Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Why load for the last FPS?

Absolutely!

PO Ackely XXI

My 338 RUM will shoot a 300 gr Berger @3000 fps. (loooong bbl). It's the minimum for deer as "everyone" knows you can't kill anything with a 257 Bob.

usually 2 clicks or so on the scope elevation will compensate for not having that last 100 fps...

but that would be unmacho....

I have an inferiority complex that I make up for by bragging about the size and power of my loads. Next question?

I guess it all depends on where I'm hunting. My New Mexico elk hunts have given me shots from 100 yards to 350 yards and the 225 gr. TSX at 2700 FPS from my .35 Whelen has been more than sufficient.
If I put in for elk here in Arizona, fat chance of drawing a t tag though, one area I'm familiar with is area 1 which is right next to the White Mountain Apache reservation. At the first shot opening day the elk head for the rez and those that don't stay way out in the very large open parks requiring some serious long range shooting. I got lucky one day several years ago and got a shot at a cow elk at 530 yards laser measured. I used a .300 Win. Mag. with a 200 gr. Speer Hot Core loaded to the max that the 26" barrel could handle safely. One shot, one cow elk. Lots of pre-season practice and a bit of luck worked for me on that one.
Paul B.

I can see loading hot in that situation.

What does that have to do with cartridges?

In my first .270 I found a Hornady 150 gr spire point or Remington core-lokt at 2,650 using H-380 was more than adequate with out excessive meat damage from a 130 gr moving 2950.

It looks like an '06, it performs like a Magnum....

I just like mine to be in the proper velocity range of the cartridge. I've found several times over the years that published book loads give me real world velocities that are more in line with a cartridge size smaller than what I'm shooting. Happened with a 7Mag that chronoed at 280Rem speed, a 25-06 that chronoed at 257 Roberts speed, and currently my 280Rem is running at 7mm-08 speeds. I found full speed loads (not super-hot) for the 7Mag and 25-06, now I'm looking forward to finding that full speed 280 load.

You don't know what the last FPS is until you get there. Then you can decide what to do with it.

Interesting point (going all existential on us . . . . )

If that's all that was needed why would they buy a chambering capable of the higher speeds?




Dave

Funny you should mention that. I was big on Camus, less so on Sartre. I guess it shows. Who knew?

Over half the elk I've ever killed were less than a 100 yds. It's not about the speed or the bore size, but the it's all about the bullet. C&C bullets generally don't cut it where and how I hunt big game. There are exceptions. My son did kill a bear a few weeks ago and will be using the same NBT load for pronghorn in a couple months. I'm getting lots of speed too, but most likely well under max load. I could go faster, but am thrilled with the accuracy and not about to screw with a good thing..........

Pick your poison for the need.

Sometimes a .45-70 Government

Sometimes a .338 Lapua

We live in great times.

Why not?

One thing to keep in mind.. In Tx. Where rickt does his hunting, deer are mostly shot over bait.. Nothing wrong with it, but it makes for short range shooting..

Little bullets going fast knock the wet right off of deer. Do you shoot slow sheit, yep. But I've yet to see stuff put deer down like they do when hit with bullets going fast and spinning fast.