SO......here I am, the ultimate rifle mod newbie! I have my beloved huntin' Sendero heavy 26" in .300WinMag, but I want MORE POWER, MORE RANGE!!!! Why? WHY NOT???? I know not what to do, but I've been advised to do a .338 Lapau, a .338/378 Weatherby, a .460 Weatherby with lighter bullets, and a couple have suggested selling my rifle for a .50BMG(although if I could mount a 36" bull barrel, and stuff that case necked down to .375 in my venerable Ruger #1 Tropical, I'd do it in a heartbeat....FLOL!) So, any suggestions from the "masters" about what to do with my POWER problem?! If there are questions of recoil, let me just say.....what recoil?!


Anyhew, thanks ya'll!

What to you want more power for longer range or close in crushing.

WHAT?! I can't have more power AND range????



*SNIFF*


OK, I'll take........bone-crusher at 300yds, Alex!

Get a .416 Weatherby. 400gr. bullets at 2700fps (muzzle) should shoot flat and hit hard at 300yds.

George

OOooooo, that's a new offering. THANKS, GS!

Any thoughts as to proper barrel length to make the most of that round?

If you're going to be shooting from a fixed position (e.g., blind or stand), put a 30" barrel on it; otherwise, a 26" or 27" will be good enough.

George

Yes you can but some of best the most crushing at short range are not the best for long range. IE 577 or 600 OK are short range crushers but they are not the best for shooting long range. IE the Cheyene 408 tact. Or the 50BMG.

So do U want long range or short range Or medium range. There are hundreds of rifle ammo combos out there very few do it all.

HHhhmmm, dat's a toughy, GS....I usually practice and hunt from a modified off-hand stalker's position using whatever support is available. I am pretty stable in the field at 300yds with my Sendero(~3" groups), so I dunno........maybe the 30" would be OK....the weight never bothered me, kinda like 'em heavy and steady, you know?

Truly, P, I'd like the nastiest, flatest shooting 300yd'er I can stuff through my Sendero. I only hunt elk and absolutely opposed to wounding my game(I practice religiously)......I'll surrender fifty pounds of meat first!

PS- If it matters, I NEVER mag-shoot.....one shot only, hand-fed.

Try a .358-378 wby. Great long range rig and just flattens elk. Also, not quite as overbore as the 30 or .338 versions of the 378 wby case.

378 Wby would be my choice. Be sure to use Match King bullets.

The .300WinMag is a very powerful cartridge, and with proper bullet and shot placement a hunter using it can dispach any species in North America. It is far better to shoot a gun that doesn't bruise your shoulder, if possible, than one that does!

PS. You should ask any experienced female hunter, that's because lot of men seem to use their .... when making a cartridge selection.

500grains
Chill out, don't be so hard on "KS". He is just going through his "Long Range Phase". We have all been there. In a few years He will be asking about a good 9,3x62, or if he really sees the LIGHT a Double Rifle.

KS
The problem with making a several hundred yard shot, is that in mountain country you may have to walk 12 miles [6 down and 6 up] to get to the site where the animal was standing. In truth it is hard to even figure out where the animal was, when you shot at it.
This is one reason Idaho makes it illegsl to hunt with a rifle that weighs more than 16 lbs [if I remember correctly] because folks were shooting at elk with 50 BMG's from one mountain to another.
I LOVE to shoot long range, but I would rather take game at 30 yards [or really 30 feet] than 300 yards or over.
There is nothing wrong however in being prepared and trained to shoot to 3 or 400 yards, and having the equipment and skill to do it, AND to know when NOT to take such shots.

450

In the past I actually thought about building a 378 Wby on a P14 Enfield to use for elk hunting. If I had done so, I would probably have great big biceps from carrying the rifle around.

500grains
Two of my buddies have 378 WBY rifles. One is Magna-Ported. It is still pretty thumpy.
The other we took to KDF and had a brake put on it.
What a difference. You can shoot it prone off of a bipod just like a 308 Sniper rifle.
I do not really care for muzzlebrakes on hunting rifles, however on a big kicker long range rifle it makes some sense, after all if you are shooting game several hundred yards away, every body can "ear up" with ear protection.
I would just rather shoot game up close, more fun for me.

I really enjoyed hunting prairie dogs with you last June. We will have to do something together in the future for sure.

500 Jeffery! It will launch 500 grain pills at 2600+ fps and 705 gr 50BMG pills at 2200 fps. Zero it at 300 yds and you will be good to go. All from a short stiff 24" tube.

The rebated rim is M700 bolt face friendly (more so than a Weatherby case anyway), and since you hand feed you need not worry about magazine idiosyncracies.

A 570grainer at ~ 2400 fps muzzle velocity absolutely shatters elk at 225 yards.

ASS_CLOWN

I think a 27" bull-bbl. .375 ULTRA MAG would be a cool conversion...

Has it been months my friends?

The 378 wby without a doubt.

I used my 600 Ok two years ago for a cow elk. True range way a measly 100 yds or so but it dropped her like the preverbal ton of bricks.

Hunt with what you like as long as it has enough umps to do the job and you don't use it irresponsibly you'll get no beef from me. If you wall a mile or more off the nearest forest road you've got my respect as well,

It's all such a personnel thing. Years ago I took a bear at over 600 yards. One of those cross canyon shots. Couldn't get to him till the next morning. I would never do that again. Get closer or just don't shoot. It's just not worth it to me any longer. But if someone can make the shot and does who am I to popo their doing so. Last I checked it was a free country and dead is dead. All JMHO of course.

John

Really try the 358-378 it works long or near and packs a punch. Mine weighs in at 9 lbs loaded and scoped and I could shave a half pound without any ill effects. Recoil is brisk but manageable and when shooting at game you will never even feel or hear it go off.

Good luck and have fun

John

I have a feeling there is a 'Cape Sight' on that N E 450 No 2.
KS, Steve Barnett (West Point, MS) had a nice "rounded action" underlever 450/400 3&1/4" VC with a folding ladder sight up to 1000yrds. That's a bit optimistic, but long ago Verney-Carron made excellent big bore double rifles. I would have bought it, but the "paper trail" would be mite a long side!

Wow! Nice responses....appreciate all the good scoop! My dad and I are going to get mules this year, and use a drop-camp. I spent twelve years in the Corps, so if I'm not humping hills with a load, I ain't happy, but the mules will ensure getting the game out in a timely manner. I'm also kinda wierd in that I consider the long-range, calculated shot as being on a par with setting up a proper stand, or perfecting a stalking method...although I lump stalking and long-range shooting into a strange combo. I take great care before I shoot and to note the location of my game(I've had a lot of game walk off before the shot, but I figure that's huntin'!)and usually spend at least a minute behind the scope after the shot surveying everything in the area so I can find it later. That's another reason I prefer overkill.....I've seen Murphy mess with outstanding hunters, seeing 'kills' vanish into nearby brush only to be found the following year. I'll do all I can to make sure the animal never feels a thing and drops immediately. I will consider your thoughts thoroughly, as I know you folks have strong faith in all your choices....THANKS!