Minimum yardage for .30-378 Wby. vs. Whitetail deer???

[MudRunner2005]

It was only about the size of...well, if my "ancient" 22-year old memory serves me correct, it was between the size of a quarter...and the size of a 50-cent piece.

Not 100%...only b/c that was about 4 years ago, and there's been many deer since then.

However, It could've hit bone on impact, then expanded profusely, causing a massive amount of impact to the other shoulder, causing it to tear away from the sternum & shoulder socket???

BTW...I was using Federal Premium 160gr. Sierra GameKing BTSP.

I think I might try that new Federal 150gr. or 160gr. Accubond they are producing now?

Anybody tried them yet?

Good?

Bad?

Too-much for Whitties???

 

[uncle_motorhead]

I've taken in the teens whitetail deer with my 30-378. I have used Barnes XLC 130 gr with 120 gr of RL25 @ 3960 fps. I've got a new load of RL 22 for the 130 gr TTSX 113 gr @ 4033 fps which I will use this season. My closest was about 20 yards and it was a spike buck. (I think I burned all the hair off of him)I sent the internals pics to all my buddies to show them what happens when you use a real rifle. My farthest shot was 460 yards into an 8 point. Even at that distance (and He caught the bullet in the left shoulder which looked like it was pregnant. He went about 30 yards, but most are DRT! We just soak the meat in light salt brine and eat it the next evening. It is a Sako TRGS without muzzle brake, but does have the Xcoil recoil pad. The 165 gr MRX's for Elk cause more recoil PAIN than I like, whereas the 130's recoil is just over mild. Entrance and exit holes are not real impressive with the barnes bullets just over an inch entry and maybe 2 inch exit. The old balistic tips from my buddies 300 wby had a 6 inch entry and a 3 inch exit. (yes the entry was nearly always bigger with those grenades)
Previous to this I killed nearly every deer with my 270 win, 130 gr Barnes XLC's (and 130 bal tips) I got the 30-378 because I hunt river bottoms and more often than not I see big deer over 440 yards. Though I actually got one with the 270 @ 440 it wasn't reliable. With the 30-378 it is point, shoot, recover, try to figure out your name, then where was the deer when you shot and once you figure this out, you see him DRT where he was when the trigger touched off the fire and explosion. My wife calls it the FIRE gun! The first time I took her to the range she was comenting how loud the 7 mag was next to us. When I touched off the 30-378 everyone at the range quit shooting and came over to see what I was shooting. A guy 3 stalls down said he saw the muzzle flash in his scope. I have a couple 6mm's a couple +270's, a couple +30-06's a Lazzeoni Firebird and a 7mm Ultra mag, and this is the rifle I use for every hunt. P.S. You MUST get a scope with a min of 4 INCH EYE RELIEF. (don't ask just get one) I have the Nikon 3-9X50 Monarch on the 30 and the 2.5-10X56 on the lazzeroni (also a TRGS) but the 7 mm RUM is a Savage with the factory scope. When it goes off my right hand goes numb.

So to answer your question from my point of view, get the 30-378 and start reloading. Only a select few can join the 4000 fps club without varmit weight bullets.
Happy Hunting, and enjoy your new canon.
Gene

 

[MudRunner2005]

Thanks Gene,

I hope to get a .30-378 sometime soon...however, for THIS hunting season, I think I will be getting a Weatherby Accumark in .257Wby.

ONLY because ammo is cheaper...and my *** is still chapped-red from getting over half of my gun collection stolen!!!

They got my "Do-it-all" rifle...which was my Browning A-Bolt Composite Stalker 7mm Rem. Mag. with a B.O.S.S. system on it, topped with an ORIGINAL Bausch & Lomb Elite 3000 FireFly 3-9x50 w/ 30mm tube, and a German #4 reticle.

I wish I still had that one back!!!

That was my deer rifle! And that was one deer killin' SOB!!!

