30 cal elk and deer bullet

[Jmort1754]

Now the question arises here I can load the 215 berger in both my 300 prc and my 300 wsm (long action)

Will it go through at shoulder at 100 yards though? I cannot see blood and prefer to high shoulder them if I can.

 

[35WhelenAI]

One thing, regardless of bullet construction that is in your favor, is bullet weight. That's a very heavy 30 caliber bullet. Sure you're gonna lose some weight, but the velocity limitation with heavier bullets along with substantial bullet weight should give you a good outcome. At closer range, IMO, you're gonna blow up a lot of meat, but CNS shock and bullet weight shouldn't leave any doubt as to the outcome of making it to where it's a one and done kill.

If you don't mind sharing, what does it mean you cannot see blood? Colorblind, sight limitation overall?

 

[Jmort1754]

Red green deficiency. Very difficult to see blood.

 

[JMundy84]

Are you worried about lack of penetration due to early upset from extreme velocity?

 

[NRA4LIFE]

That bullet at close range may gut it, quarter it and remove half the hide. I no longer even consider hunting deer with my .300, regardless of bullet weight/type.

 

[hdc77]

At close range, 200 and in for me, my experience is to stay of the shoulder with 215s, I go for behind the shoulder and usually no tracking needed. It’s a heavy bullet and hits like a freight train on the receiving end.

 

[nest]

At close range, 200 and in for me, my experience is to stay of the shoulder with 215s, I go for behind the shoulder and usually no tracking needed. It’s a heavy bullet and hits like a freight train on the receiving end.

I will second that.

 

[Seeknelk]

I'll third that∆∆. It'll certainly go thru shoulders on anything you wish. One buck at 200 my daughter hit in the shoulder. Wasn't much left of the offside one. I hit antelope 375yd, mid body, rear lung, and it was bang flop, elk in the crease, 500 yd. Went 20 yards and dead. I don't prefer to carry it for deer or antelope anymore. It has become my very long range rifle. 215 bergers at about 2900 from 24" 300 PRC, which is basically identical to the WM. I prefer not to shoot the shoulder myself but I get why one may choose to especially if colorblind. It's been a good no drama bullet for me.

 

[Flyjunky]

Go behind the shoulder, worrying about a blood trail won’t be a problem, you’ll most likely see them fall.

 

[IrkedCitizen]

208gr ELD-M is a great choice as well. Or if you want a lighter recoil load then 178gr ELD-M.

 

[Pharmseller]

I commend you on your ability not to see color. Racism has no place in our society.




P

 

[35WhelenAI]

That bullet at close range may gut it, quarter it and remove half the hide. I no longer even consider hunting deer with my .300, regardless of bullet weight/type.

Nowhere near a "gut and quarter" at close range, monos will get your .300 back in the game. However, I get what you are saying.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I was joking of coarse. Last time I hit a deer close range with the .300, it was gruesome. I don't know what happened, but I hit it through both front shoulders. Ugh.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Lol, I was following you. I've "gutted" a few with ballistic tips on pronghorn with a fair length of intestine externally exposed on the exit side (un-damaged, slurped right out).

With that, I stand by my post above that the 215 based on my experience of heavier for caliber bullets, will work on an elk at any range it can open up. I will add to that the loss of meat is not necessary and can be mitigated simply with a bullet designed for more integrity. Ergo...

Early on in my hunting years each pronghorn, mule deer, whitetail and elk I took myself or was in the field to observe the kill, had a fair amount of meat damage and to me it was not necessary. Losing most of an elk front quarter with traditional bullets (now the even more frangible bullets garnering the attention) was wasteful in my mind.

That's when Barnes was a handful of years into the X Bullet era and I thought it was a pretty good reason to give them a try. I, and most other hunters didn't feel if they couldn't shoot past 400-500 yards they were somehow not gonna be successful. In general, for big game, a more controlled expansion bullet makes a good argument for itself. IMO perception of being needed for success drives it with respect to high frangibility of bullets.

 

[punklife505]

I shoot a 300 WSM and wouldn't shoot over 200 grain rounds because I like speed, 2900 fps and slower doesn't impress me, my 174 grain 3280fps round will DRT most any N American animal and do it out to distance.

 

[buffybr]

Here at home where I usually want to eat the animals that I shoot, I aim just behind the shoulder.

My favorite elk rifle now is my .300 Weatherby shooting Barnes bullets.

After 20 some years of killing elk with 180 gr Nosler Partition bullets from my .30 Gibbs and getting dinner plate size bloodshot areas in the ribs, I was very pleasantly supprised to find less than a fist size amount of bloodshot meat that the 168 gr Barnes TSX bullet made in the first bull elk that I shot with my .300 Weatherby.

He didn't go 10 yards after I shot him, and blood was sprayed out on the snow on both sides of him.
This first pic shows the bullet entrance hole, and the second pic is the exit. The bottom holes in each picture are the bullet holes in the hide, and you can see that the bullet mushroomed for a larger exit hole.

 

[35WhelenAI]

The reports of death of animals by a high bc, heavy for caliber, frangible bullet as being any more dead vs an old standby bullet of any design (mono, controlled expansion lead core, cup and core) are highly exaggerated. A very loose adaptation from Mark Twain, mind you.

Looking at the very dead elk in post #16 with minimal meat loss, the pic matches each big game animal taken with a Barnes mono that I've been so fortunate to put in the freezer in the past 30 years.

 

[mgstucson]

Here in AZ, blood can dry so fast it can be hard to see anyway. I like heavy 30's myself and it seems like many here have covered the terminal ballistics side pretty well. I little trick I use on dried blood trails, I carry a small spray bottle of peroxide in my day pack. Squirt it on blood wet or dry and it will foam up. It can also be used for first aid also (me not deer).

 

[nest]

Here in AZ, blood can dry so fast it can be hard to see anyway. I like heavy 30's myself and it seems like many here have covered the terminal ballistics side pretty well. I little trick I use on dried blood trails, I carry a small spray bottle of peroxide in my day pack. Squirt it on blood wet or dry and it will foam up. It can also be used for first aid also (me not deer).

That is an interesting bit of info, never thought of that one.

 

[sdupontjr]

Same here, never thought of that. I too am red/green color blind. I'f at all possible, I head / neck shoot for instant drop, if not right behind shoulder. I had actually considered a thermal monocular to help in my situation. Like this December, shot a nice 8pt whitetail. For the 1st time in a long time, he didn't drop instantly. Ran off about 50 yards in some thick stuff. Couldn't see blood for chit. Dropped my bag and started making circles and eventually stumbled up on him. Buddy of mine came after and said "you couldn't see that", "see what?". He said it was like a red highway leading right up to him, I couldn't see damn thing. But the thermal is costly, the spray bottle of peroxide is actually genius.