I thought this might be a fun twist on gun selection... Instead of picking "the best caliber for deer", or "the best antelope rifle", I'll lay out a situation, and you pick your ideal rifle for those conditions.

To avoid a pisssin' contest, let's all just assume the shooter is someone who practices often and can make the shot presented.

Situation:

Quarry: Bull Elk (let's shoot for the moon and say he's 380"+)
Animal's demeanor: feeding & calm
Animals orientation: ever so slightly quartering towards you
Terrain: Open sage country (assume you can't get closer)
Distance: 510 yards
Shooter position/rest: Prone across the hunters back pack
Shooter demeanor: Calm as one could be when shooting at a 380" bull
Wind: little to no wind, assume 0-5 mph
Temperature: 30 degrees Fahrenheit
Other weather notes: No snow, but the weather man says that it will (they're never right... or are they?).

Well, there you have it... I have my own opinion, but let's hear which gun/ammo combo you would you want in this situation...

30.06

Hopefully the one you can shoot accurately with confidence with a verified dope past the specified distance.

Personally I would like to have a .284 or larger entry hole propelled from a long action cartridge.

It has been done countless times with less but that is what I would prefer.

Favorite include: 280AI, 30-06, 7RM or the big 338LM if I humped it up the mountain.

222 magnum.... Oh wait, no one shoots magnums well...

7mm Remington Magnum, 150gr TTSX. Similar situation on my 2015 moose hunt, love it when a plan comes together.



Cheers!

Ruger 77 HE All Weather 338 WM. I'm intimately familiar with this rifle and and cartridge. It's accurate and flat shooting enough and carries plenty of steam upon arrival.

I'd use any of my following rifles and existing handloads without concern:

7mmm RM, 140g Barnes TTSX or either 140g or 160g North Fork SS
.30-06, 150g Nosler AccuBond or 168g Barnes TTSX or 165g North Fork SS
.300WM, 180g Barnes TTSX or (now unavailable but I have some left) Barnes MRX or 180g North Fork SS
.338WM, 225g Nosler AccuBond

I'm not good enough to make that shot. But if I were I'd pick my 300 WSM. It could be done with a 30-06 and good loads, probably even a 308, but the WSM adds a little insurance. I don't think any of the other 7mm or 300 mags would be a bad choice, but that is what I have.

I would be more than happy with my 338-06 throwing 210 gr Partitions at 2800 fps.

Well except the 550 yards and It was only a 370+ but this happened for me this year.
Hs Precision 300wsm shooting Berger 168's and a Zeiss Hd 3x15x42 with lockable target turett with Kenton cap.
Worked great!

If I knew ahead of time the situation would come up- 7Mag
Since it's unlikely to know such a thing I'd have my usual go to rifle-Remington 700adl 338-06, 210 Nosler.
510 would be a reach for me, but I think I could make it work.

50 BMG in a ring mount.

7mm-08, 140 Partition. I'd aim waaaaay up high so the bullet would hit the ground about 10' away from him on the off side. He'd spook in my direction and I'd drop him at 100 yards.

Simple.



P

300 Bee

I've made that shot on bull elk (more than once) and the rifle was a 300 Win Mag loaded with a 180 NPT.But the bulls weren't 380"...

Another time the bull WAS in the 380+ range,550-600 yards and the rifle and load were the same. I did not shoot due to very windy conditions (probably in excess of 30 mph) and I did not want to risk wounding him,so passed on the shot after sitting behind the rifle for about 45 minutes.

Obviously I'd be very comfortable with the same rifle and load,but today I'd likely have my 7mm Mashburn Super. That rifle would it do for me. I'd also do it with a standard 7 Rem Mag.

There are others I'd be comfortable with, assuming I was comfortable shooting an elk at all at 500 yards,in the first place.

A 300 Win mag with 200 gr Swift A-Frames- after I worked at least a couple hundred yards closer. I could make the shot but not with absolute certainty (or as close to such as I am capable) and have no desire to possibly lose an animal by a slight (or not so slight) mistake on my part.

