what is the best round

I hve difficulty believing that people can successfully hung at 500 yards. One of the most experianced hunters I know had to shoot 3 times to connect with a 400 yard antelope, shooting over once and under once before hitting it. You are talking about what, 30+ inches of bullet drop?

How about energy bleed-off? Here is a Chuck Hawks article which lists the 300 Ultra Mag as being effective for 600 pound critters over 400 yards, but is only lists 1000 pound critters at 250 yards. http://www.chuckhawks.com/game_range_caliber.htm
 
If 500 is your gig, then I'd definitely handload 190s or 200s. 180s minimum. I'd still try like hell to get within 250-300 at most, however, even from a rested position. From unrested, within 100-125.
 
Okay, a few points to think about. I have a 100-yard backstop at my house, and just a few yards away from the house is a shooting table for a 500-yard range.

I'be been messing with Ol' Pet for over thirty years, shooting proably around or over 4,000 rounds through. Lots of plinkers; not bunches of stuff hotter than USGI.

So. I sight in for two inches high at 100 yards, which is nominally dead on at 100 yards with the Sierra 150-grain SPBT. The book sez dead on at 200, 6" low at 300, 21" to 22" low at 400 and around 45" or so low at 500.

I go out the first time for 500. I guesstimate four feet above the center of the 22"-diameter plate, and hold a foot off to the side for the wind. My first hit was 6" low at 5:30. My second hit was 1" low at 6PM. "Time to quit," I sez.

So I load up some 165-grain and 180-grain Sierra BTs. I adjust the scope for 500. With the remaining 165s, I get two four-shot four-inch groups. With the 180s, I call two flyers out of a ten-shot string and get a six-inch group.

The point of this is, first, it's off a table. Second, it's a known distance. IOW, I darned sure ought to be able to hit a 22" target under those conditions.

Now move to the field, without a laser range finder. You might be a flatlander in canyon country where distances are VERY deceiving. And you're limited to a hasty rest. Whole different ball game. I'm not gonna guesstimate the difference between 400 and 500 yards in canyon country. I did that once, and missed eight times before the cooperative buck moved some 150 yards toward me. (His mistake, which didn't keep me from a serious case of restrospective, "Art, you were stoopid!". :) )

If you haven't spent a bunch of time in the field, looking at lots of game at all manner of distances over a bunch of years, control yourself about how far off you can reliably hit the animal for a clean, ethical kill.

I dunno. Set paper plates out every 50 yards to 500. Guesstimate holdover and windage, and practice a bunch.

THEN talk about 500. :)

Art
 
I agree with Art.
SHOOTERS can do ANY shot when you do enough practice at the same distance every shot, but in a hunting situation you will never shoot the same shot at the same distance twice.
Shooters practice from a bench at a target that doesn't move and has a bullseye painted on it.
Hunters very seldom get those conditions at game.
I've hunted for 50 years and have never taken a shot over 300 yards at a live animal.
I'm sure there are places where those shots are a neccessary thing, but I would suggest lots of practice OFF the bench at LOTS of various ranges without the use of a range finder.
At ranges that are going to require that you walk for 10 or 15 minutes to find the spot your game was standing, you will want a lot of confidence that you are going to find blood when you get there.
 
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