Long range shooting is a drive to the shooting point and shoot next to or near the truck, kind of activity.
.284 vs .30 vs .338 for long range hunting?
- Thread starter Northern Shooter
- Start date
Long range shooting is a drive to the shooting point and shoot next to or near the truck, kind of activity.
Not for everyone it’s not.
I found I needed to extend the range I was competent shooting because of missed opportunity. This wasn’t happening anywhere near a truck. It was rocky ridge to ridge. Where you may be 500-600y apart with 1/2hr to last light and you’re looking at at least an hour stalk. Or open grass land where you have an animal you could take at 700-800 but there are 50 other animals you can’t take that are between you and your prize, making a stalk near impossible.
Training to shoot consistent enough for taking game at those ranges was the easy part, finding the rifle that I’m comfortable carrying all day and delivers long range consistency needed, that took more than a decade, a whole bunch of money, many very uncomfortable days afield, more missed opportunities because I’d choose a comfy short range rifle (kimber montana), so I could enjoy the day out.
If I had to give advice to someone starting this journey it would be to go out and get a target rifle that is chambered in something that checks the ballistics box of your goal but in a lower recoil, 6 creedmore, fast twist 22-250 something like that. These heavy rifles will quickly become boring at 500-700 meters. Find places to shoot it in stiff cross winds, shoot it off your pack, basically try and mimic all the situations where you see using it to harvest game. Once you’ve done that you’ll know where you’re 100% confident and where you’re better off to pass. Now go out and find the rifle that meets the energy requirements for your game, is comfortable to carry all day, and holds the same accuracy standard as your target rifle. If you choose a rifle that doesn’t live up (most times won’t measure up on accuracy) move on quickly to another choice.
- Location
- calgary alberta
Hypothetical numbers are well and fine as reference but from a real world perspective don't really matter.
From 40 plus years of ELR hunting I have found there are other considerations to take into account. Bullet construction is one thing many guys totally overlook. IE, a monocore bullet will work far better at close range than something like an A-Max or ELD will but conversely the monocore or even a premium hunting bullet like a Partition are poor choices for long range performance, simply as the terminal velocity has to be much higher to get expansion.
From experience a 7 Rem Mag will 1 shot kill moose and deer at 1000 yards with no problem assuming bullet placement is correct. The 300 Win Mag has no problem making clean kills at 1200 yards on deer.
The biggest thing with ELR hunting is having the conditions absolutely perfect, having the skill to make the shot and more importantly knowing when NOT to try a shot.
The heavier the bullet the easier it is to make the shot at long range. This is where the 338 shines, but as much as I love my Lapua it truly is gross overkill for most game under 1000 yards.
I generally go with a 28 nosler, 7 prc is going to be an excellent choice. My second choice would be a 338 lapua, 338 edge or 338 RUM. I usually skip the 30 calibers because I can get a higher b.c. in a 7mm with a similar bullet weight and get similar velocities. If I want a heavier bullet weight then I can get in a 7mm I like to jump up to a 338. The only down side to the big 338's is recoil and the need to use a brake.
I use 25s, 6.5s, 277s, 7MM, 30s and .338 for long range hunting. If I had to trim that down, the first three would be gone. I haven't seen what they are supposed do that a big 7 can't do better in the real world. A 7-300, STW or 28 Nosler set up properly is a force to be reckoned with. So what about the 30's? Well, when animals start getting much bigger than deer a big 30 just seems to hit harder. Then there's the big .338s, Lapua or Edge. There's the disadvantages of size and weight that make shots from anything other than prone problematic. Definitley not for everyone, and sure not for most situations. On the otherhand; if I had to take one long shot for everything I own, or held dear it would be with my .338 Edge. There just seem to be less "what just happened?" moments with the big .338s and those ###y 300 grain bullets. They are truly evil when they land too; in a dragging the lungs out the other side sort of way.
Having now been contemplating this for a while I think I'll stick with one of the old traditional stand by's, the 7 RemMag or 300 WM.
After looking into the availability and cost of the PRC options, these 2 seem more attractive. They are far more readily instock and can be had for roughly half the price of 7 PRC/ 300 PRC.
Now I just need to narrow down my rifle options but I'm currently leaning towards Bergara.
