By Jared

October 7, 2017

In the fifteenth year of applying, I was lucky enough to be drawn for an Any Elk tag in the Black Hills, SD. On my third day out, my Dad and I tracked a Bull for three hours in the snow before finally getting a chance at him.

There he was, a modest 6 point, looking at us 45 yards away. The wind in my face, I knew I had a small window to make my shot. I raised my .270, loaded with 130 gr InterBond hand loads, with muzzle velocity of 3030 fps. First shot was broadside. This one alone would've done the job. He staggered and I had another round chambered. I fired again and put one in his chest. Still, he did not go down, a testament to the toughness of these animals.

I could not lose him. I worked the action again, he turned broadside one last time. I fired a final round. He disappeared from my view. As I approached to where he stood, I see that he had only taken a few steps from where he'd been. What an amazing creature! Heart, lungs, and liver all damaged. The bullets had done their job perfectly. We recovered one round. Lodged in his rear hip, and fully expanded.

At 45 yards and high velocity this bullet took a beating and still held together. With the bullet cleaned up it still weighed 94.0 gr. Retaining 72.3% of its original mass, I can say with confidence that these are a fantastic product.