I used to shoot the Fed. Prem. 160gr. Barnes X Triple-Shock XLC-Coated bullets!!!

Every time I shot a deer, whoever I was hunting with would be like, "****!!! What the hell kinda' bullets did you say those are??? Do you think they make 'em for my gun?"

I still got a bunch of 'em...I think I'll probably shoot them out of my old Ruger Model 77 MKII 7mm Rem. Mag. with the old "skeleton-stock" synthetic stock on it!!! You wanna talk about kickin' like a mule!!!

Put one of those rounds in one of those guns & pull the trigger! The gun weighs like 4 lbs. by itself!!!

I HATE sighting that thing in...and I'm NOT a small guy!!!

I might get a muzzle-brake put on it...what do yall think???

 

[Limbic]

I still got a bunch of 'em...I think I'll probably shoot them out of my old Ruger Model 77 MKII 7mm Rem. Mag. with the old "skeleton-stock" synthetic stock on it!!! You wanna talk about kickin' like a mule!!!

Put one of those rounds in one of those guns & pull the trigger! The gun weighs like 4 lbs. by itself!!!

I've got the same gun. It will put a whippin on you. I went with the limbsaver recoil pad and it helped. I'm not much of a muzzle break fan however so I'm biased.

 

[RugerM77.270]

Slap a new stock on the Ruger and float the barrel. You can make it shoot with a little work.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Well, I kinda' like the light-weight-ness of it...

So, I guess I might just put a LimbSaver pad, or maybe a Pachmeyer Decelerator on there, and float the barrel, bed the action, and have a muzzle-brake installed, true the barrel & trigger & then it will probably be one hell of a shooter!

What do yall think?

 

[MudRunner2005]

Slap a new stock on the Ruger and float the barrel. You can make it shoot with a little work.

well, I like the stock that's on it...

Maybe a M/B & a LimbSaver pad, and have it trued-up a little it, bed the action, float the barrel, trigger-job...you know...a little bit here and there...

I bet it'd be one hell of a shooter then!!!

 

[britz]

It was only about the size of...well, if my "ancient" 22-year old memory serves me correct, it was between the size of a quarter...and the size of a 50-cent piece.

Not 100%...only b/c that was about 4 years ago, and there's been many deer since then.

However, It could've hit bone on impact, then expanded profusely, causing a massive amount of impact to the other shoulder, causing it to tear away from the sternum & shoulder socket???

BTW...I was using Federal Premium 160gr. Sierra GameKing BTSP.

I think I might try that new Federal 150gr. or 160gr. Accubond they are producing now?

Anybody tried them yet?

Good?

Bad?

Too-much for Whitties???

minimum yardage??

well I guess about 2/3rd yard or so with that being the barrel length!!!

 

[RockyMtnMT]

I shot a mule deer buck w/ my 30-378 @ about 40 yards. He was going up a steep hill across from me. I shot him between the shoulder blades. He stopped and stood there, laid down, and I shot him again through the lungs. This was w/ 200 grn accubonds @ about 3200 fps. No meet damage, in fact it pretty much penciled him. No matter, he was dead with out any tracking.

The big 30 will kill anything you want at just about any range you are comfortable w/. I think you will cause more meat damage with smaller caliber fast guns than you will w/ larger caliber fast guns. The larger caliber bullets will hold hod up to the impact speeds better than the smaller caliber bullets will.

Put the 180 E-Tip in it, @ 3300 to 3350 fps, and shoot anything on the north American continent from muzzle to 1000yrds.

JMHO,

Steve

 

[yobuck]

ive owned a 30x378 for about 25 years. if i wasent going to be using it beyond 1000 yds, i wouldnt own one. why? theres others that will do the job. also if your thinking about buying one with less than about 32inches of barrel dont bother. and more barrel is better. the only way weatherby gets any velocity out of their gun is 180 gr. bullets. and even then its not great. theres no shortage of good cartridges out there. other 7mms, or 30 cals. would be a wiser choice.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I shot a mule deer buck w/ my 30-378 @ about 40 yards. He was going up a steep hill across from me. I shot him between the shoulder blades. He stopped and stood there, laid down, and I shot him again through the lungs. This was w/ 200 grn accubonds @ about 3200 fps. No meet damage, in fact it pretty much penciled him. No matter, he was dead with out any tracking.

