500 Yard+ elk kills

[barnesuser28]

Anyone that has an elk kill at or above 500 yards if you could please post the exact distance of your longest kill on an elk, along with the gun and load combo, how terminal performance was, how far the animal went before expiring, approximate impact velocity (within 150 fps would be good), and maybe even a pic or two, it would be much appreciated. I want to learn and gather as much data as possible about hunting elk at LR and ELR. Thanks

 

[Toomanytracks]

Anyone that has an elk kill at or above 500 yards if you could please post the exact distance of your longest kill on an elk, along with the gun and load combo, how terminal performance was, how far the animal went before expiring, approximate impact velocity (within 150 fps would be good), and maybe even a pic or two, it would be much appreciated. I want to learn and gather as much data as possible about hunting elk at LR and ELR. Thanks

610 yds one shot. 300 win mag 190vld ten steps and done. **600 -67.64 -10.76 0.00 0.00 2097 1855 0.71
Yds, inches of drop, moa, velocity,energy,time of flight

 

[barnesuser28]

Thanks Toomanytracks, was there an exit hole? How big?

 

[Broz]

Riley, I know you have seen these but there are at least 6 elk kills beyond 500 yards in my thread about the 215 Bergers. There are photos , velocities and discriptions of all these kills too. Since it had so much of what you asked for I thought I would put a link here.

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f19/cmparing-berger-210-vld-215-hybrid-88657/

Jeff

 

[barnesuser28]

Riley, I know you have seen these but there are at least 6 elk kills beyond 500 yards in my thread about the 215 Bergers. There are photos , velocities and discriptions of all these kills too. Since it had so much of what you asked for I thought I would put a link here.

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f19/cmparing-berger-210-vld-215-hybrid-88657/

Jeff

Thanks Jeff, very good thread as always with lots of data. Whats your longest kill on an elk?

 

[Tikkamike]

I dont have pictures of damage but I shot an elk at 985 with my lapua shooting 300SMK at 2750 and one at 850 both through the front shoulders. both were DRT the one at 985 penciled through. the one at 850 looked like a 1" pipe was driven through her shoulders.

 

[barnesuser28]

I dont have pictures of damage but I shot an elk at 985 with my lapua shooting 300SMK at 2750 and one at 850 both through the front shoulders. both were DRT the one at 985 penciled through. the one at 850 looked like a 1" pipe was driven through her shoulders.

Tikkamike, Awesome shot, takes lots of practice to be comfortable at that distance. I remember PMing you about the one at 985.

 

[Broz]

Thanks Jeff, very good thread as always with lots of data. Whats your longest kill on an elk?

My lonest elk was at 1130, 338 LM with a 300 SMK. Point of impact was just in front of the shoulder at the base of the neck. The bull reared up and fell over backwards DRT. Wish I had that one on film. The bullet did expand and exit. After that there has been several in the 800 to 1000 yards area with the Berger 210 and 215's from a 300 win and 300 OTM's from the 338 LM. All were DRT except one I took at 805 yards with a 210 HVLD from my 300 win. My bad wind call put it at the back of the rib cage. The bull turned around and headed back into the timber. I could see the blood running to his belly from the exit. He made it about 50 yards and went down. I was not proud of the shot I made. The bull could have been dispatched quicker with a well placed shot. But the bullet did expand and exit, and the fragments covered my butt in what could have been a disaster.

Jeff

 

[barnesuser28]

My lonest elk was at 1130, 338 LM with a 300 SMK. Point of impact was just in front of the shoulder at the base of the neck. The bull reared up and fell over backwards DRT. Wish I had that one on film. The bullet did expand and exit. After that there has been several in the 800 to 1000 yards area with the Berger 210 and 215's from a 300 win and 300 OTM's from the 338 LM. All were DRT except one I took at 805 yards with a 210 HVLD from my 300 win. My bad wind call put it at the back of the rib cage. The bull turned around and headed back into the timber. I could see the blood running to his belly from the exit. He made it about 50 yards and went down. I was not proud of the shot I made. The bull could have been dispatched quicker with a well placed shot. But the bullet did expand and exit, and the fragments covered my butt in what could have been a disaster.

