You used two key words in in your question about long range. Practice and ELK!! This, to me, means two different guns....and reloading!!! Everyone here would agree that PRACTICE comes first. Trying to practice with a 300/338 loudenboomer is not only punishing and expensive, it could well be counter productive. You may well handle the big kickers for a few shots at the range, but shooting one for half a day , in field positions can give you a flinch. I would start with a smaller 6mm or 6.5 with heavy, LR type bullets. My practice gun, a 6-47L with 108's, has an identicle trajectory to my big boomers out to 1K. Like ALF said....BC is BC..as long as they are fired at the same FPS the drop and wind will be the same. After you get a bunch of trigger time in you will be better informed about your hunting gun.
Another option would be a switch BBL rig. Have the recoil lug pinned on a rem 700 and have a couple of different tubes chambered up. They would both need to be the same bolt face. I have a 6.5 WSSM BBL chambered up for one of my 300 WBY rifles. Low recoil and VERY accurate. Simply swap out the tube and re zero your scope.
Oh, as far as how big...for elk...at 1K?? I say no smaller than a 300 WBY. I hear the 300 RUM brass is impossible to find. 300 WBY brass is everywhere and you can get really close to RUM velocity. Use heavy for caliber bullets.....at least 210 grains in a 30 cal. I LOVE my 338 EDGE, and high quality, properly head stamped brass is available from Sean Carlock...a sponsor over at LR Hunting.com.
Good luck,
Tod
Another option would be a switch BBL rig. Have the recoil lug pinned on a rem 700 and have a couple of different tubes chambered up. They would both need to be the same bolt face. I have a 6.5 WSSM BBL chambered up for one of my 300 WBY rifles. Low recoil and VERY accurate. Simply swap out the tube and re zero your scope.
Oh, as far as how big...for elk...at 1K?? I say no smaller than a 300 WBY. I hear the 300 RUM brass is impossible to find. 300 WBY brass is everywhere and you can get really close to RUM velocity. Use heavy for caliber bullets.....at least 210 grains in a 30 cal. I LOVE my 338 EDGE, and high quality, properly head stamped brass is available from Sean Carlock...a sponsor over at LR Hunting.com.
Good luck,
Tod