rifle/caliber help. 7mm,30,338??

[Broz]

Again like has been stated, when we say 1000 yards and Elk in the same sentance, 338 is my choice and it will be sending a 300 gr Berger. Out to1000 I will tell you a 300 win with 210's has served me well for elk. We have taken sveral between 400 and 800 with it with great success and a few just past 800. Soon I will be testing the 215 Bergers in my 300 win. They look good on paper, we will see. The 230 Hybrid is doing well in my sons 300 win too.


Jeff

 

[MHO]

Another vote for the 338. For what you want, the better choice.

 

[setandglass]

Thanks for all the help going to check on a 338 2mar. I may be able to do a trade i got a freind that has a 338 he doesnt like the kick may be able to work something out with him.

 

[IdahoCTD]

Most people here are talking about something larger than a 338 win. mag just so you know if your looking for another rifle or to trade. 1000yds and elk would start at a .340 Weatherby or equivalent for me and go up from there.

 

[Sully2]

Most people here are talking about something larger than a 338 win. mag just so you know if your looking for another rifle or to trade. 1000yds and elk would start at a .340 Weatherby or equivalent for me and go up from there.

They are?? One guy is talking 7mm something or other......another is talking 300 Win Mag...so where is everyone thats talking LARGER than a 338?????

 

[Broz]

They are?? ..so where is everyone thats talking LARGER than a 338?????

That is not what he said. He said " larger than a 338 win. mag ." when I talk 338 I am refering to 338 LM, 338 Edge or a larger 338 chambering too.

 

[IdahoCTD]

Thanks Broz. Had what I wrote been read it probably would of been understood.


I didn't want the guy to trade his friend his .300 Weatherby for a .338 win. mag and be disappointed since everyone is telling him he needs a .338 caliber. I personally think people on average shoot .30 caliber rifles better than 338's in fairly light weight packable guns because of the recoil and a .300 Weatherby will do what he is asking for so that is why I said stick with it or something similar.

Since talking to the OP he doesn't mind if the gun weighs 15lbs. I would do a 338 if weight wasn't a issue also.

 

[sp6x6]

338 and elk go together like, MEAT & POTATOS. Put a scope on the old girl today for the kid, 1 shot at 50 adjusted, 3 at 100, not that great, buddies where fighting wind and a rock @ 1025, used the B&C reticle, last hash w/guess 18 moa , held about 4 ' wind and center mass hit, then put another close to last, love that old 340WBY

 

[Sully2]

That is not what he said. He said " larger than a 338 win. mag ." when I talk 338 I am refering to 338 LM, 338 Edge or a larger 338 chambering too.

Well the way he called it sure is confusing..? And when I say 338...I mean ANYTHING that slams a .338 bullet down the tube....be it a Lapur....win 338...or a 378-338.....They are all 338's to me.

 

[Sully2]

338 and elk go together like, MEAT & POTATOS. Put a scope on the old girl today for the kid, 1 shot at 50 adjusted, 3 at 100, not that great, buddies where fighting wind and a rock @ 1025, used the B&C reticle, last hash w/guess 18 moa , held about 4 ' wind and center mass hit, then put another close to last, love that old 340WBY

They sure do in my book! I remember "way back when"...the Win 338 was considered THE elk cartridge. Personally I dont need a 338 anything in my stable...and if I did need such a cannon I wouldnt have the latest "338 Shoulder buster Magnum" in the rack....but sure would hug a 338 Winnie on a cold winters night....

 

[4xforfun]

Since you are dialing your scope for distances of 1000 yards, what differenace does it make if you are dialing 23 MOA or 28 MOA. I know I don't care. Pretty sure the ELK won't care. Maybe your friends?

Trust these guys...ELK + 1000 = 338 bullet. Even though the 300 GR Berger may drop a little more than some of the super fast 7mm/30 cals, it carries more energy and at distance the speed is probably a wash. Add a few more yards to the equasion, which can happen form time to time D), and it's a no brainer!!!

 

[Good]

Drop matters not. Wind drift is what matters. The bullet that is less affected by the wind will have the highest hit percentage probability. That is BC- the higher the BC (preferably on the G7 model, but G1 works too), the less wind drift. That's all that matters if you dial for elevation.

That said, if you limit your shots at a certain distance, a lighter bullet may be a better choice as the benefits of the heavier (higher BC) bullet may only take over at longer distances. The best way to compare is to compare bullets at real world speeds on a ballistic calculator like JBM Ballistics, at the chosen distance.

 

[angus-5024]

You asked about the fast 7mm/.284's out there first, so I assume that they peak your intrest most. I would encourage you to look at barrel life... I know that alot of hunters say that 700-900 rounds is lots for a hunting rifle. I would say that Long Range hunters would disagree, at least most. when guys want to strech the legs of there rifles, they need to know there rifles. that comes from a lot of trigger time. Severly overbore cartriges are not good for practice. That being said I still want a big 7mm, but I have my go-to guns that dont cook barrels, so it would be more of a toy.

see gone are the days of estimating range using a reticule of some sort, which was marginaly accurate if you were good at it. Then speed really made sense. Now we can accuaratly gauge distance, and focus on the real killer, the wind. 7mm bullets are great at bucking the wind, especially with the new berger 195 coming out, but they still fall short of the .338's.

The .30 cals are a great in between, but personally I see the 7mm's beating them or at least equalling them on most fronts with the exception of the 300 RUM, and 300-.378wby... but then why not get a .338. (dont be mad .30cal guys, keep you inferiority issues to yourself).

As you can tell I love my .338's, starting with the .340 WBY on the bottom end. Why? plain and simple. They do two thing better than anything smaller. the first I have already stated, buck the wind. the second is ENERGY! With the 7mm offerings you can put a hole in the vitals, and if an arrow can kill with a small hole so can a bullet but.... a bigger hole work much better at long range given it is placed just as well.

The down side to the .338's is recoil. Some guys like recoil, some dont. Some like breaks, some dont. Some can handle weight, some wont. So it is up to you to decide what you want. If you want something light then matbe a 7mm is your best bet, but shorten your effective range. If you dont mind a break, or extra weight, or more recoil, or all three... get the .338.

I have used a .338 RUM for 5 years now, and I love it. Rem XCR with a radial brake, bedded. But thats me. .

 

[bigngreen]

Great advice going in this thread. I also hunt elk right around 8000ft elevation give or take a little, I'm very confident in my 270 WSM out to a 1000 yards shooting heavy for cal Matrix bullets, I burn a barrel out a year shooting it and know it well enough for that kind of shot. I've wacked elk out to 865 yards with it and it racked them hard and the wound channel was excellent, it has enough snort to reach out farther. I also dig the 338 RUM with a 300 gr Berger, it's the dedicated long range elk rifle, if I we want to push an elks nose into the dirt with authority you let him hold try to hold a 300 gr bullet!!!!

My 270 at 8000ft hits 1000 yards at 1957 fps with 1400 ft lbs of energy, my 338 RUM hits it at 1953 fps but with 2542 ft lbs of energy!! One kills them the other will knock them out of their hooves