300 RUM enough gun for elk @ 600 yards?

[300WinMagNewb]

Title pretty much says it all, looking to see if a 300 RUM shooting maybe a 220 grain bullet is enough for elk at those ranges. Not looking for a big heavy gun if it can be avoided, and have no need for shooting farther than 600-maybe 800- yards. Would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks.

 

[highridge1]

YES ,it's a great 1000 yard elk round and even further

 

[angus-5024]

with a little know how and some handloads 600 yards can be a cake walk with that cartrige. it is entirly up to the shooter.

 

[bigngreen]

The 300 RUM has the capability to rock an elks world if you feed it and drive it correctly to 1000+yrds with ease, 600yrds is almost over kill for the RUM, the 300 WSM would be good as well in a little easier package.

 

[Camshaft]

My 300rum pushing 210 vlds at 3160fps, **** near punches through 1/2" steel at 600 yards, it should be no problem at all, should be no problem out to double the distance you are looking at. My neighbor has taking multiple elk at 700yds with a 300win mag.

 

[screech]

chaa, it will work fine

 

[sambo3006]

I think the elk I smoked at 589 yds a couple of years ago would say "yes, it is enough gun". Blew a 200 gr Accubond through both shoulder bones and near as I can tell, the bullet is still going.

 

[300WinMagNewb]

That being the case, what about 300 WM/300 WSM, someone mentioned them. I want to have some margin of error and not be right at the limit ballistically, would either of those cartridges work well/comfortably, with some margin of error?

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

Use the 300 RUM with 200 grain accubonds or Barnes TTSX and enjoy it. As you go to smaller cartridges your shot choices get more limited with big elk and shot angles. I don't like to be limited. When I see a big elk I want to kill it with the shot opportunity given. Not wait for the perfect shot with a lesser cartridge and that opportunity not present itself and I lose the elk.

 

[Trickymissfit]

I think the elk I smoked at 589 yds a couple of years ago would say "yes, it is enough gun". Blew a 200 gr Accubond through both shoulder bones and near as I can tell, the bullet is still going.

ever think that maybe a 200 grain bullet going thru both shoulders (honestly I've never seen a 30 caliber bullet go thru both shoulders, but not starting an argument) and being launched out into oblivion is a little overkill? A 300 Winchester would have worked just as well; if not better by expending all it's energy in the shoulders without a pass thru. At five hundred yards the RUM has about 500 ft.lb. more energy than the .300 Win. (2300 verses 1800), but with 1800 ft.lb. it's doubtfull that the bullet would clear a double shoulder hit. Thus expending all 1800 ft. lb. of energy on impact. On the otherhand at 2300 ft. lb. and a complete pass thru, you'd be lucky to expend 1200 ft. lb. of energy on impact (with the double shoulder hit it's probably closer to 1600 ft. lb.). Yet a basic .338-06 at 2600 fps with a 225 grain bullet will have about 1500 ft. lb. at 500 yards with no pass thru. Also with a .338 bullet you have thicker jacketing to help keep it together. ( a .338-06AI will do almost 2800 fps with a 225 grain bullet I might add).

just thinking
gary

 

[sambo3006]

Gary,
I didn't have a 300 Win mag on me so I had to make do with the 300 RUM.

There are a lot of things I haven't seen when it comes to terminal ballistics but that doesn't mean they didn't happen. If you'd have been with me when I boned out the elk you'd have seen both scapulas punched through. That elk hit the dirt before I recovered from recoil. Those are just the facts, nothing more nothing less.

To steal a quote from someone, foot pounds of energy doesn't kill stuff, broken body parts do.

 

[luke]

I was on a cow hunt last month with a buddy and his girlfriend. She had a cow tag and was huntin with a 270. It was bear season so niether him or I went without our guns. He had his 300WM and I had my 300RUM. The Cow we found I ranged at 503 yards. Both me and him agreeing that the 270 was a bit light for that range decided that the RUM may be to much (for her not the elk). She laid down on the bipod and I put my pack under the rear of the rifle. She made the shot hitting right in the shoulder. The 180 accubond blew through both shoulders and left an exit hole in the hide about the size of a 50cent peice. Had I not been there I would not have believed it myself.

 

[Trickymissfit]

Gary,
I didn't have a 300 Win mag on me so I had to make do with the 300 RUM.

There are a lot of things I haven't seen when it comes to terminal ballistics but that doesn't mean they didn't happen. If you'd have been with me when I boned out the elk you'd have seen both scapulas punched through. That elk hit the dirt before I recovered from recoil. Those are just the facts, nothing more nothing less.

To steal a quote from someone, foot pounds of energy doesn't kill stuff, broken body parts do.

I think I should have worded my post better, so for that I'm sorry. What I'm trying to say is that if the bullet passes thru the animal your not getting full benifit of the round. I also know that that big case is hard to down load without being dangerous. Now on the otherhand, I'm from the school that says a 30 caliber bullet is where you start for elk. So we're in agreement. (I'd probably go with a .338 myself) I have buddies that hunt elk every year with all the .300's and up, and all do pretty good. That big case with a 250 grain bullet (hunting bullet) would be the ticket! And probably work much better down range.

As for breaking both shoulders with a 30 caliber round, that's not common. Sounds like a really well place hit that was very clean. I imagine there was a lot of meat damage on the way out though! So set down and have a big elk steak while the rest of us are in envy!
gary

 

[Trickymissfit]

I was on a cow hunt last month with a buddy and his girlfriend. She had a cow tag and was huntin with a 270. It was bear season so niether him or I went without our guns. He had his 300WM and I had my 300RUM. The Cow we found I ranged at 503 yards. Both me and him agreeing that the 270 was a bit light for that range decided that the RUM may be to much (for her not the elk). She laid down on the bipod and I put my pack under the rear of the rifle. She made the shot hitting right in the shoulder. The 180 accubond blew through both shoulders and left an exit hole in the hide about the size of a 50cent peice. Had I not been there I would not have believed it myself.

I thought that bullet would have expanded much bigger than that! I just looked up the ballistics tables for the 270 at 2800fps with a 150 grain bullet. It's almost 1100 ft.lb. at 500 yards. My 270 mag at 3300fps and the same bullet was just under 1500 ft. lb. I figured the Winchester would be slightly more, and the 270 mag slightly less.
gary