Rifle Systems, Ballistics & Ethical Hunting
Legal Rifle Requirements
Utah
Not Legal
- Fully automatic firearms
- Rimfire rifles for big game
- Non-expanding bullets for big game
Idaho
Not Legal
- Rifles over 16 lbs (including optics & accessories)
- Fully automatic firearms
Wyoming
Not Legal
- Rimfire rifles
- .22 Hornet
- Bullets under 60 grains
- Cartridges under 2" overall length
- Non-expanding bullets
- Rifles under .24 caliber centerfire
- Cartridges under 2" overall length
- Non-expanding bullets
Mexico Hunting Rifle Requirements
Mexico has very strict firearm importation laws, and hunters should never attempt to enter the country with rifles or ammunition without proper permits and documentation approved through SEDENA (Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defense).
All rifles and ammunition must exactly match the approved permit documentation before entering Mexico.
At R&K Hunting Company, we help ensure our hunters remain compliant with all Mexican firearm import regulations and transportation requirements prior to travel.
- Fully automatic firearms
- Most military-style or tactical-looking rifles
- Handguns
- .22 caliber rifles
- .223 / 5.56 caliber rifles
- Semi-automatic rifles
- Rifles larger than .32 caliber / 8mm
- Number of rifles allowed per hunter
- Amount of ammunition allowed per rifle
- Rifles listed on import paperwork
Customer Reviews
What real hunters say about their experience
Justin Richins’ Personal Recommendations
Since founding R&K Hunting Company in the early 2000s, Justin Richins has accumulated decades of real-world experience hunting, guiding, building rifles, training shooters, testing firearms, and studying ballistic performance across North America and Mexico.
Through years spent in the field and behind the rifle, Justin has developed an all-around A-to-Z level of firearm experience that is extremely rare within the outfitting industry today.
In 2017, Justin worked directly with Neal Emery at Hornady during the early development and release of the ELD-X and ELD-M bullet lines. Hornady sent Justin bullets to field test on big game in real-world hunting conditions while collecting real-world data, kill photos, and bullet retention results.
In 2017, Justin, client and longtime friend Joe Hill used Justin’s rifle setup and Hornady bullet combination to successfully harvest a Boone & Crockett Shiras moose in Utah at 1,255 yards using a 300 Win Mag. The bullet fully penetrated the vitals and was recovered lodged under the hide on the far side of the moose, providing valuable real-world terminal performance and bullet retention data that was later shared with Neal Emery and Hornady engineers.
During that testing, Justin successfully harvested elk at 1,588 yards using the 208 and 212 grain bullets. On October 26, 2017, Justin also harvested a Shiras moose at 1,255 yards where the bullet fully penetrated through the vitals and was recovered lodged under the hide on the far side of the moose. The field data, bullet performance information, and documentation from those hunts were sent back to Neal Emery and Hornady engineers for evaluation and continued development of the ELD-X and ELD-M bullet platforms.
These real-world results helped shape Justin’s strong opinions on long-range hunting performance, bullet consistency, terminal performance, and ethical shot placement.
R&K Hunting Company was built around that experience, with a strong focus on ethical hunting, real-world rifle performance, shooter education, and making clean, effective shots in demanding conditions.
At R&K Hunting Company, we believe hunting success starts long before the hunt itself — with the right rifle system, proper preparation, ethical decision making, and countless hours behind the rifle.
Over the years, Justin and R&K hunters have continued documenting real-world long-range field results on mule deer, elk, moose, and other western big game using carefully tested rifle systems, verified ballistic data, and disciplined ethical shooting practices.
For big game hunting, Justin almost always recommends magnum calibers with bullet weights of 180 grains or heavier whenever possible. After building and shooting nearly every 7mm, .30 caliber, and .338 platform on the market, he has found that while many calibers perform similarly on impact, accuracy and consistency matter most.
There are other bullet manufacturers — including other Hornady offerings — that may provide better weight retention or terminal performance on paper. However, in Justin’s real-world experience, many of those bullets simply do not shoot as accurately at both short and long ranges. Lower BC bullets also increase flight time over distance, which increases the opportunity for environmental factors and shooter error to affect shot placement. At the end of the day, precise shot placement matters more than chasing maximum retained bullet weight.
His preferred factory rifle calibers and ammunition combinations are:
- 7 PRC — 180 Grain Hornady ELD-M
- 300 PRC — 212 Grain Hornady ELD-X
- .338 Norma Magnum — 300 Grain Berger OTM Tactical
Additional calibers that can also be considered appropriate for smaller-bodied game:
- 6.5 PRC — 147 Grain Hornady ELD-M
- .243 / 6mm
- .25 calibers
- 6.5 calibers
- 7mm-08
- .270
- 30-06
- 9–11 pounds fully equipped for most hunting rifles
- Approximately 15 pounds for .338 platforms
Preferred Loads
7 PRC
- 180 Grain Hornady ELD-M
- Consistently performs near hand-load accuracy
300 PRC
- 212 Grain Hornady ELD-X
- Proven to deliver exceptional consistency and accuracy
.338 Norma Magnum
- 300 Grain Berger OTM Tactical
- Preferred for maximum long-range energy and consistency on larger game
6.5 PRC
- 147 Grain Hornady ELD-M
- Can be considered an appropriate option for smaller-bodied game while maintaining outstanding accuracy and manageable recoil
You are aiming to hit the vitals, so always use the most accurate magnum rifle you can shoot confidently. If you are unable to properly manage the recoil or shoot a magnum platform accurately, then consider one of the smaller calibers that you can shoot accurately and consistently.
.338 Recommendations
For shooters running a .338 platform, Justin prefers:
- Berger 300 Grain OTM Tactical
Recommended rifle weight:
- Approximately 15 pounds
While heavier than most hunting setups, Justin considers this an ideal truck gun or short-hike rifle. In his experience, lighter .338 rifles become unpleasant to shoot and harder to control consistently.
For:
- Antelope
- Whitetail
- Coues deer
Cartridges such as:
- .243 / 6mm
- .25 calibers
- 6.5 calibers
- 7mm-08
- .270
- 30-06
are fully capable and effective.
That said, Justin still prefers magnum calibers whenever practical, especially for less-than-perfect shot angles or windy conditions commonly encountered in the West.
- 1 groups or smaller at 100 yards
- Velocity spreads under 50 FPS
- Approximately 400–500 yard maximum effective range systems
- Consistent 1/2” groups at 100 yards
- Velocity spreads under 25 FPS
- Up to 800 yards under ideal conditions
- 1/4” groups or better
- Single-digit to low-teen velocity spreads
- Highly practiced shooter
- Perfect environmental conditions
Only then should:
- 800+ yard shots even be considered
None of these shots should ever be attempted by guessing distance. All long-range shots should be verified with precise yardage confirmation using one of today’s quality laser rangefinders. Accurate distance verification is critical to ethical shot placement and responsible hunting.
Even though these distances are achievable, our preferred hunting distance is:
Under 350 yards whenever possible.
Practice Recommendations
For offseason practice, Justin recommends shooting an accurate 6.5 caliber rifle to focus on:
- Target acquisition
- Recoil management
- Positional shooting
- Trigger control
- 5–20x Magnification
- 30mm tube or larger
Suppressors are legal in the states we guide in, and we highly recommend using them whenever possible.
Benefits include:
- Reduced recoil
- Reduced muzzle blast
- Better communication during hunts
- Less shooter fatigue
- Improved ability to spot impacts and make follow-up shots