This pic is of my 300 Win and a 300 yard test target. It is a savage action in a McMillan A5 stock with a Leupold MKIV 6.5x20. It has shot consistently into the.3s @100 and .9s @ 300 so far. I am happy with that kind of acuracy and see no further need for load development. I am deployed right now and have not had a chance to shoot it further. The 100 and 300 yard stuff was simply during the process of load development. Sometime a load looks promising at 100 and the really opens up further out. Generally speaking if it shoots well at 300 yards it will be fine. With this particular setup the total weight is right at 15 pounds and is easy to shoot. Would not be my first choice for hunting though due to weight. Of course the style of hunting you do will dictate what is acceptable weight.
This is last years deer I shot at 598 yards (lasered). It was shot with a 308. I lasered the deer, made the cosign angle adjustment and dialed in my glass. Then I did it all again to double check my numbers before I touched the trigger.
The 308 was plenty. The deer was standing broadside and I had complete penetration with the 165 HP gameking directly where I put the crosshairs. Bang, Flop.
Precision rifle shooting and long range hunting is not a matter of buying a "magnum" and guessing at distances. You need to become an accomplished long range marksman before you EVER take a shot at a game animal at long range. You should have enough respect for the game you are hunting to ensure a quick clean kill. Anything less is unnaceptable.
Below is an example of the type of "hunter" that gives long range hunters a bad name and is also an example of why the majority of rural westerners hate californians.
It gives the ethical hunter from california a black eye and is why folks with california plates on the pickups are routinely not given permission to hunt our private land.
This is slob hunting defined. If you are shooting so far away that you are missing the ENTIRE animal, then you have no buisness shooting at all.
SoCalShooter wrote:
"I love my 300 weatherby its accurate and got a great punch for hunting...took a shot last year...and was at quite a range much more than I thought it was originally and the round hit behind the animal once we ranged it the round hit behind the animal at 600 yards."
Back to the subject of cartridge selection.
The 30-06 will very likely do all you ever will need to do in the hunting field. I have killed a dozen elk with one shot a piece with a lowly little 270. I cannot even begin to guess the number of mule deer that have fallen to it. I would suggest,as others have, the 30-06. It is a fine all around big game cartridge and if I was limited to only owning one hunting rifle, it would likely be the old '06.
Velocity will never be a substitute for marksmanship.