.300 mag bullet for elk?

I dont have to prove anything to you, I know what I can do and thats that. I save all my groups and put them in a data book. You just seem like the type that since you cant do it, no one else can. I'm not claiming world class accuracy whatsoever. I'm simply stating my groups and experiences and the proper way to become efficient in making a shot past 300 yards. Its obvious you know little about it, so I'm done trying to explain to you the proper ways. I appreciate the kind words from JonA. Obviously he knows a little more then you about practice and shooting. Like he said, try it. It makes a world of difference.
 
These are 200 gr Accubonds. They were fired (300 RUM) anywhere from 3000 fps to 3250 fps and recovered.

Accubonds2.jpg
 
We might be giving the elk a little too much credit. Shoot what you can shoot well. I am sure that the .270 win used in the late 60's was not firing bullets like the cheap bullets of today. I am also reminded of my grandfather who has taken many Elk and the one of the larger British Columbia Moose I have seen. His gun was a 300 H&H with 150g silvertips or 180g core-locts depending on the day. The core-lockts of the 70's were nowhere near as good as even the BT as far as holding together. I am further reminded of the article several years ago in Guns and Ammo. The author was hunting with a guide who kept his backup rifle in a case, and he asked him after several years of hunting to see his elk rifle. To the author's surprise it was a 243 win with 85g bullets, which made me feel better about my deer rifle at the time. He had accounted for killing many head of elk without losing one. I am not advising the use of a 243 on elk, but sometimes we talk too much about bullet performance and not enough about human performance.
 
moreloader wrote: "We might be giving the elk a little too much credit."

Or, perhaps we are giving the elk and other game, too little respect. IMO elk and deer deserve to be hunted in a way that does not remove ALL of their survival instincts. We now have the technology to view elk on a screen, move the "mouse" to cover the elk and press the right button twice, resulting on a missile taking our the elk! Is that hunting? To some, perhaps it is! Dialing up ranges on elk that are 800 plus yards away and most likely at rest, because they perceive no threat, can be done and is done, but is that respectful of the elk and does that prove what fine hunters we are? Or, does that sort of shooting merely prove that we are willing to invest in long range technology, so that we can use our pocket computers and "dial" in the shot? I have long called the long range killing of varmints, "varmint shooting", because setting up hundreds of yards from a dog town and bringing prairie dogs under fire from long range, is not hunting, it is merely long range shooting. Have we now arrived, through the magic of technology, to not elk hunting, but merely elk shooting? I think that we have, and mores the pity. Something of going into the wilds and besting the game on his own ground is lost, when we allow technology to strip the game of any advantage left to them. The antis, will catch on to the tech toys used to kill elk and deer at ranges beyond any fairness to the animal and they will have a field day with those stories of mighty hunters making long shots from the comfort of their hides and besting the mighty stag with 21st century toys. Why not prove what great shots you are on the range and leave the hunting to those who are still willing to go after game that has some chance of using their sense of smell, hearing and sight to outsmart the real hunter?
 
hi, i live and hunt in colorado and have taken a good amount of elk with both 7mm mag and 300 mag, from long range i would pick the 180 ( i load for myself) at over 3000 fps per nosler load data shoots great at long range takes alot of guess work out of shot placement, but if you plan on shooting long range practice practice practice and not on the bench we shoot alot in the summer in the mountains and feel good about taking a long shot if all is right (wind rest) so i hope this helps you out
 
Firehawk hit it right on the money. I use both a .338 ultramag and a .300 WSM for Elk Hunting. I use 225GR Partitions in the .338 and 165GR. partitions in the .300. I would not think of shooting an Elk over three hundred yards away with either caliber. I do a lot of long range shooting at my club (600yds) but while hunting I strive to get as close as possible before shooting. There are too many variables involved with consistent long range shooting. The 165GR. Partition works great on Elk as long as their hit properly and that means making sure everything is right before you squeeze the trigger. I've seen too many animals get away because of poor shooting or animals that have taken a large number of shots before they dropped due to sloppy shooting. At a private Ranch in New Mexico I was introduced to a hunter who had dropped a Muley at 500Yds. I said "Wow" and asked him how he did it. Well, the first shot was in the leg, the second shot was in the rear end, and the third shot was a lucky one in the head. Not my kind of hunting.
 
I would probly bet money that the guy in New Mexico didn't really know a thing or two about ballistics and if he had the right scope and bi-pod and conditions. It would have been a 1 shot kill either in or behind the shoulder. I just dont see how many think its so hard to kill a deer at 500 yards or even 600 yards. Just practice, get the right scope, start shooting at milk jugs and when you hit them 9 out of 10 times, how can one NOT kill a deer when there vitals are at least the size of a milk jug if not bigger. You can kill deer by hitting them in or behind the shoulder, or 3 inches above or below the back or stomach. That leaves at least a 10" square or circle. Just dont see how you all think its so hard, when its actually very very easy. And the one thing everybody brings up, "well its windy" ya it might be, if it is, dont freaking shoot!! If you know the position of the wind, you have a rifle/bullet combo that is not hardly effected by the wind, and say the wind is no more then 5mph, its still not hard. If its blowing more then 10mph, the responsible LR hunter wont shoot. We still have a brain and can control our situation.
 
