Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Long Range Elk Rifle

If your going to use the rifle for long range only and your only going to hunt near the road system then a long heavy 338/378 would be great. What ever you get make sure that you can put up with the recoil enough to practise alot.

Jamie

HiredGun,

I just did a brief calculation which, if I am right, shows that any .308 bullet weighing more than 186 grains has a better sectional density than your .338 bullet weighing 225 grains. I don't have B.C. tables with me right now but B. C. is probably better.

What that means is that a 200 grain bullet from your 300 Wby at 3100 fps may be better at long range than your 225 grain bullet from the .338 at 3300. At some point (again I don't have my stuff here), it will be going faster. It will be deflected less by the wind. It will retain more muzzle energy.

Deflecting a gong is simply a measurement of momentum. The recoil momentum of the rifle is the same as the bullet striking momentum, though your striking momentum is less because you are shooting at long range. So all this proves is that your .338/378 recoils a more than your .300 Wby (some of the "recoil" being deflected by the brake). An elk would not be killed or knocked over by holding the rifle butt to the elk's side and shooting, but that is more than the "knock down power" you are applying to the gong.

Muzzle brakes are another issue entirely. I would not have one. I value the hearing of myself and my guide, and they are illegal on a lot of ranges. Some are removable but that can change the zero, I am told. To each his own.

It would help if elkchsr would tell us what he means by "long range." Some people shoot game at 1000 yards or a bit less with 60-pound rifles from a bench they set up at an ideal location. Others hike through the mountains with an 8-pound rifle and think 300 yards is long range.

Indy,
You are on the right track. At 600 yards the higher B.C. 200 Accubond catches the faster bullet but is still 300 foot pounds less energy. At 1000 yards the Accubond is going faster and matches the 338 TSX in energy. The thing that is crippling the 338/378 is this poor B.C. on the TSX. The dilemma is if we put Accubonds in it which are ballistically superior we are afraid of bullet failure should we have to use it inside of 300 yards. The TSX will shoot clear through at about any impact speed. Though the 300Wby is a very efficient long range tool the 338/378 in a long barrel and heavier bullets would have a noticeable advantage in energy and extended supersonic flight. That is, it is possible for it to kill elk at longer range than the 300Wby, 340Wby, or any RUM given the right loads for the job. For a custom, I�m thinking a little faster twist and maybe a 32� barrel and shot 300 grain SMK�s out of it. No other factory brass based round could match it.

If you shoot without earplugs you are damaging your hearing. Since I never shoot without plugs and always warn those around me when I�m going to shoot, using muzzle brakes has never been an issue.

HiredGun,

How do 300 grain SMKs behave on game at various ranges? As far as ballistic coefficient, it is hard to beat them but will they expand at long range without blowing up at short range?

The 338-378 Wby is an excellent long range hammer for elk.
I have a 700 LSS in 338 RUM with a VXIII 2.5x8 w/ M1 dials.
Accuracy is .5 MOA if I do my part. Works great on elk!
[img][image]http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g147/JD338_photos/JD700LSS.jpg[/img][/image]
JD338

You might glance at my recent post here:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?

I never saw a caliber larger than .308. I reload for two of the long range hunters mentioned, one uses plain old 180 Nosler BT's in his 300 Win Mag and the other uses 160 Nosler Accubonds in his 7STW.

JD338 sure love the look of your rem. I wanted to get a SS lam but they quit making them in the RUMs. Hope to someday find a used one.....

Azshooter,

Thanks! I really like the looks too, the accuracy and the knock down power is awesome. I hope you find an LSS in a RUM. I will never understand what Remington was thinking.

BTW, both of my grandparents were school teachers in Douglas. My grandmother went into realestate (Evert Jones)until she retired. I also had an aunt in McNeal but they moved because of the dope drops.

JD338

Dang Indy, I'd say you're catching on nicely. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I have a Sako chambered in 340wby with a vias brake, & i think it kicks less then my 444 leaver gun. I have a 4-16 burris mounted on it and I can pack it all day long. Great elk gun and easy to carry, How can you beat that.

well my vote would be the 300 rum. i have always used an old -06 in the past but this yerar built a custom 300 rum. i love it. for me the recoil is very manageable without a break. i am not afraid of pulling the trigger. The main reason i picked it is that my shots are not going to exceed 450 yards and up to that point the rounds i am using have less drop. I can hold on target to a longer range. yes wind is a factor time will tell. i am using the tsx bullets at this point next year i might bo to accubonds.

Disclaimer: I do not own a 378.
But if you are going to Big bore case size, might as well go true big bore - 460 or 378 with no neck-down. I'd make scheduled appointments with the chiropractor and hearing specialist prior to hunting.
At least you will be able to stop a charging pickup truck.
For practical long range shooting the energy delivered by a 300 magnum is sufficient for elk. And you will have to know the trajectory very well regardless of the caliber you pick.
My conclusion: why not get something practical and reasonably affordable, that won't dislocate your shoulder if you happen to shoot it more than once, do homework on the trajectory and go practice?...
I just fielded my new 300 Wby and like the way it shoots a lot.
-P

Thanks for all your advice. I've been out of town with work for the last couple weeks. I was leaning towards the 338-378 just because it is something different. I still haven't decided what i'm going to do for sure, but I'm pretty well convinced I want something in the .338 range. Thanks again for all of your posts.

Another vote for the 340wby. My accumark will shoot the factory 250 grain partition at 3040fps and hover about 1 inch at 100 yds for 3 shots. I can get a little better accuracy with handloads but can't touch that velocity.

A 338-378 for elk? That�s silly. How far do you think you�ll be able to shoot the thing accurately? Buy something practical like a 270 Win, 270 WBY, 30-06, 7mm Rem Mag, 300 Win Mag. If you need to feel pain try the 300 WBY, 338 Win, 340 WBY, 375 H&H. Unless you�re one of those �special� shooters, you�ll never be able to handle the recoil.

But if you really had any experience with big caliber rifles and what it really takes to kill an elk you wouldn�t be asking for peoples opinion on the internet.

So far I've killed elk with a .243win, 25-06, 280rem, 7mm rem, 300 win, and a .375 H&H. I was really just looking for something that is a little different. I really don't need a .338 caliber rifle, but I want one.

I would buy a 338, then!!
I have a 340wby, 338win, and a 338RUM. I have put over 500rds though the 340, and it shoots great! Yeah, it kicks-some days more than I want to deal with, but other times I can shoot her as well as any of my 270's!
Let us know what 338 you get and good hunting/shooting with it.

I just got back from a Montana hunt in the Bob Marshall wilderness. Got a good 5x5 on the last day. One shot at 480 yrds with a 7mm Wby 160 gr tsx @3130. He dropped like a rock. Bullet went thru both shoulders and stopped just under the skin.

Aggie-glad you had a good hunt, who did you book with? (I am assuming it was a guided trip)

I dropped a bull 2 years ago at 526 with about that same load in my 7 Mashburn Super. The only diff is the bullet on mine did exit, other than that the exact same deal.

Those big 7's are sure good at their job.

Mark D

I'm with you Dober, a big 7 or 30 will kick less, pack lighter and do everything needed doing on any bull at any range anyone should be shooting an elk at!

Aggie, cool beans... congrat's man!