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Ranger011

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Hey, I shot quite a bit when I was young but nothing bigger than 22s. I would like to get back into the sport and eventually begin hunting after I get re-familiar. My end goal is to be shooting elk and caribou, and I would like to be comfortable around the 500-600 yrd range. so here are my questions

what size caliber would have the stopping power for an animal that size at that range? and what would be a good solid rifle that will take me to that range comfortably?

overall I would like to know if this is realistic or if I am way out in left field?

Thanks
 
500-600 yards may be an unrealistic goal to start with. Get an accurate 30-06 and get really good at shooting 100-200 yards. That would be a good start.
 
Practicing at longer range than you hunt is always a good idea as you learn your equipment's and your own limitations and punching paper at these yardages will eventually make you a better marksman. To begin with I would start with quality bolt action rifle ( I use custom Remingtons) and a good scope ( I like Leupolds and Nikons). There are lots of calibers to choose from such as the 308, 30-06, 270, 7-08, 7x57 etc. that are not too ferocious in recoil and have adequate power for most hoofed game in North America. Hunting is an activity that involves lifelong learning which is part of its appeal. Do some research and you will find a combination of equipment that will work for you.
 
Just to clarify, I am planning on working up to 600 yrds, I understand it is a considerable distance and I don't expect to be able to pick up a rifle and shoot it accurately tomorrow. I would like to avoid buying a multitude of different rifles to get me 600yrds... My thinking was to hopefully buy one rifle that I can shoot from now right up to 600yrds accurately.

I would like to be mindful of the cost per round (as I do need to practice) which is why I was asking about caliber and stopping power at the 600 yrd range.
 
If I was going to make a habit of shooting at elk at 600 yards first I would drive 200 yards closer then try and sneak another 200 yards closer .Then I would look for some kind of improvised rest.
And if that didn't work I'd buy a fast 338 and a good rangefinder.
If i hunted elk.
 
Have you ever shot anything bigger then a .22? While a 3006 will do the job at that range, it is hardly the best choice. The problem being larger guns with better knockdown power at that range will also have larger recoil, which isnt exactly a good place to start shooting.

You're probably best to start with one of either 270 Winchester, 308 Winchester, or 3006 Springfield, as they are cheap to feed and will handle 99% of your hunting situations without a problem. If you find then that you are missing opportunities because of longer ranges (400+) then upgrade your rifle. The thing about rifles is if they are well maintained, they will retain much value.

that all said, it takes literally hundreds, if not thousands, of rounds to become proficient at ranges you are suggesting. Try and stalk closer!
 
Gillshot said:
500-600 yards may be an unrealistic goal to start with. Get an accurate 30-06 and get really good at shooting 100-200 yards. That would be a good start.
Click to expand...

This is an excellent post.
When I read the OP I was thinking exactly as you wrote.
If I was going to add, I would suggest that 500-600 yards is too great of a range to plan on shooting big game at any time.
For normal hunting, 400 yards is a long shot. I once shot a mountain caribou from about 440, from a sitting position, wrapped in my sling. The bull didn't get further than his length, but he may have, because the first shot didn't floor him, the second one did.
At that range elevation needed isn't so great, but 500 and beyond, the elevation needed is considerable and can easily be misjudged.
Just get closer.
I highly recommend the 30-06 for you.
 
Welcome aboard Ranger, so far the advice given here is really sound to which I cant add too much to other than this bit of wisdom. Most of us have multiple rifles expressly for the reason of each one performs a certain task better than the others. Not many rifles/cartridges out there perform to the level I would want to drop elk at 600yds, and those that do are certainly not good choices for a person looking to get into shooting and hunting. There are lots of good rifles out there and for the most part they can be bought and sold quite easily. So there is no real need to marry yourself to a set-up right away as you may find that what you buy now may not be what you want as you gain experience. My first hunting rifle was a Remington 2600 in 270Win, it wasn't long before I learned that I liked the cartridge, but hated the pump action, although as you can see just a few posts down, the 260/22600 has a huge following.

As you did state that was your end goal I would recommend you hold onto that but first realistically analyze what intermediate goals you need to achieve to attain that goal. And what it is that you need to achieve those intermediate goals. First of course is what rifle/cartridge is best for you. There is also a good sticky on that just on this forum. So be sure to check that out. The 30-06 is indeed possibly the best all purpose cartridge for North America and may be your best choice. As mentioned I like the 270 Win (although I no longer own anything in that cartridge) as it is an accurate round that has a good thump out to very respectable ranges in the hands of a good shooter. Flatter shooting and lighter recoil it would also be a great choice to practice shooting with and out to longer ranges too. Will it be the all purpose one-gun you want?, likely not, but I honestly doubt any rifle you buy will be in the end. (guns are kind of like that)

I see you're in Victoria, now I'm not familliar with the ranges in Victoria, but I suspect there aren't any there which you can shoot to 500yds, nor is there an abundance of public land in which you could achieve that task either. So for the moment I recommend putting that goal on hold and and focus rather on finding a rifle that suits your shooting 100, then 200 and then 300 yds at a range. That will certainly be sufficient for any hunting in BC, even in the interior I would suspect.
 
what's wrong with you people?

