Killing Elk out to 1000 yards with a 300 WM

[VLD Pilot]

If he dropped at the shot then got up and kept going, I'd bet on a high shot. A meat shot just below the spine. Enough shock to drop them, but no vitals to kill them. I like the 215 Berger but I did see one pencil hole through a cow. Luckily it was a heart shot and she went less than 100yds still. All most of us use is Bergers, but they don't drop elk with a good shot usually. A heart or lung shot with a Berger is typically a 50 yd run and they fall over. When I see one drop, its hit high enough to shock the spine.
I have heard reports on bullet failures from customers literally on every bullet on the market. I think is just very hard to make a bullet work from point blank to 1000yds.

Good opinion for sure. Hitting just under the spine puts the bullet in the Chops. That's a non-lethal hit but one that definitely looks deadly from a distance.

 

[VLD Pilot]

You have proven my point. Hunting game with target bullets is reprehensible and irresponsible. The only "game" shot with target bullets is humans by snipers.

Fake news !!!

 

[VLD Pilot]

I've used SMKs, VLD target, Amax, ELDMs and Scenars for hunting big game. Started out on some doe eradication hunts and they all performed excellently. Some very frangible others perform like bonded bullets surprisingly. Probably why the guys don't like them because there not consistent. Where they are consistent is in accuracy and killing. They kill fast for sure. I don't like the fragmentation many time but it comes with quick kills. I'll take that over dependable consistent bullet expansion and mushroomed bullets since they hit the bullseye at extreme ranges Everytime. My Partitions or Hot Cors can't make the ranges often shot. Neither can many boat-tail hunting bullets (labeled). The saying don't fix what isn't broke works here. Keep using what kills fast and hits where you aim. At close range I do prefer Partitions and other labeled hunting bullets that are not low drag style bullets.

 

[BillLarson]

Thanks for sharing and congrats on a job well done.
I'm ashamed to say it but I hit a real nice 6x6 this season at 800 yards in the lungs and rear shoulder with two 175 ABLRs.
That bull rolled down the mountain then got up and left the country.
He bled very little, and it dried up completely within a few hundred yards.
I tracked him for two days in the snow, and miles later eventually lost the trail.

My spotter confirmed that both shots were right in the vitals, all I can come up with is that the bullets didn't expand violently enough to cause much internal damage.

This was an eye opening experience for me, I've never lost an animal that was hard hit.
I was pretty down on hunting with non bonded bullets but for LR I'll be using Bergers from here on out.

Great story and great lesson.At least you were man enough to track for a few days.It is a heartbreaking experience, i,I, been there....it,s awful.What is that bullet ablr,able, my ignorance...

 

[Calvin45]

Great story and great lesson.At least you were man enough to track for a few days.It is a heartbreaking experience, i,I, been there....it,s awful.What is that bullet ablr,able, my ignorance...

Accubond long range

 

[Mike Matteson]

That it is a heartbreaking experience to lose one. Been there and done that. While hunting and I come across somebody else that hit one. I will stop my hunt processed to help them out to track there animal down. Some I have won, and other I have lost. I don't like to see anybody lose an animal. Shot placement is the name of the game, an even with that, the animal will still run some.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

When it comes to spotting your hits through a scope, you can be a mile off and think it was perfect. You can think you are making a hole in the dirt, and when you move over to the target paper, your not so excited. I can pretty much guarantee your rifle will shoot way smaller groups on a rock or be way closer to aim point on an animal than it will be on a paper target. Do not be impressed by rock or plate shooting. If you can't measure the group or distance from aim point, you dont know. The first 2000yd match I shot I was just dropping them right in there on the dirt berm. Sure looked good! 50"+ once I went to paper. Every long range shooter I know that shoots often knows it.

 

[sp6x6]

Magnum Mnaniac,Interesting to hear on the 300.Have many friends local that shoot as I 338NM, I rarely hear of pencil unless its beyond 1200. Ive been shooting the 300 OTM for ten years with devistating results,its almost too much.I tried a badlands 240 this year on a shot,for less damage and try something else.I use the 338 NM for all hunting and its a bit much. Im in a valley from which alot of firearms are made,Proof,Defiance is 200 yrds from my house.So I know alot of guys shooting big 338's,and there just power houses,guys I know are guides and other very avid hunters. I like my rifle and wind bucking and think,what if i have a long shot? So mainly use,or my other 338NM heh

 

[VLD Pilot]

Magnum Mnaniac,Interesting to hear on the 300.Have many friends local that shoot as I 338NM, I rarely hear of pencil unless its beyond 1200. Ive been shooting the 300 OTM for ten years with devistating results,its almost too much.I tried a badlands 240 this year on a shot,for less damage and try something else.I use the 338 NM for all hunting and its a bit much. Im in a valley from which alot of firearms are made,Proof,Defiance is 200 yrds from my house.So I know alot of guys shooting big 338's,and there just power houses,guys I know are guides and other very avid hunters. I like my rifle and wind bucking and think,what if i have a long shot? So mainly use,or my other 338NM heh

Ya my buddy's a big shotgun shooter too. He's been running at the mouth how easy it's been finding all his reloading supplies also till recently. Now he says primers and certain supplies are GONE. I told him the supply will end since the demand is much greater now. He's feeling the pain now.