Got my wife a Rem 742 06 for elk and am looking for the "right" bullet. I plan to hand load with 4895. On my smith's recommendation, I'l be looking for a less than max, accurate load. Her personal max distance is ~225 yds. I'm partial to Speer bullets

So, I'm think of the 180 Mag tip bullet. Speer 13 shows IMR4895 (I'll also be running the 06 in a Garand for mathches, think the 4895 is the perfect safe powder to run these two gas guns) @ max 47gr and ~2500 fps.

What do ya'll think of this choice? What other choices of bullet?

Thanks

Nate

First I'd try 180 Nosler partitions. More Elk killed with that bullet than any other. Swift A-frames are good. Speer Grand Slams are a good choice as well.

If 225yds is your max, I'd stick with one of these bullets in 180gr.

I'd start at 44 grains of H4895. Hodogon lists this load at 2600 fps from a 26" barrel. I'd work from between there and 46 and find the most accurate load you can for your auto. Hodogon recommends the H4895 for autos as well.

Bird Dog,

Thanks for the advice... I'm a little concerned with a bullet like the Patitions being to "hard" too open correctly at 180 gr 06 speeds, plus the price is a little more than I wanted to spend; However, if it is the "perfect" choice, the price is not that important!!

Keep the recomendations comming!!

Thnaks

Nate

Well 180 partitions loaded to 2700fps out of bolt guns is the all time number-1 Elk handload I am sure. If your going to be loading them around 2500fps, we need some input from experienced .308 Elk hunters.

The 165 partitions is a popular option as well.

Never had a performance problem with any Partitions; I've used them in the 25-06 (120 gr), 6.5-06 (140 gr), 30-06 (165 & 180 gr), and 338 WM (225 gr).

I wouldn't hesitate to use the 165 .308 Partition on elk, and it would be a bit easier on the shoulder if your wife is sensitive to recoil. If you want to stay with 180's, the Partition is excellent, but in that weight, the ballistic tip wouldn't be a bad choice either. I'd wouldn't use the 165 ballistic tip on elk though.

Good luck!

The following .308 factory loads were recomended for Elk in an article I found. Since that is the velocity you are planning to load the 06 at, any of the bullets should translate.

.308 Winchester: Federal 180 grain Nosler Partition, Federal 165 grain Nosler Partition, 180 grain Trophy Bonded, Remington 180 grain Core-Lokt PSP, 180 grain Core-Lokt Ultra PSP

Don't use ballistic tips on game larger than deer and stick with 165 then. But truly, the 165 ballistic tip is a great deer round at .308 velocities.

Perfect bullet, I wish there were such a thing. All kiding aside, there are many bullets that will perform well at the velocities you are loading to on the game you want to take. Partitions are an old favorite, proven reliable. A cheaper good bullet is the gameking or try the speer grandslams.

165gr Partition in a .308 has never failed me... It performs very well.

I use the 180gr Partition in the 30-06, but I load it to ~2800fps. I think it would do fine at the ranges you mentioned, even at 2500.

.30 cal 165gr. Partitions will expand on 90-lb. whitetails.

I'm sure expansion won't be a problem on an elk.

Best of luck ....

- SWIFT-A-FRAMES are my personal favorite.

Haven't shot an ELK w/one-yet...
But - Everything I have shot so far has died-proper, to include some pretty tenacious quadrupeds in Africa.

NtJaxIn........I would have more concern over handloading for the Remington model 742, than weather or not the Nosler Partitions where going to be a good choice for your needs.

Nosler Parttions are soft in the front half of the bullet! You will get plenty of Expansion from them during the first 14 to 16 inches and then the back half takes over, it being incased in a jacket having the partition in front still, to drive it deeper into vital areas.

I have used them on elk using a 300 win mag and deer as well weighing 140 pounds using a 25-06 and they worked great everytime out the gate. I personally don't believe you can go wrong with a Nosler Partition in your case. The Swift A Frames and Trophy Bonded Bullets are much tuffer bullets. You might also give those new Remington Core-Lokts a try out too!

Sounds like the N Partition it is.. Think I'll stick with the 180s.

