What happens to a hunters rifle and load when he leaves 1000ft elevation and travels to 10000 feet on a deer or elk hunt? Well after playing with this for years I've learned there is major effects on bullets and loads from lower elevation to higher elevations. Here is just an example of what happens to a mediocre factory load in the high country.

30-06 165gr Interbond load: 10,000 ft elevation

yards velocity energy ftlbs drop
0 2900 3081 -1.50
100 2747 2765 1.56
200 2600 2477 0.00
300 2457 2212 -6.65
400 2319 1970 -19.06
500 2185 1750 -38.69

30-06 165gr Interbond load: 1000 ft elevation

yards velocity energy ftlbs drop
0 2900 3081 -1.50
100 2691 2654 1.66
200 2492 2276 0.00
300 2302 1941 -7.21
400 2120 1646 -21.12
500 1945 1386 -42.53

Now being these are the same exact loads at different elevations you can see alot of change in all three factors between the two loads. You can expect a higher level of preformance from the same load at higher elevations say a elk hunt at 10,000 ft or more. Given this information some substandard elk and deer calibers become more than adequate in retained energy at longer ranges. This is just information that most hunting magazine writers over look when they talk about preformance in calibers adequate for medium size game. Of course you have to be hunting around the 10,000 elevation to obtain these bonuses to your calibers.

Check out the difference between a 30-06 165gr interbond at 10,000 ft and a 300 win mag 165gr interbond at 1000ft elevation. I think you will be amazed at the results when the bullet reaches the 400 and 500yd mark. 300yds being the leveling off point of the two where they come close to the same three factors.

300win mag 165gr interbond: 1000ft

yards velocity energy ftlbs drop
0 3100 3521 -1.50
100 2895 3071 1.34
200 2700 2670 0.00
300 2512 2312 -6.08
400 2333 1993 -17.65
500 2161 1710 -35.76

Now beings the 30-06 was shot at 10,000ft and the 300winmag at 1000ft of elevation is seems not a fair comparison. Shooting the 300winmag at 10,000ft will have tremendous gains in all three factors. But that's not the point. Using a standard factory load from a 30-06 at 10,000ft elevation gives you a 300winmag preformance out of a non-belted cartridge. Which gives the hunter an added bonus on their deer or elk hunt at higher elevations. You can research this information for any elevation your hunting at. With this data it pushes the envelope of a standard 30-06 factory load to a higher level of range and retained energy while hunting at the higher elevations. Same results with all calibers in the starting class of elk calibers like 270,280, and 7mm mag. Loads like my 300win mag handload and ultramag loads are absolutely amazing compared to what you will find in the back of a hornady reloading manuel. Truly optimizing the calibers potiential to the max.

In the past hunting at lower elevations brought about my curiosity on bullet drop vs. higher elevations. Taking my rifle to lower elevations of 4000ft and lower the bullet would drop 2 to 3 inches lower than my 200 zero from the higher elevation. So years of curiosity brought on the research of elevation effect on bullets.

So is it necessary to check your zero when hunting at different elevations.(YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT) !!!!!!!!