270 win bullet choice for Eland

Hello everyone:)

Now I realize some people might of have looked at the title and gone 'oh no'. And yes I do agree with you, a 270 win is very marginal for eland BUT I recently met up with a good friend and farmer in the berg who has currently killed 13 eland with his 270 win using PMP ammunition(150 g). All of them were good clean kills. So If he is using standerd ammunition surly a premium 150 g bullet(with a very nice SD) would do just as good if not better? And if so could anyone give some suggestions as to some premium factory ammunition loaded with 150 grainers. Thanks in advance for all your time and help.

Christian, I wish I could help you.
I do not know what is available to you in RSA.

All the typical culprits that are available in North America are all I can suggest. (probably of no use to you)

Your shot choice is going to be the big deal with Eland.
Nothing Marginal, as you already know.

Hope someone can give you the local address to check out.

Good luck.

For factory ammo I'd look at Federal premium with 150 gr Partitions as my first choice. Others to look at include Remington with 140 gr Swift A frames. Another possibility would be Federal or Winchester with 140 gr Accubonds. See if any of those are available in RSA. Good luck Bruce

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Originally Posted by gillettehunter

For factory ammo I'd look at Federal premium with 150 gr Partitions as my first choice. Others to look at include Remington with 140 gr Swift A frames. Another possibility would be Federal or Winchester with 140 gr Accubonds. See if any of those are available in RSA. Good luck Bruce

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Of all the premiums I would suggest Barnes simply because they out penetrate all the others and Eland is a huge target with big bones. Patritions and A-frames would be good choices too.

So do you think that a 130 g TTSX traveling at about 3000fps(mv) will completely penetrate a animal the size of a eland or moose for example. Also the shot distance would be personally restricted to 200m max

Hi Christian

I also use the 270 for eland and moose, one shot one kill in all. One eland had been hit 4 times with 375 before the 270 did the job. Like the Nosler boat tails, bonded or ballistic tip. Any chance that you are a member of KZN Hunting? Johan in Richards Bay does a reloading section.

It is about a 50-50 chance of complete penetration, but, it sure as heck will kill the Eland if the bullet is placed correctly.

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Originally Posted by Christian3006

So do you think that a 130 g TTSX traveling at about 3000fps(mv) will completely penetrate a animal the size of a eland or moose for example. Also the shot distance would be personally restricted to 200m max

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As long as you do not hit a huge bone. Certainly.
You can look at bullet performance thread here on AH for 130gn TTSX BT .270

I have had softer bullets go through moose and find them on the other side.

What about Impala bullets? They sure would give you the penetration needed and are South African as far as I know.

With out a doubt the impala bullets will certainly penetrate a eland perfectly, but unfortunately I can't reload my own ammunition. The sole reason I am choosing a 270 win over a 30-06 is because I can shoot a 270 better! I don't worry about recoil so much and it is a pleasant caliber to shoot. I will be able to shoot more rounds at the range in a certain session, this means more practice, and we all know what makes perfect:).saeng101. You hit the nail on the head! Shot placement is every thing.
If any one else has shot eland with a 270 before please, by all means share the story with us. Thanks for the help everyone.

Christian, I am considering embarking on the same trail with Eland.

If I do I will use Barnes 150gn MRX or 130gn TTSX BT.

I'll let you know the result.

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Originally Posted by Christian3006

With out a doubt the impala bullets will certainly penetrate a eland perfectly, but unfortunately I can't reload my own ammunition. The sole reason I am choosing a 270 win over a 30-06 is because I can shoot a 270 better! I don't worry about recoil so much and it is a pleasant caliber to shoot. I will be able to shoot more rounds at the range in a certain session, this means more practice, and we all know what makes perfect:).saeng101. You hit the nail on the head! Shot placement is every thing.
If any one else has shot eland with a 270 before please, by all means share the story with us. Thanks for the help everyone.

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Christian, unless you have a medical reason limiting your ability to manage recoil, then I would spend some more time on that range with that 30-06 and quality 180 gr bullets. A .270 on an eland is an unforgiving bullet. You have to place it perfectly and there is no margine for error if that shoulder bone and socket come into play. That extra 30 grains in weight and milimeter in frontal area may not seem like much, but it is an edge - particularly with premium bullets. And while I can't relate a story of using a .270 on eland (mercifully), I can testify that a .338 and .375 will perform even better than that .30 cal.

I shot 1 elk with a 140gr Barnes TSX from my .270 at 507 yds. That bullet entered beside the neck breaking the 1st rib and travelled full length coming to rest on the skin of the opposite hind leg after breaking the femur. I have nothing but confidence in the penetration of the Barnes. Some of the other bullets mentioned, while not penetrating as well, deliver more energy to the vitals (assuming you chose a good shot angle and do not have to penetrate as much to get to them.

I do agree the 30-06 with 180gr bullets (Barnes, Partition, A-frame) is a better choice but would have no reservations with the .270. Having said that I would still grab my .338 Lapua if given the choice.

A .270 will be fine if you place the shot well, but I lost an animal with my daughter last year and I'm 100% convinced it was due to using a caliber that was too small for our intended target. I saw the bullet impact the shoulder and I also watched the animal go straight up a 500' hill and keep on going over rocky terrain. Bullet failures do happen and tracking a wounded eland rates quite low on my having-fun-on-safari meter. Those beasts can chew up miles and miles without even breaking a sweat. If I was forced to use a .270 for eland, I'd use the heaviest, toughest bullet available and I'd keep it inside of 200 yards, 100 if shooting from tall sticks.

If you can get them, any solid metal bullet rather than a lead/copper mix will do much better on penetration. Likewise, limit it to 200 yds. I had a friend shoot an eland at 300 yds with a 308 and mixed metal bullets. Very little penetration, had to track for a mile. I shot an oryx with a 7/08 with little penetration. Took a follow up to put it down as the first bullet hit the front elbow and barely made it into the chest wall. Also the comments on it being marginal are correct. Just because someone does it, doesn't make it a perfect fit. All in all, it comes down to shot placement. Do your home work and have a good time.

Cliffy,

For what its worth I think my opin stands pretty fast amongst those who know

That 375 w/ a 260 gr covers up a lot of sins in the PG bidness

I'm just sayin'

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Originally Posted by Christian3006

With out a doubt the impala bullets will certainly penetrate a eland perfectly, but unfortunately I can't reload my own ammunition. The sole reason I am choosing a 270 win over a 30-06 is because I can shoot a 270 better! I don't worry about recoil so much and it is a pleasant caliber to shoot. I will be able to shoot more rounds at the range in a certain session, this means more practice, and we all know what makes perfect:).saeng101. You hit the nail on the head! Shot placement is every thing.
If any one else has shot eland with a 270 before please, by all means share the story with us. Thanks for the help everyone.

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For factory ammo in 270 win, I would use Barnes Vor-tx with the 130 grain TTSX bullet.
I am totally sure it will do the job well if you do yours.