy would be better spent shooting several boxes of whatever ammunition on the range rather than worrying about subtle differences between bullet types. Putting any bullet on target is way more important than having the ideal bullet, but shooting badly.

"Thirty rounds in 15 years" would make me a very nervous guide.

[shooterjon]

The 130 gr is to light for ELK! It makes a devastating deer round, but for Elk you need a 150 gr. projectile for penetration of the bigger beast!
You should have 1500 to 2000 ft. pounds of energy for Elk,with a 150 gr bullet at 2950 fps you will be in good shape to about 250 yds.,and dont forget about shot placement.

[Baylian]

Have you gone to Cabela's in Lehi? They seem to have a large selection of Weatherby Ammo.

Good hunting, TJ

[Brithunter]

EEEk,

If I was hunting and found out that it was with someone or even near someone who only shot 15 rounds in 30 years I would be scared as hell. As I guide I would not be taking that person out ................. No way hose

This person needs to get a gun they can shoot and shoot often. Then and only then think about hunting

[muledeer]

A 130gr bullet is great for deer/antelope size game but too light for elk. Bullet construction is also important. I have a 270 Weatherby mag and I handload 150 gr Nosler Partitions and 150 gr Swift A-Frames for elk but I never saw an elk to shoot with my 270 even though I know it would put one down. Later on I purchased a 300 Weatherby mag and loaded it with 180gr Nosler Partitions. I was successful my first time out and got a 5x5 Bull.

Your brother-in-law should learn how to reload. Weatherby ammo is expensive, in fact that's what got me started. When I graduated from college my dad bought me the 270 Weatherby. After a couple of boxes of ammo I bought a RCBS Rockchucker, a reloading book, accessories, and the rest is history. I wouldn't recommend using someone elses reloads unless you know them to be a conscientious reloader.
muledeer

[Trapper7]

One of the guys I elk hunt with shoots a 270 Weatherby. 130 is too light for elk. He shoots 150 grain Barnes X bullets. He has killed at least 5 elk with those. This combination will easily kill an elk with decent bullet placement.