338 ax bullet choice for elk.. Going crazy

[ArtsMonkey]

Ok i've been round and round... In the next couple of weeks I will be getting my 338AX from kirby.. and yes it's been a long wait!!! I'm trying to choose the bullet i shoot so that I can play with my toy when it get's here. I think i've narrowed it down to the Accubond (300gr) or the SMK (300gr). This will be strictly a big game rifled (elk mainly but don't count out Africa and moose). I currently shot 7mm mag and have taken elk out to 725. I want to extend this range but if a trophy elk walks 100 yards away you'll be damned if I won't sling some lead!!

on SMK 300 i've heard everything from not consistent weight (means not as accurate/consistant out at 1K) from one to another, will frag when in close ranges to excellent bullet for elk even though not designed for it.

On Accubond 300 I've heard that the advertized BC isn't "real" and it's lower than expected.. hard to get hands on.. not as accurate at 1K range, etc.

Please give me your opinion and why you pick that bullet!!

 

[gilcarleton]

I am in the same situation but after a lot of research I am going to try some Berger Bullets. They have the highest BC of any I have found I want to try the Elite hunter, https://1shotgear.com/berger-bullet...8-caliber-338-diameter-300-grain-hybrid-match. They also make a VDL that I am going to try in my .308 but I don't think they make it in a .338.

I don't know if that helps but I was not familiar with Berger until starting doing some research and, at least on paper, they are very impressive.

Best wishes and Merry Christmas,

Gil

 

[the shotty]

Why not berger? The smk was less than stellar with performance on game some would pencil through others would explode and they didn't take the transition to subsonic well. This is from years of reading here not personal experience. However my thing with the smk is the price is almost the same price wise as berger at least locally the price difference is $.02 per bullet. I like the Nab bullets but the point of impact is different than the bergers I prefer to run and again they are pretty expensive so I've gone to bergers only for everything but my 270 which is my light timber/brush gun.

 

[ArtsMonkey]

This is what Kirby says about Berger :

[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]The 300 gr SMK has a very long track record in the field and I have yet to see one that came apart outside 200 yards. They may shed 1/2 their weight but so will the berger. BC for the SMK generally runs closer to .780-.790 at the velocity you will be driving them to. At times I have had to use .800 BC to get the drop chart to match up with trajectory. The berger will run .82 to .83 most of the time. Have not shot ALOT of the Noslers but from what I have shot, they seem to be close to the listed BC. our rifle is throated currently for the Accubond/SMK but the Bergers can be used as well but may not be able to seat them to the lands and still have them fit in the mag box. Generally, with my tight throats, this does not effect accuracy poorly.

The berger needs a different throat then the SMK or Accubond. It can be used in your throat length but when seated to just off the lands, it will be to long to fit in your magazine so seated to the lands you would need to use them as single shots. The rifle is set up currently for the 300 gr Accubond or 300 gr SMK, either work great in similar throat lengths so just let me know which you want.

 

[Sneaky Apasum]

Have you looked at Cutting Edge or asked Kirby about them? I would think the AX and a 275 MTH would be a pretty great combo, depending on how they fit his guns.

 

[jmden]

Use a 300 Berger EH and single load leaving a couple that are shorter in the mag for close follow up shots or emergency. I've had a 388 AX for five seasons and have no problems with the 300 Berger EH on three critters unless the meplat was damaged--more on that later. I've had the 300 OTM pencil through a bear at 741 yds, perhaps due to the stronger construction of that bullet vs. the EH, the EH being designed more with hunting in mind, apparently. You will simply have more retained energy and less wind drift with the Berger over the SMK. Shot a few critters with the SMK and they work too.

I had to take a second shot at long range for the first time at a critter this year. After the first shot, I racked in a round from the 4" Wyatt's box (over 3.9 COAL with 300 Berger EH) second shot was right on target at 1151 yds, but, after we got over to the elk, I could see that the bullet penciled between ribs in and out. Hmm...turns out a meplat of a bullet in a mag box gets whacked pretty hard and this was likely no exception. My guess is that the bullet couldn't expand due to the flattening of the meptlat. I will be single loading a second long range round from now on if at all possible.

So, my point is, given my experience, single load the Berger EH, take advantage of all the BC you can, and don't worry about the mag length.

 

[gilcarleton]

The only Noslers I have shot are the partitioned an I am not impressed with them. The theory is that if you lose the front half of the bullet, you will always have the back half that retains it weight. The problem is that I have found that you lose that front half 100% of the time. I have never shot an animal that I did not lose half the bullet weight probably immediately. I really cannot speak to the other bullets they make but I want to try the Berger. I understand that Berger is coming out with another bullet soon that, of course, is better than anything they have now and is suppose to be a great hunting and target load. Just read about this yesterday and really do not know much about it other than it will require a 1 in 8 twist. Keep us posted on how your search goes.

 

[4xforfun]

I think that you will almost always loose that 40 - 50%, unless you are shooting at 4 digit distances. This 300 Grain EH was recovered from a last day "meet buck" last season (my 1st year with my 338 EDGE). The animal was shot head on in the brisket from about 650 and the bullet was recovered just on the inside hide of the rear 1/4. The two other animals shot that year had full penatration with good sized exit wounds, and both were over 600 yards..

I realize that elk and deer are a night and day comparo, so take this with that in mind.

 

[Wachsmann]

Here's my thoughts. I would ask Kirby himself...He could probably give you an exact load data, powder type, OAL case length, etc, etc, etc.. and get the gun shooting in the 10 ring at probably 1000rards right off the bat.

 

[sp6x6]

Sounds like you have talked to Kirby and I know he is SMK fan,Why? they usually shoot well with less trouble.I would have no problem shooting the 300 NAB, I am seeing more use on them from friends.All the 300's are plenty medicine for elk. I think my berger deflected on my 60 yrd slight brush shot this year, by looks of large entrance and no exit.

 

[jmden]

300g EH load with 100g Retumbo, Fed 215M, -.020. 2981fps often with single digit or low teens ES. 3 1/4" at 890 yds. A little high as I was in the process of validating this load using the AB app.

 

[ArtsMonkey]

Thanks guys for all your support. I think I will ask kirby if shooting berger off land will affect long range accuracy and if not have him use that.. If so then i'm back to the accubond or SMK.

 

[dkhunt14]

In the last 2 years we shot 7 Buck whitetails with the 300 grain Elite. The kills were all dead in tracks. The ranges were from 400 to 600 yards. This was shot out of a 338 IMP and at 2993 FPS. I can get more but didn't want to push them over 3000 because of possible slump problems with the Elite. The accuracy was better then the Sierra at 1000 yards with 5 shot groups. We also had a bunch of Sierras pencil on whitetails. I just know that the Berger flat out killed compared to the Sierra on whitetails. With elk or mule deer that might not be as much of a problem with the more body mass. The guys I hunt with are all going to switch to the Berger after seeing the results of the kills with my gun and Bergers. I hope this helps. Matt

 

[jmden]

I don't recall hearing about a slump issue with the EH, that was the first gen 300g Berger that came out in, what, 2010?