Termin8r, sounds like you got real lucky on snagging the barrel. With the 200 g Accubonds or PTs, you're bound to find a load it likes and you won't be sorry once you put one in an elk at any range.
My son has been shooting my Pre 64 70 for several years for deer, so I usually load 150 Partitions for him and they shoot very well. Right around .75" at 100 yards from the bench. This year I loaded up what I had left of the Partitions since they are so hard to get and the rifle just flat refused to shoot them worth a darn. Must have got a bad batch as these would only shoot around 2 MOA with the same load I've been using... had some 150 Ballistic tip Hunting loaded so we tried those and the first group was a cloverleaf so that is what he hunted with this year. This and all my other Pre 64s have never been picky about bullets before, so I'm guessing it had to be the bullets this time around... so try several until you find one you like. A buddy shoots nothing but Barnes TTSX and loves them. His results are a good testament to the quality of those bullets also...
Another point, which you probably already know, if you're going from 750 ASL to 10K ASL, if you can squeeze it in try to get there a couple days early to acclimatize. Once you get a few days in the thin air there you will feel a lot better hiking through the woods/hills, etc.... I know my place is at about 200 ASL and we hunt around 7K ASL and it takes me a couple days to get my lungs and legs working right.... it doesn't really matter that I'm 68, it seems it always felt that way...
Bob
Yeah I only had one day at 6800 feet before we went to 8500 feet for one day, then packed into our camp at 9600 feet on the 3rd day in Wyoming.
Next time I’m going to try and give it a little bit more time before heading to the remote camp. And hopefully continue to drop the pounds off me and my gear plus more time on a stair machine before I go
I may have to try the Barnes TTSX too. I’ve heard good things about them penetrating like crazy
