03 May 2005, 06:36
Mighty PeaceElk Bullet choice
I personally used the Failsafes and Partition Golds, both in 180gr. for my 300WM in the past. After last season and I tried the Accubonds, I will shoot these bullets. The Accubonds performed exceptionally on all my animals...elk, moose, whitetail and mulie deer. All were 1 shot kills, with the longest at 500+ yards on my 8x7 whiteail, to 40 yrds on my nt mulie. The moose was at just over 100 yrds and the elk at around 300. Small entry, huge exit. The only one that didn't pass thru was on the mulie which almost made it thru both front shoulders. My fiance shot her mulie 445yrd. 1 shot with her new Tikka T3 LS 270WSM with 140gr., then the next week got her cow elk at about 150 yrds.
To say anything bads about these Accubonds, I can't. I am now reloading for both calibers, trying both 150 and 200 gr. for the 300WM rifle. I also just bought Barnes Triple Shock for both the 270 WSM and 300 WM, and going to try the 200 gr with my 300WM on spring bear.
I'll report later on how these Barnes TSX performed at the range and at the bears.
Thats my 2 bits.
quote:
Originally posted by boreal:
I prefer to use the factory BCs, by the way (sorry). But I used the Sierras, which is the only 240 BC that I have at hand, but should give the 240 and 200 grainers greatest possible advantage?
No. The real results are what they are--how close the manufacturer's advertised numbers are to the real results varies. In my experience, bot Sierra and Nosler's advertised BC's are pretty darn accurate (close to reality). My results (and anybody elses' who actually pays attention to these things) haven't been the same for Barnes X's. On the flip side, Swift and Hornady plastic tipped bullets generally seem to do better than their advertised numbers, so I'd compensate for them the other way in my calculations.
quote:
My real reason for posting again is that I'm surprised that you have not trumpeted the greatest reason to use a heavy and high BC, like the 240 in your RUM. I calculated the retained energies....
But of course.

That's a biggy as well. But most people seem to have a better handle on retained energy with heavier bullets than they do wind drift. That's why I don't have to bring it up as much.
I've been fortunate to take several elk with a 300WSM and 180gr Failsafes. I'm sure other bullets would work equally well, but the FSs are the most accurate out of my rifle.
03 May 2005, 22:08
<boreal>quote:
Originally posted by Jon A:
quote:
But I used the Sierras, which is the only 240 BC that I have at hand, but should give the 240 and 200 grainers greatest possible advantage?
No. The real results are what they are--how close the manufacturer's advertised numbers are to the real results varies.
It is what it is!

Well, I'd use the BC for your 240, but you didn't mention it. The Sierra match kings are known for high BC, so I figured I was erring against the Barnes, and giving your bullet the benefit of doubt.
Ok, I'll use the estimate of some guy I met on the internet (you) of .470 for the Barnes. With .470, I get a drift of 10 inches at 400 yards (0.8 in more than the higher factory BC). So that makes it drift 2.8 inches more than the 240 Sierra hpbtmk. Of course, "anybody else who pays attention to these things", knows that other factors like the rotational velocity of the planet and the arc of the planet's surface at the specific point on earth, humidity, altitude, air pressure, bullet velocity, bullet deformation (rifling marks, etc.), and such also matter. But lets not get too weird about it, as the elk could walk away long before we calculate all that. I've only calculated a few dozen bullets, including Barnes x-bullets, plain and bt base, and several weights in 308, 6mm, 7mm and a couple others by shooting over chronys at various ranges. The calcs were pretty close to factory, and I decided it didn't make much difference than using factory stats, so I canned that practice. I'm not an expert ballistician, but am not completely ignorant of the subject. Hey, can you calculate the escape velocity of your bullet from the earth, at the equator, at the ocean's surface, 10% humidity, barometric pressure of.....?

High School Physics!
Ya know, its just easier to shoot the damn gun at the ranges you will hunt.

What is the twist rate of your RUM? Can it stabilize that 240? Must be one to nine or so, eh? Probably not a factory Rem 700 barrel (1 in 10)?
quote:
Originally posted by boreal:
Ya know, its just easier to shoot the damn gun at the ranges you will hunt.
And thus, you have my first post to this thread.

quote:
What is the twist rate of your RUM? Can it stabilize that 240? Must be one to nine or so, eh? Probably not a factory Rem 700 barrel (1 in 10)?
It's a 1:10 (factory A-Bolt barrel). It does fine with the 240 SMK so I don't expect a problem with any of the others I'll be testing.