300 yards....piece of cake.

338-06 with 225gr or 35 Whelen with 250gr will kill anything you can imagine inside 300 yards.

Barstooler

Greetings,

My choice - Ed Brown Savanna in 300 Win Mag, 168 Barnes TTSX @ 3200 FPS, 4x12 Swarovski BH reticle - my "go to rifle" for accuracy and reliability - easy 300 yd rifle if I do my part which as stated above is the most important component.

Just "my" confindence builder.

Adios

Sport

My deer rifle is a .257 Roberts. I shoot it a lot at Coyotes, varmints, targets and funny-colored rocks. Recoil is maybe 12 foot-pounds and I flatter myself that I'm a pretty good shot. The rifle is sighted in dead-on at 300 yards. I know how high it will be before 300 and how low out to 400 yards.
I have a recoil pad on the rifle to lengthen it but it does make it nicer to shoot at the range, too. I fire the Speer 100 grain spitzer at the top-end book load which gives me a bit more than 900 foot-pounds of energy at 400 yards. I've never shot a pig with it, but it'd do the job and be comfortable in doing it. For you, get a rifle that's "just enough" so that shooting it is enjoyable, not painful.
My pet peeve is people who go out and buy a new .373 Remchester squatty magnum that's loaded with 78-99 grains of powder and then discover that they just don't have any fun sighting it in, trying it at different ranges, or trying different bullet/powder combinations. All of that powder makes things happen on both ends of the rifle and your shoulder is one of those ends. If you're shooting larger deer, get a Roberts. If smaller deer, a .243 or 6mm Remington'll do just fine.

Having been to AK every year since 04 and before I know the size of those pretty faced deer and know that energy level at 300 yds. is not the important factor here. Trajectory rifle accuracy, and hunter competance are. A .257 Roberts would be totally adequate in a light rifle with reduced recoil. If the game were mule deer I'd say the same thing, perhaps with a little tong in cheek at 300 + yds. Hell, the .250/3k might be the cartridge of the day for someone who really has his rifle doped out. Me thinks that Ray's Grand Pa would have used his venerable 25-35 and got the job done. roger

My beanfield rifle in 270 Win:

Most any inline, front-locking rifle with a barrel longer than 16" chambered for a centerfire cartridge with reasonable ballistics to shoot MOA at 300 yds. can probably be tuned to do that. That would give you a 3" group at 300 yards. I have 15 centerfire rifles in my safe 6 of which I'm confident will do that:

• Zastava Mauser in 375 H&H
  
• Savage 116 in 7mm RM
  
• Savage 110 in 280 Rem.
  
• Remington 700 in 30-06 Spgfld.
  
• Remington 700 in 7mm-08 Rem.
  
• Remington 600 in 308 Win.

Given your game criteria (up to and including moose) I would carry any of the first 4 on that list - though the last 2 would do in a pinch. The only rifles I've actually killed game with at 300 yards are the .308 and the 280.

Take 50 yds. off that range and you could add a Ruger M77 MKII in 338 WM, a Savage 110 in 35 Whelen, a Savage 110 in 30-06 Spgfld., a H&K SL7 in 308 Win., and a Savage 116 in 338 WM.

I found some old jeans and cut the legs off, and on the way to the range, I partially filled them with sand. Used those automotive zip ties to secure the ends.

The sand bags really helped with the 338, and I changed the scope on it too, but I'm thinking it wasn't the scope. I never did get the 338 shooting acceptably accurate.

I shot quite a bit this afternoon, and I found an old box of Norma 8x57 ammo with the Alaska round nose bullets, but the Hornadys shot better groups. So, finishing up, I shot the three shot group at 200 yards using the Hornady 8x57 factory loads, 195 gr bullets.



I moved the adjustment knob one click to the right and called it good, because I have only ten rounds left of the Hornady ammo. I had some Sellier & Bellot factory ammo, which didn't group well when I tried it, but I shot two rounds at a 10" steel plate hung at the 300 yard marker, holding over about a foot, and hit it both times. Judging from the whomf, it hit pretty hard and made the plate buck.

