Your Ultimate 500 Yard Rig

[Rifleman97]

For only 500, I'd go with 300 WSM on any custom action, 24" stainless barrel, black stock, atlas bipod, Nightforce Atacr 4-16x42 or something similar in vortex or a Leupold MKV. Nothing too fancy, but reasonable weight, stainless metal parts on the fun for rust prevention and enough horsepower for 500 without too much recoil.

 

[COBrad]

It never fails to amaze me how tough big game has become over the last 45 years... or at least how tough they seem to be perceived to be. IMO one doesn't need a magnum anything to kill elk at 500 yards. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot a 7-08, given a good shot angle, steady rest, and a 150-160 grain bullet. After decades of hunting and guiding hunters in western CO, and going through a bunch of different magnum rifles personally, from .270 WSM to a .300 Jarrett slinging 200 grain bullets at 3030 fps, I've seen that the .270's and '06's we used when I was a kid are still plenty adequate. I'll be using a nice, lethal, .284 this fall. The big magnums are great for brown bears and long, long range hunting, but unnecessary for 500 yard shooting... that's assuming one can hold something like MOA at that range and place bullets where they need to be. And I don't take marginal shots, even with a magnum.

 

[Rifleman97]

It never fails to amaze me how tough big game has become over the last 45 years... or at least how tough they seem to be perceived to be. IMO one doesn't need a magnum anything to kill elk at 500 yards. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot a 7-08, given a good shot angle, steady rest, and a 150-160 grain bullet. After decades of hunting and guiding hunters in western CO, and going through a bunch of different magnum rifles personally, from .270 WSM to a .300 Jarrett slinging 200 grain bullets at 3030 fps, I've seen that the .270's and '06's we used when I was a kid are still plenty adequate. I'll be using a nice, lethal, .284 this fall. The big magnums are great for brown bears and long, long range hunting, but unnecessary for 500 yard shooting... that's assuming one can hold something like MOA at that range and place bullets where they need to be. And I don't take marginal shots, even with a magnum.

I agree, but my choice of 300 WSM is because I enjoy shooting non standard rounds (ones your dad or grandpa would not have heard of) that are well designed, and I just enjoy it as a cartridge. I already have a 30-06, I love it, it shoots 1/4 to 1/2 moa at 100 and 1/2 to 3/4 moa at 500, but its the same thing everyone else has. For a hypothetical situation, it's fun to choose something different. Same reason no one "needs" a custom anything for 500 yards, its not terribly far, and most $600 rifles nowadays can hit MOA at that range. Might as well have something a bit different.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

It never fails to amaze me how tough big game has become over the last 45 years... or at least how tough they seem to be perceived to be. IMO one doesn't need a magnum anything to kill elk at 500 yards. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot a 7-08, given a good shot angle, steady rest, and a 150-160 grain bullet. After decades of hunting and guiding hunters in western CO, and going through a bunch of different magnum rifles personally, from .270 WSM to a .300 Jarrett slinging 200 grain bullets at 3030 fps, I've seen that the .270's and '06's we used when I was a kid are still plenty adequate. I'll be using a nice, lethal, .284 this fall. The big magnums are great for brown bears and long, long range hunting, but unnecessary for 500 yard shooting... that's assuming one can hold something like MOA at that range and place bullets where they need to be. And I don't take marginal shots, even with a magnum.

THIS ^^^ Well said ! Personally, I like 7-8 Pound Rifles, shooting 140-160 Grain Bullets for, LOW recoil, that I can shoot accurately from, ALL "field positions" and PRACTICE with,.. a LOT ! Son and I used our T3 Tikka's, to kill 2 Bulls this year, he shoots a 150 grain ELD-X in his 7mm-08. I used a 140 AccuBond, in my .270 WSM. You don't "need" a Cannon, to kill Elk at 500 or less, Yards !

 

[COBrad]

Well, I didn't mention that the .284 is a New Ultra Light Arms... also totally unnecessary for 500 yard shooting. I really like custom rifles for their workmanship and deadly accuracy. The average over the counter rifle is accurate enough for big game at 500 yards, but I want half-MOA accuracy. My big game rifles shoot a lot of marmots in the fall, and a few head of big game.

