.300 Win Mag Federal Premium 200 Grain, Terminal Ascent vs 200 gr ELD‑X Precision Hunter

Joe.G

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.300 Win Mag Federal Premium 200 Grain, Terminal Ascent vs 200 gr ELD‑X Precision Hunter I have a 1:10 Twist barrel.

I am looking for a good all around round, At this time I don't have plans for a hunt but want to get it sighted in with a well rounded round. I know it does come down to what the gun likes but I am looking to grab a couple boxes of either of these to get started.

Around me most shots would be under 200 Yards, But I would not use this gun around here, I am hoping to get out west or up north and hunt some bigger game at further distances at some point.
Thanks



 
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Just like fingerprints, I believe that every firearm has its own personality. If you don't reload then it will be trial and error. Get the El Cheapo ammo for sight in. If you can get some cheap hardball ammo to get it on paper then you will save a bunch of money. Once on paper, then use the good ammo. It is going to be hit or miss. I reload so I have customed a load for my 300WM. I am shooting sub MOA at 100yrds. I really like Barnes ammo. You might want to check them out for an over the counter load.
 
I have a .300 win mag and tried that ELD-x load. Was about 1.5 inches at 100 yds.

This rifle shoots other ammo more accurately so I didn't buy any more of that. This is not a slam on Hornady products. I have a 6.5prc that absolutely loves the 147gr ELD-m. In fact thats all I shoot in the 6.5prc.

Have never tried the Terminal Ascent so I can't speak to that.

In the Federal line up my gun likes the 180gr Barnes TSX load, (P300WP)
 
Also have had really good accuracy with the 190gr Federal Gold Medal ammo. I believe that is a Sierra Match King bullet.

Also used to shoot the 200gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw load but I believe that is discontinued.
 
Federal Gold Medal Match is great ammo but it isn't designed for game. I like it in a sniper rifle though. Thinking of shooting western game at long range is not a great idea. The rule out here is, if you can get closer, do that. There is less chance of wounding an animal and having it get away. At long range you won't always be able to tell if you hit it or not.
 
Federal Gold Medal Match is great ammo but it isn't designed for game. I like it in a sniper rifle though. Thinking of shooting western game at long range is not a great idea. The rule out here is, if you can get closer, do that. There is less chance of wounding an animal and having it get away. At long range you won't always be able to tell if you hit it or not.
I'm in agreement, but some use factory target ammo or handload target bullets for use on varmints and game, regardless of distance. Sierra has always recommended against such a practice. The bullets will kill but not with the reliability of a game bullet.

I used to handload the Sierra 53 grain match bullet in my .223 for shooting coyotes. In my ignorance, I had mistakenly assumed any .22 caliber bullet was suitable for varmints. I lost about 50% of even well hit coyotes with these bullets. After switching to a 50 grain Sierra Blitz (which turned out to be just as accurate as the match bullet), kills went up noticeably.

Yo
 
Not trying to start a whole big hairy debate but I have killed a bunch of white tails with .300win mag and 190gr Federal Gold Medal.

Range 50-300 yards.

Not remembering needing follow up shots.

Just sayin
 
I shoot the Barnes TSX out of my .308's and Its a nice round, I think they only have it in 180 GR for the ..300. Is there really a big difference between 180 and 200 GR in recoil?
 
I shoot the Barnes TSX out of my .308's and Its a nice round, I think they only have it in 180 GR for the ..300. Is there really a big difference between 180 and 200 GR in recoil?
I think so, based only on my experience.

As for the 180 Barnes TSX or TTSX, hard to imagine what it would not be suitable for. As premium, tough hunting bullets go, it's generally easier to get good accuracy from a Barnes than some other bullets, but I haven't tried them all.
 
I am not opposed to 180 Gr I guess, I don't plan to stock a lot of this ammo as I just don't see it being a gun I'll shoot often after it is sighted in and I most likely will never taking it out hunting around Home.
 
I reload the Barnes LRX 175gr for my 300. Getting about 3/4 at 100. Not sure what the over the counter Barnes LRX equivalent is. I know that some of the other manufactures use some of the Barnes bullets. I believe that every quality rile and even some not so great can shoot well with the right combo. Problem is, without reloading, there is not always a way to find that sweet spot.
 
