long range shooting

incursore101

incursore101

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Has anyone out there ever attempted a 600+ yard shot at game from a regular hunting rifle? I have taken a couple at well over that, my formula/know your gun...intimately. know your optics, but most of all be confident with your ammo, always use the same and it will do the job everytime..practice makes perfect. p.s I have taken my elk both times (norma 7mm rem mag 150gr)
 
Long range shooting of big game is a "hot button" topic which seems to polarize the firearm community into two diametrically opposed camps, very few are on the fence. If I was going to engage in that activity, it would not be with factory ammo, and it would not be with a small bore rifle, but thats just me, and everyone is sure to chime in with their own ideas.
 
Can you accurately read conditions between you and your target? Notwithstanding the issue of terminal energy, I am telling you that even under match conditions with wind flags, using ultra-accurate rifles, that it is common to have shots blown all over hell's half acre, including weird vertical shifts at 600 due to unseen conditions. I consider myself a 'capable' long distance shooter, but Just yesterday at Homestead, I (and basically so did everyone else) missed a freaky 5 MOA condition change at 700M. That represents an error of over 3 feet.

It is ultimately up to you, but I'm afraid I don't have the confidence in my ability to judge conditions in open country at that distance to satisfy myself that I could make a clean shot. I would be very unlikely to try, but that's me.
 
If you are hitting game beyond 600 yards with a box stock Remington 700BDL (or whatever) you should go buy a lottery ticket.
 
Somebody lights a match and everyone throws gas. Boomer was right "a hot button". Even with LRF used frequently these days and if no atmospheric changes, a great majority of hunters would not know what to do to place the bullet to do its job at extended ranges. That's also assuming the bullet has enough remaining energy to make a clean kill.
 
I'm just wondering...what was the OP's point? All you have to do it read a bit and you'll see lots of discussion of LR shooting and hunting. For someone to join and within 6 days post something like this regarding what many consider a contentious subject reeks of the underside of a bridge. I could be wrong, but...
 
I do my fair share of shooting on a known distance range and I was deer hunting not so long ago gazing off at a distant ridge on the far side of a swamp wondering if I could hit something way out there. I eyeball'd the distance at about 600 yards, but came back later with a laser rangfinder only to find out it was only 300 yards. It just looked far because of all the terrain, trees hills and such. By contrast something at 600 yards across calm water will look like 300 yards to the eye.

I think thats the nut of it guys. What looks to the eye to be 600 in the woods is really half of that.

To try it without a top of the line Lieca laser range finder, target turrets on the scope, a good solid 20 lb target gun, high BC bullets & 8" twist rate to spin em and all the temperature verified come ups and wind specs to go with it is just plain stupid. Even with all the good hardware it's dicey.

Although, You just know there's a guy out there with 6 pound 22-250 and a 4 power Tasco that thinks he can take moose at 600 yds anywhere anytime with 40 grain bullets... and btw does it all the time... or at least knows someone who does. Come to think of it.. I might know him. :)
 
Even though 600 yards is not "lonf range" for a target shooter, my first shot at 600 is not always a bullseye (about 12" across). The problem is wind doping. On a rifle range I know the distance exacyly, I have a nice, solid, repeatable position, an unobstucted view, and falt landscape with a row of known weight wind flags to look at.

The only way to hunt at 600 yards, for 99% of hunters, is with a magnum keyboard.
 
I'd shoot a deer/moose out to about 300m with confidence if conditions were good, to 200m if they were not.

I'd shoot at a coyote out to 400m

I'd shoot at a gopher as long as I could see them, as I could start with practice shots.
 
Ganderite said:
Even though 600 yards is not "lonf range" for a target shooter, my first shot at 600 is not always a bullseye (about 12" across). The problem is wind doping. On a rifle range I know the distance exacyly, I have a nice, solid, repeatable position, an unobstucted view, and falt landscape with a row of known weight wind flags to look at.

The only way to hunt at 600 yards, for 99% of hunters, is with a magnum keyboard.
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I have been hunting for a good part of 30 years, I have served in the special forces in europe for 8 years and i believe its that part of my life that has helped me along the way to doing the shooting that i do. Its not impossible with todays technology in ammo and guns to make 600yds plus shots. In as far as the range is concerned rangefinders have been around for a while. All I am saying is if you know your equipment intimately and do your homework that 600yard+ shot is not impossible.
 
I say it depends. It's all on the conditions. I usually get out and set up before dawn, and the winds are generally non-existant in my area until about 2 hours of sun-up. On a day with a bit of a breeze, say anything over 10mph, I stick to under 300ish yards. If the conditions aren't perfect, there is no shot, it's that simple.

I was out on Sunday with my 17hmr, 22-250 and my 300rum. The winds were very light when I setup my targets, but started to kick up a little dust as I got my gear setup. I got my 22-250 sighted in (new Farrel rail) at 100 yards and moved out to 600. I had a paper deer target setup at 600. I put 2 shots into just under 2", both in a 2" circle thats over the heart on the target. But I felt a shift in the wind as I squeezed the last shot... 6.5 inches right, shot right in the guts...
I adjusted for the wind and banged away with the 300. 3 into 4 inches, all horizontal. Group 1.5" tall but 4.2 inches wide.

Moral of the storey - Possible yes, but the conditions must be pretty much perfect for me.
 
incursore101 said:
I have been hunting for a good part of 30 years, I have served in the special forces in europe for 8 years and i believe its that part of my life that has helped me along the way to doing the shooting that i do. Its not impossible with todays technology in ammo and guns to make 600yds plus shots. In as far as the range is concerned rangefinders have been around for a while. All I am saying is if you know your equipment intimately and do your homework that 600yard+ shot is not impossible.
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Never mind.
 
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I have made long shots many times on game. I have also missed. On paper, I have only shot at 100 until yesterday. Very stupid. Yesterday I shot at 300 and things that I didn't know existed affected my bullet more than I would like to think with a 7wsm at only 300 yards. I will need a lot more practice before attempting shots like that again. I think best of the west is leading many astray. It is just plain BS in my opinion. They are advertising products and having "beginners" out there shooting 700+ yards? Common? No misses? This is just inspiring alot of people to send stray lead into the air with their barrels at way too much of an angle. My two cents.
 
Max Owner said:
Never mind.
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WOW!!!! looks like some people's reply smack of plain old sarcasm, maybe out of genuine disbelief or maybe out of confusion or maybe some people dont get the message that is relayed on a specific thread who knows, all i know that its a point of discussion. Hey who knew f:P:2:
 
Hay Incursore101, welcome to the Site, don't worry about stupid people, they are all over he freaking place, just ignore them, they have no confident in themself.
 
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