[King_B]

Let's say it's September, you're 200 yards away from the bull of a lifetime and getting closer is not happening. No wind, broadside shot. It's muzzleloader season, and you've got the permit in your pocket. Shooting a .50 cal rifle with 1:28 twist.

Now rewind 4 months to June. You're getting ready for the possibility of the above scenario. What bullet do you choose to get ready with?

 

[LostLouisianian]

What caliber rifle are you using? Are we talking .25-06, .300 Win Mag, .338 ???

 

[Fishrmn]

Let's say it's September, you're 200 yards away from the bull of a lifetime and getting closer is not happening. No wind, broadside shot. It's muzzleloader season, and you've got the permit in your pocket.

Now rewind 4 months to June. You're getting ready for the possibility of the above scenario. What bullet do you choose to get ready with?

What caliber rifle are you using? Are we talking .25-06, .300 Win Mag, .338 ???

It's muzzleloader season.

What caliber? What's the rifling twist of your muzzleloader?

⫸<{{{{{⦇°>

 

[Critter]

At 200 yards with a ML I would pass, but then I use a .54 caliber T/C Renegade with open sights shooting a maxi ball. I would have to get that range down to 150 yards to even think of it.

 

[LostLouisianian]

It's muzzleloader season.

What caliber? What's the rifling twist of your muzzleloader?

⫸<{{{{{⦇°>

Me thinks I gotta get some new glasses this weekend....LOL I can't read anymore.

 

[King_B]

Sorry, .50 cal muzzleloader. 1:28 twist.

 

[KineKilla]

If getting within an "ethical" range is not possible, then neither is taking that bull.

:behindsofa:

 

[Springville Shooter]

If you have to shoot that far, use the bullet that is most accurate out of your gun. Things have slowed down enough to where bullet construction won't matter much. My load drops over 10" and is just over 1000fps with roughly 1000 ftlbs of energy at 200 yards. I consider this max for deer and marginal for elk. 50 yards closer really changes the equation. Accuracy wise I could hit the vitals of an elk every time at 200 yards, but I'm not sure I would take the shot.--------SS

 

[King_B]

Thanks for a reasonable response Springville. I won't be seeking a 200 yard shot, but wanted some opinions just like yours if the scenario were to play out.

 

[PBH]

Let's say it's September, you're x# yards away from the bull of a lifetime and getting closer is not happening. No wind, broadside shot. ...

muzzleloader, archery, rifle.....none of that makes any difference. If you are questioning the range, then it's too far.

Shooting at an animal that is at or near the maximum range of your weapon presents a significant chance of wounding that "bull of a lifetime". So, what happens if you wound it and cannot recover it? Now you've really screwed up that bull of a lifetime.

If conditions are not right, including range, DON'T SHOOT.

I recently had my 10 year old daughter take the hunter education online course. While going through the pages of information I kept thinking to myself: All hunters should review this info periodically. Why not have a 5 year hunter ed renewal?

this thread again made me think about hunters education. Shoot / don't shoot. Maybe we all need a refresher course?

 

[Muley73]

King B,
You should try several bullets out to the ranges you feel comfortable with. If it's 200 then it's 200 if it's 300 it's 300, if it's 50 it's 50. If seen the power belts shoot very very well out to 300 yards. Holding a 4 inch group. I've seen this out of a couple different muzzleloaders. I think the Powerbelts are a good place to start. Now just go shoot and find your comfort zone.

 

[King_B]

Thanks everyone! I'll take into account what you've said. While we're at it, now that this thread has turned into Ethical Shooting 101, what's your comfortable distance for a muzzleloader elk shot?

 

[gdog]

Thanks everyone! I'll take into account what you've said. While we're at it, now that this thread has turned into Ethical Shooting 101, what's your comfortable distance for a muzzleloader elk shot?

Without getting too righteous....its hunting not shooting for me, so 100yrds or closer is what I target. Normally bow hunt, so 100 yards is a luxury, since I try to get under 50 yards with my bow.

 

[Springville Shooter]

My limit on elk would be 150 because of ballistic limitations. Nice thing is that I can shoot very well at that range so it should be a done deal. By my standards, there are simply no legal muzzy loads capable of generating the ballistics needed to reliably kill elk at 300 yards. Maybe that's why they have a special season?------SS

 

[Vanilla]

By my standards, there are simply no legal muzzy loads capable of generating the ballistics needed to reliably kill elk at 300 yards. Maybe that's why they have a special season?------SS

This is an interesting comment. I get it that you wouldn't take a shot over the 150 yards you stated. I probably wouldn't either. But to say there isn't a legal muzzy load capable of reliability for elk at 300 yards? I think these new long range muzzy manufacturers may disagree. I think my eyes and own limitations are a far bigger limiting factor for going over 150 yards than the ballistics.

I'd like to hear more about this, por favor. You know more about this than I probably ever will. So edumacate a brotha.

 

[DallanC]

My elk load is a 300grn XTP over 120grns Pyrodex RS. While I am sighted in for a 125 yard zero, a 200 yard shot on a elk would result in one dead elk. I know my drop to that range extremely well and that bullet preforms fantastically on them.


-DallanC

 

[horn hunter]

I killed my LE bull at 245 yards using the Barnes TEZ 295 gr bullets. I'm not really a fan of Barnes, but it work and the bull died in seconds. I now shot the hornady ssts, 250 gr. those things shoot awesome out of my gun

 

[Springville Shooter]

This is an interesting comment. I get it that you wouldn't take a shot over the 150 yards you stated. I probably wouldn't either. But to say there isn't a legal muzzy load capable of reliability for elk at 300 yards? I think these new long range muzzy manufacturers may disagree. I think my eyes and own limitations are a far bigger limiting factor for going over 150 yards than the ballistics.

I'd like to hear more about this, por favor. You know more about this than I probably ever will. So edumacate a brotha.

I'd be glad to explain how I came to this conclusion. It started when I got my load and rifle shooting so well that I started shooting my 18" steel gong at 300 yards. I noticed that the strikes were not very impressive and that the bullets actually ricocheted off the steel instead of splattering. I ran the ballistics on my load and was surprised to find that my load which consists of a 250 Hornady SST leaving the barrel at a chronographed 2100 fps drops 40 inches and retains only 750 ftlbs of energy. This is very similar to the energy retained by a 223 shooting 55 grain bullets at the same range. So, how would you feel about shooting an elk with a 223 at 300 yards? Granted the 45 cal muzzy bullet would make a larger wound channel, but I would seriously question the likelihood that a bullet will expand when hitting an animal at 1100 fps or less. I also consider my load to be among the top performers in the muzzleloading world combining high velocity with a good BC for a muzzy bullet.

At the end of the day it is entirely possible that you could cleanly kill an elk at 300 yards with a well placed shot. My experience would lead me to consider a shot such as this to be risky at best so I personally won't be taking 300 yard shots at big game unless I can figure out a way to substantially improve down range ballistic performance. ---------SS

 

[ridgetop]

I shoot the 250 gr. sst for deer and would use the same for elk. My max distance is 180 yards.

 

[Vanilla]

SS- good info, thanks! I wonder how that changes with a .50 cal and a heavier bullet?

Under hunting conditions with a 1x scope or open sights I don't think I would be able to even see well enough to accurately shoot at 200 yards, let alone 300. So the ballistic limitations are probably a moot point for me.