Best 500 Yard Bullet in a 300 Winchester Magnum

[Smokinyotes]

A few years ago I loaded up some 200gr ELDX for my 300 win mag. They shot great on paper. I took them on a mule deer hunt down by Oyen that November. I shot a mule buck at 760yards. I was really surprised, at that distance how bad the bullet blew up. I never found a piece bigger than 15 grains.

[Steyr Luxus]

Berger 210

[marky_mark]

215 berger h1000

[Shahan]

I killed 3 mooses with TSX (a big male with 140 gr from my 270wm), and last two were with the 175 LRX. I will continue with them for sure. If it works well for moose it will too for Elk, deer or bear. They all droped dead in the trails.

[Double Dropper]

Berger is a no......will pass, there is alot on the internet about how fantastic the 215 Hybrid is but out to 500 yards there is no advantage, read the post it does shine out there so to speak but with a 500 yard limitation there are much better bullets.

[partsman]

I still load mag tips and sometimes barnes or even partitions from nosler.
All 180 grains

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by Double Dropper

Berger is a no......will pass, there is alot on the internet about how fantastic the 215 Hybrid is but out to 500 yards there is no advantage, read the post it does shine out there so to speak but with a 500 yard limitation there are much better bullets.

Have you shot anything with Berger bullets?

[Big Lou]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

Have you shot anything with Berger bullets?

I’m kind of in DDs school of thought here too. I shoot the same combination as you are but in a 300RUM and while it’s a highly effective combination for killing quick, they do make a bit of a mess. This doesn’t bother me much but on the two deer I’ve shot with this combo, one was 280 yards and I had a softball sized exit. The other was 646 yards and copper all over the place. Another deer shot with a 115gr VLD out of a 257 Wby, copper all over. But not a flinch or kick from any of them and what a pile of damage. I know how they will perform and it’s to be expected.

I just picked up a 28 Nosler for something along the lines of what DD is eluding to. Point and shoot, holding on hair to 400 or a bit better. Doesn’t need to be a bomber and I’m definitely looking at trying a different construction of projectile. To each their own though and it’s just my take. I probably border on what could be classed as a Berger fan boy to boot. Lots of good bullets out there.

[Double Dropper]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

Have you shot anything with Berger bullets?

Did you even read the start of my post??? Of course not, used them the last 2 seasons.

[Beeman3]

I still think the 190 Berger is to light. I’ve never shot them so I can’t comment with on game performance. But as I said earlier the 215 Berger flat out works. But for under 500 yds you can use whatever design you like best. I went with the 215 as it will still work close, just try to stay off the shoulder. But also will perform way out there. One load good for all ranges. Only bullet I’ve ever shot out of my 300 win mag.

[CptnBlues63]

Originally Posted by Double Dropper

If shots were limited to 500 yards what bullet would you use? Have been playing with a variety of 308 bullets out of the 300 Win, hunt deer elk moose bear and would not take a poke idealy past 400 but extended this to 500 yards for conversations sake. I used Berger 190 grain bullets this season loaded to 3100 fps.....very not happy with weight retention, fragmentation and penetration. 2 Shots with them at 100 on moose, 150 on a whitetail. Ya ya ya they're both dead but only 25 grains left on the bullet in the shoulder of a 2 year old moose and the whitetail was a passthrough but extensive blood shot meat and copper every where! Not my idea of a hunting bullet.

I use Federal Fusion 165 .308's. These are 2700 fps at the muzzle.

I did a double lung on a whitey buck at 495 yards that went right through. I also did a 450 on an elk that went right through. I did another 300 yard on an elk that hit rib in and out and stuck in the hide on the offside. The bullet deformed (mushroomed) exactly as it should and while I didn't weigh it, I'd wager it didn't lose much, if any, weight at all.

I've been using these rounds for over 10 years now and had great success with them. I've yet to have any that disintegrated or left any bullet behind that I could find.

[marky_mark]

Reason I said the 215 is your typically going to be having a slower muzzle velocity and less of an explosion on the closer shots
They can make a mess, 100% agree
With a name like double dropper i assumed you were looking for something to drop big animals stone cold in their tracks

[huntinstuff]

Three of us use 30 cal bullets
Me in 30-06, son uses 300 win, son uses 300 wsm

All of us out to 500 yds see our best accuracy with 30 cal 180g Nosler Partition PPT's. Two of the rifles are Sako A7 and one is a Browning X Bolt

Past 500, we used 180 Accubonds and got better accuracy

A lot of drop, but once we got it all dialed in, there was a fairly decent difference noticed

None of us shoot past 400 on game though. Its just a rule we have between us. The Accubonds were just an experiment as I dont believe any of us have ever used one on game.

