Best high bc bullet for 300wm for elk

[QQQQQ]

Building a new elk gun in 300wm, looking for what bullet I want to reload for it when it gets finished. I want a high bc bullet so I can use it to practice and target shoot steel out to 1000 yards but that will also perform well on thick hided animals like elk. Obviously there is Berger but what is the difference between hunting vld and the hybrid? Has anyone has any experience with hornady's eld X? Also for the one bullet that does everything is 180 or 200 grain better for this cartridge? Let me know what you know

 

[el matador]

212 ELD-X would be my first choice, 215 Berger Hybrid 2nd. I'll be trying the ELD-X when I run out of 208 Amax's.

180 grain bullets will shoot plenty flat but the heavier, high BC bullets will drift less in the wind. They also kick a bit harder.

 

[MagnumManiac]

I use Nosler 200gr Accubonds, BC of .588 is plenty. Have tried Berger 210gr VLD and 215gr Hybrids, wasn't impressed with results on game with the 215gr Hybrid.
The Accubond performance on game, even at extended range, is pretty darn predictable and very reliable, hoping to try some ABLR 210gr when they become available here, have tried 129gr 6.5mm ABLR in my 264WM, performance is quite good on game at 800yrds.
I still don't know if Berger bullets are good game bullets, have had mixed results.

Cheerd.
gun)

 

[QQQQQ]

I use Nosler 200gr Accubonds, BC of .588 is plenty. Have tried Berger 210gr VLD and 215gr Hybrids, wasn't impressed with results on game with the 215gr Hybrid.
The Accubond performance on game, even at extended range, is pretty darn predictable and very reliable, hoping to try some ABLR 210gr when they become available here, have tried 129gr 6.5mm ABLR in my 264WM, performance is quite good on game at 800yrds.
I still don't know if Berger bullets are good game bullets, have had mixed results.

Cheerd.
gun)

I have no experience with the ABLR but from researching it sounds like they are no good on close shots on game due to the thin jacket that allows then to expand at long range, they pretty much explode with no penetration. That doesn't sound like a good trade off to me.

 

[FEENIX]

No one bullet can please every end-user. I have pretty good experience with Berger bullets on deer and elk but nowhere near Jeff's success and hands on experience. Do a custom search on Berger 210/215 by BROZ and you'll see what I mean.

Cheers!

 

[Broz]

Well here is what I use. The 215 Berger Hybrid. Right now my 300 win is at 31 and 0 for first round kills on big game out to 1300 yards. Mostly elk. I trust this bullet to help me place it well with its high BC and have had good expansion down to impact velocity of 1700 fps on soft antelope. I logged the first 20 or so kills with documentation in this thread.
http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f19/comparing-berger-210-vld-215-hybrid-88657/

With 300 win muzzle velocities at around 3000 fps, don't expect exits to be common on elk until you get past 5 to 600 yards. However you may have some at the very close distances too. In that thread you can see for yourself the terminal damage that is most common to vitals. I place the bullet behind the front shoulder in the crease just below center mass and they don't go far at all.

I do inspect all the tips on my hunting rounds to be open all the way back to the lead which is about .400" with the 215. But I find very few that are clogged on the 215's. Still worth checking though. I use a small pin vice and wire drill. But a pin would also work for a quick check.

The short bearing surface of the Berger Hybrid should allow very good velocity from the 300 win. With H-1000 I have seen several with 26" barrels go 2950. 28" barrels at or just over 3000.

I want the bullet that will increase my odds all it can at the longer pokes , yet still get the job done at the closer shots. This is a hard combo to come up with and there are no perfect bullets to do all jobs. But the 215 works well for me and I have not had one failure. This year we hosted a management hunt for elk on the ranch I manage. We too 60+ elk during this season. Mostly with Berger Hybrids either 300 grain or 215. The results and terminal performance were great.

Look that thread over and see if the terminal performance of the 215 is suitable for your personal needs.

Jeff

 

[MTBULLET]

find the bullet YOUR rifle shoots best, practice-practice-practice, and put it in the boiler room. They ALL work if you place it right.

 

[QQQQQ]

Well here is what I use. The 215 Berger Hybrid. Right now my 300 win is at 31 and 0 for first round kills on big game out to 1300 yards. Mostly elk. I trust this bullet to help me place it well with its high BC and have had good expansion down to impact velocity of 1700 fps on soft antelope. I logged the first 20 or so kills with documentation in this thread.
http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f19/comparing-berger-210-vld-215-hybrid-88657/

With 300 win muzzle velocities at around 3000 fps, don't expect exits to be common on elk until you get past 5 to 600 yards. However you may have some at the very close distances too. In that thread you can see for yourself the terminal damage that is most common to vitals. I place the bullet behind the front shoulder in the crease just below center mass and they don't go far at all.

