New 300 win mag on the way. What bullets are people using with good terminal ballistics and accuracy? I'm leaning towards bergers but I'm just not sure. Gun will be used for elk/whitetail. I don't have time to work up 4-5 loads for this gun so I'm just going to build the load around long range 500-600 yard shots on elk. This should work plenty good enough on whitetail at around the same ranges. Gun is being throated for 190 grain Sierra M.K.s.
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.308 Elk bullets
- Thread starter wvuredneck09
- Start date
The Nosler Partition or Swift A-Frame are two classic and very effective elk bullets. Though I have read that many are very happy with the performance of the Berger hunting bullets on elk. The Nosler Accu-Bond may also deserve a look as well.
The Berger will obviously have a huge BC advantage and will probably drift and drop less at extreme range than will the others, though the partition, accu-bond and A-Frame are still excellent hunting bullets.
I forgot about the Barnes TSX and TTSX, they should be effective.
There is some good info in this thread as well.
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3957954
The Berger will obviously have a huge BC advantage and will probably drift and drop less at extreme range than will the others, though the partition, accu-bond and A-Frame are still excellent hunting bullets.
I forgot about the Barnes TSX and TTSX, they should be effective.
There is some good info in this thread as well.
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3957954
Ihave used the 300m since 1973, taken elk, moose, caraboo, grizzlie and mulie
all with 180nosler partician , they are great one shoters and effective out to 600 (elk, mulie, bear all at 500+) i use h4831/imr4831 and find it give the best accurcy and velocity combo
when strickly mulie hunting i switch to Sierra 165sbt and have one shotter very accurate and less meat loss loaded mid way between 30-06 and 300wm level
Bob
all with 180nosler partician , they are great one shoters and effective out to 600 (elk, mulie, bear all at 500+) i use h4831/imr4831 and find it give the best accurcy and velocity combo
when strickly mulie hunting i switch to Sierra 165sbt and have one shotter very accurate and less meat loss loaded mid way between 30-06 and 300wm level
Bob
No votes for the sierra's or bergers? I'm surprised and I'll look into the rest of the option. I have used Nosler CT accubonds in the past with great results on whitetails.
effendude
Gold $$ Contributor
I've used Barnes 180gr. MRX bullets in my 300RUM the last few years and will use them this fall also. From 100# spring black bears on up to elk, they have done a great job. In/out with much destruction and decent expansion.
Most rifles with std. chambers can't shoot the VLD's well from my experience. Throats are too short for the VLD's to be loaded to mag length and be accurate. The VLD is largest in diameter right at the boattail and the boattail/bullet joint should be kept above the neck/should junction for best accuracy. That said, i'm building a 7mmRem Mag with a reamer from Dave Kiff specifically for the Berger VLD. I've talked to enough people who have first hand experience to now confidently give them a try.
Good Luck,
Scott
Most rifles with std. chambers can't shoot the VLD's well from my experience. Throats are too short for the VLD's to be loaded to mag length and be accurate. The VLD is largest in diameter right at the boattail and the boattail/bullet joint should be kept above the neck/should junction for best accuracy. That said, i'm building a 7mmRem Mag with a reamer from Dave Kiff specifically for the Berger VLD. I've talked to enough people who have first hand experience to now confidently give them a try.
Good Luck,
Scott
I'm new to .308 Winnie Pooh fare, so I have been reading with great relish. Just via commonsense, I chose 165 grain Nosler AccuBonds as my starting point for Elk Loads since these bullets seem SOLID and BEASTLY. The only Elk I ever killed was with a .243 Winchester 100 grain Nosler Partition. I now have 300 various .308 test loads ready for the range. I've narrowed my rifle selection to a Weatherby Vanguard Sporter w/ Turkish Grade A Walnut Stock. This would be my first Japanese-made rifle. I could use any comments regarding Vanguard Quality. Cliffy
Cliffy - the Vanguard is a good rifle. It should serve you well.
Back in the early & mid 1990's a buddy and I used 165 gr Nosler Ballistic Tips from our .300 Win mag rifles. Results were sudden death on mule deer - but the bullets fragmented pretty badly, on impact. We were getting about 3200 fps muzzle velocity. The tougher construction of the Accubond should solve that, or consider bumping up to the 180 gr bullets for the .300, it's a perfect match.