This is what we are going after Friday, if plans hold up.

This will stay inside MOA consistently @ 200yds, so I'm pretty confident it would do 3" or less @ 300yds.

Ruger #1, 300 H&H Magnum

All you need is a bear -- and a great rest!

Good shooting Kabluewy, 8mm is a cool round in that not many guys you run across will be using one. I did an Alaska cruise in 07', including a few whale watching excursions, and it was so beautiful. Hopefully one day I can go back.

not to drift, but.....
light trigger weight is desirable, but not always attainable. that said and if i think the sear is a safe design, i try to get the least travel and the cleanest break first and foremost. nothing is more distracting (to me) than a long trigger and a predictable break. a little higher trigger weight with very little to no percieved travel is much more manageable.

Get a .375 H&H and your worries are over.
Buy the best and forget the rest.

I used to really care about having a rifle that was extremely flat shooting, so I bought a submoa 300 weatherby. One of these will certainly do the trick. Trouble is, I never shoot at anything other than coyotes and hogs much past 200 yards.

And, just b/c something doesn't shoot that flat, it doesn't mean that is isn't accurate. So, I sold my 300 weatherby.

Now, I primarily shoot a 358 win mag, a 35 Whelen, and a 9.3x62. None of them shoot that flat, but they shoot straight. I just need to aim a little higher.

If you're out looking to shoot audad, dole shep or pronghorn, than you're correct for wanting fast and accurate. Otherwise, go for good bullets nad something that makes a big hole. Big holes mean more blood, which means easier to find.

If looking for a tack driver at 350 yards... get a weatherby or ultra mag in a caliber of your choice. You could shoot a 300 weatherby with 150 grained boolitz that travel at warp 9.

That said, a plinker is a plinker, and plinkers are fun for a while. Good luck finding your phaser.

quote:

Originally posted by Kabluewy:
Lately I've been thinking it would be nice to have a rifle that is capable of shooting accurately enough to confidently take 300 yard shots under the right conditions.

A 7mm magnum has a point-blank range of about 300 yards with 140 grain bullets (rise/fall = three inches ). This is plenty good enough to hold on the center of the lungs on big game, then you worry about wind and range estimation. My go-to rifle (a very plain model 70 with handloads) is good for three shots before barrel heating throws the bullets out of one minute of angle; there is seldom a need or an opportunity for a third shot.

The world is full of cartridges with 300-yd capabilities. But it is a bit shy on 300-yd shooters....

175 grain hornady round nose in 7x57 or speer 200 grain spitzer in 8x57. zero at 200 or 225. you will be impressed.

try a CZ 375 H&H with its single set trigger and 300gr Sierra MKs at about 2550fps. The extended range capabilities will astound you. My packing LR rifle is a Savage 112 BVSS, a single shot action that came as a 7mmRem. It is now chambered for the 7STW and you do not want to give me fifteen seconds to send you a personal message at under 800yds.
Mostly, what it is is finding an accurate 200yd load, and then just stepping out another 100yds each trip to the range.

Rich
Buff Killer

quote:

Originally posted by dawaba:
The world is full of cartridges with 300-yd capabilities. But it is a bit shy on 300-yd shooters....

There's some truth here.....but if one has a good rest the 300 yard shot shouldn't be much of a trick!

With a whole lot of cartridges just put the crosshairs just under the top of the back and squeeze it off

"Maybe it is just that simple, and I'm making a bigger deal out of it than it really is."

you are making it a bigger deal than it has to be. just get a decent 30-06 or 7mm rem mag. these (and several others) will handle anything you are likely to hunt (including the big bears as has been proven many, many times over the years). and will easily kill anything at 300 yards if you do your part.