Remington man, I guess what I'm trying to say is I thought the idea of hunting was to try and match wits with the animal, and make somewhat of an effort to get as close as possible before firing a shot. I realize there are people (not many though) who can shoot accurately from a distance but to be honest I'd like to try and get up close, and if you blow the stalk, so what. just being there is 95% of what its about.
 
well to me, from my point of view, sometimes you only get 1 chance at elk. I rarely get a chance, and when i do, i like to be able to capitalize on it. being able to maximize your effective range plays a huge role in success. I know some dont care about filling there tag, but our family relies on elk meat. we dont buy beef. so when your lucky to get 1 chance a season, we better be able to make it count. deer hunting is not as hard as elk hunting, in my opinon. you will have several oppurtunities a season, elk is just a totally differnt story. as i get older, i might learn that just being out there is 95% of it, but right now, getting meat on the table is just as important to me and my family. judging ones shooting ability shouldnt be thrown into the equation. as long as one still puts the bullet in the vitals and brings the animal down quickly and humanely, whats the difference of a 200 yard shot or 600 yard shot then? not much in my opinion to the person who knows how to do it. I have never advocated shooting game at long range if they dont know what it takes. to many people buy big magnums, slap a regular scope on them, when I mean regular scope, i mean just a 3-9 or 4-12 w/out target turrets, and think they can be taking 500-600 yard shot. this is hwere you have to hold kentucky elevation, or guess holdover. anyone doing a fair amount of shooting can tell you that consisntely hitting targets or game is to hard past 400 yards w/out either target turrets, or a bal plex type reticle. I particularly like the target turrets. there are special things you need to use this set up. You need a ballistics program, cronograph, rangefinder, wind meter reader. once all said and done, i can set up a factory rifle and hit milk jugs at 525 yards at least 75% of the time. with my particular rifles and loads, 90% is more like it. I can bring my friends along who dont even shoot more then once a year, tell them to hold dead on that milk jug, and guess what, the milk jug goes splat flying in the air. it makes a world of difference what someone knows how to apply there equipment and take full advantage of things. it really does, and practice never hurt either.
 
one thing i forgot to mention. my first LR elk kill was 525 yards. I was using a 300 win mag sighted in 3" high at 100 yards using 180g NP's at 3100fps. from looking at ballistic charts everyday for years, and doing a little bit of shooting out to 525 yards,i know what to look for and how to zero things. with that zero, at 500 yards, im looking at about 24-28" of drop. with my regular scope, leupld 3-9 vx2. i know that by putting the thick part below the crosshair, that thick bar on the shoulder of an elk, it would drop that bullet somewhre in the chest cavity. elk are at least 2feet through the chest, that gives 1 foot from teh middle chest to top of back, with the thick part on his shouler, the actual crosshair is at least a foot above its back. with that knowledge i did exactly that. I sat down, folded out my harrid bipod, guesstimated the range to be about 500, the next year i got my rangefinder and confirmed it was 525. anyways, i put the thick part of the bottom post on his shoulder and squeezed the trigger. at the sound of the shot, the spike dropped so fast, i didn't see him rolling down the canyon. my dad and uncle were totally surprised. in the earlier years, they use to just throw lead out there, it took them usually 4-6 shots to finally "connect" here i just made a 1 shot kill. upon arriving at the elk, my bullet was placed right in that elks shoulder, plowing through and exiting. dropping and killing him instantly. how i did it?? because i know how to shoot, i know my ballistics, i knew the size of the game i was hunting, i had an accurate load, i trusted it. on deer, it would be touger because they are smaller, but for elk, people can still easily make 500 yard shots by sighting in most rifles 3"high at 100, then putting the thick bottom post on the shoulder. the bullet will drop right in the chest cavity. does anybody get anything i just said, or am i just rambling on??
 
Gentlemen, we can debate this subject till doomsday but I hope you realize you are not hunting, you are target shooting on live animals. Yes, you may be good enough to hit an animal at the ranges of which you speak, but you will never do it at those ranges 100 percent of the time, and please don't tell me you won't shoot if things aren't quite right. As far as hitting game 90% of the time, that's not good enough. Take care and enjoy your target shooting.
 
