Long Range Elk Gun Advise

[buster1250]

I'm looking for a gun that will be able to take an elk @ 1500+ yards. I've been doing alot of reading about the .338Edge, and the .338Lapua, both seem like good options, but i'm on a pretty slim budget. Seems like the popular idea is to buy a Savage rifle, rebarrel, new stock, and maybe a better trigger. Problem is, season starts in about 60 days, and the few barrel companies that I've called are about 10-12 weeks out on a barrel. So, the local Sportsman's has one of the new Savage Model 110 FCP HS in .338Lapua for $1250. Does anyone have any experience with them? Will it shoot accurate enough out of the box to kill an elk @ 1500+ yards? How long will the barrel last? Any "factory" ammo available that will do the trick? Any advise on the Savage, or other options would be a great help.

 

[Broz]

My advice to you would be try an elk at 600 or 800 yards first.

Thanks
Jeff

 

[Rimfire]

My advice to you would be try an elk at 600 or 800 yards first.

Thanks
Jeff

Thank you, I was about to say something that might of ****ed off some people.

 

[buster1250]

Shot one last year @ 850 yards w/ my .308? Looking to make the leap into the big leagues.lightbulb

 

[webs]

The lower end 338's would be pushing it for 1500+ yds. If you wanted a 1500+ rifle you might be best served with a 338-378, 338 Allen Magnum or anything based off the Cheytac case.

Realistically do you have a place to shoot this far to practice?

 

[Franklin]

Don't take this the wrong way, but if you have to ask that question, you're not ready to be shooting at a critter that far. There is just a tiny difference in shooting 850 compared to 1500+.

 

[barnesuser28]

Here, i started this thread. But i agree with the other posts that you need to put in a lot of practice for a 1500+ shot. Broz soots longrange a lot and he hasnt killed an elk at 1500+. Yet. http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f17/savage-110-fcp-hs-338-lapua-accuracy-92213/

 

[buster1250]

I posted looking for advice, and information to help with my long range hunting goals. Funny to me that the only real help I get is from a 13 year old.

 

[Broz]

I posted looking for advice, and information to help with my long range hunting goals. Funny to me that the only real help I get is from a 13 year old.

Well Sir, to be quite honest we as long range hunters always put the animal first. Not trying to beat you up, just give good advice. You see, it was your first post. You stated you "have been reading" about a couple rifles. And you asked these questions looking for a factory rifle and factory ammo to take an elk at 1500 yards. You didn't say you had taken one at 850, but even then that is a whole differen't world than taking an elk at a distance approaching a mile. So don't be suprised if people that may have good solid advice for you ask more questions first. Maybe what you wanted to hear was, "Hell ya! buy that 110 Savage and grab a box of 250 gr factory ammo, dial the scope up 43.5 MOA and give her 1 moa left for spin drift and let her fly. 1500 yard DTR elk every time" Sorry man, but that is not what you need to hear. If you want solid advice, be willing to take it even if it is not what you want to hear. I have 1500 rounds through my 338 LM with 300 gr bullets to 2000 plus yards. Many many elk kills, have taken a few elk at over 1100, but let me tell you it takes a commitment. Not buy a factory rifle, factory ammo and practic a few weekends and go. I think you have more reading to do on the subject and a whole lot of shooting before you are ready to take an elk at 1500.

So, welcome to the forum. There are many many guys here that will give good advice and offer to help. But, like I said before, any true long range hunter looks out for the animal first. That is all anyone was trying to do. If you really want help, we would be glad to help you. But if you do not want to take honest advice, I am sorry I will pass.

Jeff

 

[Mike 338]

I'm looking for a gun that will be able to take an elk @ 1500+ yards. I've been doing alot of reading about the .338Edge, and the .338Lapua, both seem like good options, but i'm on a pretty slim budget. Seems like the popular idea is to buy a Savage rifle, rebarrel, new stock, and maybe a better trigger. Problem is, season starts in about 60 days, and the few barrel companies that I've called are about 10-12 weeks out on a barrel. So, the local Sportsman's has one of the new Savage Model 110 FCP HS in .338Lapua for $1250. Does anyone have any experience with them? Will it shoot accurate enough out of the box to kill an elk @ 1500+ yards? How long will the barrel last? Any "factory" ammo available that will do the trick? Any advise on the Savage, or other options would be a great help.

Naw, no personal advice for 1500+ elk gun. I'm with the "over 13 crowd" on this one.

 

[barnesuser28]

I am not saying that he should go ahead and shoot an elk at 1500 with factory ammo, he asked for a review of the savage so i gave him mine.

 

[trebark]

Sorry that you're not necessarily getting the advice you are looking for, but to open with a question about taking elk at 1500+ and you have 60 days before the season starts....that's not good and concerns many of us that anyone would think in 60days they could develop 1500yard shooting proficiency. Do you really think it's that easy?

To put that in perspective, I started longrange shooting and hunting about five years ago. It wasn't until I had about four years of experience that I felt I had the skills and gear to make a reliable longrange (read: 600+) shot.

So, are there rifles out there that are 1500 yard capable - yes.

Do any of us on this board want an inexperienced hunting wounding a majestic animal like an elk - no.

Do any of us on this board want an inexperienced hunter in the field making the rest of us look bad? No.

I would encourage you to ask about rifle/cartridge recommendations that you could pick up this year in preparation for your hunt NEXT year.

 

[angus-5024]

When I started my Long range hunting endevor The big thing was 1000 yards. Everyone thought that would be unbelievable. Then "Best of the west" came out and started dropping animals at around that magic 1k mark. Now that the boys at Gunwerks have a good system going (very expensive sytem) everyone thinks that their Walmart special can do the same thing. It drives me nuts. (kudos to the Davidsns by the way).

I have freinds that have said they have shot game at 600 yards, they "ranged" it. I go shooting with them thinking maybe I've found someone that I can share my passion with. Set out a target at 600 yards and they shoot 5 rounds at it withouth getting on the 4'x4' backstop. After hearing them say something like "musta bumped my scope''or similar a few times I just give up.

1500 yards is far. reloading far. custom work far. knowing what cartige to use far.

just wondering... do you know what bullet you were using for that 850 yards elk??? impact velocity? TOF? Azmith? Relative humdity? Angle of incline?
These things are huge factors at 1500 yards.

Im curious what your impact velocity would have been on that bull at 850... and was it above the expansion threshold?

Ive never shot game past 600 yards. a fair number of rocks out to 1100, but no elk.

Sorry that it came off like I got a case of the grumps, its just the truth. I honestly wish you a warm welcome to longrangehunting.com. I just want to see more people succeeding and less tall tales.

 

[Joe King]

1500yrds compares to 850 about like 850 compares to 200. With the proportion of variables and effects increasing at about the same rate.

What ever you decide to do as far a the loudenboomer goes, learn the gun and round and when you get to feeling froggy set out some milk jugs way the hellngone out there and when you figure out how far you can hit one on the 1st cold bore shot of the day every day regardless of conditions you'll know how far you have a chance at killing a biggame animal with the 1st shot.

A good place to start to get there is getting and reading this book
Book