Coyote_Hunter
Well-Known Member
Getting ready for the annual Colorado Elk hunt. Took 3 rifles to the range yesterday morning – All are Rugers wearing Burris Fulfield 3-9x Balllistic Plex (BDC) scopes. MKII .300WM and .338WM in skeleton stocks and Hawkeye .280 Rem. The .300 is blued, the other two are stainless.
The day was perfect 50's and 60's and dead calm most of the time. (The range flag at 600 was hanging straight down.) There is normally a stiff west wind blowing. As that wind runs up the narrowing valley between the 300 and 500-600 yard berms it accelerates and provides lift to the bullets – not the best situation for zeroing or checking out drops.
Started out with the .280 Rem and 140g TTSX. It had been at the range about 3 weeks ago while I was getting ready for antelope. There had been really strong winds that day and the drop charts I had created for the scope were off accordingly. First cold bore shot missed the 10" steel at 500 yards, low. Adjusted the aimpoint in the scope was rewarded with a hit. Using that data I took a shot and rang the steel at 600. Tried some slower but higher B.C. 140g Accubond loads with the new aimpoints and scored hits at 500 and 600.
Switched to the .300 WM/175g LRX and took a shot at 100 yards, hitting 2.5" high and dead center horizontally. Skipped the 300 yard target and went straight to 500, then 600 with consecutive hits. Tried some 180g AccuBonds but they were not shooting to the same POI so I gave up on them – the LRX is what I want to use anyway, based on previous experience with MRX, TTSX and LRX in the .300.
The .338WM and 225g AccuBond loads gave me some fits. The first shot at 100 was about 3" right of center. Bummer. Took me a while to get it where I wanted it at 100. After I did, I took a single shot at 300. That bullet impacted 1-1/2" left of center and centered vertically. After that I asked a fellow shooter to spot for me when I tried the steel. First shot at 500 rang the steel, as did the first at 600. I thanked the spotter for his help.
After that I cycled through all three rifles a couple of time, letting the barrels cool and verifying the new drops. Hitting the steel at 500 and 600 was easy. Longest shot I've ever taken in 37 years of elk hunting was 487 yards, second longest was 411 yards. Both were one and done. While I don't anticipate anything longer than 500 this year, I will be shooting last/backup as I want Daughter and her husband to get their first.
So now the decision – which two to take elk hunting and which one to leave home? The .300WM and .338WM have taken three elk each while the .280 Rem is an elk virgin. The advantage of the .280 is it is the lightest rifle of the bunch and very easy on the shoulder. The .300 isn't bad recoil but is heavier and the .338 is a bit of a brute (the 22" fluted barrel reduces both weight and recoil absorption).
The .280 Rem would be adequate if I was shooting first – not so sure about downing a possibly wounded and adrenalized elk. The .338WM is the easy choice for making big holes but is harder to shoot accurately due to the recoil. The .300WM is adequate for all tasks and pretty easy to shoot. The .280 appeals if we end up hiking the hills but we are hunting 4th Rifle, hoping to catch the migration in the sage.
SIL is taking a .300WSM with 165 or 168g TTSX Barnes VOR-TX, Daughter will be using a .270 Win with 150AB @ 2912fps. Not that it will determine my choice (it won't), but I am curious what people here would choose?
The day was perfect 50's and 60's and dead calm most of the time. (The range flag at 600 was hanging straight down.) There is normally a stiff west wind blowing. As that wind runs up the narrowing valley between the 300 and 500-600 yard berms it accelerates and provides lift to the bullets – not the best situation for zeroing or checking out drops.
Started out with the .280 Rem and 140g TTSX. It had been at the range about 3 weeks ago while I was getting ready for antelope. There had been really strong winds that day and the drop charts I had created for the scope were off accordingly. First cold bore shot missed the 10" steel at 500 yards, low. Adjusted the aimpoint in the scope was rewarded with a hit. Using that data I took a shot and rang the steel at 600. Tried some slower but higher B.C. 140g Accubond loads with the new aimpoints and scored hits at 500 and 600.
Switched to the .300 WM/175g LRX and took a shot at 100 yards, hitting 2.5" high and dead center horizontally. Skipped the 300 yard target and went straight to 500, then 600 with consecutive hits. Tried some 180g AccuBonds but they were not shooting to the same POI so I gave up on them – the LRX is what I want to use anyway, based on previous experience with MRX, TTSX and LRX in the .300.
The .338WM and 225g AccuBond loads gave me some fits. The first shot at 100 was about 3" right of center. Bummer. Took me a while to get it where I wanted it at 100. After I did, I took a single shot at 300. That bullet impacted 1-1/2" left of center and centered vertically. After that I asked a fellow shooter to spot for me when I tried the steel. First shot at 500 rang the steel, as did the first at 600. I thanked the spotter for his help.
After that I cycled through all three rifles a couple of time, letting the barrels cool and verifying the new drops. Hitting the steel at 500 and 600 was easy. Longest shot I've ever taken in 37 years of elk hunting was 487 yards, second longest was 411 yards. Both were one and done. While I don't anticipate anything longer than 500 this year, I will be shooting last/backup as I want Daughter and her husband to get their first.
So now the decision – which two to take elk hunting and which one to leave home? The .300WM and .338WM have taken three elk each while the .280 Rem is an elk virgin. The advantage of the .280 is it is the lightest rifle of the bunch and very easy on the shoulder. The .300 isn't bad recoil but is heavier and the .338 is a bit of a brute (the 22" fluted barrel reduces both weight and recoil absorption).
The .280 Rem would be adequate if I was shooting first – not so sure about downing a possibly wounded and adrenalized elk. The .338WM is the easy choice for making big holes but is harder to shoot accurately due to the recoil. The .300WM is adequate for all tasks and pretty easy to shoot. The .280 appeals if we end up hiking the hills but we are hunting 4th Rifle, hoping to catch the migration in the sage.
SIL is taking a .300WSM with 165 or 168g TTSX Barnes VOR-TX, Daughter will be using a .270 Win with 150AB @ 2912fps. Not that it will determine my choice (it won't), but I am curious what people here would choose?
