Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters OCTOBER: Ask Wayne van Zwoll Questions About "LOADS FOR THE LONG SHOT"

WvZ, it's nice to have you here. FYI, one of your articles and one of Ross Seyfried's were the catalysts to me spending about two decades with the 340 Wby as my "elk cartridge". About thirteen elk, bear, and a caribou later I've moved on but came to love the cartridge and it's effectiveness.

Dutch heritage?

Welcome Wayne.

It seems the notion of a "long shot" has changed a lot in the last decade. Perhaps less than a decade in my country where most hunters would likely still consider over 250 metres to be a long shot on game.

Where do you see LR heading in the next 20 years? Will we keep seeing ranges extended, or is there a practical limit to all this?

Again, welcome.

- Bob

WvZ, I was wondering how to get you on board, but glad it didn't wait on me to happen!

I will start with a very iffy question: Assume that I can get 2900 fps from a 165gr 30-06. Which bullet would you choose if you hunted where the shot could be 50 yd or 300 yd on elk or large deer?

Next, would you choose a 180 gr instead if accuracy was similar? Again, which bullet for the same situation?

I know there are a thousand other situations, but what are your thoughts with the current situation where a hunt is a rare experience [and expensive!]. Would you rather have a 300
Wby or similar in this circumstance?

Thanks much for your thoughts.

Is Wayne on an extended hunting trip? Or quickly tired of the wreckage we call the 'fire?

If using 165s, I'd try Hornady's GMX and the Barnes TSX, both because they penetrate well and seem to me the best of the lead-free options. The field of good 180s is very full. I like the Nosler AccuBond (especially at distance) and the Trophy Bonded and Swift A-Frame. I've killed quite a few elk with Nosler Partitions. ... Wayne

Bob, extending reach seems a natural yearning, indulged since the first spear, atlatl, sling, bow and firearm. I don't expect it to abate. But practical (certainly humane and ethical) limits afield do exist. Some hunters exceed them now. Lost game -- and lost hunting opportunity for everyone -- is one result. Another is the claim by more and more people ill disposed toward hunting that there's no sport in long-range assassination.... Wayne

Yes, I've been traveling. Back briefly. It's hunting season! My apologies if I've missed a question or two..... Wayne

Pleased to be here.... Wayne

Yes, I've been traveling. Back briefly. It's hunting season! My apologies if I've missed a question or two..... Wayne

Logger, thank you for the kind words! I'm still hosting women's safaris in Namibia -- the program an outgrowth of the camp your wife attended. My daughter is still at George Fox, but now with and MS and as an adjunct instructor. I hope fall is starting well for both of you. Still in Dundee? .... Wayne

Bought "Elk Rifles, Cartridges and Hunting Tactics" in 92,
it remains one of my all time favorite books. Since then I have always made a point to read your articles. You have a talent, glad to see you are here.
Keep writing !
Jay

Just spent a couple of days camped in a remote spot with some mates doing some LR plinking. Some of us have a little experience, some a little more and one or two complete novices...

We didn't go out further than 1100y and were using cartidges ranging from 223 to 300 WM. There were some expensive custom LR rigs, some varmint rifles and a couple of light hunting rifles in the mix, scoped and loaded appropriately for longer range shooting.

All I can say is that much beyond about 750y, it gets harder and harder in non lineal fashion, and unless you're doing LOTS of shooting at those ranges it's my view that NO ONE has any business shooting at game that far out. And then only in ideal conditions. (Deer tethered in a wind tunnel.... )

I think i said above that LR hunting is in it's formative years in this country. Perhaps we're a long way behind the curve, but it seems there's lots of talk on the internet where people are killing game at extreme ranges that seems very unlikely unless the shooter is an absolute jet of a shot that shoots perhaps hundreds of rounds a week in that setting...

All I know is that I was reminded these last few days how much more I need to practice!

Welcome to the 'Fire, WvZ! And thanks for that article. The polymer tip melt phenomenon is one I'd wondered about, but had no idea how it could be tested for. Gotta love the fact that science nerds in shops like Hornady think of this stuff and find ways to test it.

Wayne, Welcome to the fire! And, as others have mentioned, it's a brotherhood of sportsmen were never a harsh word is spoken. The wife and I attended your presentation many years ago at the Wy. Hunting/Fishing Expo in Casper. Enjoyed it as well as many of your articles written over the years. memtb

Cool. Nice to have you here, Wayne. Now my two favorite writers are both here (the other being JB). I look forward to reading what you have to say!

Wayne, what pizzes me off is some of these new hunters lack of ethics. They spray lead and go and pick up their critters. They don't care how many other animals or people (for that matter) get wounded or killed in the process. My elk hunting partner and I witnessed this happen 2 days ago on the opening day of first season general season bull hunt here in Oregon. These guys fired off 40 rounds (at least) at these elk and went and picked up the remains. The other elk went crashing though the woods. We circled around and got ahead of the herd and my buddy shot a wounded bull that these guys had injured. It was shot twice. Once in the hind end and another grazed the front leg. My buddy could have taken a bigger bull in the bunch, but didn't want to leave this one to die in the woods. It's one thing to shoot an animal at "long range" and make that shot count, but to spray and pray and wound and maim critters in the process is just sickening to me.... I almost went to have a talk with these fu ckers, but figured a heated debate with guns involved would only lead to more nonsense. There were 4 shooters there, they fired a minimum of 40 rounds and dropped 2 elk. Wounded who knows how many. It's guys like these that give good hunters a bad name.

Thank you, memtb. I just hunted pronghorn in your fine state, with an iron-sighted .25-35 dating to the Great War. A fine and challenging way to down a buck! No doubt you've been afield. Any luck? -- WvZ

Such distances humble us all, bobnob17. I just returned from an elk hunt skunked because I couldn't find an animal close enough for my iron-sighted .303 Savage. It was great fun, though. And real hunting. When 150 yards is too far, animals at 750 might as well be on the moon! -- WvZ

Much obliged for the kind words, Jay -- WvZ