One 270Win bullet for deer/elk/spike-fork

[Savage6x284]

I would not hesitate one second before using the superb 110gr Barnes TTSX at 3550-3600 on any mammal in North America with the possible exception of the Coastal Brown Bears. For those toothy creatures I'll take the 130gr TTSX and do it with utter confidence.

The also superb .270 WCF was for years my primary cartridge and during that time I came to the conclusion that I had no need or desire to use anything heavier than a 130gr. bullet.
With today's wonderful monometal bullets, particularly Barnes TTSX's, I'd be perfectly happy using the 95gr 6.8mm Barnes TTSX on any ungulate in NA.

[JASmith]

I would not hesitate one second before using the superb 110gr Barnes TTSX at 3550-3600 on any mammal in North America with the possible exception of the Coastal Brown Bears. For those toothy creatures I'll take the 130gr TTSX and do it with utter confidence.

The also superb .270 WCF was for years my primary cartridge and during that time I came to the conclusion that I had no need or desire to use anything heavier than a 130gr. bullet.
With today's wonderful monometal bullets, particularly Barnes TTSX's, I'd be perfectly happy using the 95gr 6.8mm Barnes TTSX on any ungulate in NA.

Shot placement is king, because these animals have all been taken with the 22 Hornet and sometimes 22 rimfire under ideal conditions when the bullet was placed precisely where it needed to go. The problem is that one needs to have a good chance of causing the animal to faint and collapse within about 100 yards of where it was standing when hit. The smaller bullets do not cut enough veins and arteries to reliably drop the brain blood pressure that quickly, so larger bullets are needed.

Conversely, going with 500 grain bullets from an elephant rifle means that the shooter has to work very diligently to assure his hit is in the animal's vital zone. So, a happy balance is best formed by using the smallest bullet that will regularly cut a permanent wound channel that does the job. The reduced recoil makes it possible for us to get the hunting accuracy we need without having to consciously think about managing recoil during the shot.

The balance is discussed in some detail along with tables and a calculator for recommended bullet weights at Ideal Bullet Weight.

These principles suggest the 95 gr monolithic hunting bullet is probably good for all deer in North America, but the odds of losing even a well-hit Elk or Moose go up a lot.

Similarly, the 110 gr is the minimum monolithic one should consider for Elk but is a tad light for reliable anchoring of Moose near where it was standing when shot.