Medium Range Big Game Build

[Autorotate19]

I recently picked up a custom gun for super cheap. I would like to turn it into a medium range elk and deer gun (800 yards) that would be easy to pack. Currently it is .308 with a straight heavy barrel that is way to heavy to pack around. The way it sits currently Remington short action, Jewell Trigger, Mcmillan HTG stock with adjustable cheek rest, Badger Ordinance bottom metal. I was thinking of having it rebarreled to 300 WSM or 7mm WSM in a 24" barrel fluted #5 contour with no muzzle brake. What do you guys think?

 

[HARPERC]

It would depend on which bullet weight I wanted. As it looks like you're trying to keep weight down a bit and no break, I'd go with the 7mm as it tends to have better BC, and sectional density with bullets in the 160-180 grain range.

Nothing wrong with the 300's, but in my opinion, the 300's only really start to shine with bullets 200 grains and up.

 

[jpd676]

I have a Remington LTR (20") in .308. I decided to load the 208 Amax just to see what would happen. They are moving 2400 fps and are deadly accurate. Run the numbers with that, but it would fill the bill for a medium game hunting rifle out to 800 yards. I shot a mule deer at 420 this year and it was lights out. Just throwing that out as an option. The only problem is my rifle is a single shot with this load, but lighting doesn't need to strike the same place twice.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

IMO, making an 800 yd elk out of a short action is stretching it a little. It can be done but it's pushing the edge a little. The WSM case is the one that would do best. I would pick the 300 over the 7 because we are talking elk. The 7 can do it but the 300 can do it better and the 300 WSM is very capable of shooting larger than 200 gr bullets very well. With RL17 I pushed 210 Bergers @ 2930 out of a 24 3/8ths barrel. Add 2" of barrel and shoot 215's which are a little faster than the 210's and you're looking @ 3000 fps with a .7 BC bullet.

That said, if you want to load as a repeater and seat close to the lands you'll need a short throat and your bullets will encroach on a lot of case space. I loaded mine out to the lands which prevented putting any more than one down. I was able to put one down with it's nose above the box and have a 2 shot configuration.

If I build a 300 WSM, or any WSM, it will be on a long action. I did just that with a 6.5 WSM on a standard Vanguard action.

 

[Autorotate19]

I talked to my smith and he said I would have a hard time seating bullets to mag length without using up case volume with a short action and the wsm case. I think I may just re barrel it to a .308 with a lighter fluted barrel.

 

[minute of elk]

7 wsm or saum- you can run 162 amaxs at saami coal for 2925+ fps & good terminal performance, and you might be able to run Berger 168 classics (no personal experience with them, but they look good so far....)

300 wsm- 208 amaxs at 2900+ will get it done nicely

 

[angus-5024]

Even if you have to short throat it, with the powder capacity loss to fit the mag you will still be smoking a .308 win with any of the WSM or SAUM cases... or the .284 win case.lightbulb

If it were me I would build a 7 WSM/SAUM with a 24" tube and go kill stuff without lugging a huge rifle or worrying about having marginal ballistics.

 

[TOM H]

I talked to my smith and he said I would have a hard time seating bullets to mag length without using up case volume with a short action and the wsm case. I think I may just re barrel it to a .308 with a lighter fluted barrel.

You can get the Wyatt magazine box install that get you almost 3.000" OAL. You can take a Berger 185gr VLD bullet 1.378" long seat it in a 300WSM case and the base of the bullet at the start of the shoulder over all length is less than 3.000".

If it was me I'd get some cases and bullets that you want to shoot see what you come up with and your gunsmith should be able to throat for those bullets. My new 300WSM cases are 2.050" long.

!80gr Nosler AB is 1.380" long and if you were to use SAAMI spec OAL load density may be a problem. It would be ideal to use action little longer than short action but been happy with result for Kreiger and Broughton barrel 300WSM.

 

[Autorotate19]

I talked to him today about doing a 7 saum or 7 wsm with the wyatt's box. He said he would see what he could do and get back to me.