best long range elk bullet 30 cal 200gr accubond?

[DrMike]

I want to know where you elk hunt with 300-500yd shots with little or no wind!

+1 :shock:

 

[Guy Miner]

There are still days while elk hunting. No wind to deal with at all when I took this Wyoming bull. Admittedly it was only 180 yards or so. Used a 175 Nosler Partition from a 7mm Rem mag by the way:

 

[mcseal2]

All the bullets mentioned will work fine out of the WM or the WSM. I want to know where you elk hunt with 300-500yd shots with little or no wind!

Maybe I've just been lucky, but the wind hasn't been bad any time I've had a shot hunting in the Bighorn mountains of Wyoming. I am used to 15-30mph around home, so it doesn't seem bad up there. I won't take a shot over 400 if I don't have time to get a very steady rest and use my rangefinder and wind meter. If I can do all that I am confident in my shooting.

I am still deciding if I should get a WM or WSM, I think either would work great with 180's and the WM would have the edge with 200's. I will probably just keep shopping and buy whichever one I find a good deal on first.

 

[Desert Fox]

If I ever get to hunt elk, hopefully next year, I have just a perfect rifle for it already in my safe... waiting, longing for some action. At 9.5 lbs, my Weatherby Accumark top with 2.5X10X45 Leupold LPS, will have the perfect balance for quick off hand shot or long range poke if the need arise. My choice of bullet will be the 180 grain Barnes TSX or the TTSX and a stout load of either IMR 7828 or Reloader 25. The reason being, I never really tried anything else on this rifle. Both bullet has the capability and accuracy for long range shot.

 

[Silent Sam]

Not knocking your choice at all but I went elk hunting in Wyoming this year and a 9.5# rifle would not be my choice. I for sure wouldn't tote a mounted bipod. Camp was at 9400 ft and we hunted up from there. All the elk were between 10-11000 ft. Rough country and the air is thin even when you are acclimated. Weight matters regardless of your conditioning.

 

[Guest]

Desert Fox,
Now that is one nice looking rifle there. The Weatherby Accumark is of fine quality in my book in any Caliber. I may have missed the caliber you have but it looks by your shells you have a 300 Weatherby Mag. It doesn't matter if it is 9.5 lbs. It does boils down to hunter preference. I am a seasoned Elk Hunter that once lived in Colorado and still go back to hunt the High Country every year. I am 56 yrs old and carry a 300 Ultra Mag, my gun weighs 10 lbs and yes I hunt with a Harris Bi-pod (25" Model) attached, closer to 11lbs. I typically hunt at 9500 ft. -11,000 ft. too. My Colorado friend I hunted with this year has the same rifle you have. His weighs 12 lbs. He is 59 yrs. old and could walk most anybody into the ground. One tough bird. We hunt on foot and climb all over the country, that's why they call it hunting, not riding. If you aren't in shape take a lighter gun. Your Current load of 180 Bullets will work just fine to hammer an Elk. Shot placement is everything no matter what the bullet weight.

Don

 

[Guy Miner]

Depending on where the hunt is, that's something to consider Silent Sam. The elk in my photo above was taken at about 9,500 - 10,000' ASL. Even though I was in good shape, it took me a few days of hiking and fishing, and just living at that altitude to acclimate. At the end of the hunt, on the way out from camp, we were one horse short, so I jogged and hiked the nine miles to the trailhead, wearing boots, jeans, a flannel shirt and carrying my Remington. Was glad it was downhill, and was glad I wasn't carrying a 10 pound rifle.

Not all elk hunting is done up at the top of the mountains though, and I do know several people who hunt elk with big, heavy rifles. The .30-378 & .338-378 Wby rifles are pretty popular with some folks, even for high country mule deer hunting.

Regards, Guy

 

[PJGunner]

All the bullets mentioned will work fine out of the WM or the WSM. I want to know where you elk hunt with 300-500yd shots with little or no wind!

Very simple question. I hunt in Arizona and the area in question is area 1 just to the east of the White mountain Apache reservation, but not on the reservation. If you have a map, the spot was about 5 miles east of Big lake.
If you knew anything about weather, you wouldn't have asked. many times at 8 in the morning, there will be little or no wind, Usually won't get any until the inversion breaks and then it's another story. Seriously though, it just happened that way and the conditions were about as perfect as one could hope for. Doesn't alay work out that way, but that day was, well just perect. Sometimes i just get lucky. :wink:
Paul B.

