Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting The 300 Wby Mag for elk- is there anything better?

Maybe you could school us on a 243 at 700 yards. Now that is a good round...

The 6.5MM 140gr VLD scooting along at 3250fps.

The .264 Win Mag with a bit of a long throat has been the chamber.

If I do my part it kills them dead and if I screw the shot up I have to shoot again.

Easiest to shoot combo that will absolutely break bulls from very close to over 1000yds.

I have killed only one elk, and that was with a 300 Weatherby. So, if you ask me, it is the perfect elk rifle. Others who know much more than I do say the same. However, the best elk rifle for you is the one you like. If I go out west again, I will most likely take a 30-06 and a 270. I might even take my Remington Model 7 in 7mm-08 for still hunting in the black timber. Gunwriter John Haviland's son Thomas uses one just like mine on elk.

John Jobson, a famous .270 man, figured the .300 Wea. with 180 part. was perfect elk medicine.. He shot more game than most of us will see....

I bet it works good for what you do.

I need a rifle that works on angling 50 yard shots in the timber and reach out to 400 or so in an avalanche chute or near the head of a drainage. And be able to pack it up a mountainside. 300 Wby works very well.

Been hittin the eggnog pretty hard? Agree on the recoil, but you pulled the rest outta your ass.

I think that if someone thinks there is nothing better than a 300 mag to kill elk with,they haven't killed many elk.
I have killed elk with a .308, 50 cal muzzle loader, 30-30,44 mag carbine,7MM Rem Mag, 7MM Weatherby Mag,a whole bunch with 30-6, and probably a few more chamberings/calibers that my feeble mind has forgotten.

I sure haven't seen a whole lot of difference in the killing ability of any of them and doubt that a 300 mag of any flavor would either.

I've never had a problem killing elk,with whatever gun i was using.have used a 6/06 on quite a few.

Pretty sure I use more reach on elk than most and willing to bet I have punched tags further than any .300 bee lover.

Just Sayin.



Based on my experience the .243 Win with the 105gr VLD is better at 700yds than the .300 Weatherby.

Both are pushing the limit. Lots of better options if you need reach but I would take the .243 Win/ 105gr VLD over the .300 Bee every time.

Have you had a problem killin elk with the .243 Win?

338 win mag

Have you gone daft? The question wasnt weather you've reached out farther than every 300 wby user in the world (cute claim BTW),its about numbers.

What fantasy land are you living in, that a 215 berger at a conservative 3000 fps doesnt give you enough "reach"?

here in the real world,it seems the 6.5 140 @ 3250 is nearly identical at 1k,and actually lagging behind a tad by 1500.

I agree its performance can be matched or bettered with much less recoil/powder..Thats why I dont use it.

That makes it impractical for LR,not incapable.

Merry Christmas

I want some of whatever eggnog Burnsfeld is chugging.

Tanner

Not when I shot them in the head. You have to admit, you don't fit into the average hunting and shooting scenerios with the equipment you use and where you hunt.

Take your light calibers and go to Africa and see how many PH's will allow those guns on dangerous game and at 1000 yards. If there wasn't an advantage to larger calibers they would hunt elephants with a 17 Remington...

Many big game animals have fell to my 300 Wby. Never had any get away. All shots were deadly. Right bullet, good shot placement, dead animal.

If a guy can handle them, the super .30's are great elk medicine.. Years ago when I worked for a living, our hunting was limited to after work and weekends.. Time was short, we had to make every opportunity count if we wanted elk meat for the winter. My three friends shot 06's. If we were in timber, or got a good shot in the sage, the 06 worked fine.. But often we would get chances at 400 to 600 yards.. Since getting meat was important, we took a shot up to 600.. The .300 never failed to get our winter's meat.. It is under those conditions were the cartridge shines.. But you must pratice with it.. That is why my favorite .300 is on its 3rd barrel. If you can't do that, then an 06 is fine...

My favorite Montanan philosopher Teddy K. had it right when he warned against technological advances.

Sure I'll take a beating for this, but I would appreciate never having to hear-
"Oh yeah, what's its ballistic coefficient?"-again.

The last bull I killed with the 300 Weatherby was inside 20 yards. Jumped off a Colorado canyon edge after hearing him bugle. Somehow got between him and his cows and called him into that range.

Grew up reading Outdoor Life articles about putting the sneak on big bucks and bulls. Feel sorry for the up and coming hunter who will never know anything but yardages and bc's.

John, no argument here over your long range success but the 300 Wby with the right bullet--a good "slippery," 200-grainer is all that's needed--a good base/scope set-up, due diligence without retinal detachment, will go as far as I am going to shoot at them which is not as far as you will. I do like rifles that speak up though. 😄

Nothing against your choices at all.

I have a 1931 Remington version of the Browning take-down SA-22 that has been passed down from my Granddad. Grandma used to use it to head shoot the chickens.

.22 shorts only. Bet Granddad never knew he was ready for Africa.

Not that he would have cared. Shot his first deer when he was 84 and decided they were "too much work" after shooting his second at 87.

If you live in elk country and have horses you certainly don't need a 300 Weatherby for elk. When you pay several thousand dollars for guided hunts on private ranches most deer calibers will serve you well. If you shoot 10000 rounds a year and carry a 14 lb. 1000 yard Match rifle wearing an NSX you can pick a bunch of calibers that work just as well.

For public land hunters who might get one opportunity at 500 yards or get tag soup - the 300 Weatherby is as good as it gets. The down range power and flat trajectory kill elk with much better performance and stopping power than a 30-06 or 7 mag.

You almost can't be more cost effective than the 300 where an excellent, accuracy guaranteed rifle is available new for around $600 and used rifles for much less. Brass is widely available and Weatherby factory 180's can be had for less than $40.

Really cool 264 Win Mags are great but try finding reasonably priced rifles or buying off the shelf ammo almost anywhere. Super 338's are probably the ultimate long range elk killers but aren't practical for most shooters and most wallets. For my money the 300Weatherby is the best bang fot your elk killing buck.

There isn't an elk alive that i can't kill graveyard dead with my old 7mm Mag and I can do it with less recoil and less noise to boot. The same thing can be said of the 30-06 and the 270 Win as well.