Well if the average hunter/shooter cant hit a milk jug at 300 yards, 90% of the time, which most still cant, they dont need to be shooting that far either. If there not 100% sure, shouldn't be shooting right, even at that distance?? How many hunters you know practice on running targets?? I dont know to many ranges where there is running targets, so people shooting at running deer or whatever shouldn't really be shooting at them because there probly not 100% sure there going to hit them. Just this last deer season I was on the other side of a canyon watching 2 guys blasting away, emptying there guns on a little forked horn that was no more then 200 yards away at first. I was sitting there watching the whole thing unfold with my own 2 eyes. They hit that deer in the ass, the leg, and the jaw. Pretty piss poor shooting from 200 yards. I ranged the deer from where I was at and it was around 700-800 yards. I was half tempted to put a bullet in that deer just so them idiots wouldn't lose the deer. But you know what, my cousin ended up sneaking up on him and wacked him at 350 yards with 1 shot out of his .270. Those guys tried catching up with buck, but there was no way they were even gonna get close to it. Just think how many deer are wounded each year like that. Then you take into consideration the guys that, like me for example can place a bullet where we want it out to 600 yards, and yet you still have people complaining its to far. How far is to far? Obviously 200 yards was a little to far those 2 guys cuz they couldn't hit the broadside of a barn. Theres the same variable for a shot whether it be 200 yards or 500 yards, its just that usually the guy whos prepared for a 500 yard shot, is a hell of a lot better marksmen and knows what hes doing. Nothign wrong with it. Once again, if you get a quick humane kill, who cares how far someone shoots it at. Aren't we all trying to achieve the same thing? Quick clean kills. I guess you non long range guys just dont see it the way the long range guys do. But you can continue rambling on about us losing more deer when its actually 90% of the rest who cant hardly make a shot past 300 yards wounding wayyyy more animals then we do, I guarantee it.
 
I have to agree with remingtonman about hunt and shooting out west, over the years hunting for elk here in colorado i've learn to love the first elk only season least amount of hunters and don't hear or watch the 8 shot wounded animal from people that don't take the time to lean how they shoot and how there gun works we as a family and close friends shoot all year long and not on the bench, bench shooting is not hunting or practice for hunting yet i see guys come out here with all the ego in the world and can't hit anything, i'm in the field most of the rifle seasons with other friends,and have some good friends that guide for elk and deer and they tell me that only a couple of guys a year can realy shoot so they need to watch what kind of shot they ask a cilent to try for , and it is sad when you got out and look for sheds and find a dead elk still attached to them and we find them more than you would think so that is my 2 cents
 
I to am from CO, and yes, we find too many dead elk though-out the season that were not claimed. Not to ruffle any feathers, but I too belive at times it becomes long range target shooting and not "hunting". Lets not forget the original questiion that was put before us here. Caliber? Bullet weight? DOW here mandates 80grn bullets and above for elk. Thus..out to 350 yards leave a gagle of calibers to choose from. Personally I've used a 7-08 and .280 with 140 and 150 grn B-tips. My wife shoots a .260 with 140's and she shoots that gun very very well.
It all comes down to "shot placement" and "comfort level"......
P.S. Sorry for stealing someone elses signature quote.......I'll change
take care
 
What they said proves my point. I'll repeat what I have said in the beginning, for 90% of hunters out there, 300 yards is a long ways, for the other 10% who put more then a box of shells through there gun, shoot at longer ranges then they intend to shoot game at, put around a 1000 rounds a year through there gun, who is someone to tell someone that its to far. Long range is differn't to every person, based on ones shooting ability. Someone who cant shoot past 300 yards, has no business telling someone who can shoot at least as good if not better at double that distance how far is to far. Thats my opinon. If people dont like all this high tech stuff and know how to use it to its full potential, buy a muzzleloader with open sights and hunt with it, thast what I think.
 
180 NP or 200 AB. I saw 300 wm loaded hot with 180AB, leave a mess of a small spike last fall. It looked like a shoulder shot deer with a hallow point or something...blood shot, splinters...it was a real mess. The lungs where in bad shape on the entrance side(due to shoulder hit) and being a lesser animal it never turned into an ugly situation...thank god! Same hunt a 200 AB out of 300 RUM, worked beautifully taking out the opposite shoulder and producing a bullet that retained just under 60% retention. This was on a 6x6 bull BTW. Both of these gents previously have used 180 NP's for elk and moose.

I myself don't use a 300 so a small sampling, just passing on what I witnessed.

If you want to go lighter for trajectory gains, I'd being looking/trying an all copper bullet...just my 2 cents worth.
 
The bullet weights you mention are both perfect at the range you'll likely be shooting. I've noticed as previously noted that the partitions can do a lot of damage because thier front chamber opens quickly to facilitate dependable expansion at all ranges at all velocities. The rear section of course penetrates to finish the job. I have switched to accubonds and discovered their design eliminates this initial blow up and still expands dependably. Plus the accubonds have a better ballistic coefficient for better retained energy if you need that long shot. I've shot elk at 30 yds and 250 yds (3100 fps m/v) and had no blow- ups and 62% weight retention. As previously mentioned, practice sitting and off hand shooting a lot because that will probably be what happens. You can't practice it at 10,000 feet after running up a hill but it will still help a lot.
GOOD HUNTING :grin:
 
180 grain paratition loaded with 75.5 grns of Alliant reloader #22 i have killed 6 elk with that load my dad has killed 15 or more pluse a bc moose with one shot i shot 2 elk here in wyo with the AccuBond did not like the way it come apart now trying hornaday interbond shot my elk with it this year at 356 yards one shot retrived the bulet and it weight back in at 156 .8 grns it was a 180 good luck on your elk hunt ohh btw my son kills elk out to 300 yards with a 25-06 120 grn Partition he has killed 3 in 2 years 2 of them at 301 yards andthis year was 189 yards
 
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