Time to Pick a Fight

[sjvcon]

Okay ... it's too calm on here, so I thought I'd pick a fight

 

What is your favorite long range hunting round and why? Stick to hunting rounds for deer-sized and/or elk sized game (specify which). No 50BMG's please ... we know they'll hit a grapefruit 2 miles away .

 

I'll start it out with my pick (for both deer and elk) ... I like the .300RUM for tragectory, energy at long ranges, and the selection of bullets. It's a little much gun at short ranges for our little Coues deer without making a mess, but it sure gets the job done. That said, there are a bunch of other great ones, and there's guys on here with a heck of a lot more knowledge than me ... love to hear their picks and reasons ... it'll help me decide what my next project gun will be . More techincal reasons than I listed from those with the knowledge to provide them are appreciated/welcomed.

 

Let the commentaries begin .

[TAM]

I shot a coues buck last year at 198 yards with my .300 rum and a 210 grain bullet. Wasn't a mess at all, just a perfect, quick, clean kill.

 

If a .300 is too much then step it down to a 6.5-284. It's probably one of the most accurate cartridges on the planet. With a high BC bullet a good rifleman could reach out to 800 yards plus.

 

There is also the tried and true 7mm Remington Mag or even the 7mm RUM. They've got some real high BC bullets available as well.

 

How about stepping it up from the .300 RUM??? Take a look at the ballistics on the .338's (Edge, Lapua, Snipe tac).

 

What ever caliber you choose, when it comes to long range stuff it's all about a high BC. I like JLK's and Bergers myself.

[Santana Outdoors]

.300 RUM 180 grain Accubond bullet does the job for us for coues at about any distance that we shoot. Much the same of what you said, too. Great gun and this 180 grain works for elk too.

 

Just our choice, Thanks.

[Couzer]

17 fireball

 

 

 

Just kidding, I do love my Fireball but I'll have to stick with my 300 RUM, I'm on my 2nd RUM, just finishing it up after over a year process of getting it put together. I have been shooting the RUM for over 6 years now and love everything about it. Berger 210 VLD's, has a decent BC.

[Codywhi]

415 grain goldtip 7595 apg camo..

[308Nut]

I will TRY and stay out of the caliber debate. What I will say is that the nature of coues bucks require high BC bullets if you are going to hunt them at longrange. The fact that they live in areas where the wind is very unpredictable and hardley ever still coupled with the ridiculously small vital zone, high BC bullets are where it is for those buggers. That said, I would be looking for 168-180 7mm pills, 208-210 30 cal pills, and 300 338 cal pills. The 338 may be concidered 'overkill' for coues bucks but the awesome real world results of the 300 grain pills is a real eye opener. They dont eat barrels quite like the 7mm either.

[sjvcon]

I will TRY and stay out of the caliber debate. What I will say is that the nature of coues bucks require high BC bullets if you are going to hunt them at longrange. The fact that they live in areas where the wind is very unpredictable and hardley ever still coupled with the ridiculously small vital zone, high BC bullets are where it is for those buggers. That said, I would be looking for 168-180 7mm pills, 208-210 30 cal pills, and 300 338 cal pills. The 338 may be concidered 'overkill' for coues bucks but the awesome real world results of the 300 grain pills is a real eye opener. They dont eat barrels quite like the 7mm either.

 

Yeah ... 338's are less affected by the wind as well ... especially getting up around 300 grains. One of the hunters I greatly respect swears by 338's, whether in a .338-06 (his prefered all around rifle), a .338 Win Mag or any of the bigger .338 Mags (which he has a few of). High energy at distance and less drift ... that's his reasoning.

 

Keep 'em coming folks ... I like the 415 grain Gold Tip comment too ... hadn't even thought of that, but there is "long range" in that venue as well. I go 28" Easton Axis 340 FMJ's with 100 Grain Montec's ... but my long range there stops at about 45 yards ... just don't like shooting farther than that when it comes to game ... targets a bit further, but they don't jump the string

[Codywhi]

I will TRY and stay out of the caliber debate. What I will say is that the nature of coues bucks require high BC bullets if you are going to hunt them at longrange. The fact that they live in areas where the wind is very unpredictable and hardley ever still coupled with the ridiculously small vital zone, high BC bullets are where it is for those buggers. That said, I would be looking for 168-180 7mm pills, 208-210 30 cal pills, and 300 338 cal pills. The 338 may be concidered 'overkill' for coues bucks but the awesome real world results of the 300 grain pills is a real eye opener. They dont eat barrels quite like the 7mm either.

