2 shots of .308 175 machgrade rounds for bear or elk?

Question

me and my hunting partner are both ursing savage le2 in .308 we handload 175 grain sierra mathking rounds we can hits 11" steels out to a 1000 and was wondering how far out we could take big game if we could garrentee 2 good shots thanx

Answer 1

That's great shooting and you are certainly proficient with your rifle. The problem is that although you can hit at those ranges, responsible hunters like to build in safety margins that keep them from maiming animals and increase their chances of making a quick and clean kill. One of those margins is the 1000 foot/pound rule. It is generally accepted that hunters prefer to hunt with rifles that at a minimum produce 1000 f/p of energy for whitetail deer. This is a self imposed rule but ensures that a bullet will have adequate energy to deliver on target. The .308 on average with the load you specified runs down on energy to about 1000lbs at around 750 yards.

Also as some have specified in fairly untactful terms the sierra matchking may not be the best bullet for hunting game animals. Most prefer some sort of soft point bullet or bullet designed for expansion and for the animal you are taking. This allows for the largest wound channel and an increase in the rate of blood loss. While I imagine the bullet you use is of the open tip boat tail variety and MANY people have had great success with that bullet killing all sorts of animals SOME people think that only certain bullets can produce clean kills.

The best answer to this question in effect changes the question. At what range can I kill with one shot? Or unless you two are synchronizing your shots on the same animal then the two shot question becomes more valid.

The average kill zone is 10" on a whitetail deer. With the right bullet, 700 yards to be safe and a 7" group you should be at the edge of responsible hunting and that assumes you can consistently put those rounds on target in any condition.

On Elk in Nebraska they require 2000 foot pounds of energy and the .308 runs out at only 350 yards...

Answer 2

Try 180 Gr. Sierra GameKings. These will shoot near your present settings for the 175 MatchKings. Of course the best thing to do is practice with the bullet you intend to shoot at game and zero with them. A thousand yards is a long way to depend on a clean kill with a .308. I was in the Old Western Scroungers place once and he showed me a single shot he was building for a client who wanted to shoot elk from mountain to mountain. The weapon was a falling block 20 MM. Yes 20 Millimeter, the same thing they use for shooting in aircraft. Recoil wouldn't be that bad because the rifle weighed over 16 lbs. EMPTY. If you want a 1 shot kill at 1000yd. that's the gun. Still you have to hit the animal cleanly to do the job. I suggest honing your tracking and stealth skills to get a bit closer.
Besides, what makes you think that the animal will stand still for 2 shots. My experience is being lucky to get a clean 1st shot. The only time I have had opportunity for a second shot is when the first shot anchored the animal but I didn't know it was not dead until I was within a few feet of it.

Answer 3

Bound's hubby here:

Sadly, using MatchKings on game would be highly irresponsible and inhumane! The MatchKing is a ballistic hollow point bullet designed to be ballistically "perfect" ... it is a non-expanding bullet! The MatchKing is designed to slice through the wind with minimal deflection in windy conditions. The MatchKing also can reduce the amount of "elevation" required for greater distances. Using the MatchKing on animals would be like using wadcutters on Polar Bears, it would have minimal penetration while punching a perfect little hole, no expansion, and minimal transfer of energy while generating minimal shock to the game.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Not at all. If you take those loads out into the woods, you ought to be horsewhipped and banned from hunting forever. Matchkings aren't appropriate at any range on either bear, elk, or anything else bigger than a jackrabbit. I'm glad you have fun with the target shooting, and it may even translate into better shooting in the field, but you need to find a hunting load for hunting. If you like Sierra, you could try their GameKings, but they won't shoot the same, and you could well try one of the premium bullets. My personal favorite for decades has been the Nosler Partition, but of course there are tons out there, and your rifle may prefer something else.

Answer 5

A much better bullet for your purpose is the Hornady 220 grain round nose.* One shot one kill.* As always proper bullet placement is critical & necessary.*

Answer 6

Depends on how thick the underbrush is. It also depends on if the Elk or Bear is aware that you are there. Do you mean 1000 feet?