A one caliber question

[barrel-nut]

Sounds like a good plan handi! You've got me intrigued with those LRX bullets now. Let us know if they shoot well.

[handirifle]

Will do.

[handirifle]

Well, started shopping around, of course no one local has even heard of them, much less cary them. All the mail order shops want a fortune for shipping, now days. Wow! I am looking at at least $45 per 50 rounds, and local it's $46 plus tax.

Soooo, I started really looking over the "number" clos, and I realized that except for the difference in min opening velocities, I will be just as well served with the 30 cal, 168gr Tipped TSX. The BC is not quite as good, but according to the load data, I should be able to get about 2800fps from tham, and at those speeds, I still retain enough energy for elk, and velocity to insure opening, clear out to 400yds.

Now the LRX will retain enough velocity to open clear out to 700, but that is all dreamland for me anyway. I have killed coyotes from a sitting position, out to 250 but never anything farther. I have no doubts I can do it to 400, but as I mentioned earlier, I prefer 300, no matter what I am shooting with or at.

[tammons]

300 WM is not required IMO.

If you already have a 308 you will keep, I would set up a 338-06.

A 338-06 pushing a 185 gr barnes bullet at max, zero at 200 yards, 2" high at max will be around 8.5" low at 300 and about 24-25" low at 400 yards.
Hits like the Hammer of Thor.

Actually any decent BC bullet like in the .425 area around 2700 FPS will shoot about like that.

If you go 30-06 or keep your 308, load up some 208 gr amaxes over RL17 sometime.
I shot a 250-300# hog at 300+ yards with the 7mm version of that bullet (162 gr, BC .65) in 7mm-08 at 2600
and it blew out a 2" hole out the other side.
Good deer bullet even though its primarily a target bullet, but the BC is about .65 and the SD over .3.
You can push the 308 gr amax to 2600 fps out of a 22" bbl in 308 over RL17.
Traj - zero 200, -3.3 250, -8.2 300, -23.8 400.
At 400 that bullet still has 2000 FPE.

Edit just saw the copper free. Forget the 208 gr amax. Shame really. great bullet and cheap.

[handirifle]

Edit just saw the copper free. Forget the 208 gr amax. Shame really. great bullet and cheap.



Yea that is the real butt kicker for me. If I get to go one the Utah elk hunt this winter, lead won't be an issue, but I'd prefer to just use one load all the time, and that would require a non lead. I just got my 168gr TTSX's in the mail today, and will work up some loads with them. The do not have a BC of .6 but at .470 they will do. Barnes tells me the min opening speed of 1800fps will get me well past 500yds with more than enough speed to open, and meeting the 1500ft lbs of energy needed.

[handirifle]

Well, as I mentioned, I switched it back to a 30-06, and after today, I have to say I am glad I didn't go with the 300 WM. I am not getting any younger, and today, I took 5 rifles to the range, 223, 375 Winchester, 30-30 Win, 308 Win, and 30-06. I put several hundred rounds downrange, and my shoulder is pissed at me.

The 30-06 ought to be enough gun. It will for me.

By the way it really liked the Barnes 168gr TTSX loads, by giving me MOA groups and sometimes a little less. I didn't check velocity yet, but I will for ballistics sake, but it was no problem hitting a shoulder and up human silhouette at 400yds, so I think I can go forward with confidence with this load.

[apotheosis1321]

For big game, a little more umph than a .308 is probably needed.

You might want to take a look at a 338 win mag or a 338-06

[handirifle]

I have settled on the 30-06 as my one, do it all, rifle, as far as big game goes. The 308 will be my back up. I have smaller calibers for smaller game. But with being retired, gas going through the roof, and food not far behind, not to mention health care costs going up considerably (weren't we told by someone that health care costs would go down??????) I have to keep the caliber selection down to a minimum.

Luckily, the lead free bullets act like partitions, in that they hold their weight, so in that sense I am using top notch bullets. I would rather be able to use cheap bullets, but that is out of my control.

I will have to keep my shots within my serviceable range, which for em, is about 400yds or less. In a pinch and if I am hungry, I will take what shot is offered, but I prefer closer.

[topgun53]

If it's a .338 WM now go to the .300 WM or you will have to change the bolt head also. Not really a problem just more work and expense. Not much difference between .308 and 30-06. The Win. Mag. makes more sence if you really want a step up in power. 3000 with 180's is pushing it in most hunting barrels, you can get there but most likely will be MAX PRESUSE.

[Aircraftmech76]

The bolt heads for a 300 WinMag and 338 WinMag are the same.

Kevin

[handirifle]

I already had the parts, so no expense and its already been swapped, done deal. Dont need the 300.

[Vince]

Well looking at the remington web site, at their own factory loads, when both the 308 and 300 wm are loaded with the 180gr Core lokt Ultra bullet, there is a much larger difference than you show. They show remaining velocities for the 308 is 1818 and for the 300 is 2093. That is 275fps difference, quite a bit, to me, whereas the '06 only has 1880. These are all three using the same bullet, loaded by the same company.

How an identical bullet fired at over 300fps difference from the muzzle, can reduce that to 109fps in 400 yds is not practical. Given all circumstance being equal, the bullets will slow at a nearly identical rate. I do understand a higher MV also has higher resistance but that still takes some time to bleed off. Remington shows their MV of the 180gr 308 load at 2620, and the 30-06 at 2700, and the 300Wm at 2960. Now if you were comparing the '06 to the '08 I could understand. Those two are close, but the 300 has always had a large jump over both. This is comparing factory loads from same length barrels and similar conditions.

Now if you are listing higher 308 velocities, you might be referring to a longer barrel than they used.

And the 6.5 is not a consideration. I want to REDUCE the number of bullet calibers I have to stock. That's why this whole thing came about. I'll use the 308 for hunting when I am reasonably certain the ranges will be close, or if it is for deer or smaller. I KNOW the 308 can and has taken a lot of elk, but I will either step up to the 30-06 or 300Wm if I am after elk.

If I wanted to keep a lot of calibers, I'd keep the 338Wm barrels it has on it. That may end up being what i do, if everyone is saying there's not enough difference between the 300 and '06. Aww so darn confusing!

I'd keep the .338 barrel on it if it were me.
If elk, moose, and great bears aren't a consideration then the pedestrian '06 is worthy of consideration but asking one rifle to do it all, in North America, is asking a lot. I've never been enamuored with the '06 mystique.
With that said my second rifle is a 25-06 but soon to be a 6.5 x 284.