 

Yeah ... 338's are less affected by the wind as well ... especially getting up around 300 grains. One of the hunters I greatly respect swears by 338's, whether in a .338-06 (his prefered all around rifle), a .338 Win Mag or any of the bigger .338 Mags (which he has a few of). High energy at distance and less drift ... that's his reasoning.

 

Keep 'em coming folks ... I like the 415 grain Gold Tip comment too ... hadn't even thought of that, but there is "long range" in that venue as well. I go 28" Easton Axis 340 FMJ's with 100 Grain Montec's ... but my long range there stops at about 45 yards ... just don't like shooting farther than that when it comes to game ... targets a bit further, but they don't jump the string

 

 

+1 anything past 45 is long range in the stick and string world... 45 is my limit on any game... i rather be good then lucky...

[Coach]

I'm not a long range hunter, but I like the .300 WSM for just about anything. I played around with the .300 Wby, and found it harder to reload, shoot consistently etc. There is definately a Weatherby camp. Some guys shoot their Weatherby rifles extremely well.

 

I know there are lots of RUM fans out there, and one thing the RUM's get you over the Weatherby is a beltless cartridge. The RUM's are sort-of-wildcats based on the .404 Jeffery round with greater powder capacity than even some of the better known belted cartridges. The concept behind the highly successful "Ultra Mag" is more powder in a beltless case.

 

It's interesting to note that Lazzeroni, the RUM and the WSM are based on the same case - the .404 Jeffery.

 

All of them took on the idea of stuffing a lot of gunpowder behind a .30 caliber bullet and making it do great things, and, in their own rights, all have succeeded. They've also adopted the same casing to put the same amount of powder behind smaller and smaller bullets.

 

The downside is burning that much powder eats barrels faster than standard cartridges.

 

I know a local gunsmith that has taken the .300 Ultra Mag and necked it down to .25 caliber and thinks it's the bomb. On the other hand, we have a history of buffalo hunters that shot huge .45/70 at long ranges with stunning accuracy.

 

All chamberings considered, I'd put the .300 WSM against pretty much anything short of a .338 Lapua.

[308Nut]

All of them took on the idea of stuffing a lot of gunpowder behind a .30 caliber bullet and making it do great things, and, in their own rights, all have succeeded. They've also adopted the same casing to put the same amount of powder behind smaller and smaller bullets.

 

The downside is burning that much powder eats barrels faster than standard cartridges.

 

Running top end loads in my last 300 RUM barrel, the throat torched out in just under 70 rounds. It steadily just got worse and worse. After nearly 500 rounds I finally threw in the towel and said to he!! with it and had it re-bored to the 338 Edge. After toying with a big 338, I cant see ever looking back at a big 300. More energy, less wind. So far, over 400 rounds without any noticable throat errosion or heat checking when examined through the Hawkeye borescope. I could see using a 300WSM or even a Win mag but that is about it.

 

M

[sjvcon]

All of them took on the idea of stuffing a lot of gunpowder behind a .30 caliber bullet and making it do great things, and, in their own rights, all have succeeded. They've also adopted the same casing to put the same amount of powder behind smaller and smaller bullets.

 

The downside is burning that much powder eats barrels faster than standard cartridges.

 

Running top end loads in my last 300 RUM barrel, the throat torched out in just under 70 rounds. It steadily just got worse and worse. After nearly 500 rounds I finally threw in the towel and said to he!! with it and had it re-bored to the 338 Edge. After toying with a big 338, I cant see ever looking back at a big 300. More energy, less wind. So far, over 400 rounds without any noticable throat errosion or heat checking when examined through the Hawkeye borescope. I could see using a 300WSM or even a Win mag but that is about it.

