Just one more note:
I see the post where the outfitter says you may need to shoot 400 yards.
So I want to make 2 points.
You may need to shoot 400 yards? Well that could be I guess, but I have hunted elk for over 40 years in several different states and I don't know exactly how many I have killed, but in all of them I can tell you the exact number of elk I killed at 400 yards or a bit more
It's exactly 1. At about 410 yards.
Point #2 is this: Who said you can't do well with a 8X57 at 400 yards?
The 8X57 in a strong action will do just about everything the 30-06 will do with bullets of 170-200 comparing them to the 30 cals of 165 to 200, grains, and the 30-06 is just fine at 400. In fact, that's not even a challenge for it.
The Germans used the 8X57 very successfully for a sniper's weapon in 2 World Wars. It's accuracy even at 2 X that distance (and sometimes more) is not in question, and with a 180 grain GMX you have expansion to an impact velocity of down to 2000 FPS and with the Nosler Partition you can extend that to about 1600 fps. So the 8X57, firing them at top speeds with safe pressures will give you good expansion with the GMX to just about 400 yards exactly, and the Nosler Partition will go clear out past 500 yards.
American read too many gun-rags and get an impression that anything made more then 15 years ago just can't work anymore.
But the track records of many of the older guns and shells proves otherwise.
If you shoot the 8X57 better then you do your 8X68 I would still use the 8X57. I have experience with the 8X68 too, and I have nothing bad to say about it. But if you favor the way the smaller rifle feels don't handicap yourself with the paranoia of thought that you can't shoot 400 yards with an 8X57, you sure can and it will do it well.
For your first point I agree. I've never shot an elk past about 225 yards. I am just trying to be prepared for what the outfitter is telling me.
As to your second point. Nosler literature says that the Partition needs 1,800 fps impact speed. So really I was just going by what Nosler has printed. If it has satisfactory performance at 1,600 I'm good. With a close to max charge of Ramshot Big Game and a 200 gr Partiton I am getting right at 2,550 fps and under 1" groups so I should be good even if I need 1,800 fps.
I have killed a lot of steel plates at 500 yards with my 8x57. But, I normally do it with the 170 gr SST at 2,800 fps. In fact I'm really bummed out that the SST isn't a good elk bullet, because it shoots so well in my rifle. Additionally, If I didn't think that it was enough rifle for elk I wouldn't be taking it. It is hands down my favorite hunting rifle and I know that it is plenty of gun for elk. I shot a pretty decent size red stag with it about a year and a half ago and it worked great.
I do feel that 400 yards is the outer limit of the 8x57's range on animals requiring heavier bullets. The 8x57 just doesn't have the case capacity to really sling a heavy, low BC bullet much past 400 yards and guarantee reliable expansion.