Guess another resonable question would be if anyone has any experince with a 180 gr partition on elk out of a 308 Win??

Thanks

Nate

Sounds like the N Partition it is.. Think I'll stick with the 180s.

Guess another resonable question would be if anyone has any experince with a 180 gr partition on elk out of a 308 Win??Nate

At 225 and in, I'd guess there isn't an Elk ever born that could take a 180 gr Nosler Partition from a .308 through the lungs and live.

Sounds like the N Partition it is.. Think I'll stick with the 180s.

Guess another resonable question would be if anyone has any experince with a 180 gr partition on elk out of a 308 Win??

Thanks

Nate

Nate, I'll go along with another Missouri hunters opinion (bird dog) of the .308 being used on elk at ranges under 225 yards. I will also suggest that nothing be placed on that elk's shoulder either. Sometimes even a Nosler Partition out of a .308 Winchester is not enough or the bullet veers off in another direction. Behind the shoulder in the lungs is the vital spot you want to hit. Good Luck!

A bull elk at 225 yards is a lot easier to kill than most magazines portray. Average sized bulls rarely exceed 750 lbs and their hides are certainly not armor-plated.

I've had good luck with all 180 grain factory ammo. Hornady's Interlock design replicates the famous Remington core-lockt bullet. Their 165 grain bullet is well suited for elk.

Winchester's 150 grain Fail Safe is equally well suited for deep penetration and smashing power. This is a genuine Premium bullet that penetrates in a straight line irregardless of the bones and tissue that are within its path of destruction.
Jack

180 Sierra Pro Hunter, Speer 180 Mag Tip or Grand Slam, Nosler Partition, Remington 180 grain Corelokt PSP (factory ammo). Family has shot and dropped elk within 75 yards with each of these.

From what I've heard it's not good to put anything over 150 gr. through a Rem 742: You might end up bending the rails or damage the reciever. I just happened across this thread while searching for info on a Remington 742. I just put my brother in laws back together after he complained that it jammed on him this fall after he took a shot at a nice buck. There were marks in the reciever's bolt guide channel were the lugs dug in. Not sure if it was what caused the malfunction, but at some point in time somebody had to have put some heavy loads through it. I don't know what he was shooting, but the advice I've read on a few of the boards was not to put anything more than 150 gr. through it.

Interesting rifle though; I ended up buying one off Gunbroker NIB just to add to my collection...

180 grain RN's were always a stock in trade for the brush guns like the M742. Commercially loaded ammo shouldn't bother it. If someone jacks up the handloads, would suppose there might be a problem.

I am positive factory 180gr loads cycle just fine through a 742 becasue I know several folks who use that combo. If the factory can do it, a reloader can too - he just has to know what he is doing. For autos, you should always full length size and trim, crimp properly, and use the proper medium burn rate powder. The OAL is more critical in autos for the reasons previously stated. It is the length, not bullet weight that will determine functionality.

Keep in mind thay you may have to use a set of small base dies to make this rifle function consistantly with reloads. Loading for these semi-autos can be a pain sometimes. The small base dies size the cases slightly smaller than standard dies and were developed just for the semi's.

As far as bullet go I'd stick to the 180's and use something like the corloct at the velocities your talking about. You don't need a premium bullet at those velocities to get good expansion.

I would think about using a shoulder shot to anchor a bull with that load. I've always used a bigger gun than the 06, but lots of elk have gone down with them so it's a proven round.

With that velocity you won't tear up much meat and breaking the front shoulders usually puts them down for the count.

A friend has a 742 and mostly shoots 180's in it, and, my favorite load (for deer and targets) of 165 Nosler ballistic tips with 57.5 gr of IMR 4350 & CCI 200 primer, with no problems. He uses standard dies.

I'm convinced that most people (not the members here) shoot a gun until it quits functioning due to lack of cleaning, then trade that "lemon" off. I love those people! Same friend picked up a nice 16 gauge Rem Mod 11 this last week that was absolutely filthy and would hardly close on an empty chamber. A quick cleaning without even total disassembly and it was functioning great.