600 yd elk: .50BMG!

but seriously, work on stalking, creeping or some kind of rapid helicopter insertion, 600 yds is a LONG shot.
 
buy your self a 7 mm rem mag . when you can shoot a one inch group @ 100yd often then grab a 8 x 4 sheet of ply wood paint a big white dot on the top, drive it out in a field to about 500 yards, sit down at your shooting position and procedd to waste a ton of ammo
 
IMHO.....I'll start with this proviso, there are several factors that make long range game harvesting more difficult than you can imagine. It's not as easy as it would appear on wild TV. The ability to range accurately is now rather simple with all the good range finders out there, however range has never been the greatest obstacle. Things like wind and mirage wreak havoc with ability to place shots lethally on targets much past 300 mtrs and without a trained spotter can be almost impossible to gauge. Time of flight is your most critical factor in long range shooting IF you do not have a spotter.
Most experienced big game hunters who know the game they chase and prepare for the possibility of a 5-600 mtr shot shoot cartridges throwing bullets of 140 gns or more at velocities of 3000 fps to 3700 fps. This is not an inexpensive combination to shoot and usually not something you want to shoot every day, due to cost, recoil and barrel life. What does all this mean, you ask? It means your expectations are unrealistic, you cannot choose one caliber in the beginning to do all from 0-600 mtrs AND practice every day to get to a level of proficiency to confidently take 4-600 mtr shots at game.
My advice therefore is to buy a rifle in the 243, 25-06 class buy a membership to the closest club that has a sillhoutte range and go learn how to shoot out to 500 mtrs first, you will gain great experience and knowledge shooting rifle sillhouette and don't worry about taking rams with your 243 as long as you hit them for now is the main thing.
Once you attain a level of proficiency you will want to upgrade to a caliber more suited to hunting, such as the 7 RM as stated earlier or 300 Win 270 Wby and then practice more. Don't sell your light rifle but keep it for playing and familiarity and low cost, low recoil shooting.
The ethics of long range harvesting of game is another important factor, which I have not seen discussed here yet on any thread, so I'll give you mine.
It is infinately better to pass up a shot than to try one in conditions where the game has the advantage. For example, I have taken and assisted buddies in taking game out to 750 mtrs But this was always on game above tree line or on the tundra where they had no where to go to hide and multiple follow up shots were possible if needed. I personally would not shoot at an elk in a small clearing surrounded by miles of dense forest at any extended range, he has too many places to and 2 or 3 bounds put him out of sight. Not my idea of a practical long range scenario. Another important factor in long range hunting is a buddy on the spotting scope when you fire to spot your shot, this I deem critical. I have taken a cariboo at just short of 600 mtrs that although mortally wounded on the first shot (broadside through both lungs just behind the shoulder) that did not indicate the hit what-so-ever. With out my spotter I could have concluded a complete miss. He wandered about 100 mtrs and laid down and was expired when we got to him. This same scenario could be heartbreaking if he had been an elk on the edge of the heavy timber.
Anyway enough, hopefully you may find some wisdom in my words.
 
H4831 said:
This is an excellent post.
When I read the OP I was thinking exactly as you wrote.
If I was going to add, I would suggest that 500-600 yards is too great of a range to plan on shooting big game at any time.
For normal hunting, 400 yards is a long shot. I once shot a mountain caribou from about 440, from a sitting position, wrapped in my sling. The bull didn't get further than his length, but he may have, because the first shot didn't floor him, the second one did.
At that range elevation needed isn't so great, but 500 and beyond, the elevation needed is considerable and can easily be misjudged.
Just get closer.
I highly recommend the 30-06 for you.
Click to expand...

Right on! Too many guys throw these wild numbers around with abandon. UNDER FIELD CONDITIONS a three hundred yard shot is a pretty long one. There aren't any benchrests, usually brush or vegetation foils a prone shooting position, you're excited, out of breath, cold, rushed etc. Practice with a fairly hard kicking magnum can be intimidating for someone who has mostly worked with .22's maybe to the point of developing a bad flinching problem which can affect your shooting with everything. I think a .30/06 is an excellent choice for starters at least, very capable out to 400 yards in experienced hands, fairly flat shooting, reasonable recoil and light enough to carry all day. Once you get some trigger time on the 06 and knock a few animals off with it you can move up to a more powerful, flatter shooting rig. Somehow I don't think you will feel the need at that point.
You can walk the back side of large clearcuts here in N.B. after the season and find deer carcasses put there by morons blazing away from the road at running deer during the open season. Long range shooting is something that requires good equipment, practice, a cool head and especially the experience to pass on a shot if you feel the outcome could likely be bad. My 2 cents.
 
i would also second .243 light recoil and relatively flat trajectory out to 300 yards and fun to punch paper with.
once you get comfortable with distance shooting .243 is also capable of
taking deer sized game with ease.
Tika in .243 with decent optics would be my recomandation :)
 
I'd look for a quality .308 bolt action and plan to keep shots on game below 300m.
Practice at 600m on paper. Ammo is relatively cheap as far as centrefire's go, and you can reload it for some decent savings if you only neck size your brass.
 
Thank you very much for all of your input. I will definitely be taking your recommendations to thought. I really appreciate the response.

Cheers.
 
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