7.21 Firebird

p-17 said:
You know, I just don't get all this ultra-high velocity stuff. The truth is that when you get past 350 yards, you have to elevate the rifle and read the wind. Period. It doesn't matter what kind of super magnum you use.
Click to expand...

Yes it does. To get the most of a Big Mag, you have to spend the time to learn how to maximize their potential. For example, my 300 RUM (180 grain at 3330 fps) zeroed at 0.7 inches high at 300 m gives me a MPBR of about 380 m for a 10 inch diameter target aka deer (the fact it shoots 1/2 MOA doesn't hurt either). So under those field conditions I frequently hunt in and a reasonable wind, it is a very simple hold for my RUM out to 400 m or so. It is an entirely different story with my .308 win and its MPBR - it takes a lot more elevation and windage estimation, which becomes too much guesstimation after about 300 m IMO. Extend that distance to 500 m and beyond, and well, this is where the 300 RUM gives me the confidence the others cannot - no question.
 
Last edited:
OK. Personally, I don't have much faith in so-called MPBR. Who needs to be limited to imprecise averages like that? I like to know the exact range and elevate accordingly, preferably with mil-dots. This is what real-world snipers do, in friendly places like Fallujah, Kandahar and Somalia, and it works out past 1,000 yards, with lowly .308s.

As for using a magnum to defeat the wind, that only works with very minor wind variations. There is simply no substitue for wind reading ability (and I'm certainly no expert in that area). Flags help, but once again, real-world snipers don't have the benefit of flags. Mirage is generally a good indicator, so a spotting scope is pretty well a necessity for long-range shooting, if only to give you a handle on the strength and direction of mirage drift. Once you have an idea of the wind, you can shade it, if your reticle is calibrated like a mil-dot. To try to blindly shoot through the wind and hope for the best, is, in my opinion, asking for trouble. Sure it can work many times, but one time you will get caught if you don't have a handle on wind reading.

I maintain that nothing beats a hyper-accurate rifle and lots of experience and skill at wind reading and long range shooting. For example, if I had to lay money on a 500 metre shot in a hunting situation, I'd place my bet on a world-class shooter like my friend Mirko Teglasi using a super .308 over just about anyone with less shooting experience using an Ultramag and relying upon MPBR.
 
I always sight my hunting rifles in to take advantage of the MPBR. Then if I have to go out farther, I am familiar with the drop [from actual shooting, not tables] and hold over accordingly. So far, this has worked well for me. The laser rangefinder is a real asset in these cases. Someone else's mileage may vary. Regards, Eagleye
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom