500-800 yd elk rifle

It looks like your kinda starting out on the road to extending your range so you really should look at the easiest paths, anything in the lower Magnum category like 300 WSM, 300 Win or 300 PRC would be an easier path than anything RUM behind it with exception of the 338 which is easy going but not as available as some and burns a pile of powder so learning on it can be pricey!! Keep in mind your goal of 800 yards on elk means you need to push out to 1200-1400 yards shooting and practicing and you need to burn bullets and powder!!
 
Barkbuster20 said:
I hunt with a .338 wm 225 gr e-tips at around 2800 fps - from what I have read I dont think that will suffice at 800 yards. Its a 1.5 inch rifle at 100 yrs. I want to get a secondary rifle that will strictly be used at 500-800 yards. It wont be my primary rifle.

I'm debating between savage long range Christianson arms and a browning hells canyon long range. I want to stay under 1400 for the rifle and around 1k for a scope. Cartridges are between 300 rum - 300 win mag - 338 rum. Outside options would include 7mm rum and 338-378 wby in a mark 5. 300 wm is the cheapest but it seems like it may be a marginal upgradd from the 338 I already use.

This will be for 2021 season
Click to expand...
The fun of the hunt is to get close, I would not shoot more than300 yards if I never got another animal, my long range is for targets and steel..
 
I had a 7RM and changed it to a 338 WM for an elk hunt. I understand some of the limitations you are talking about, but I think with ELDs its not as much of a limitation as you think. The 300 WM is a great round, but the rifles I've shot it in I didn't like the recoil pulse. I have an action, MCM edge stock, jewell trigger, and certificate for a barrel job. I'm just waiting for proof to open its ExpertVoice store back up and then I'll get a 7RM back in the safe again. I prefer both the 7RM and the 338WM to the 300WM.
 
If you already are shooting a 338 win mag, I would suggest trying different bullets and powders in the barrel you have OR in a new LONGER cut rifled or hammer forged carbon wrapped barrel.....


From personal experience of over 100 big game with the 338 win mag and the 225 x bullet....

30-378, 338-378, 338 lapua, 33 nosler, 338 rum, 300 prc
ANY of these with a 225-300 grain HIGH BC
bullet will add 200-300 yards of roosevelt elk flattening distance....


However I believe

Rl26 or retumbo OR H50BMG - lengthening your current throat and some higher bc monos........

IN YOUR CURRENT FIREFORMED BRASS!!!

WILL ACCOMPLISH THE SAME GOAL!!!!

HAPPY HUNTING
 
Barkbuster20 said:
I hunt with a .338 wm 225 gr e-tips at around 2800 fps - from what I have read I dont think that will suffice at 800 yards. Its a 1.5 inch rifle at 100 yrs. I want to get a secondary rifle that will strictly be used at 500-800 yards. It wont be my primary rifle.

I'm debating between savage long range Christianson arms and a browning hells canyon long range. I want to stay under 1400 for the rifle and around 1k for a scope. Cartridges are between 300 rum - 300 win mag - 338 rum. Outside options would include 7mm rum and 338-378 wby in a mark 5. 300 wm is the cheapest but it seems like it may be a marginal upgradd from the 338 I already use.

This will be for 2021 seaso
Click to expand...
Not sure what your budget is but the Seekins Havak Pro Hunter is a dang good almost custom rifle for less than $2K and comes in plenty of 800 yard elk killing cartridges and I've frankly never seen the complaints against it that I've seen against the 2 you mentioned, there's my $.02 on factory rifles. Like someone suggested check out the sites with people really doing a lot of long range hunting and killing and what their feedback is. I think you'll discover some things that will break some of your paradigms about what is important in shooting 500-800 yards on meat and bone. I can tell you all my anecdotal instances of how many Coues and Muley bucks and Elk I've killed in the 500-1000 yard range but it doesn't carry the weight of these companies that have shot 1000s of head of game in that range segment. One of the most important issues that drives consistent success at these extended ranges is plenty of proper practice. How much are you going to be willing to practice with the cartridge? Something like a 300 WM or 300 PRC would easily be affordable enough to shoot a lot and will not likely wipe out a barrel in 800 rounds, just saying.
 
Shanerazzy said:
I've been hunting elk with a 300 Weatherby mag for 12 years. The longest shot I've killed an elk is 600 yards. I've shot further than 800 but haven't practiced much at that range and shouldn't have taken the shot. I know the rifle is capable. I shoot 185gr vld hunters with that rifle. I bought a Browning x bolt hells canyon long range in 30 Nosler this year and loaded 210gr vld hunters. I killed my bull at a whopping 75 yards. The hole on the entry side was 30 cal but hit a rib and the hole in the other side was close to a football. The last elk I shot with my 300 wby at that range the elk ran away and I wasn't able to recover it. I was shooting 180 gr nosler partition Spitzer. Wont use that bullet any more. I think the 300 win mag will do what you ask it to if you load it right.
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No cartridge or bullet will make up for poor shot placement.
 
I also have a 7mm rm and a 30-338 wm maybe I should see what I can get worked up for the 30 I already have - I just dont know if the 24 inch barrel is enough or if the springfield platform its on is accurate enough. Seems like most people use push feeds for long range
 
I also thought about setting the .338 wm I already have but I need it set up as my primary hunting rifle. I use it for normal ranges and timber. It also seems like a consensus on here that its pretty well doomed for failure if you try to use a ruger for long range
 
Barkbuster20 said:
I also have a 7mm rm and a 30-338 wm maybe I should see what I can get worked up for the 30 I already have - I just dont know if the 24 inch barrel is enough or if the springfield platform its on is accurate enough. Seems like most people use push feeds for long range
Click to expand...
My dad will taco an elk so fast with an old P17 mauser chambered in 30-338 you wouldn't even know what was happening till it was all over, what maters is performance not what performing, if you can develop a load with an appropriate bullet for the job it'll do just fine. The 338 Win is more difficult to get it done with on that longer end and IMO would be fine AFTER you have experience actually putting elk down in those ranges cause it is borderline in many cases.
 
If I were in OP's position I'd probably look for a lightly used Remington MilSpec in 300wm and spend the rest on components and glass.
 
I dont have a big problem with remington but I think the only way id go the remington route is building off a 700 action but that's a bit out of my price range. I already have 100 180 gr accubonds and 8lbs of IMR 4350 maybe I will dink around with the 30-338wm and see if it will shootand if it does get a good scope on it. If that works out I could spend 1500-2000 on a scope and come in under budget.

It still has the original GI 24 inch barrel looks like it was rebarrelled in ww2 - someone reamed it out to 30-338 and opened up the bolt face after a bit of work I have it feeding well. Not sure what kind of accuracy potential the rifle has as im not that knowledgeable in regards to the 1903s
 
What I had come up with originally was my best bet for a factory sub moa rifle would likely be the savage 111 LR in 300 wm or the browning hells canyon LR in 300 RUM - another interesting option maybe the 300 wby in a range certified vangaurd
That comes in around 900 with shipping and would be sub moa. It only has a 24 inch barrel though
 

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