Jeff

Very nice shot at 1130, ive got a few questions.

1. how much time will you spend figuring out the wind? Or is it really situation dependant?

2. So do you perfer the terminal performance of the OTM or SMK from the 338 Lapua? I know you favor the ballistic advantage of the OTM.

3. I know you favor the "in the crease behind the shoulder" shot but if i want to shoot for the high shoulder would the spot where the white circle is be the spot to hit?

 

[Broz]

Very nice shot at 1130, ive got a few questions.

1. how much time will you spend figuring out the wind? Or is it really situation dependant?

2. So do you perfer the terminal performance of the OTM or SMK from the 338 Lapua? I know you favor the ballistic advantage of the OTM.

3. I know you favor the "in the crease behind the shoulder" shot but if i want to shoot for the high shoulder would this be the spot to hit?

1: I will spend as much time as I feel I need to be confident in the shot. That will vary time to time. I have waited for up to 1/2 hour or longer, if I was not confident. Out here the wind may die down or get worse in that time. If it gets worse I pass. But if I am not confident I will wait for improved conditions, get closer, or pass .

2:Shot placement is king. I had very good experiences with the SMK's and had 2 one shot kills over 1100 yards. But the less drift of the Berger and better long range accuracy is a no brainer for me. I have taken game past 1275 with a Berger and it still opened. I took a coyote at close to 1200 with a 300 OTM and it opened even on this thin light animal. I have tested this bullet and am confident that as of today it suits my long range needs best of any bullet I could get on a regular basis.

3:Ok lets look at two of my long range shots I told about. The one at 805 that landed at the back of the ribs and the one at 1130 where I was in front of the shoulder. My own experience tells me that my biggest problem and most likely error will be reading the wind. I think that could apply to many long range shooters at every level of practice or experience. So if you lower that point of aim in your pic about 4 or 5" and move it back 6 or 7" can you see why I like that point of aim? It gives me the widest kill zone I could get. It also gives me the largest zone for elevation. If go high and I get the spine great!! If I go low and get heart awesome! But I am not that confident to be assured I will hit a 4 or 5" wide spine all the time. What happens if the wind takes that point of aim in the pic left or right. To the right it is spine or nothing. Better be spot on for elevation, angle of shot and not have any lifting wind. If it goes left and the bullet of choice does not fragment, you better hope for some lift to get the spine or that could result in the area that only clips the top of the lungs and without fragments no heart or blood circulatory damage. That elk even with an exit could go miles.

I believe I do what I need to insure the best results for me at long range. I want the highest possible error factor incase something goes wrong. I have said it before. No bullet is perfect in all instances. You CAN count on that. But know what you are using. Know its strong and weak points and try to use it to serve you best. For me and my long range shooting I use a very accurate, high BC, low drift bullet, heavy for caliber that will fragment to increase damage even if I am off a little. I want the biggest kill zone I can get and I center my shots there. I feel that gives me the best odds for success. So far I have been blessed with no losses and attribute some of that success to my chosen methods.

Jeff

 

[barnesuser28]

1: I will spend as much time as I feel I need to be confident in the shot. That will vary time to time. I have waited for up to 1/2 hour or longer, if I was not confident. Out here the wind may die down or get worse in that time. If it gets worse I pass. But if I am not confident I will wait for improved conditions, get closer, or pass .

2:Shot placement is king. I had very good experiences with the SMK's and had 2 one shot kills over 1100 yards. But the less drift of the Berger and better long range accuracy is a no brainer for me. I have taken game past 1275 with a Berger and it still opened. I took a coyote at close to 1200 with a 300 OTM and it opened even on this thin light animal. I have tested this bullet and am confident that as of today it suits my long range needs best of any bullet I could get on a regular basis.