30-06
270 win
308
etc

25-05, .270, 7mm-08 will do fine. Of course a .280, .308 or .30-06 will work as well and will make you feel more comfortable should you want to go for something larger than western whitetails.

Rifle depends on how much you want to spend. On the cheap a good ol'Rem 700 will do along with a Savage. Top it off with some nice glass in 4.5-14x50mm configuration by Leupold, Burris or Nikon.

OK guys. It's clear that many popular cartridges are capable. That's why my initial post leaned toward the rifle rather than the cartridge.

So, now it's time to up the anti, and make it real and really interesting.

What I would like to see is pictures of actual targets with groups actually shot at 300 yards - no fudging and throwing in 100 yd targets, and say they are 300 yards. I've shown one picture of my recent attempt at 200 yards. I'll try to get back to the range soon and attempt 300 yards. The rifle I used is a Mark X with a custom 8x57 barrel, and a Hogue stock, and 3.5x10 VXIII. Shot off sand bags made from the legs off blue jeans.

If you could show a picture of the rifle and/or a description of it and the scope, and the loads used that would be very good. If you want to be really informative, it would be helpful if you described or show the rest used to achieve the groups.

As Bartsche says: My Dad said Talk is cheap it takes money to buy whiskey. Do it and than talk about it.

Thanks to RaySendero and Fjold for posting some nice pictures of targets. Thanks to Nick Adams for the picture of his 300 yard rifle. Thanks to the rest of you too.

KB

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
three or four trips to the range with about any rifle will do that. A good shooter will stay under 3" at that 300yd range. I try and zero at the longest range I would shoot, and just shoot a target at 100/200/250 (3 shots is enough) to know where it hits. Heck, the CZ 450 Dakota I took to Africa in December was zeroed at 200.

Rich
Buff Killer

.

I can think of several rifles an accountant from Hoonah has that would be PERFECT for 300 yard big game shooting ..

quote:

Originally posted by Kabluewy:
.....

Thanks to RaySendero and Fjold for posting some nice pictures of targets. .....

KB

KB,

I'm not the only one in the family that can shoot. My son shot these groups:

3 shots at 200 yds - Group measures 3/8":


2 Two shot groups at 300 yds - Groups measure 5/8" and 1 ¼":


Here's a link to another forum discussing his rifle and these targets:
http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/i.../topic,103251.0.html
You may have to register to open the thread - I don't know for sure.

I have the opportunity at making some long shots on some nice bucks when hunting from tree stands, depending on where I set up. That being said, my "new" long range deer popper is a .257 Wby. It's replacing a 7mm Rem Mag, which has been able to shoot out to almost 400 yards accurately if I'm "in the zone", and my shots could go as far as 450 if the .257 proves accurate enough. But for 300 yards as an absolute maximum, a .30-06 and a regular 3-9x scope would do the trick! Dad's push-feed M70 will throw 150gr and 180gr Hornadys into 4" at 300 yards reliably provided I can remember the hold-over numbers.

quote:

I'd opt for the 7mm if I had to single one out.

Me, too.

For 300 yard hunting there are way too many great cartridges to list.

My personal favorites include the .308, .243 (for coyotes) and .300 Win Mag

If you know the velocity of the load you are shooting, and are a decent shot, 300 yards is pretty much a cake walk.

I can't resist answering even know the talk is long over but for deer at long range I love my 270 WSM in a Tikka hunter. I've taken several large Bucks in Saskatchewan at 350+ and this combo has never let me down. Love cal. but not cost of the ammo.

Looking at cartridges only, I must stick with my earlier posting about using a 7mm Mag. Was just shooting one yesterday, belongs to a friend up here. 160 grain Nosler Partitions are the best in his rifle, and I think they are an excellent bullet from a killing, and accuracy point of view.
Was thinking, I'm a fan of the 300 WSM. It's in between a 30-06 and the 300 WM. but the recoil, for me, is tolerable. The 300 WM is not. But, that's a personal thing with me.
There are so many great 30 caliber bullets too...
Just some manure on the garden of cartridge selection..

