300 RUM bullet for Elk

R

Raedmonson

Member
Good afternoon,

I am a new member to this form and wanted some input on best bullet for an elk hunt. I will be hunting in Laramine County WY and I will take my custom built 300 Rum built by Southern Precision Rifles in Cookville TN.
I have a 1-10 twist Bartlein #4 Contour.
I will be using H1000 powder.
I really like the 196 HH and wanted to know if anyone had any feedback using this bullet out of a 300 RUM?

Thanks,
 
Look under Reloading on this Forum. Much data available for both Hammer Hunters and Absolutes. You'll probably want to go lighter in weight with Hammers. They punch way above their weight class!
Butterbean gives you good advice!
You're probably going to find H1000 is too slow in burn rate😁
 
Raedmonson said:
Good afternoon,

I am a new member to this form and wanted some input on best bullet for an elk hunt. I will be hunting in Laramine County WY and I will take my custom built 300 Rum built by Southern Precision Rifles in Cookville TN.
I have a 1-10 twist Bartlein #4 Contour.
I will be using H1000 powder.
I really like the 196 HH and wanted to know if anyone had any feedback using this bullet out of a 300 RUM?

Thanks,
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forum! First off, Butterbean is a man of few words, but good advice. On the other hand I am a talker! First off, I love the 300 RUM and it looks like you have an awesome rifle. You can do well with the 196, but you won't experience the full advantages of the Hammer! I think Steve, one of the owners of Hammer Bullets, likes the 180 grain. gltaylor is right. You need to check the load data. There are a lot of 300 RUM shooters around here. H1000 is too slow. I have the luxury of living in Idaho. I personally wouldn't live in a State where I couldn't hunt elk every year. If I don't bow hunt for them,( It is hard to beat the thrill of calling a bull in.) I will be hunting them with my 300 RUM and the 137 grain. I use H4350. I've found a good load for my gun that is pushing it at just under 3800 feet per second. With Hammer Bullet's speed kills!

I would encourage you to spend a little time wandering around the forum. Hammer bullets have changed the paradigm of how bullets kill.
Whatever Hammer bullet you settle on, you will be better prepared than most. Another popular bullet for elk if you can't wrap your head around a bullet as light as the 137 would be the 166 Hammer Hunter. I've not hunted in Wyoming, but I've been there many times. Another consideration is wind. If you think it is going to be windy where you hunt, I would move from the 137 to the 166. Too many people in my opinion fail to consider wind drift. Good luck on your elk hunt, and try to get as much trigger time before you go as you can!
 
les said:
Welcome to the forum! First off, Butterbean is a man of few words, but good advice. On the other hand I am a talker! First off, I love the 300 RUM and it looks like you have an awesome rifle. You can do well with the 196, but you won't experience the full advantages of the Hammer! I think Steve, one of the owners of Hammer Bullets, likes the 180 grain. gltaylor is right. You need to check the load data. There are a lot of 300 RUM shooters around here. H1000 is too slow. I have the luxury of living in Idaho. I personally wouldn't live in a State where I couldn't hunt elk every year. If I don't bow hunt for them,( It is hard to beat the thrill of calling a bull in.) I will be hunting them with my 300 RUM and the 137 grain. I use H4350. I've found a good load for my gun that is pushing it at just under 3800 feet per second. With Hammer Bullet's speed kills!

I would encourage you to spend a little time wandering around the forum. Hammer bullets have changed the paradigm of how bullets kill.
Whatever Hammer bullet you settle on, you will be better prepared than most. Another popular bullet for elk if you can't wrap your head around a bullet as light as the 137 would be the 166 Hammer Hunter. I've not hunted in Wyoming, but I've been there many times. Another consideration is wind. If you think it is going to be windy where you hunt, I would move from the 137 to the 166. Too many people in my opinion fail to consider wind drift. Good luck on your elk hunt, and try to get as much trigger time before you go as you can!
Click to expand...
I'm waiting to see what's new around the 166 range for a load for out west, specifically for the wind advantage. I currently run the 137 as an all around load, but if I have a new for out west, my home load will be the 124s for everything.
Edit: note, I do have the advantage of 8twist in my rum.
 
I've killed a lot of elk with a .300 RUM. I'm more of a heavy guy and think the 199 ran as fast as possible will be a nasty elk killer. The 181 works well and a think the 166 would also. I'm not at the 137/124 weight yet. Too many variables in hunting elk to trust a small bullet for me at this time. mtmuley
 
I think the new 163 will be a game changer. I would get a sample pack of the 166s and run a few pressure columns right now, if you've got the time. The data will change over to the new prototype exactly!!! At 3600+, it steps all over the 137 at 500 yards... I run the 137 as my all-around load and now I'm patiently waiting to switch over to a prototype. For you true Long Range guys, this bullets a game changer.

Waiting in Central Florida
 
joe16 said:
I think the new 163 will be a game changer. I would get a sample pack of the 166s and run a few pressure columns right now, if you've got the time. The data will change over to the new prototype exactly!!! At 3600+, it steps all over the 137 at 500 yards... I run the 137 as my all-around load and now I'm patiently waiting to switch over to a prototype. For you true Long Range guys, this bullets a game changer.

Waiting in Central Florida
Click to expand...
When you say a game changer for the long range guys. Will it have a high enough BC for them? I’m only a 5-600 yd on game guy, so doesn’t affect me much. But I’ll take high BC if the terminal performance is there as well. True LR guys will demand a very high BC. Can already imagine the posts on LRH when these come out. Just my 2 cents.
 
I am in both camps of light fast and heavy fast! IMO the RUM is one of those cartridges with enough powder to achieve orbit and the 166-180/181 will be crazy fast with right powders. You mentioned the 196HH and its a thumper out of my Sendero 26" 300WM @3150. The 180HH was comfortable at 3200. I believe there is a bullet weight efficiency for larger cartridges somewhat like a bow. A heavier spine arrow may not lose as much velocity due to absorbing more bow energy thus close velocity and better downrange kinetic energy and conversely an overbore like the RUM launches a certain heavier bullet weight at a velocity better than expected. This is where the PDR effect truly shines. I would try 137, 180/181, and 196 and see how your rifle responds. Crimp!!!!!

The biggest question to answer is expected range and hunting conditions. Longer ranges and across canyon fickle air swings me toward heavier. Anything different, load up 137 laser screamer!!!
 
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