I pretty much feel there is always a way to get closer but it may not be quick nor comfortable. Much more often than not, my inability to get closer was a result of my impatience, carelessness, or lack of desire to go through the pain to get the result I wished. For a 380" bull I could probably control my impatience and up my pain tolerance a bit.

I lost a deer once, it is not something I wish to repeat. My stomach still twists at the remembrance and I would have an even worse time with a real trophy if I were to have a similar mishap. So, I would pass on this situation and hope for another crack at the bull when conditions were more favorable to me.

Of what I currently have, 300 H&H comes to mind first. But then the 270 Wby and 325 WSM would certainly be up for the task...

I've not shot one that far but my M70 EW 300 WSM shooting 180 Partitions. I've shot over my pack out to 600 with that rifle. The key words in your sentence to me are "no wind". With no wind, I'd try that shot. A cross canyon shot with a wind, I'd likely pass - and have.

I'd also likely feel up to the task with a big 7 of some flavor flinging a 160 Partition. I carried a 7 RM shooting 160 NPT for a couple years and shot it out to 600 in field conditions. Again, no wind and I'd do it.

Interestingly my buddy shot shot a 330-ish bull this past fall in about exactly the same situation, distance was 502 if I recall correctly. 2 shots on target with his 300 WSM/180 NPT that I helped him assemble resulted in a very dead bull. The crappy ole Party somehow worked <G>

AC 130 H Spectre

I would be fine with either my 7 Mag or 280 with 160s.

my M70 .325 WSM tweaked by Corlane Sports in Dawson Creek BC. 200 grain accu-bond. Because when I do my job the rifle has always done its from 8 yards to 375 yards, springbuck to eland and all points in between.

At least yearly I "run" the silhouettes at the range; one shot each for chickens, pigs, turkeys and rams, so I know hits with rifle are definitely doable at 510 yards.

Never shot game at 510 yards, don't think I would but the original poster set the guidelines.


All the best.

GRF

256 Newton

7 RM, 162 Amax, dial 6.75, squeeze....

I think it's interesting that even though the OP specifically asked about the ideal rifle, almost all the replies including those from guys who have "been there/done that" focus on the cartridge. Even though the OP gave some specifics that would make the rifle construction probably more important than the cartridge. There are plenty of cartridges up to the task.

Open sage country and a 500 yard shot prone over a pack would point me in the direction of a rifle built for that kind of shooting. Open sage country's normally not on top of a mountain so the weight of the rifle isn't that important. Prone over a pack takes handling and balance mostly out of the equation too.

So I'd pick a rifle that I don't own, one that's a good bit heavier than my elk rifles, with a heavy contour (5 or more) 26" barrel for the extra weight to tame recoil and extra velocity that comes with a longer barrel (don't currently own any 26's). And a suppressor so that I could stay in the scope, see the hit and see the animal's reaction. In a stock that had an adjustable cheek piece or one that's designed to be shot from prone. Topped by a good fixed 10X scope, probably an S&B PM II.

Probably in .284, but that's not as important as the rifle build.

I would continue with what works and leave the lighter calibers home. My rifle would be a 300 WBY, it has worked under those circumstances many times and these are all 500 yards to 660...

OK....fair enough! I'd still use my M70 Mashburn.

#2 Krieger, Classic action,Echols legend Edge. 6X leupold and 7.5 pounds empty.

Similar, another Classic with Brux #2 and Borden RR stock. 6X SS. Slightly heavier than the Mashburn. Take a scale to tell.

Have been shooting both to 600 since seasons ended,and will hopefully do more. today .


If I were putting something together for that kind of elk hunting it would look and spec an awful lot like this. In fact the previously mentioned 300 Win Mag was an earlier version of this, with slightly different components.


http://www.hallowellco.com/pearce_rifle_co%20300%20Win%20Mag.htm

Remington 700 7mm Rem. Mag and a 160 Accubond.

Interesting observation, Smokepole. I wish I could say I've "BTDT", but only "BT". This is THE rig though. My range is 505, I'd take that shot without hesitation.

That's cheating, no bipods.

The one with which I'm most familiar, and that'd be my Rem. 700 .30-06.

