Ibex Hunt 2020 which Projectile for .300 Win Mag

avon7

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Feb 2, 2013
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My hunt is in kyrgyzstan next November and my rifle is a Christensen Arms Carbon Classic with a 4-16x50 F1 in Tally Mounts.

I have not really done a lot of long range hunting, to be honest I prefer to get as close as possible. I did test the rifle on a Fallow doe at 385 yards and that was fine. I can also consistently hit steel at 550 yards at my local range.
With the Ibex hunt shots are expected to be between 250 and 600 yards. I'm sure I wont be shooting past 550 yards.
I have used barnes TSX 165 grain bullets in the past and my preference would be Barnes however my understanding is that they are not great for long range due to the Vendor supplying fairly inaccurate and optimistic G1 and G7 data.
Also I want to use the Hornady App for load development prior to having a ballistic turret or tape made before the trip.
I hear a lot about Berger bullets and Hornandy has data for them in the App so i'm tempted to try them.
What would readers here suggest and why?

Cheers
 
My hunt is in kyrgyzstan next November and my rifle is a Christensen Arms Carbon Classic with a 4-16x50 F1 in Tally Mounts.

I have not really done a lot of long range hunting, to be honest I prefer to get as close as possible. I did test the rifle on a Fallow doe at 385 yards and that was fine. I can also consistently hit steel at 550 yards at my local range.
With the Ibex hunt shots are expected to be between 250 and 600 yards. I'm sure I wont be shooting past 550 yards.
I have used barnes TSX 165 grain bullets in the past and my preference would be Barnes however my understanding is that they are not great for long range due to the Vendor supplying fairly inaccurate and optimistic G1 and G7 data.
Also I want to use the Hornady App for load development prior to having a ballistic turret or tape made before the trip.
I hear a lot about Berger bullets and Hornandy has data for them in the App so i'm tempted to try them.
What would readers here suggest and why?

Cheers

I suggest you spend a great deal of time on Youtube looking at Ibex hunting videos from the area. This will be a big challenge for you.

If I were in your shoes I'd load up on the 183gr Peregrine VLR 5. It is the most reliable bullet I have ever shot for a combination of accuracy and terminal performance.

Behind it would fall the Hornady Interbond, Barnes LRX, and Nosler Accubond.

There is no way on earth I would risk such a hunt on Bergers.

The Ibex is "just a goat" but they are a very stout hevily muscled animal with solid bone and in the fall/early winter a substantial load of fat as well.

Cross ridge and cross canyon shots in the 400-600m range are common and particularly later in the year once the snows start winds can be pretty brutal.

Best of Luck, I am envious, that is one of my dream hunts.
 
I suggest you spend a great deal of time on Youtube looking at Ibex hunting videos from the area. This will be a big challenge for you.

If I were in your shoes I'd load up on the 183gr Peregrine VLR 5. It is the most reliable bullet I have ever shot for a combination of accuracy and terminal performance.

Behind it would fall the Hornady Interbond, Barnes LRX, and Nosler Accubond.

There is no way on earth I would risk such a hunt on Bergers.

The Ibex is "just a goat" but they are a very stout hevily muscled animal with solid bone and in the fall/early winter a substantial load of fat as well.

Cross ridge and cross canyon shots in the 400-600m range are common and particularly later in the year once the snows start winds can be pretty brutal.

Best of Luck, I am envious, that is one of my dream hunts.

Thanks a lot for the advice. I should have mentioned, I'm not an inexperienced Mountain Hunter. Im an Ex pat NZer living in Australia now. I grew up hunting Chamois and Tahr in the Southern Alps of NZ it's just that quite often in NZ shots are not that far. I have never had to shoot a Tahr past 200 yards and same goes for Chamois. I know that the Ibex hunt means that the shot will be most likely minimum 300 yards.
There will be a lot of challenges with the Ibex hunt aside from the actual shooting, Staying warm and dealing with that altitude to name just a couple...
 
Thanks a lot for the advice. I should have mentioned, I'm not an inexperienced Mountain Hunter. Im an Ex pat NZer living in Australia now. I grew up hunting Chamois and Tahr in the Southern Alps of NZ it's just that quite often in NZ shots are not that far. I have never had to shoot a Tahr past 200 yards and same goes for Chamois. I know that the Ibex hunt means that the shot will be most likely minimum 300 yards.
There will be a lot of challenges with the Ibex hunt aside from the actual shooting, Staying warm and dealing with that altitude to name just a couple...

If you're lucky much of the "hunt" will be done horseback. Most of the outfitters there do a pretty darn good job of keeping the hunt within tolerances for the hunter.

Email the guys over at Peregrine and see if they can get you some of their latest VLR5's.

Be sure to let them know the twist rate on your barrel as mono's get long in a hurry and require a tighter twist than taditional bullets.

I shoot them in both my 300wm's and 300 Rum's. What I have are the 183gr. They fly better than their BC in the wind. Here in Texas we deal with a whole lot of wind about 250 days a year so that's an important consideration.