 

[Trm82]

A howitzer works great. Nothing gets away !!

 

[mtank]

I guess I will flip a coin to see which one goes to Colorado this fall. One on the left has been my go to gun for whitetail the last two years. Just got the other one this week. They're a 1979 & a 1980 xtr 264 win mags. The 79 model loves 130 accubonds.

 

[WildRose]

Inspired by John Spadaro's thread found here:
https://longrangehunting.com/threads/help-chosing-an-elk-cartridge.211198/

What is your ULTIMATE rifle outfit for ~500yds on North American big game? Think packing WAY back/up in there with a shot of a lifetime on a trophy animal that has never seen a human.

Long/short action? Caliber? Action? Stock? Optic? Trigger? etc. Overkill is fine; what is your ULTIMATE dream rig for out to 500?

Model 70 Classic Sharpshooter in either 7mm STW or .300 Rum. Now that I have both either would suffice.

 

[WildRose]

I guess I will flip a coin to see which one goes to Colorado this fall. One on the left has been my go to gun for whitetail the last two years. Just got the other one this week. They're a 1979 & a 1980 xtr 264 win mags. The 79 model loves 130 accubonds.

At least one of the 300wm's will soon be rebarreled to .264wm. No model 70 collection is complete without at least one of them. If I can save up the money to do it right I'll have old man Scheider do me a 28" stainless, fluted and I'll have the chamber set back a bit to the lands for the longer/heavier bullets.

The .264wm will never be obsolete. It's a great at taking game today as it was sixty years ago when it was first invented. The only thing I could be persuated to do different might be a 6.5-300wm for even a bit more gas.

 

[bigngreen]

So many to pick from!!
A Tikka T3, manners stock, Rock 1-9 30 cal barrel, 308 Palma brass with a 215 Berger seated at 3.120.
Same set up only a 6.5 SS with a 140 Berger or a 270 WSM with a 165 Matrix or 170 Berger, for kicks and screams a 338 SS with a 250 Berger is also on my list for a mid range thumper.
Around here I'd pack a 6.5 Creedmore with a 147 ELDM or a 140 Berger all day long also, make it ultra light easy to shoot.

 

[ramrod79]

+1 on 338 SS for close to long.

 

[the hunter]

It never fails to amaze me how tough big game has become over the last 45 years... or at least how tough they seem to be perceived to be. IMO one doesn't need a magnum anything to kill elk at 500 yards. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot a 7-08, given a good shot angle, steady rest, and a 150-160 grain bullet. After decades of hunting and guiding hunters in western CO, and going through a bunch of different magnum rifles personally, from .270 WSM to a .300 Jarrett slinging 200 grain bullets at 3030 fps, I've seen that the .270's and '06's we used when I was a kid are still plenty adequate. I'll be using a nice, lethal, .284 this fall. The big magnums are great for brown bears and long, long range hunting, but unnecessary for 500 yard shooting... that's assuming one can hold something like MOA at that range and place bullets where they need to be. And I don't take marginal shots, even with a magnum.

People like like you have know idea why the .300 H&H, 7mm rem mag, .300WM,
.338WM and others took off so fast.

 

[bigngreen]

People like like you have know idea why the .300 H&H, 7mm rem mag, .300WM,
.338WM and others took off so fast.

Around here they gained traction when guys started thinking they needed a super duper elk bullet to kill anything because the hundreds of Game Kings shot from 06 that were dug out of very dead elk were all of the sudden not cutting it so then you need more HP to get these bullets to work better, like the old soft points I the 06. The only thing I see a magnum useful for is going long.

 

[Rich Coyle]

I thought again about the Ultimate 500 Yard rifle. It would have to be a custom titanium three lug action like the Weatherby Mark V six lug action. In steel it weighs only 26 ounces. Add to that the lightest graphic stock and carbon barrel with a titanium brake. The scope would be a carbon tube with the most modern plastic internal lenses and the best ground lenses on the external glass. Could probably get it down to five pounds in a 6.5SS with a 3-25X56 scope.