Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting If you were setting up a new LR elk gun?

Hey all I’m having the itch for a purpose built long range elk and mule deer gun and at a bit of a mental dilemma. I really like the looks of the new rem 700 long range I just can’t decide on caliber or if there are better options I’m not considering. I have a fondness for 7mm rem mag so I’m eyeing the 1-8 twist version (bring on the 180s!)but there’s also the new 7mm prc, or go full wild on a 300wm launching 215s.

I’ve read every post and forum I can get my hands on. Go to one site and nothing but a 338 edge or LM will kill an elk, go to another and they’re dropping elephants with 223. There’s gotta be some sanity in the middle I’m hoping. I’ve got a 3-12 lrhs sitting and ready for its new home.

So if you were in a position of looking for a new long range build what would it be chambered in? I’m leaning fast twist 7mm rem mag just because I’m set up for it and 180gr is still over 2k fps at bonkers yardages plus the lower recoil vs the wm should help me do my job.

Being the "longrange" forums, how far away do you intend your shots to be on an elk with said rifle? I guess I'll be the first one to ask that question. How long will the shots be in practice, on steel or paper?

My thoughts would be 1k yds paper. Farmers I work with give me more or less a limitless range to play on.

If having it built, how could you go wrong with a 7 Mag built to shoot 180s?
If factory, a 7 PRC will deliver same in a rifle more likely to have the magazine, chamber, and barrel twist already dialed in for the 180.

I'd go with one of the PRC's and the best glass you can afford.

Whatever you choose, use it for whatever range you want, regardless of what someone else says.

I ended up going the Fierce CT Rage route, in 7mm PRC. I'm trying out Berger 190's and 180's, Hammer 170's, Hornady 180's and 175's...

I topped it with a Zeiss V6 3-18x50

Accuracy is great, waiting on my new Garmin to complete load development.

Whatever you decide on, get to know it and enjoy!

A 1-9T 300 PRC, pretty much the ultimate long range hunting and target cartridge.

[video:youtube]https://youtube.com/shorts/ZS1-AyGNhZk?si=vdk6sPWPWNa-_DYk[/video]

"ultimate long range hunting" ?

what's the velocity and energy with the 245 gr Berger bullets at 1500 yards & 1760 yards ?

Hell if I know. But according to most experts a elk cartridge needs to have at least 1000 ft-lbs of energy. A heavy 7mm bullet at 7mm PRC velocity runs out of elk killing energy at 1000yds. The 300 PRC doesn't run out till after 1400yds while shooting heavy for caliber bullets. It's only my opinion, but 400yds is a long ways.

Even if you accept the irrelevant metric of 1000 ft-lbs of impact energy, the 180 ELD launched in SAC at 2990 fps still has over 1000 ft-lbs at 1350 yards.

Either 7RM, 7WSM, or 7PRC, depending on rifle platform and on brass availability and quality, launching the 180 ELD-M at 2900+ fps would work very well.

I used Burger bullets and ballistic calculator at 2900. And for sure 1000ft-lbs is irrelevant. How much less will a heavier bullet drift in the wind with close to the same velocity and BC? And do you feel a bullets RPM has anything to do with wind drift?

It would be the turnkey package i bought last winter, 9 twist 9.5lb all up 300 PRC, can obviously easily carry it and shoot without the brake, i had the guy that built it make a thread protector, never fired it braked, 230gr Berger Hybrids and Hornady ATips at 2930 fps in ADG brass would do all i need done.

Rem 700 stainless in 7 mag. Bed it in a good stock, buy a very good piece of glass, work up a load, and hunt. Ain't nothing in North America taking a .284 Dia. At 175 to 180 grains.
300 win mag is a good choice too.

And that 1000 pounds of energy becomes very relevant at "long range"

Starts with 338

If your going custom, in my opinion I think a 7x300 win mag would be nice. Have Beretz throw up some mashburn stuff. Pretty cool rig.

The heavier bullet will have the exact same wind drift as a lighter bullet with identical muzzle speed and BC.

Wind drift does not depend on the bullet's rotational velocity, but rotational velocity does affect spin drift.

Not really. Sufficient impact speed to cause bullet upset and expansion is far more important.

I see what your saying. I get that speed translates into energy delivered upon impact, but what is speed without energy?

Shoot a 25-06 with a 100 grain bullet at 1000 yards.
Shoot a 7 mag with a 175 grain bullet at 1000 yards.

Both will reach the target within 100 to 200 fps of one another. Probably somewhere in the 1500 fps mark. That 25 will hit with a third the energy that the 7 will. Energy is the end goal. Not speed.