Don

KB

In case nobody has already said this, I will.

What I would do would be to seek out a friend or relative that has a KNOWN accurate rifle. No matter the caliber or brand of rifle. Just one that with a certain load has PROVEN to be accurate at 300 yards. I would ask to shoot it with that load. In fact, I would pay money to shoot it with that load. And I would try to duplicate the known accuracy with that known load.

That way, you can tell whether its your shooting skills that need work.

In addition, after choosing your new rifle to be used for 300 yard shooting, I would seek out another shooter who is a KNOWN good shooter and have them shoot the rifle after working with a few loads to get the most accurate load I was capable of shooting. See what someone else can do with your rifle.

I don't shoot very much at all in the summer. When I start shooting each fall I am a terrible shot. It takes many rounds before I can shoot a decent group at a hundred yards, let alone 300 yards.

Bottom line. I agree with those who say that there are many rifles that are capable of shooting better groups than their owners are capable of shooting, at least until the shooter practices alot.

Thanks 22WRF. I think that is good and thoughtful advice. I have been going to the range some lately and making some shooting buddies.
It is fun to go shooting alone, and concentrating on it. It's also fun to go with a friend, but generally the time at the range is doubled.

Perhaps now I'll have more time, since that awful divorce is over, and appeal is waiting on the court to take action, not waiting me to turn in more papers.

KB

I started hunting over bean fields about 15 yrs ago. I use a Model 70 in .270 or it's big brother i 7mm mag. I've used my .270 to 325 yrd.s but I usually switch to my 7mm mag if I shots beyond 300 yrd.s seem likely. I've kept records and only two of the 30 or so deer I've killed in the bean fields really required the 7mm mag. For whitetail the .270 is adequate well beyond 300 yrd.s with much less recoil. Less recoil = smaller groups. My opinion is free and worth every nickel of it.

Kabluewy, I know a guy that is a crack shot from ten feet, for $5000.00 you can make all this divorce shit go away.

Sir Mauser

Why I respect your right to state your opinion, I must say that your post is in very bad taste.

22WRF, I have to agree, even with the situation, that's just too nasty to think about. I have thought about some bad stuff, but I have to remind myself that it will pass, and I'm civilized or not - that's entirely up to me.

However, the prospect of turning the table, giving my adversaries a dose of their own medicine, in their own domanin, within the law, gives me great pleasure to think about, and work for. Winning on those terms will be worth the effort. If I don't win, I still know I did my best, and I played it within the rule of law and ethics and civility. In my book, it's a rare opportunity, because most of the time we simply have to let them win to get on with life.

Damn, I wish I had thought to say that in my reply brief.

Sir Mauser, I'm the guy who wrapped my final alimony check around an eight inch dildo, and tied it on with a pink ribbon. When I found the check had cleared, I could imagine her unwrapping that thing. That was as nasty as I want to get, and it gave me great satisfaction to send it to her like that. Perhaps it's giving her great satisfaction too. I figured it was the least I could do for the most expensive c--t I've known.

KB

Kabluewy,

The .338 Winchester Magnum is what you are yearning for.

In a Blaser R93 rifle.

Can't post a 300 yard target.

But here's a 100 yard target.



And a 300 yard victim.

22WRF, seems you are the only person not capable of seeing that as a joke. I guess personality is something some are born with.

Kabluewy, nobody is worth going to prison over. If my sarcasm offended you, I apologize.

Sir Mauser,
I'm not offended, and I hope I didn't offend you. I merely wanted to make my thoughts on the subject clear. You are free to think and joke about anyting you want, but there are some things that I simply don't find funny or room to joke about. No offense.

Now, dildos are funny to me, and we can joke about them all day.

KB

I use one rifle, a wildcat we built ourselves, 375/404, for all my hunting in Africa.

I have taken animals with it up to about 500 yards.

I think the most important thing for a hunting rifle is that you have to be very familiar with it.