 

[lefty315]

I have been shooting the 200 AccuBond out of my Kimber .300 WSM for a few years now. I get incredible accuracy at 2800 fps. I would think you could get a little faster with a .330 Win/Mag but my primary reason for the Kimber was to cut down on weight. Then they came out with the longer versions. Either one will fill your needs but you need to stop reading these posts and just go buy one so you can start shooting it!!!! :grin:

 

[Guy Miner]

Lefty talked me into trying some 200's in the WSM...

Wow. They shoot great. Guess the ol' Sarge knows something 'bout accurate rifle shooting. Dang... :grin:

My WSM produced great results flinging a 200 - 210 gr bullet at about 2815 fps. Who would have guessed?

Danged Jarheads may just know something about rifle work after all...

Guy

 

[super-7]

Light weight for a wsm really is not an argument anymore my buddy bought a tikka t3 lite in 300 win mag( don't ask me why) with the leupy vx3 3.5x10 x50 still weighs under 8 lbs. Yes it kicks , but not like a rum. My Bil won for his muley, a mossbrg 4x4 300 win, pencil fluted barrel, laminate stock 6.8 lbs no scope, he wants to sell it or trade it straight away. I say it'lll be the same value with 12 rounds down the barrel. So he lets me load some rounds, mount a scope and get it on paper. After a few shoot, one patch twice, we went for a group, at 80 yrds( all the room we had at X-mas at the out-laws)the dirty bugger put 3 into one ragged hole. This is a cheapy rifle and the mag really limits oal, and it is light and still shoots good, I think at most realistic yardages either a 300 wsm or 300 winny will usually shoot farther then the shooter, my self included. either will make a 500yrd shot, if an elk ain't in range you may have to hike somemore . lol.

 

[Desert Fox]

The Weatherby Accumark is of fine quality in my book in any Caliber. I may have missed the caliber you have but it looks by your shells you have a 300 Weatherby Mag.

You are right Don, it's the 300 Weatherby Magnum.

Not knocking your choice at all but I went elk hunting in Wyoming this year and a 9.5# rifle would not be my choice. I for sure wouldn't tote a mounted bipod.

Funny that some of you think that 9.5 lbs is heavy... actually the Accumark is the lightest rifle in my battery :grin: Heck, I even logged my 16 lbs 338 Lapua around on occasion. I guess I'm glutton for punishment.

Here's some pictures of some of our hunt this year. We were hunting between 5,000 to 7,000 ASL.

We rented a Fire Look out tower from the Forestry for the weekend hunt. It has the highest point in the area. At least we will be walking down hill instead of uphill.

Inside and around the observation tower. This our home for the weekend

View from the top

This was no small bear who left these.

I took the picture of the tower about 2 miles from my spot.

And yeah, I carry all of these in my back

 

[DrMike]

Looks like a great spot for hunting. You certainly have the height advantage from there.

 

[SJB358]

Nice pictures DF! Scotty

 

[Desert Fox]

Looks like a great spot for hunting. You certainly have the height advantage from there.

Yep sure is. For a long time we've always hunted from the bottom and walk our way to the top. Then we've found out that the tower can be rented from the Forestry. We get the lock combination to the gate and we have the tower to ourselves. That made the hunt a bit easier.

 

[Guy Miner]

DF - Did you guys meet with any success on your hunt?

Very cool accommodations!

 

[Desert Fox]

DF - Did you guys meet with any success on your hunt?

Very cool accommodations!

Guy, It got really windy opening day and pretty much skunked our hunt. We left late Sunday afternoon and went to San Diego Monday for an overnight fishing towards Baja California. We didn't catch anything either. That was the worst week ever as far as I can remember. My buddy went back the following week and shot a small deer. I spent all the wife's pass in one week period and there's Texas trip looming so I didn't push my luck :wink:

 

[Guy Miner]

Well heck, it happens. This year my son and I did great on bear, and I did fine the one time I went for ducks...

But when I went for deer, I found a huge 6x6 bull elk, and never got a shot at a legal mulie buck.

When I went for elk, I could have tagged a half-dozen rutting mule deer bucks, but never saw an elk.

I got the antlered stuff all backwards this year. Sigh... At least I got out and enjoyed!

 

[Desert Fox]

Sigh... At least I got out and enjoyed!

Guy, you said it right. To me hunting is all about being outdoors. Harvesting an animal is only secondary.

 

[Guest]

DF,
You are spot on my friend. Getting game is only secondary.

Don