Best caliber for big game at 400 plus yards
- Thread starter ThePewPlug
- Start date
7PRC would be my choice. I'm sure it's not the best, but more than effective enough.
300 wsm, 300 win mag, 300 prc. Shooting a Berger 215 hybrid
Depends on what kind of elk hunting; guided on a giant private ranch, horse back on public land, or solo backpacking?
Personally, I’ve killed two with the good old 7 mag, both under 100 yards. Third was killed with a 300 win mag. I like the 30 Cal’s better with a good bonded bullet or a Partition if they shoot well in your gun. I just put together a 300 WSM with a 20” barrel and carbon stock just for this purpose for a backpack hunt this fall.
Good luck with your choice.
Personally, I’ve killed two with the good old 7 mag, both under 100 yards. Third was killed with a 300 win mag. I like the 30 Cal’s better with a good bonded bullet or a Partition if they shoot well in your gun. I just put together a 300 WSM with a 20” barrel and carbon stock just for this purpose for a backpack hunt this fall.
Good luck with your choice.
Around here you're going to get a wild variety of answers from 223 to 338 Lapua and likely stir up an argument of "don't shoot animals that far away" vs "I shoot animals at 800 yards all the time".
A 7mm or 30 cal shooting a properly constructed, heavy-for-caliber bullet at 2700+ fps will get the job done. 7 SAUM, 280 AI, 7 Back Country, 7 Rem Mag, 7 PRC, 300 WSM, 300 Win Mag, 300 PRC, 300 Norma...any of them will do it. I'm building a 7mm Sherman Short at the moment, and if I got the chance to go elk hunting that's probably the rifle I would take.
A 7mm or 30 cal shooting a properly constructed, heavy-for-caliber bullet at 2700+ fps will get the job done. 7 SAUM, 280 AI, 7 Back Country, 7 Rem Mag, 7 PRC, 300 WSM, 300 Win Mag, 300 PRC, 300 Norma...any of them will do it. I'm building a 7mm Sherman Short at the moment, and if I got the chance to go elk hunting that's probably the rifle I would take.
The 300 winmag will take anything in the americas pole to pole , very popular in off the rack makers and there is a great choice of ammo . Recoil is noticeable with 220 gr and above but its a man-gun and chicks dig magnums lol .
I have used a lot of different calibers and cartridges to kill elk 6.8spc (close range) and 260 rem being the smallest 338 Lapua and 45 caliber smokeless muzzleloader being the largest. Several with my 6.5SS in the 350-550 yard range.
300wsm with 208 Amax and 338 Lapua with 230 eldx would be my pick.
300wsm with 208 Amax and 338 Lapua with 230 eldx would be my pick.
i got elk a few years back with tikka 300 wsm (fed 180 trophy bonded tips) at 200 and 400yds and didn't feel overgunned at all. going again this year and it will be the 300wsm again, or 7prc (also tikka), not sure which yet. the hornady factory eld-x loads (200g for the 300 and 175g for the 7prc) are the most accurate but have heard mixed results on those bullets on elk, so not sure on the loads either.
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It's just a big deer. It's not any tougher or more bullet resistant. @400+ the most important thing is that A. it shoots straight, and B. if you're traveling to get there you can buy ammo at a gas station if you're reduced to shooting Core-Lokts for some unforeseen reason.
People asking these kinds of questions have no business taking shots on any game past 400.
that's probably pretty accurate. I don't see many people who own a Kestrel asking this kind of question, and you have zero business shooting an animal that far without a good understanding of wind, temp tables and a Kestrel.
Hes not wrong. 6.5C will easily kill anything in north America inside of 500 yards. I probably wouldn't pick it for polar bear or moose, but something like a 300wsm is perfect for those. 6.5mm has been the go too big game cartridge in Europe for over a 100 years.
The most successful hunter I know stopped shooting the big magnums years ago. A house full of trophies. 6.5C gets it done. His 360 class bull from 2 years ago is sitting on the wall, killed with a 143gr eldx at 560y.
The vast majority of people cannot shoot non magnums competently. Now throw extra recoil and they are not doing themselves any favors. Sometimes, Less is more. Experienced hunters and shooters know this.
Those that don't, spout shit like 338WM and 338L or using big 30 cal magnums on fucking deer, which is ludicrous.
I drew a pretty hard to get Mule tag in Montana this year. Going with a group of guys. Most of them don't understand reticles, turrets, have kestrels and claimed they are just going to zero at 200 and hold zero.......
This is your AVERAGE hunter. Now i will school these guys up and do a crash course before we head out this fall but most won't.
As much shit as we give each other, this is the top 1% of shooters/hunters.
i think he said springfield 30.06 THEE fudd gun which i happen to own from 1944 lol
the "what is the best scope for under 500 yard shots " is next
My 11yo son took a lot of animals with a 6.5CM running 129SST superperformace loads. None of his shots were over 300 yards. Some animals much bigger than moose (would not push my luck or his with a polar bear).
Walked away from that trip with a completely different respect for the 6.5CM. (Have been shooting it since it's release).
.338 makes stuff more deader faster if you are comfortable with it and can carry it.
I'd take something I am damn familiar with for a big trip, something that gets shot a lot... not the safe queen with 1 ride a year on her.
I'd think most any of the popular rounds will do the job just fine if you can run it well. Some just give more margin for weather etc.
I'd take something I am damn familiar with for a big trip, something that gets shot a lot... not the safe queen with 1 ride a year on her.
I'd think most any of the popular rounds will do the job just fine if you can run it well. Some just give more margin for weather etc.
If you are serious about mastering ethical 400+ yard shots on an animal, then cartridge choice comes down to minimizing the wind call error on a cold bore shot. Drop is academic. A Kestrel is a useful but imperfect tool up high in elk country where the wind vectors are all over the place.
A 215 Berger at 3000+ (e.g. 30 Nosler) gets blown around noticeably less than a 140 Berger at 2750 (6.5CM). There is more margin for error.
Too much discussion about terminal ballistics. The rationale for a magnum cartridge is more about external ballistics when you only get one guess at the wind and the consequences of a mistake are a maimed animal.
A 215 Berger at 3000+ (e.g. 30 Nosler) gets blown around noticeably less than a 140 Berger at 2750 (6.5CM). There is more margin for error.
Too much discussion about terminal ballistics. The rationale for a magnum cartridge is more about external ballistics when you only get one guess at the wind and the consequences of a mistake are a maimed animal.
You are correct. It’s not that difficult, but few hunters bother to understand the basics of ballistics and the tools to be reliably accurate.
