Caribou Gear Tarp

Vortex TTSX, if only.

PlusFive

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I went out today and sighted in my rifles. A 270 win and 7mm Rem. My 270 really liked its new factory swift scirocco2 130s. My 7mm mag, which shoots 150 core lokts well, did not care for the 150 ttsx. I really wish it didm. As I do like the ammo. But it would shoot two close only to throw the third 2 or 3 inches away. I am not the best shot, but can usually tell when I pull a shot that far. I am now considering a box of 160 accubonds or VLD from HSM and Berger. What have you folks liked for elk and deer? Not a big deal if I cant find a load for my 7mm as for upcoming elk season my 270 is shooting great with the bonded swifts.
 
Accubonds are great. VLD factory loads are a crapshoot in my experience. They are pretty particular to seating depth, so my rifles have need them to be handloaded.

But back to the TTSX. You could probably hunt just fine with a rifle that placed the first two close and the third one out.
 
I was thinking about just doing it with the TTSX since even with the throw away shots they were still minute of elk past 200 yards.
 
Another interesting point I had in my notes is that as the barrel would heat up and foul the barnes would shoot tighter.
 
I'd shoot accubonds (preferred) or partitions at elk with the 7mm RM. But if the .270 win is shooting good then I wouldn't bother with the 7mm RM. The .270 win will put a hurtin' on an elk!

Other bullets to try would be E-tips, some of the bonded or monolithic offerings from Hornady (interbond, GMX, etc.), and the like. The choice is your's, but I do not like the Berger VLD hunting concept...especially on elk. IMO, a bullet used on elk should not be designed to fragment; it should be designed to stay together and push through. Also, as previously mentioned, those VLD bullets are sensitive to seating depth due to the secant ogive. You'd be gambling hoping that factory ammo is seated at the correct length for your gun, and odds are greatly against you.

If the 7mm RM shoots the first two shots good, then it probably doesn't matter about the third. But the accuracy OCD in me doesn't like that too much :). Usually that is the result heat caused changes in barrel harmonics...interesting that it only occurs with that particular bullet.
 
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I too did not get great results with the factory barnes ammo in my 25-06, averaged about 1.5" groups, but i hunted it until there seemed a need in me, for a better load to hunt this years trip to Wy. for muleys and a good buck Antelope.

I just started a new thread about the DoubleTap ammo i'm hunting with this year. I can't say that your findings will be as mine, but i'd wager that you'd like it too.
 
You might want to try the 140 gr TTSX. Often the lighter bullet weights for the non-lead bullets stabilize a little better, the length seems to match up better with twist rates. It may end up that the 140 grain bullets tighten up the group. Penetration is maintained because of the bullet integrity. Limited weight loss means they can carry momentum deeper into the animal.
 
Why not try the e-tips and the GMX's? You might get lucky with one of those. If not, it's hard to go wrong with a 160 accubond...
 
Why not try the e-tips and the GMX's? You might get lucky with one of those. If not, it's hard to go wrong with a 160 accubond...

I think there might be a factory loading with the 145 grain LRX too... And, check out Double Tap ammo. They may load some TTSX's for the 7mag that your rifle would like.
 
139 GMX and160 partitions have worked well for me, 150 etips are on my list to test out.
 
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