I simply have not had a lot of good luck getting a 300 WM to shoot well. I've had three so far, a Winchester Model 70, Browning AB3 Hunter and a Browning Xbolt Hunter. None of them would shoot less than an inch no matter what factory or handload I tried. I have a Remington 700 BDL in 338 WM that shoots between 0.5 and 0.8 MOA all day and with any high quality factory ammo with the tighter groups coming from 210 and 250 gr Nosler Partition hand loads. For what one pays for Browning/Winchester firearms I would expect much better coming from them.
 
I simply have not had a lot of good luck getting a 300 WM to shoot well. I've had three so far, a Winchester Model 70, Browning AB3 Hunter and a Browning Xbolt Hunter. None of them would shoot less than an inch no matter what factory or handload I tried. I have a Remington 700 BDL in 338 WM that shoots between 0.5 and 0.8 MOA all day and with any high quality factory ammo with the tighter groups coming from 210 and 250 gr Nosler Partition hand loads. For what one pays for Browning/Winchester firearms I would expect much better coming from them.


Had a Win70 in .300win mag that was a 1.5 inch gun no matter what ammo

Sent it down the road and bought a Seekins PH2.

Amazingly accurate.
 
Had a Win70 in .300win mag that was a 1.5 inch gun no matter what ammo

Sent it down the road and bought a Seekins PH2.

Amazingly accurate.
That sounds about right. I have pretty much given up on the 300 WM. Wasted a lot of money trying to get one to shoot decently. Shooting 1000 yard competition in the Army I had a match grade model 70 in 300 H&H that was deadly accurate. As mentioned before my Remington 700, 338 WM is deadly accurate.
 
I've had only one .300 Winchester Magnum rifle, a Remington 700 heavy barrel "mil-spec" or some such nomenclature. Very accurate with a number of ammos, mostly handloads. I used it to 500 yards on targets only. Not really a hunting rifle. A 1.5" 100 yard group would have been a poor one indeed. 5R barrel but I doubt the 5R was any better than other good quality barrels.
 
I've had only one .300 Winchester Magnum rifle, a Remington 700 heavy barrel "mil-spec" or some such nomenclature. Very accurate with a number of ammos, mostly handloads. I used it to 500 yards on targets only. Not really a hunting rifle. A 1.5" 100 yard group would have been a poor one indeed. 5R barrel but I doubt the 5R was any better than other good quality barrels.
I have done pretty well getting every other OTB rifle to shoot sub moa, except the 300 WM, which seems to be elusive. Maybe I should try a Tikka T3x just for giggles. Then again, I have the 338 WM so why should I bother with the 300?
 
If you want 200 grains, of the two you list, I’d start with the Federal load. I don’t know why but my luck so far with the ELD series bullets has not been great. I’m probably doing something wrong, but I don’t know what.

For a .300 Winchester, I too would favor a factory load that uses the Barnes 180 gr TTSX or the plain TSX. Very rare, in my experience, to find a rifle that does not do well with the Barnes X bullets. The best group I’ve ever shot with any rifle was with the 165 gr TTSX in my .300 Weatherby. I’ve come close to it a few times with a .222 or .22-250, but only close.
 
If you want 200 grains, of the two you list, I’d start with the Federal load. I don’t know why but my luck so far with the ELD series bullets has not been great. I’m probably doing something wrong, but I don’t know what.

For a .300 Winchester, I too would favor a factory load that uses the Barnes 180 gr TTSX or the plain TSX. Very rare, in my experience, to find a rifle that does not do well with the Barnes X bullets. The best group I’ve ever shot with any rifle was with the 165 gr TTSX in my .300 Weatherby. I’ve come close to it a few times with a .222 or .22-250, but only close.
I have a fair amount of Nosler Partitions for the 338, 210 t0 250 gr and the Remington seems to like them. I have never had good luck with any Hornady bullets, mostly for the 223 AR-15, 55 gr, 62 gr and 77 gr. My rifle has a 1/7 twist and absolutely loves either Nosler 77 gr HPBT competition or the Sierra Game King 85 gr, but scatters the Hornady no matter what the load.
 
I don’t know what “all around” means. Elk, bears, moose?

In Indiana, it coyotes and white tails. Honestly it doesn’t really take a lot to kill either.

But if I was after the big critters, I wouldn’t use an ELDX. Not a fan of Barnes on animals, either. There’s a big difference between putting a hole into something, and putting a hole THROUGH something.

Me, I’d do a Nosler Partition. Tried and true.
 
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