Regards, Guy
Back in the early & mid 1990's a buddy and I used 165 gr Nosler Ballistic Tips from our .300 Win mag rifles. Results were sudden death on mule deer - but the bullets fragmented pretty badly, on impact. We were getting about 3200 fps muzzle velocity. The tougher construction of the Accubond should solve that, or consider bumping up to the 180 gr bullets for the .300, it's a perfect match.
Regards, Guy
JRS, the question is "what bullets are people using with good terminal ballistics and accuracy?" seems to me I gave my opinion? everyone else is mentioning noslers, accubonds, etc. He only stated he was having it throated for matchkings. My opinion on matchkings is to just not use them hunting. Why chance have the elk of a lifetime escape? I have used them in the past on whitetails, and they were fine. I have also had them fail to open up on varmints when taking 450yd+ shots, when velocity falls off.
I've used the 185 gr. Berger VLD on elk sized and smaller game (mule deer) out of my 300 RUM for 3 years now. No bullet of any caliber or construction style has ever been as effective for me. I used 180 gr. Swift Scirocco's for years and even tried a few others with success but nothing stops animals as fast as a Berger.
Considering the velocity and energy of a 300WM, and the fact you want to use the same load on elk and whitetail, I would go with a 180 grain Sierra Gameking. The simple construction of this bullet makes a very accurate round out of most guns. Some of the premium bullets won't be as accurate, and if you are going to be shooting 500-600 yards, you had better have an accurate round. While the Gameking may not be quite as tough as a Partition or bonded bullet, it will still stay together well enough to drop an elk, provided you can hit it in the vitals. If you happen to shoot a whitetail at close range though, you might loose some meat. Guess you could stalk off a hundred yards or so and then make the shot.
Cliffy - I have three Vanguards. They are very nicely built, out of the box hunting rifles, provided you avoid the inexpensive black stock models. Those are some cheap flexible stocks, similar to what Remington and many other gun makers use. However if you replace the cheap stock, you are good to go. Also, I'm pretty sure the Vanguard barrels and actions are make in Japan by Howa, and final assembly takes place in California. The Wby Mark V rifles use barrels made by a sub-division of Krieger called Criterion. At least that is my understanding.
Cliffy - I have three Vanguards. They are very nicely built, out of the box hunting rifles, provided you avoid the inexpensive black stock models. Those are some cheap flexible stocks, similar to what Remington and many other gun makers use. However if you replace the cheap stock, you are good to go. Also, I'm pretty sure the Vanguard barrels and actions are make in Japan by Howa, and final assembly takes place in California. The Wby Mark V rifles use barrels made by a sub-division of Krieger called Criterion. At least that is my understanding.
I feel that you may need to get a load worked up for the rifle that is reasonably accurate and do some testing with a few different bullets and see which is going to be the most accurate.
The problem you face with a fast 30 such as the 300mag is complete devastation of animals at close range if you chose the wrong bullet. And remember, there are 5 animals taken under 100yds for every one taken at 500. That means you need a bullet that will hold together through a high velocity short range hit and not put a hole in the animal the size of a softball, yet still perform when the yardage starts to stretch. Bonded and sectioned bullets will do this far better than a traditional bullet, as will most solid copper or gilding metal bullets. The Berger may do well in this area as well, though I have yet to really test it much myself. This leaves a few distinct choices that are proven to be very effective, Nosler Partition, Nosler Accu-Bond, Barnes TTSX and TSX, Swift A-Frame, and possibly the Nosler E-Tip, Hornady GMX or Hornady Interbond.
I don't feel Sierra is truly up with the times in the hunting bullet arena, though the GameKing and ProHunter are good designs, there are others that are a bit more advanced than the cup and core design of the Sierra's. Just my opinion, so please everyone refrain from flipping out on me, as it will not change my mind. They are more concerned with making the SMK shoot bugholes and producing a good varmint bullet than designing a hunting bullet, which is how I see things.
That leaves you with several very solid choices to find a bullet that will shoot accurately from your rifle. I personally have yet to see a rifle that won't shoot a Nosler Accu-Bond accurately, and the Hornady Interbond is similar in design, so starting there isn't a bad idea. The A-Frame and Partition are of the same basic design, so whichever is more accurate of the two is what I would take if you go that route. The Berger has to fit in somewhere, so here it is. Then you are left with the solid designs, the TTSX, TSX, E-Tip and GMX. I have little experience with these and understand the solid design is very tough and performs well on game, but can require a bit of extra pressure to hit the same velocity as a comparable weight bullet.
