ORIGINAL: MichaelT.
Hey Brutal,
Brother, I just have to ask this. What is the maximum range you actually use the gun at ( farthest shot ) , and / or what would be the farthest you would take a shot. If it is within the current effective range of the .308, then you really would not gain anything by going to the ultra mag. I mean , we are talking the 400 + yard range here. Plus factory ammo is available virtually anywhere for the .308. and not necessarily available anywhere for the ultra mag. And the .308 has a vast array of bullet weights available. Thats a lot to consider. I wouldn't really trust my .308 load on elk much past 300
Well for work I will probably never shoot beyond 300.However, if my cartridge has the energy at 400 yards for recreational elk then I would use it because I practice enough that I'm pretty confident out to that range and a little beyond off my daypack. However, 90% of the time the shot you get isn't that far. That is where it's "hunting" and not "shooting".
The rationale I used when I chose that setup (the one in my sig) was that it's probably the gun with the most efficent round with the least amount of recoil, with the highest accuracy at "normal" hunting distances (inside 400 yards). Plus I wanted to use my personal gun for work and all I had at the time was a .300 win mag. I'm not so sure that it's time to abandon that rationale.