Those conditions aren't that radical; any decent rifle capable of even 2MOA consistently chambered in any 6mm and up caliber on the x51, x57, x61 (or larger), WSM, or belted magnum cases and firing a good bullet will do the job nicely - as long as the shooter is capable of and confident in the shot.

I dream of that chance on any legal bull just once. 340 weatherby with a good 200 gr. or 210 NPT.

Just for pics.....

Some very interesting (and varied) responses! Keep them coming!

I've hunted some of this rolling sage country, and due to its open nature, I find that my walks are often much, much longer than when hunting the "more traditional" mountain country. So, while the terrain is probably not as rugged/steep, I don't think I'd want to be carrying a terribly heavy rifle. At the same time, I don't necessarily subscribe to the ultra-light rifle mentality... I'd be better served to loose that weight around my waist line, than on my gun.

I personally don't own a magnum, so out of my current inventory, my choice would be my Interarms Mark X in 30-06, 24" barrel, and it would be pushing a 180gr Accubond. This combination has taken elk at 400, and I suspect it would do the same at 510 yards, if I do my part.

BUT, based on my research, I think my "ideal" rifle would probably be a "middle-weight" (perhaps a walnut/blue configuration), with a 24" barrel (maybe a 26" since there's not much tree cover to get hung up on). Chamber it in 7mag and hand load some 160gr Accubonds. Then I would top it off with a quality 4-12 of some sort.

Sako FN 300 H&H and a Nosler 180 Partition .

Smack my buddy grab his rifle and put him down.
Just to show him it can be done with his rifle.
Ruger laminate 338 210 rem core locks.
If he wasn't there then Nula 300 WM 180 nosler.

I'd be having to look for a way closer or having to wait to see if he comes closer as I don't have a rifle I'm comfortable with for a shot that far.

Rifle would be my LH M70 chambered .300H&H pushing 200gr NPT's. However, as others have stated, I would not risk the shot at that distance without additional practice. Current self imposed limit would be ~300 yards. My limitation. Not the rifle's...

300WM. 3-18x44 VX6. Shooting 210 Bergers. In a McWoody. Cerekoted. 8lbs-11oz.

Rem 700 chambered in 7 SAUM ,4.5x14 Conquest,168 Berger Classic Hunter. Gun weighs 10.5 lbs. Proven with 168 load to keep .5 moa out to 600.

Limiting myself to what I have in the safe. It would be my .300 win mag Shaw Mk.VII, it's a boat anchor but it's stable, accurate as hell and wearing a 6x36 with dots. 180gr Partition or Grand Slam.

Have several notches on elk at that distance and farther. All with my old .300. WM with a 26" Number 5 barrel and 165 grain bullets.. Seldom shoot that far these days as elk meat is enjoyable but not a necessary thing to my well being!!

With the guns, knowledge and experience I have now, I'd pass on that shot.

I've made that shot several times and a bit farther- but no 380 class bull in the crosshairs. Couple cows, couple spikes due to tags drawn.
Each time it has been my Winchester Classic Stainless 338WM, 225 Nosler Partitions or Hornady SP Interlocks. Work as advertised and deliver the goods at extended ranges. Think I'll keep using it as long as I can....

Bob

I'd be leaning 30-40 Krag with a Kelbly action, ER Shaw barrel, Hogue stock and a Nightforce 2.5-10 SHV.

338-378 Weatherby Mag. I don't own one and don't need one. I hunted with a couple of guys in S. Dakota a few years ago that took a white tale and a mule deer both well beyond 400 yards. Even at that distance they were overkill and a lot of meat was ruined. I'm sure the 338-378 would work fine on elk at 500+ yards but, I still don't want one.

Have a rifle in the safe for just that situation, Rifles Inc. Strata in 300 Wby.

I would borrow a friend of mine's 338 lapua. The one we were banging a 36x36 plate at a mile with a few weekends ago.

Should be a chip shot for that rifle!

That'll work.

I've managed to do ok with my old Rem 700 300WM. It shoots Hornady 180gr Superformance like a dream.

.338 WM or the like, and stalk closer regardless of the caliber.