It depends. There are always going to be uncontrollable variables shooting at game animals in the field. If the critter is angling a little, then the vitals require more penetration to reach, simple trigonometry.

Would you shoot an elk deliberately with a full metal jacket? Nosler says the 140 grain Accubond will expand down to 1800 fps. Anything less than that amounts to using an FMJ. So look at their chart and see how far you hold at least 1800 fps with a 2850 fps muzzle velocity. That's your absolute limit, doesn't matter how accurate you are, that's as far away as your bullet can possibly perform as designed when it hits meat.

What sort of accuracy can you actually deliver 100% of the time in the field? Depending on terrain, you may be forced to shoot from a position where your limit is 50 yards (offhand wobbly rifle in one hand the other holding onto a tree), or 200 yards (kneeling?) or 350 yards (prone with no rest, just elbows) ... still keeping in mind the limits of the bullet's velocity and how well it will or won't penetrate depending on angle and position the elk is standing.

See how it gets to be pretty hard to say, arbitrarily, what will or won't work? I can't write you any guarantees. I'm sure regardless of what happens at the rifle range, my limit with that setup is probably not over 300 yards and I'd be way more comfortable at 175.

Tom


Anyone who thinks there's two sides to everything hasn't met a M�bius strip.

Here be dragons ...