Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting .30 cal LR hunting bullet

I'm working on loads for a buddy for his .300 win mag for shots on deer out to about 600 yards. What are peoples thoughts on the best bullet for this scenario. I'm hearing mixed reviews on the 30 cal ELD-X but I love the way they shoot on paper. I'm also a big Barnes guy at heart but would like to hear some real world experience with hunting bullets at some extended range.

The 155 scenar has been excellent in my sons 308. We have killed a lot of nice deer, and elk with it. You might try a little heavier scenar in your 300. They open up well, but don't blow up.They have a little thicker jacket than berger bullets. The Bergers might be an option for you too. I have killed a lot of critters with it in my 243 as well. Both bul!ets are very accurate, the scenar being less finicky to load for.



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I always used the Berger 185 gr HVLD's!
For 600 and in the 168 gr TTSX will work fine!

Iv'e used both on deer and elk and your buddy will have good results with either!

To 600 with a 300 mag, the best long range bullet is probably the best normal range bullet.

A 165 or 180 grain Nosler partition

I used the 200 Nosler partition for everything 300 Mag for several decades. There are many other excellent choices today, but the 200 NP is still one of them.

Hard to argue with Broz's results using the Berger 215 match target hybrid. 23 Antelope, Deer and Elk kills are documented with distances, fps, entrance and exits etc. Distances from 1100 yds on antelope to as close as 200 yd on elk. Excellent results with all one shot kills.


If I were to use a 300 win mag the 215 be my first choice along with H1000. I use the 230 match target hybrid in my 300 RUM, another great hunting bullet.

Longest Antelope kill on pg 6:
https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/comparing-the-berger-210-vld-to-the-215-hybrid.88657/page-6

First elk kill on page 7
https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/comparing-the-berger-210-vld-to-the-215-hybrid.88657/page-7

i hunt a lot out west what I have done is go with a lighter faster bullet,because sometimes you don`t have time to range that animal. I sight my rifles for 200 yards dead on ,use a nite force scope so I have more horizontal lines in scope for longer ranges,i tape on side of stock a sheet of water proof`d paper for quick read if I have time yardest and what line to use ,otherwise I do what we do out west : hold high on meat first shot. so my method is to use a barnes x bullet around 130 gr.s or 150 gr.s ,I have also had real good groups with reloader 17 powder. these are the loads I use only for deer and antelope,if I was to hunt elk I would use a bigger grain bullet like 180 grain or something ? good luck with your choice,Pete53

168 Barnes TTSX

I shoot the 168 TTSX myself in my .300 Wby and is the one I was leaning towards. Thanks for all the input so far as I'm looking at other options I may have over looked.
Anyone have much experience with the Nosler LR Accubond?

None of the Barnes would have near the expansion at 600 that I find acceptable. Berger VLD and Hornady ELD-X and ELD-M is where I would be looking.

I have only used the 178 version of the 30 cal ELD variety. One was on a 71" moose at 329 yards from my 300 WSM(3180 fps MV, impact was around 2650 fps). Recovered on the off side hide like one would want on such a giant animal (these 70" moose make a 60" bull look like a mid 40s bull in body size I was shocked) and it retained 98 grains.

Later that day my other buddy shot a 45" bull moose at 412 yards with the same 178 ELDX load out of my 300 WSM and it exited the "smaller" bull if you can call an Alaskan bull moose small. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot a caribou or deer MUCH further than that with this load given how it performed on the two moose we shot.

I'm glad you posted your results alaska lanche. I loaded up 178gr ELD X bullets in my 300 Winchester with moose being the main target. You leave me nothing to ponder anymore.

Honestly, the reason I choose the 178 is because my 300 WSM is a Tikka with a lame brain 1:11 twist. I likely could have gotten by with a 200 ELDX and a low twist rate but the 178s was a sure thing. The fact that my little WSM drives them at 3180 fps and 3/4 MOA for 5 shot accuracy just sealed the deal for me.....and as such the moose as well.

That said if you have a standard 1:10 like most 300 WM then I would look at the 200 ELDX or even better 212 ELDX. Not that the 178s don't work, its just that heavier is mo better with much better BCs.

My 300 Win is a early 70's Husky FFV model. My impression is they are the standard European twist rate of 1 to 11. Although it really took a shine to the 190gr Hornady BTSP Interlock.

No on game experience with the 178 but I get great accuracy and 2840 fps out of my .30-06.

No complaints with 162 or 150 7mm performance.





P

200gr Acubond is a really good hunting bullet. Plenty slippery too with a BC of 0.588...

Your Sako is running a 1 to 11 twist isn't it?

It is, Mike. It seems to shoot the 190 gr ABLR well, so I'm hoping for good results with 200gr projectiles?

It should sing with a 200 but only one way to find out. I noticed the Accubond likes to sit 20 thou off the lands in my RKS

I use Nosler 200 grain Accubonds in a 300 Winchester Magnum and in a 300 Weatherby Magnum and have taken quite a few animals with it. The longest shot was at a Gemsbok at about 400 yards that I flattened with one out of my 300 Weatherby. Accuracy with it has been excellent in the 300 Win. Mag. with its 1:10 twist barrel and in the 300 Weatherby with its 1:11 twist barrel.

I shot a wolf at 710yds with my 300saum, used a 168ttsx.

Stuntshooter.........

BTW nice shootin....

If you’ve got the twist to spin them and the magazine to hold them I really like the 212 eld-x from my 300 wm

Will a one in 10 twist stabilize the 212gr Eld-x, Mallard?

