This weekend I will be going to try to fill my late season cow elk tag. We are expected to have 20 - 30 mph winds and I know the shots will be in rather open country, south side of the mountain and pretty much free of vegetation and in the 300 yard range.



I have several rifles I could use all are capabile of dropping elk but the two I have focused on are a 300 win mag using 180gr and the loading manual says I should be getting about 2800 + fps out of it. The other is a nice custom wildcat 338-08 using 200 gr bullets at 2700+ fps. Both are accurate and I can consistantly hit a 300 meter 14" gong from a typical hunting position (kneeling or sitting).



Question is, with the wind at a constant 20-30 mph and gusts involved, which cartridge would be the better choice?

Though it might sound like a cop-out answer, I'd use the one that you have the most experience with and feel the most comfortable with. Out to 300 yards, wind drift won't be a huge difference between the two, so pick the one that you feel best about carrying.

If you're looking at reloading manuals, take a glance at what they "say" you should expect for wind drift. Keep that in the back of your mind when you're hunting. However, without actually shooting YOUR loads, in the wind, they are only a guideline...

Good luck filling that tag!

Run your loads through the ballistic calculator on the following web site:
http://www.biggameinfo.com/BalCalc.aspx

It will give you a pretty good idea which load is best and how much to compensate for the wind. I would think that the two are pretty close.

I think the critical factor in wind drift is time of flight. That being said, the difference in your two loads is probably not significant. It might be a factor if you were comparing a 308 and a 300RUM. If you are successful, do I get a tenderloin?

Wind drift at 300 yards in 20-30 mph could be on the order of 15 inches...depending on the rifle and load. I know shooting highpower rifle in smallish gusts of 5-10mph with a 308 its quite easy to be blown 5-6 inches to either side with 168 SMKs.
You need to know the wind drift correction or try and pick a shot in a lull. Doesn't matter which rifle you choose there won't be a huge difference between the two. Just know how much to hold into the wind.
At 100 and 200 yards it will be negligable for hunting purposes. At 300+ yards the wind matters...and a 20-30mph wind matters A BUNCH!

The 180gr .308 bullet at 2800 will have less wind drift than a 200gr 338 at 2700. The 308 is going faster and has a higher BC.
A 30 mph wind will blow your 308 bullet about 22 inches at 300 yards and about 40 inches at 400.

Grab the 300 and dont look back. good luck!!

I would agree with using the 300 Mag because that 180 grain bullet has the higher BC. Also I would say if the wind is that strong, and shots as long as you think they will be, just take your shot either with or into the wind, that way you won't get any wind drift at all.

A lot of people have trouble shooting in high wind because the wind physically moves both them and their rifle. I suggest taking the heavier of the two rifles and use shooting sticks to steady that rifle.

I always use a .300 Win. Mag. on windy hunts in open country. I load 180 gr. bullets to just under 3100 fps. for everything I hunt with that cartridge; for windy hunting areas and non-windy areas as well.



Why load a .300 Win. Mag. to .30-06 velocities, anyway?



AD

Of the two guns, it's a tossup. You will have to remember what the wind drift is in either case and compensate for it. I'd also vote for whichever one you're most comfortable shooting, in the absence of some other technical factor such as scope, available bullets, etc.

Good thinkin Tom.