After looking into the availability and cost of the PRC options, these 2 seem more attractive. They are far more readily instock and can be had for roughly half the price of 7 PRC/ 300 PRC.
Now I just need to narrow down my rifle options but I'm currently leaning towards Bergara.
Dogleg,
How would you rate the .340 Weatherby (250/275 gr. bullets - no muzzle brake) vs the .338 Edge or Lapua (300 gr. bullets) ? Better for long range hunting on foot - no horse, no ATV, no stand ? Many many moons ago, I owned a .338 Winchester Magnum (800 rounds, 250/275 gr. bullets, no muzzle brake, any position, including prone with a sling) but I never had the occasion to try the .340 Weatherby.
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I have several friends who hunt extensively for moose with big cartridges for what some would consider too far, unethical, etc.
However, we call animals on the river, and often they may appear in less than 100 yards as well as over 600.
These guys are capable with these rifles of taking game under 100 as well as extended ranges with the same rifles.
338/378,and 338 Lapua are their choices, using big bullets for the most part, 300 grains.
I do not take shots on animals that far anymore personally , but if a person is capable, and the condition is correct, then go for it.
Getting in around 600 yards however, a 300 magnum would be sufficient with good bullets, IF the shooter is capable - many think they are, but in reality they are not!
Cat
However, we call animals on the river, and often they may appear in less than 100 yards as well as over 600.
These guys are capable with these rifles of taking game under 100 as well as extended ranges with the same rifles.
338/378,and 338 Lapua are their choices, using big bullets for the most part, 300 grains.
I do not take shots on animals that far anymore personally , but if a person is capable, and the condition is correct, then go for it.
Getting in around 600 yards however, a 300 magnum would be sufficient with good bullets, IF the shooter is capable - many think they are, but in reality they are not!
Cat
Never had an Edge, but owned both the 340 Wby and the 338 Lapua. There was only about a 40-50 fps difference in my rifles. Wby kicks harder than my 338 Win Mag (which I consider one of the best hunting cartridges around, load 210 gr Noslers to 2900 fps and kill pretty much anything). The Wby just ups the velocity and recoil in similar weighted rifles. I sold both 338's and kept the Wby, mostly for sentimental reasons. Though I have been looking at another Lapua, as I discovered a bunch of brass etc in the reloading room when cleaning it out. - dan
My last purchase was a 300 PRC from Antler Arms in Quebec. They use to make a lot of Fierce rifles components. The Expedition model came in at 6.5lbs. They cut the stock to my LOP and their gill brake tames the recoil well. They give you a .5 MOA target with the rifle. Decent deal. For banging steel out a ways the 5R Rem 700 300 win mag does real well. I would never carry the 5R hunting for more than a mile.
I don't have a 340 Weatherby either; and my .338 Edge experience has been with braked 16-17 pound shoot into the next time-zone rigs. Back when I got going with them, we called them the Poorman's Lapua because RUM brass was 16 bucks a bag and a standard magnum bolt-face did the trick. Times have sure changed since then; now its the hard way. Likewise for the 338 Swamp Donkey which was a 8mm Rem necked up or 416 Rem necked down. It was practically cheaper to build and shoot one than to buy a 340 Weatherby, and got rid of the sometimes problematic free bore.
A Accumark in 340 would be interesting. I don't have one but I do have one in 270 Weatherby and it is a quite portable rig that handles like a sporter. Carried it around NZ to good effect out to 800, in some pretty steep stuff.
- Location
- calgary alberta
Cost and a total lacking of support pretty much killed the Lazzaroni and Dakota chamberings.
Weatherby MK5 rifles are pretty to be sure, but old Roy was all about velocity with accuracy coming in a distant 2nd place. Some of them shoot not bad but in my experience the 338 Lapua in most factory offerings will shoot tighter groups and in most cases for less money per shot. I am not aware of any commercially produced 338 Edge chamberings, but a well put together one can be extremely accurate.
None of the 3 would be fun to shoot without a brake.
Thank you Dogleg. If - repeat, if - I ever get back to long range big game hunting (moose/swamp donkey), I will choose the .340 Weatherby but with non-Norma cases and without a brake, the rifle to be built on a Remington 700 LA. with a good aftermarket two stage trigger and no free bore.
Yes, the .340 Weatherby but no more. No more.
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