Ive played with different bullets and powders but my standby are the noslers and RL 22 powder. Works for us just fine

[brewster29]

I have had great results with Accubonds in several rifles and recommend them but my Rem 700 in 300 WM just does not group them nearly as well as I would like. Partitions work OK, but I get best groups by far out of 180 TTSX (many 3shot groups in the .4" range). Any of these will give great results on game past 500 yds without making a mess like the lighter weight Berger's or some cup and core bullets that have disappointed me. I know some folks like them but I have a jar full of separated cup and core bullets and no longer use them on game.

[GVAL]

I have had great success with the Barnes LRX with my 300 Win mag.


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[Double Dropper]

Barnes LRX?? What ranges? I do like the thought of this bullet. With respect to the comments above regarding the 215 Berger and how well it performs past 500 yards......this post is not about that. I do not want to "stay off the shoulder!" that is completely pointless and mitigates the entire discussion. 0 to 500 yards and that may mean a close range shot quartering towards or down a cutline 485 yards on elk and moose size game. Bergers need not apply.

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by Double Dropper

Barnes LRX?? What ranges? I do like the thought of this bullet. With respect to the comments above regarding the 215 Berger and how well it performs past 500 yards......this post is not about that. I do not want to "stay off the shoulder!" that is completely pointless and mitigates the entire discussion. 0 to 500 yards and that may mean a close range shot quartering towards or down a cutline 485 yards on elk and moose size game. Bergers need not apply.

Shoot 200 gr a frames

[GVAL]

I have shot off a gun rest at the range up to 800 yards with steady success with the load that I built for my Browning Xoblt medallion. For hunting I have shot a Bull Moose and a Bull Elk around 400 yards off my bi-pod and had great success. For shorter ranges with Deer and Elk it has worked great as well.





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[Double Dropper]

GVAL, what weight of Barnes LRX?

[GVAL]

175 Grain


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[W921]

Originally Posted by W921

The problem with the 300 win is the short case neck and the short 30/06 length actions that most of the 300 were chambered in.
I have found the best accuracy to be in general if the bullet base and sides do not extend down into the powder cavity of the cartridge. Your also limited to the 3.340" oal.
I have a ton of experience with the discontinued Barnes 130 grain xbt. But you should listen to me because Barnes has a new version of this bullet called a triple shock. I have used the new bullet so far only on targets because I still have a lot of the old bullets that I'm going to use up first. Why they would change a perfect bullet really ****es me off! The new bullet has grooves in it to reduce pressure. What concerns me is now you have less grip on the bullet from the cartridge walls. So far no bullets have jumped in the magazine from recoil.
With Barnes bullets you have to get the harder regular bullet fouling out of your barrel.
Start with a perfect clean barrel. Warning Barnes bullets will foul your barrel and it takes a bet of work to keep it clean but they are worth the trouble.

My health isn't all that great so its been a while since I've been doing this but another problem with finding a bullet to fit your rifle is so many of these modern bullets have such a tapered ogive to give them more aerodynamics. Aerodynamics only help you to a certain point.
But if your restricted to a 30/06length action and if you don't want the bullet base to extend down into the powder part of the case. If the bullet has to much of a taper on the ogive then the bullet will have to much jump to much to make it to the rifling.
You have to pay attention to ogive and companies sometimes change the ogive without telling people. They do this to give their older designs more jump to the lands which reduces pressure and reduces the risk of a lawsuit but this can also reduce accuracy.

[Double Dropper]

My magazine box allows 3.515 COAL easily, this limited to a short 30-06 box can happen but I dont have this issue. Shot 190 grain Barnes LRX yesterday and first load (77 grains RL-25) was an nice 1 inch group.

[ICMDEER]

I've shot 180 grain Nosler partition bullets in one of my 300 magnums for decades. Killed lots of critters; deer, elk moose. They are still accurate and perform well. And out to 400 yards, they are great.

I got another 300 Winchester mag a few years ago, thinking it would be along range gun. I have had trouble getting it to shoot, so I put a new Shilen barrel on it. It's better but not a one hole rifle. I shot about 20-25 different bullets in that second rifle. The Berger bullets were maybe the most accurate, but as has been mentioned, they don't perform and I just can't hunt with them.

I have had the best luck with the Nosler 190 long range Accubonds. Just shot again yesterday and it is right around 1 inch or under. And the Accubond bullets perform well on game. But I do agree, the Hornady bullets are also good. I just could not get them to group as well in my rifle.

