300 Ultra+ 96 gr. RL25+ 178 Amax+ Antelope=

[Huntaholic]

A MESS!

We just got back from an antelope hunt in Wyoming. I used the 300 ultra with the load in the title. My longest kill was only 384 yards due to the rangefinders not working properly, but at those distances I didnt get a passthrough on any of the antelope I killed!
I killed my buck at 384 with a spine shattering, top of the shoulder shot. Both shoulders were jelly, but no passthru. I killed a mature doe at 350 with a double lung shot. All internal organs were nearly liquified, but still no passthru! My 3rd mature doe was at 200. I shot her because she had already been shot thru the knee joint by someone else and I didnt want her to end up as coyote food. She was trotting away at a quartering angle and I took her back at the last rib and angled up into the lungs. Still no passtrhu!
All three animals were killed instantly, like they had been hit with a bolt of lightning!
I think before the caribou hunt gets here Im gonna try some of the interbond bullets. I really want a passthrough shot.

 

[jcpython357]

Huntaholic, Then your going to have two holes instead of one

A fellow at work tried the 178 AMAXs last year, he shot the deer in the jaw I believe it was, exited the other side behind the ear or something like that, making a dollar sized hole, I've also seen on a thread I started that the bullet tends to break up faster than a NBT, suppose it all depends upon how fast your pushing these bullets, 308 velocities might be just the ticket, the interbonds should work just great in your Ultra, Jay

 

[Jake in NC]

".. making a dollar sized hole .."

Eh.? A rectangular hole.?!? Or was it the size of 4 quarters grouped in a square.? Maybe 10 dimes.? The new doller coin.? A "silver dollar".?
Hehehe.. Sorry, I couldn't resist.. Your pal, pesterer and fellow 7-08 fan.. JiNC d:^)

 

[Brent]

Huntaholic,

I killed a black bear with one out of the 300 Ultra Mag at 3230 fps, he was near 100 yards at the time. He faced directly away from me accross the draw and was heading up hill when I put the bullet between his shoulder blades, through the spine and exited out the throat with about a two inch hole. The bear dropped dead and didn't twitch.

I recovered a bullet I shot into the sandy clay while I was shooting at 500 yards one day, what impressed me the most about what I saw was, how little of bullet was actually left... and at 500 yards too!

This is what was left of it...

 

[Huntaholic]

Thanks for the input guys! I knew when I set the ultra up with the Amax that it was gonna be pushing it too fast at 500 or less. I bought the gun specifically for shooting deer size game at 800+, but due to faulty rangefinder readings, I wasnt able to take any shots that I felt comfortable with at those distances. I may stick with the Amax and just not use the rifle for any more close range work.

 

[Chuckster]

Just returned from Wyoming Got a nice Antelope at 250yds, Mule Deer at 300yds and about 200 Dogs from 50 to 450 yds. Great fun! Shot a 7mm RUM in a rem sendero with a 6.5-20x50 LR Leupold. This rifle shoots 140gr Nosler BT at 3460fps into .3' at 100yds. The Antelope had a 6" entrance wound and no exit wound. The Mulie had a 4" enry wound and a 1" exit wound. Both droped dead in there tracks and just hit the ground.

 

[Darryl Cassel]

Hunt

If you want speed and pass through, try the 190 and 200 gr Sierra MK in that rifle.
We used 200 gr MKs in my 30/378 (the ultra is "close" in case capacity) with excellent results on mule and whitetail deer and elk. All pass throughs with very large holes on exit. We used the 168 gr MK for lopes in the 7/300 Weatherby with complete pass through.

later
DC

 

[H-BAR]

Huntaholic- DEAD is DEAD!!!!! You said it first that they died like being struck by lightening!! Who needs a pass through when you get instant performance. Unless you like tracking game or maybe your hoping it runs to the truck and dies! WHY switch????

 

[Huntaholic]

Question: would you folks trust that combo on a caribou? Ive got a trip coming up and I really havent decided what to shoot yet!

 

[RUMDUM]

Huntaholic. I would not have a problem taking that combo for caribou. They are a big animal but they don't take alot of killing, put the amax where it needs to be it will do the job.

 

[Michael Eichele]

Brent,

That looks like sand from jim creek on your computer??

 

[Michael Eichele]

My personal experiance with caribou is they lick the dust when ya hit em right. Sounds like you got a good thing going. When a bullet does not pass through, it usually means most of the bullets energy has been spent on the game. Now visualize hitting em with a FMJ. 2 holes and minimal energy is spent. Good hunting for caribou

 

[Steve in Mi]

I had a problem using the same set up on a quarting deer. range less than 250 . I am not sure waht happen other than maybe the bullt shed its jacket?? Any way it went in about 1 1/2 and di a right turn followed the side of the deer just inside rib cage and hit the right side hip. Blowing bone and stomach matterinto most of the deer along the way. Dead is dead but that deer was a waste. I ended up getting very little meat that was not impregnatted with the bowl matter. I have not used MK's on deer but may try them in a 200 grn.I have seen many post on how well they work. Problem here in MI is that I like tohunt the clear cuts but you may get a shot that is close like the 250 range. Will the MK still work??or does it need to loose some velocity??


The 178's where running at 3200 and change.