Yes it will

I see. Of course, where my 300 Win is twisted 1:11 I guess I better stick with the 200gr Noslers...poor me. 😃

If your rifle will shoot it, the 200 gr Accubond wont leave you lacking.

30's are one of the few that are twisted "fast" from the factory. A 1-12" will spin a 212 in 300wm

Most 30's with case capacity at or above 30-06 are 1/10", and they will shoot it all.

I'm a fan of the 230 Berger.

Rosco,
That's good to know. Thank you.

Misjudged the distance on that one, thought it was at 650. Hit it low on the front leg. Slowed him up a bit but we never found it.

Ihave always been a Sierra Gameking SPBT fan. The bullet has been around a long time.

As 7stw said no problem. 1:11 should be fine as long as you keep the speed up.

And that is good news as I am a fan of the heavier, high BC projectiles for the fast .300s

This is very true. My buddy uses this and it worked on Coues in Mexico at 900 and elk at 600 multiple times. They shot a bull Friday with it and said it is a hammer.

Would I use it for 1000 shooting? Probably not. You are giving up too much wind to other bullets at this range.

One of the most erratic performing bullets I"ve ever used.

My go to missile is the Berger 230gr OTM.

I also run the 230 OTM at 2900. Its no couch sitter for sho.

I use the 215 target hybrid from my 300 wsm at 2800 fps muzzle velocity. I've killed an antelope at 550, a 4x4 mule deer at around 200 and last week a shot a 5 point bull elk at about 200. All 1 shot kills, nice exits on the antelope and deer but no exit on the elk.

Bb

In what way?

About 10 years ago I bought a bunch of Berger 210gr VLD's that shoot very well so I have not got around to any of their newer offerings, they perform awesome at long range.

Please post a pic of this giant......I'm not being a prick....I really wanna see a 71" moose

Here ya go....45" bull inside 71" bull.

Shooting anything less than a 200gr bullet in a 300 is like putting a 3 cylinder engine in a Ferrari. Go with 208 Eldm's or 215 Berger Hybrid and 75-77gr of H-1000 with a mag primer.

Shot a spike elk with a 178 eld-x factory cartridge out of my 308 this year, 409 ranged yards - bang flop. lungs were a mess, boolit not recovered but it was somewhere inside of the offside ribcage as evidenced by the trauma on exterior of off side rib cage.

I'll be trying the 200 eld-x in my 300 wsm once I'm done with break in and final configuration.

I have a 75 Finnlight in 300 WM.

Was shooting 180 TSX with 77.5 grains of H1000 at 2918 FPS and get .625 MOA.

Shot an elk at 605 yards. 2 hits, with second round recovered. Looked like a advertising photo of perfect 4 petal peel back.

This year I went to the 200 grain accubonds with 77.5 grains of H1000 at 2852 FPS and get .75MOA.

Use federal brass with federal match magnum primers. Same powder charge ironically but no pressure signs on the heavier load but its only 0.5 above book max. I had tried the 180 TSX up to 80 grains of H1000 but accuracy got weird.

The accubonds give me more comfort on the longer ranges of 600 to 750 yards based on what i have read on terminal performance for the two loads. 750 is about the farthest I feel comfortable at on an elk.

I honestly think the heavier accubonds kick less also and just give more of a push rather than that bitch slap of the TSX.

Got a rag horn at 200 yard this year with the 200 A/B. First round passed through both lungs and he turned 180 degrees like he wanted to follow the cows downslope. I immediately put a second round through front shoulders and he literally dropped straight down. Second round was recovered on far hide and it was an ugly mushroom of death after double blading.

Have you tried the 175gr or 200gr LRX?

I have tried the 175 LRX and they shot okay and I was going to tinker more with them but I kept getting them stuck in my seating die. They would get stuck in the seating cup and pull out of the bullet case on the up stroke. I guess I need a custom seating die to handle the extremely pointy projos.

Anyway, it was September and I needed to get my load down as time was short before heading out to hunt; and the 200 grain A/B shot quite nicely in both my sako and my sendero so I just went with it.

200 grain bullets at 2852 on target is more than serviceable. 😜

Ask John Barsness about the 300 mags and 180 partitions... those were built for 30-06. 200 partitions yes. I learned almost the hard way a few times running 180 partitions in 300 wtby around 3100 fps... Of course then moved to Barnes and was happy.

What I never had heard is Scenars are a bit tougher than Bergers.. NOW I want to try them.. in my 308. Sure hope the come in somehting like 210 or so.

Out of the same guns per the MV parameters, IE not driving them to fast or to slow, I"ve seen anything from zero expansion after hitting ribs to the core/jacket separating.

The last time I ever used them I shot 2 does and a pig. Both does in the head. 7 mag 160 game kings. Not overly hot even as the gun did not like max loads. Both does within 150 yards. FIrst was caliber in and a hair bigger out. Next one was caliber in and took the off side of the head basically off. The pig was about 50 pounds. Around 125 yards. Shot in the neck back of the head going away from me, bullet blew up and never left any exit.

Previous to that I"ve seen them do similar things from 243, 308 and 06 also.

I can deal with reliable if its always pin holes or always huge holes, I cannot deal well with erratic.

Only other bullet I saw jacket core separations as much on were core lokts.

I have a load for this bullet in a .30-06, MV 2840. Any idea of the actual MV of the factory .308 load? The actual MV of the .30-06 factory was 100 fps or so slower than the box.





P