If you can't get them the Interbond and LRX are great choices but I have yet to find anything that gives me as close to idea terminal performance at any range than the Peregrine. They have a specialized design in their nose that makes it essentially a shape charge that is powered by extremely high pressure compressed air on impact so no matter what they open.

The few I've recovered end up looking "stove piped" and mushroomed to anywhere from 1.5-+2.5x bullet diameter.

I tend to get golf ball sized exits no matter the range or what they hit with massive internal damage but very little meat loss even with spine/shoulder hits.
 
Those distances and that cartridge are ideal for a 215 Berger. They kill elk and about everything else.
If it were my money, I'd have complete confidence. I also say an accubond is never the wrong answer.

Good luck.
 
I personally believe anyone telling you not to use a Berger 215 has never even shot an animal with one. I have never seen a bullet even close to it in terminal performance. Easy to load for, very accurate and super deadly. There is absolutely no way I have just been lucky with the number of game I have taken with it. That stag in my avatar was killed with it and I made a horrible shot on the animal. The 215 anchored the animal allowing me a second chance to make it right. When you put the bullet in the lungs I have never had an animal take a step. I have heart shot a few animals that made it ~50 yards. There is no doubt in my mind I would be taking a 215.
 
I personally believe anyone telling you not to use a Berger 215 has never even shot an animal with one. I have never seen a bullet even close to it in terminal performance. Easy to load for, very accurate and super deadly. There is absolutely no way I have just been lucky with the number of game I have taken with it. That stag in my avatar was killed with it and I made a horrible shot on the animal. The 215 anchored the animal allowing me a second chance to make it right. When you put the bullet in the lungs I have never had an animal take a step. I have heart shot a few animals that made it ~50 yards. There is no doubt in my mind I would be taking a 215.

You would be wrong and that's in incredibly ignorant and arrogant comment.
 
You would be wrong and that's in incredibly ignorant and arrogant comment.


Ya, after 40-50 dead animals I must have just gotten the only good Bergers. You will never change my mind. There is no way my Bergers drop animals in there tracks while yours run off. That idea is ridiculous. Shots from 10 yards to 800.
 
Ya, after 40-50 dead animals I must have just gotten the only good Bergers. You will never change my mind. There is no way my Bergers drop animals in there tracks while yours run off. That idea is ridiculous. Shots from 10 yards to 800.

I'm not trying to change your mind. I also shoot that many animals a month or more most months so I have a much broader experience and different criteria when it comes to terminal performance.

Shoot what makes you happy but don't accuse others of being dishonest when they are only trying to give sound advice based on their own experiences.
 
I'm not trying to change your mind. I also shoot that many animals a month or more most months so I have a much broader experience and different criteria when it comes to terminal performance.

Shoot what makes you happy but don't accuse others of being dishonest when they are only trying to give sound advice based on their own experiences.

I'm not looking to get into keyboard fight with you or anyone else. I would seriously like to understand your experience or how you came to the conclusion that the 215 Berger is anything less than a stellar performing bullet.
Broz has documented with pics something like 100+ elk/deer -rfurman has another 50+ animals- and I/many others have shot them with great performance. My buddy even killed a bull elk and the cow ~20 yards behind it with one shot.
What do you do or what have they done that you recommend not using them. Again, I ask the question respectfully.
 
It's a funny old thing this Berger debate. You know what I have heard just too many mixed reports to risk it for a trip like this
I remember back in the early 90s when people were swearing about Nosler Ballistic Tips in the day. How they were so great for hunting etc. And then i met hunting guides that would not let their hunters use them.
Not saying the Bergers are anything like that but i'm just hearing too many mixed opinions to risk them...
 
Me and my hunting partner have killed moose, a animal I believe to be just as tough as an Ibex, mostly with Nosler 210 LRAB , thu at least one Moose and one Elk fell to a 300 win mag shooting 190 Berger's, shoot whatever YOU are comfortable with that shoot well out of your rifle, confidence in your setup is a great asset, just my 2 cents
 
My hunt is in kyrgyzstan next November and my rifle is a Christensen Arms Carbon Classic with a 4-16x50 F1 in Tally Mounts.

I have not really done a lot of long range hunting, to be honest I prefer to get as close as possible. I did test the rifle on a Fallow doe at 385 yards and that was fine. I can also consistently hit steel at 550 yards at my local range.
With the Ibex hunt shots are expected to be between 250 and 600 yards. I'm sure I wont be shooting past 550 yards.
I have used barnes TSX 165 grain bullets in the past and my preference would be Barnes however my understanding is that they are not great for long range due to the Vendor supplying fairly inaccurate and optimistic G1 and G7 data.
Also I want to use the Hornady App for load development prior to having a ballistic turret or tape made before the trip.
I hear a lot about Berger bullets and Hornandy has data for them in the App so i'm tempted to try them.
What would readers here suggest and why?

Cheers


The inaccurate BCs won't really matter inside of 600 yards any way. If you like he Barnes, and they are my #1 bullet, I'd recommend you try the 168TTSX or the 175LRX instead of the 165 TSX. Not only do they have a higher BC but IMO they expand a little faster. If you like the Barnes, shoot them.

The Accubond is always near the top of my list.
 
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