The big 30 will kill anything you want at just about any range you are comfortable w/. I think you will cause more meat damage with smaller caliber fast guns than you will w/ larger caliber fast guns. The larger caliber bullets will hold hod up to the impact speeds better than the smaller caliber bullets will.

Put the 180 E-Tip in it, @ 3300 to 3350 fps, and shoot anything on the north American continent from muzzle to 1000yrds.

JMHO,

Steve

So, you would recommend the .30-378 Wby. over a .257 Wby.???

Because you say the .30-378 Wby. bullet will have better weight-retention at greater velocities, than a .257 Wby. bullet will?

What is the E-Bullet you are talking about?

Sorry, dumb question...but I've just never heard of a bullet described that way?

You wouldn't recommend the 180gr. Accubonds???

 

[RockyMtnMT]

The E-tip bullet is a new bullet by Nosler. I don't think it is available in a factory loaded round yet, it would have to be reloaded. I would recommend either the 180g E-tip or the 200g Accubond. They are almost ballistic twins. The 200g Accubond has a slightly higher b.c. but can't acheive as high a velocity. The E-tip seems, so far, to expand as well as the Accubond, but retain much more weight. I think it is a very lethal bullet for close or long ranges.

Most of the hunting bullets made for the smaller caliber rifles are not make to retain weight like the larger hunting bullets. Thus when they a fired at extreme velocities they seem to blow apart more easily on impact. Both of these calibers would be capable of 3000 fps or more impact velocities at 100 yrds or less. I have not looked to see if Nosler is making the E-tip in the .25 cal. If they are not, then I am sure that barnes is making one that is similar. These mono metal bullets will hold together at high velocity impacts.

I think that both calibers are fine calibers. For me there is something fun about shooting the over-bore 30cals.

Steve

 

[MudRunner2005]

The E-tip bullet is a new bullet by Nosler. I don't think it is available in a factory loaded round yet, it would have to be reloaded. I would recommend either the 180g E-tip or the 200g Accubond. They are almost ballistic twins. The 200g Accubond has a slightly higher b.c. but can't acheive as high a velocity. The E-tip seems, so far, to expand as well as the Accubond, but retain much more weight. I think it is a very lethal bullet for close or long ranges.

Most of the hunting bullets made for the smaller caliber rifles are not make to retain weight like the larger hunting bullets. Thus when they a fired at extreme velocities they seem to blow apart more easily on impact. Both of these calibers would be capable of 3000 fps or more impact velocities at 100 yrds or less. I have not looked to see if Nosler is making the E-tip in the .25 cal. If they are not, then I am sure that barnes is making one that is similar. These mono metal bullets will hold together at high velocity impacts.

I think that both calibers are fine calibers. For me there is something fun about shooting the over-bore 30cals.

Steve

Oh, definitely! I love shooting my 7mmSTW...however, it just costs SO much to buy ammo for it!!!

Kind of why I was leaning more towards the .257 Wby. for this season...HOWEVER...I AM planning on getting a .30-378 Wby. before next season!!!

I just want to see what all this "fuss" is about!!! Hahahaha!!!

You know...curiosity leads to "personal enrichment"..... Hahahaha!!!!

So, you are saying that you think BOTH would be excellent Whittie calibers....however, YOU prefer a .30-378 Wby.....Correct?

And YOU wouldn't worry about taking a shot @ less than 100 yards on a Whittie, with EITHER caliber....Right???

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Use a good quality bonded, or mono metal bullet and shoot them in the pump house, no problem.

Steve