3:Ok lets look at two of my long range shots I told about. The one at 805 that landed at the back of the ribs and the one at 1130 where I was in front of the shoulder. My own experience tells me that my biggest problem and most likely error will be reading the wind. I think that could apply to many long range shooters at every level of practice or experience. So if you lower that point of aim in your pic about 4 or 5" and move it back 6 or 7" can you see why I like that point of aim? It gives me the widest kill zone I could get. It also gives me the largest zone for elevation. If go high and I get the spine great!! If I go low and get heart awesome! But I am not that confident to be assured I will hit a 4 or 5" wide spine all the time. What happens if the wind takes that point of aim in the pic left or right. To the right it is spine or nothing. Better be spot on for elevation, angle of shot and not have any lifting wind. If it goes left and the bullet of choice does not fragment, you better hope for some lift to get the spine or that could result in the area that only clips the top of the lungs and without fragments no heart or blood circulatory damage. That elk even with an exit could go miles.

I believe I do what I need to insure the best results for me at long range. I want the highest possible error factor incase something goes wrong. I have said it before. No bullet is perfect in all instances. You CAN count on that. But know what you are using. Know its strong and weak points and try to use it to serve you best. For me and my long range shooting I use a very accurate, high BC, low drift bullet, heavy for caliber that will fragment to increase damage even if I am off a little. I want the biggest kill zone I can get and I center my shots there. I feel that gives me the best odds for success. So far I have been blessed with no losses and attribute some of that success to my chosen methods.

Jeff

Jeff, very good answers, thanks alot. I now see why you go for behind the shoulder.

For me the biggest reason why i dont shoot a berger is because i am primaraly a mid range hunter, around 500-600 yards is usually the farthest shot i am presented but very rarely i get an oppertunity at around the 800-1000 mark. I get a lot of oppertunities at close range, 50 yards for example. So i picked Barnes for their ability to not over expand on close shots, but still perform nicely at 600 yards. I have not shot something at that range yet because i didnt feel 100% comfortable at that range this season. By next season i hope to be comfortable with the 338 Lapua out to 1000 yards and hope to shoot a few antelope in that range area so i can see for my self if this particular bullet (Barnes 280 grain LRX) will do what i want it too at that distance.

The main reason i got into longrange hunting is my first year of elk hunting we had a 330" bull in Colorado at 456 yards. We hadnt practiced that far with our rifles so we passed on that shot and didnt see another bull for the next 3 days we were there. I got into long range hunting so i have the ability to reach out there and touch an animal if i cant get close enough with my standard rifle. Make sense?

So you would aim right here right?

Riley

 

[Toomanytracks]

Three elk have been on the other end of my 300 Win mag. No exits on any. All with 190 vld mv 3012. 610 ydr ten steps, 60 yds one step two shots one hole. First was quartering too the second quartering away. Third was ten steps from the end of my barrel broadside. Dead on impact but did not know it. Three steps

All top third in the crease of the shoulder.
I don't know why I practice at long-range!

 

[krake22002]

Shot a bull this year at 542 yards. With my Cooper Phoenix 6.5x284 with Berger 140 vld. First shot was right behind the shoulder at impact you could tell he was hurt he went about 3 yards but still standing so I sent another this time in the high shoulder went right down. First year using this combo the vitals got destroyed im very happy with the results. And very little meat loss.

 

[barnesuser28]

Three elk have been on the other end of my 300 Win mag. No exits on any. All with 190 vld mv 3012. 610 ydr ten steps, 60 yds one step two shots one hole. First was quartering too the second quartering away. Third was ten steps from the end of my barrel broadside. Dead on impact but did not know it. Three steps

All top third in the crease of the shoulder.
I don't know why I practice at long-range!

Toomanytracks, nothing wrong with shooting them when you can smell their breath!