1972RedNeck
New member
On my way home last night I came upon an elk that had been clipped by a 2 ton farm truck. Looked to have broken the elk's back as the elk was thrashing around and trying to crawl away on its front legs. No one else on scene had a gun but I had my 8" 460 S&W under the seat so I was the one to put it down. From about 15' I put one through the heart (or should have anyways). It knocked the elk over on it's side, but then it proceeded to get back up on it's front legs so I put another one in the same place which knocked it over again. The elk then swung it's head around to get up again so I put one between it's eyes, which was effective, but really ugly and gruesome.
I was using some hot handloads pushing 300 grain Hornady XTP mags a little over 2k FPS (supposedly - I don't have a chrono).
I am guessing the XTPs were just going so fast that they were fragmenting in the rib cage before they could reach the vitals?
I don't do any game hunting and know nothing about hunting bullet selection but I do get called on to put down large domestic and game animals on occasion. What bullet should I have used in this instance? 325 or 360 grain flat nose hardcast? Or XTPs running way slower?
I was using some hot handloads pushing 300 grain Hornady XTP mags a little over 2k FPS (supposedly - I don't have a chrono).
I am guessing the XTPs were just going so fast that they were fragmenting in the rib cage before they could reach the vitals?
I don't do any game hunting and know nothing about hunting bullet selection but I do get called on to put down large domestic and game animals on occasion. What bullet should I have used in this instance? 325 or 360 grain flat nose hardcast? Or XTPs running way slower?