I do inspect all the tips on my hunting rounds to be open all the way back to the lead which is about .400" with the 215. But I find very few that are clogged on the 215's. Still worth checking though. I use a small pin vice and wire drill. But a pin would also work for a quick check.

The short bearing surface of the Berger Hybrid should allow very good velocity from the 300 win. With H-1000 I have seen several with 26" barrels go 2950. 28" barrels at or just over 3000.

I want the bullet that will increase my odds all it can at the longer pokes , yet still get the job done at the closer shots. This is a hard combo to come up with and there are no perfect bullets to do all jobs. But the 215 works well for me and I have not had one failure. This year we hosted a management hunt for elk on the ranch I manage. We too 60+ elk during this season. Mostly with Berger Hybrids either 300 grain or 215. The results and terminal performance were great.

Look that thread over and see if the terminal performance of the 215 is suitable for your personal needs.

Jeff

New to Berger so sorry for the extra questions, when I looked up Berger's website they have 3 different "categories" of bullets, orange box for hunting, yellow box for target, and white box for tactical. I could not find a 215 hybrid in the hunting bullets category. So is the 215 hybrid in the target or tactical categories?

 

[Broz]

New to Berger so sorry for the extra questions, when I looked up Berger's website they have 3 different "categories" of bullets, orange box for hunting, yellow box for target, and white box for tactical. I could not find a 215 hybrid in the hunting bullets category. So is the 215 hybrid in the target or tactical categories?

Yes, there is only one 215 in 30 cal. They are listed in the Target or Tac area. My personal feelings, and also now shared with several other that have documented results with this bullet is. The 215's tip is unique in the fact it has one of if not the largest void behind the tip. It is .400" deep to lead. I feel for whatever reason this has made this bullet special as far s great BC, accuracy, ease to work up loads and above all it has performed on game very very well for us. I killed my largest bull ever with them at 630+ yards from my 300 win. But do your own research and read that thread and see for yourself what they do in large game animals.

Jeff

 

[QQQQQ]

Wow that's allot of information there. It's hard to believe what people think are the best products out there in their opinion, but with as much field time as you put in it would be hard to argue against the 215 hybrid. One thing I didn't really see addressed was being an exploding type bullet do you have problems with finding shrapnel in your meat, or ruining to much meat?
Thanks for sharing the link by the way.

 

[Broz]

Elk is what we eat for meat. Along with a little deer and antelope. I have not had any issues with fragments. I would not call them "exploding" type bullets. But they do fragment off a good portion of their weight. I find that the fragments are usually contained to the vital area if I place it well. I also believe that meat loss is directly related to two things. Shot placement and impact velocity. I believe any bullet can and will ruin meat if it impacts with enough velocity. Its all about placement, stick it in the vital area and go ribs to ribs and meat loss will be a nonissue.

Jeff

 

[John-Pure Precision]

Jeff turned me on to the 230 OTM years ago and I have loved life since. I have over 25 one shot kills from 200 to 1142 yards with my 300 Dakota and 300 win. Only side effect is grape fruit sized exit holes and an animal you don't have to track

 

[Jaxdialation]

Yup! Jeff did a lot of homework for us. What might not be clear from all of the info he's posted is how easy it is to develop a load for the 215. Not since I loaded up my 260R have I experienced such an easy process! Just don't mess around, go with his loading experience. I think that means H1000 I use Federal 215 primers. Berger suggests starting at 70.5 and a max of 74 of H1000.

Good luck!

Wow that's allot of information there. It's hard to believe what people think are the best products out there in their opinion, but with as much field time as you put in it would be hard to argue against the 215 hybrid. One thing I didn't really see addressed was being an exploding type bullet do you have problems with finding shrapnel in your meat, or ruining to much meat?
Thanks for sharing the link by the way.

 

[cowboy]

Wow that's allot of information there. It's hard to believe what people think are the best products out there in their opinion, but with as much field time as you put in it would be hard to argue against the 215 hybrid.

Keep doing your research and continue to gather as much info as you can. If the 215 hybrid becomes your choice then send an email to Berger asking their opinion on using this bullet for hunting and see what you get for a response.