28 Nosler vs 300 rum on mule deer and elk

[Deleted member 25294]

You never mentioned what weight range you'd like your rifle to be in.
I had a model 700 xcr in 338 rum that weighed a little over 9 pounds scoped.
The recoil didn't really hurt my shoulder but let me tell you that even with a brake shooting 250's was a violent experience. My advice only get a 338 if it's gonna be heavy!
I started getting serious headaches after shooting that thing so I switched the barrel to 28 nosler.
It now weighs 8 1/2 pounds scoped and the recoil is a fraction of the rum.
Shooting the 180 eldm's, 900 yard first round hits are easy

 

[Rifleman97]

Weight is gonna be around 11 pounds scoped, maybe 10 maybe 12. It'll have a 28" proof barrel and a good sturdy stock (I haven't decided which stock yet but that's a different topic) and an atlas bipod

 

[MudRunner2005]

Is a .338rum worth it? Good question.
I like having the horsepower, but if you hunt were the opportunity for better shots are plentiful, you probably don't need as lethal of a gun. Everything is a compromise.

You can build a nimble .338 but you can't hide from the noise/recoil as you mention.

If you want .338, I'd go .338 Edge +P with a 4.000" Wyatt's extended mag box. They sell dies at Midway USA. And you can get your barrel chambered by Defensive Edge to get the +P throated chamber.

https://www.midwayusa.com/s?userSearchQuery=338+edge&userItemsPerPage=48

 

[Rifleman97]

Is the +P higher pressures or just a longer throat? I'm thinking 28" proof barrel no matter what I get for caliber. I also noticed optics planet has a 284 Cal 28" 8.25 twist proof barrel at a discount right now, in the range of 650-700 instead of 900 so if the poll ends up in a tie or having the Nosler Win, I might just grab one of them and have it chambered when I get the rifle built. Worst case even if I decide on a 300 or 338 I can put it on another rifle and chamber it in a 7 SAUM or something 7mm short action since I don't have any short action rifles right now.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Is the +P higher pressures or just a longer throat? I'm thinking 28" proof barrel no matter what I get for caliber. I also noticed optics planet has a 284 Cal 28" 8.25 twist proof barrel at a discount right now, in the range of 650-700 instead of 900 so if the poll ends up in a tie or having the Nosler Win, I might just grab one of them and have it chambered when I get the rifle built. Worst case even if I decide on a 300 or 338 I can put it on another rifle and chamber it in a 7 SAUM or something 7mm short action since I don't have any short action rifles right now.

It's a differently designed throat (not necessarily longer), that is more ramped leading up to the leade of the rifling to help eliminate pressure spikes, if used properly. The design of standard reamers cutting the chamber leaves the bullet to begin impacting the rifling at a 90º angle, which grabs the bullet jacket and starts tearing into it as the jacket becomes engraved, causing excess pressure. The DE +P throat ramps the leade to the rifling for a super-smooth engagement between the bullet and the lands. It's a pretty ingenious idea. Most people don't think about something only measures in thousandths of an inch being that big of an impact, but when you scale it to the bullet, comparing standard rifling engagement is like driving your car over a curb at 100+ MPH. It's going to get forced over it, but that curb is still going to slow it down, give resistance, and cause some severe damage to the car (bullet).

http://www.defensiveedge.net/index.php/338-edge-p

Check out Stocky's Stocks. They have true 1:8" Proof 26" and 28" blanks on sale and in stock.

https://www.stockysstocks.com/proof-research-carbon-fiber-barrels.html

 

[martinakl]

Evolved Ballistics has good pricing on Proof Barrels, if you decide you want something with different specs:

https://www.evolvedballistics.com/s.../proof-research-bolt-action-carbon-fiber.html

 

[Rifleman97]

That's interesting, it would be cool to have a +P for the rum and the 230 bergers as well.
Thanks mudrunner, I'm gonna take a serious look at them. I don't have anything .338 yet so that might be the next step. Definitely would need to be suppressed though as that much powder has gotta be loud! Good thing I have my own personal range! My local ranges don't allow 338 lapua's unless they're suppressed, but I suppose before I get my suppressor I can use it in the field behind my house (goes out to about a mile, maybe mile and a half depending on angle)

 

[lancetkenyon]

Since you included mule deer in your requirements, I had to vote for 28 Nosler. I will never use my .300RUM again on mule deer.

 

[Rifleman97]

Since you included mule deer in your requirements, I had to vote for 28 Nosler. I will never use my .300RUM again on mule deer.

Did it leave a softball sized hole on the exit? I guess it wouldn't surprise me but the closest shots I usually get on mulies is 300 ish. When I hunt in more dense areas I use my 30-06.
What was the range that I'm assuming you ruined a lot of meat from?

 

[lancetkenyon]

I have taken 2 Mulies with it. One at about 80 yards, in the crease. Exit was nearly football size, lost the entire off shoulder. 210 HVLD.
The second at 365. Exit was about softball size. 175 SMK.

Yet on many elk, from 160 to 800+, using 175 SMK up to 215 Hybrids, meat loss was minimal, and bullets were either under offside skin or exit was about golfball to racquetball sized.

 

[Rifleman97]

I have taken 2 Mulies with it. One at about 80 yards, in the crease. Exit was nearly football size, lost the entire off shoulder. 210 HVLD.
The second at 365. Exit was about softball size. 175 SMK.

Yet on many elk, from 160 to 800+, using 175 SMK up to 215 Hybrids, meat loss was minimal, and bullets were either under offside skin or exit was about golfball to racquetball sized.

Good to know, thank you for your input. Might stick with the 06 or 300 Win for mule deer then.

 

[Tidus56]

Since you included mule deer in your requirements, I had to vote for 28 Nosler. I will never use my .300RUM again on mule deer.

My little sister used my 28 Nosler to shoot a Mule deer this year...has me thinking a 28
Nosler might be too much. The hole was larger than a softball. This was at 100 yards with a 180 Hybrid Berger.

 

[Ndfarmer]

I have used my 300 rum on half dozen whitetail bucks and two cow elk and have excellent results each time. I used factory Remington swift scirocco ammo on one elk and couple deer then 200 grain accubond reloads on the rest. Both performed perfectly

 

[Rifleman97]

I've noticed that accubonds seem to do better than the hybrids, which is curious to me but it is what it is. For mule I could probably have a slightly mild load (at least, not 3400 FPS on 175 grain accubonds or something like that, maybe 3100 so at medium range the velocity is around 2800) and then on elk use the hornady 180 edlx or 195 berger. With the 195 I feel like at long range on elk it would slow down enough to perform well but we'll see.
And the rum is another one I could also load down a bit if I know there's a chance of a close shot. To me the point of the rum is to perform like a 30-06 does, but at much longer ranges. This is a long range hunting forum after all