 

M

 

70 Rounds....man that's quick. I hope mine lasts longer. If it doesn't I might become an Edge convert too.

[308Nut]

All of them took on the idea of stuffing a lot of gunpowder behind a .30 caliber bullet and making it do great things, and, in their own rights, all have succeeded. They've also adopted the same casing to put the same amount of powder behind smaller and smaller bullets.

 

The downside is burning that much powder eats barrels faster than standard cartridges.

 

Running top end loads in my last 300 RUM barrel, the throat torched out in just under 70 rounds. It steadily just got worse and worse. After nearly 500 rounds I finally threw in the towel and said to he!! with it and had it re-bored to the 338 Edge. After toying with a big 338, I cant see ever looking back at a big 300. More energy, less wind. So far, over 400 rounds without any noticable throat errosion or heat checking when examined through the Hawkeye borescope. I could see using a 300WSM or even a Win mag but that is about it.

 

M

 

70 Rounds....man that's quick. I hope mine lasts longer. If it doesn't I might become an Edge convert too.

 

 

One interesting observation between factory and custom barrel in regards to the 300 RUM, it seems like the factory barrels last a bit longer. They are pretty rough to begin with. They actually 'wear in' and smooth out. They get better before they get worse. Using a premium custom, they are lapped to near perfection. Shooting them is not going to help them with any appreciable difference. They have only one place to go and that is down hill. When you ram rod bullets out of them at or near the 3400+ mark with nearly 100 grains of powder, they ussually go down hill pretty quick. Shoot a more balanced cartridge and they will last quite a long time.

 

Another large variable is barrel manufacturering proccess. Button pulled barrels have a reputation for standing up against barrel burners better than cut rifle barrels. The 'theory' is that when the button is pulled and the metal is displaced, it has a forging effect on the bore. Cut barrels are just that. Material is cut out of the bore to form the grooves. Having had 2 custom 300 RUM barrels, one cut and one button pulled, the button pulled barrel lasted quite a bit longer than the cut. 100% longer in fact. The throat still degraded very quickly but at twice the rounds fired. I had about 900 rounds in it before I called it quits. In both rifles, both of them continued to increase pressure and velocity over the life of the barrel. In the beginning, these increases happened VERY fast. For the cut barrel it started just under 70. Every thing was fine until then. After that I fired a few shots that steadily got faster until one shot and locked the bolt down and the velocity was off the chart (180 AB @ 3500FPS). A look through ny smith's bore scope showed the throat had erroded pretty badly. I had to reduce the charge a full 5 grains to keep the bolt from getting sticky. According to the barrel maker, the pressure and velocity came from the extra friction in the throat area. I kept having to drop powder charges every 20 rounds untill I hit 200 rounds. Then things settled down and I had to only drop a few tenths here and there every 60 or 70 rounds untill I gave up on it. Factory rifles are typically 'hammer forged'. My opinion is that part of the reason they last a bit longer is this reason coupled with the fact that they are rougher and wear in so to speak before they wear out. I had a cut barrel maker tell me that since both cut manufacturers and button pulled manufacturers 'stress' relieve their barrels after they are rifled that it did not make a bag of beans worth a difference, but there is an undeniable tack record of button pulled and factory barrels lasting longer than cut barrels when used with hyper velocity magnums among the longrange match, BR, hunter crowd.

 

The barrel maker inspected the barrel and found that it was normal for a 300 RUM but found some other defect he had a hard time explaning. He said the rockwell test came back perfect and offered to replace it due to the defect. Hence the reason for the 338 Edge.

 

M

[.270]

two-seven-dee, two-seven-dee, two-seven-dee. well, actually anything but a 7mm/08 is ok. Lark.

[sjvcon]

two-seven-dee, two-seven-dee, two-seven-dee. well, actually anything but a 7mm/08 is ok. Lark.

 

Hey now ... a 7-08 has its uses. Pretty darn good caliber for starting a youngster off. No worse than a .308 other than bullet weight/selection and downrange knockdown. Probably not great when you are reaching out to the long shots, but not a bad medium range caliber. I'll admit it's no .270 ...

[firstcoueswas80]

I dig my .257 wby a lot, I dig my .270 wsm alot, I think I am going to spend some more time with my dads 7 RUM.