[Double Dropper]

If I had to take a 75 yard shot on an elk quartering towards.....I would not pick the Hornady line up. I found the Accubond LR 190s about the same, I do like them but no tight groups.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by ICMDEER

I've shot 180 grain Nosler partition bullets in one of my 300 magnums for decades. Killed lots of critters; deer, elk moose. They are still accurate and perform well. And out to 400 yards, they are great.

I got another 300 Winchester mag a few years ago, thinking it would be along range gun. I have had trouble getting it to shoot, so I put a new Shilen barrel on it. It's better but not a one hole rifle. I shot about 20-25 different bullets in that second rifle. The Berger bullets were maybe the most accurate, but as has been mentioned, they don't perform and I just can't hunt with them.

I have had the best luck with the Nosler 190 long range Accubonds. Just shot again yesterday and it is right around 1 inch or under. And the Accubond bullets perform well on game. But I do agree, the Hornady bullets are also good. I just could not get them to group as well in my rifle.

Have you tried taking your best load and playing with the seating depth. I have one 300 WM that went from 1" to just under .25 for 3 shots at 100 by playing with seating depth. That one improved by seating a bit further away from the lands but I have had other guns that like to be near touching. I won't Jam or touch lands with any hunting load but I have a couple of guns that are pretty close to touching.

[ICMDEER]

I did play with length, but not as much as I should have. I might check that again when the weather gets better. Thanks for the reminder and thought. I have a 270 that has to be loaded to where it is almost touching the lands of the rifling to shoot its best.

I haven't shot a lot of critters with the Accubond, but I outfit hunters and they have worked well in the critters I have seen shot. But I don't recall a quartering toward shot on a big bull elk.

Thanks for the idea and help. You guys treat a new guy well. It's appreciated.

[W921]

I'm a big believer in 5 shot groups and counting every group. Flyers count.
At one point in my life a long time ago I used to do the three shot group thing but if you take that same rifle and start shooting 5 shot groups then more than likely things will open up.
You could just do a three shot group and then everyday do another 3 shot group in the same target. Do this for at least 4 days and see what you got.
A lot of people years ago at the range would just pick their best group as an example of what they could do and some would even go so far as to not count flyers.
Its good that the newer rifles apparently are going back to using a magnum length receiver for this cartridge. A 30/06 length receiver really sucks with this cartridge. I really don't like the short neck on the case either.
The older 300 H&H case seemed to just cycle smoother through an action.
The only reason I got into a 300 winchester is because they used to be cheap and plentiful. Used ones I'm talking about. Haha used ones are seldom shot out either.

[Double Dropper]

For hunting rifles, 5 shot group is unnecessary has anyone shot 5 times at an animal?? For establishing a load, yes it has foundation. Again out to 500 yards, I will post something later on 500 plus yards but I have no intention of shooting past 500 yards and I will bet only 5% on this forum would either.

[Double Dropper]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

Reason I said the 215 is your typically going to be having a slower muzzle velocity and less of an explosion on the closer shots
They can make a mess, 100% agree
With a name like double dropper i assumed you were looking for something to drop big animals stone cold in their tracks

With a name like Marky Mark, I assumed you to be some hip hop wanna be LOL but no double dropper is because I popped a droptine deer 2 years in a row.

[W921]

Originally Posted by Double Dropper

For hunting rifles, 5 shot group is unnecessary has anyone shot 5 times at an animal?? For establishing a load, yes it has foundation. Again out to 500 yards, I will post something later on 500 plus yards but I have no intention of shooting past 500 yards and I will bet only 5% on this forum would either.

Thats what I'm talking about, establishing how accurate your rifle is.
Long range target shooting is fun but the more of it I did. Well its risky on game.
I don't shoot much anymore. I've only got a 300 yard range where I'm living now but at my other place I had 440 yards and I could set up for farther range without to much trouble.
But even at 440 a 30/06 bullet just barely goes through plywood. I had a natural backstop behind the target and it didnt take much digging to recover the bullets. Most of the time the bullet looks like it could be reloaded again.
I shot an elk one time at a stupid range and the bullet hit the rib, deflected up and lodged into the spine. Barely had the power to do that. That was with a 300 mag. If the bullet would have deflected any other way I would not have recovered the elk.
Anyway I'm not about long range shooting of game.
Haha I'm definitely not trying to annoy anyone either. I'm just trying to pass on little things that I had to learn the hard way if anybody is interested.
I hate these computers but this is the only way people want to talk anymore. Without looking at the person its hard to know how to take them.