Every bullet I have listed has taken the game you desire, and some like the Partition and A-Frame have been doing it for decades. You will not go wrong with any of the above.
The problem you face with a fast 30 such as the 300mag is complete devastation of animals at close range if you chose the wrong bullet. And remember, there are 5 animals taken under 100yds for every one taken at 500. That means you need a bullet that will hold together through a high velocity short range hit and not put a hole in the animal the size of a softball, yet still perform when the yardage starts to stretch. Bonded and sectioned bullets will do this far better than a traditional bullet, as will most solid copper or gilding metal bullets. The Berger may do well in this area as well, though I have yet to really test it much myself. This leaves a few distinct choices that are proven to be very effective, Nosler Partition, Nosler Accu-Bond, Barnes TTSX and TSX, Swift A-Frame, and possibly the Nosler E-Tip, Hornady GMX or Hornady Interbond.
I don't feel Sierra is truly up with the times in the hunting bullet arena, though the GameKing and ProHunter are good designs, there are others that are a bit more advanced than the cup and core design of the Sierra's. Just my opinion, so please everyone refrain from flipping out on me, as it will not change my mind. They are more concerned with making the SMK shoot bugholes and producing a good varmint bullet than designing a hunting bullet, which is how I see things.
That leaves you with several very solid choices to find a bullet that will shoot accurately from your rifle. I personally have yet to see a rifle that won't shoot a Nosler Accu-Bond accurately, and the Hornady Interbond is similar in design, so starting there isn't a bad idea. The A-Frame and Partition are of the same basic design, so whichever is more accurate of the two is what I would take if you go that route. The Berger has to fit in somewhere, so here it is. Then you are left with the solid designs, the TTSX, TSX, E-Tip and GMX. I have little experience with these and understand the solid design is very tough and performs well on game, but can require a bit of extra pressure to hit the same velocity as a comparable weight bullet.
Every bullet I have listed has taken the game you desire, and some like the Partition and A-Frame have been doing it for decades. You will not go wrong with any of the above.
Kenny - I first used the .300 Win mag/180 gr Nosler Partition combo back about 1985 or so. It is a near perfect combination.
Yes, accuracy can be better with some of the bullets, but the Partition has come a long way in the accuracy department, and the performance on game is superb. I'd be willing to hunt any big game in North America with a .30-06 or one of the .300 magnums combined with a 180 grain Nosler Partition.
Guy
Yes, accuracy can be better with some of the bullets, but the Partition has come a long way in the accuracy department, and the performance on game is superb. I'd be willing to hunt any big game in North America with a .30-06 or one of the .300 magnums combined with a 180 grain Nosler Partition.
Guy
Guy, I too have used the 180gr Partition in the 30-06 with good results. It's a very good bullet, probably one of the best, if not the best, expanding hunting bullets ever devised. Super tough, yet expands relatively easily.
I only switched to the Nosler Ballistic Tips as they cost a lot less and are plenty of bullet for the deer I normally hunt. I use the Partition when I hunt bear or moose, as they are a bit bigger and could benefit from the use of the tougher bullet. If I were to hunt Elk or other large animal I would use the partition and not even question it. The only other bullets I would even consider for personal use are the Berger and Accu-Bond for extended ranges.
I only switched to the Nosler Ballistic Tips as they cost a lot less and are plenty of bullet for the deer I normally hunt. I use the Partition when I hunt bear or moose, as they are a bit bigger and could benefit from the use of the tougher bullet. If I were to hunt Elk or other large animal I would use the partition and not even question it. The only other bullets I would even consider for personal use are the Berger and Accu-Bond for extended ranges.
What I like about the 300 WM is the bullet doesn't seem to matter that much. It freaking hits like a sledge hammer no matter what you load it with. With that said I would find a bullet for elk and a different, perhaps lighter bullet for deer. I've seen small bucks turned inside out by people shooting a 300 WM at close distances.
Another good bullet that is inexpensive and performs as good as the Gamekings is the Hornady Interlock. Wby has done tests and this bullet stays together about as good as the Partition and Accubond bullets. These bullets are not glamours and don't come with the marketing treatment intended to bag hunters, but they are work horse bullets, and countless animals have been killed over the years with them.
Another good bullet that is inexpensive and performs as good as the Gamekings is the Hornady Interlock. Wby has done tests and this bullet stays together about as good as the Partition and Accubond bullets. These bullets are not glamours and don't come with the marketing treatment intended to bag hunters, but they are work horse bullets, and countless animals have been killed over the years with them.
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