Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Long Range Load Criteria

Accuracy seems to be the one thing everyone agrees on.
The more the better, but there are other concerns like whether the bullet will expand once it gets there. Then when you find a bullet that will reliably expand at long range, will it hold together on a close range shot? Does anybody use a test media that they would like to share? What do you shoot into to test the penetration/expansion of your magic bullet.
Wet phonebooks? I have heard about packages of hot dogs between layers of plywood, you name it. I'm curious what you guys use. I want to try a 7 mm Magnum on deer in a clearcut
that would be at least 200-300 yards or more depending on whether we have blowing snow or not. I am defining long range as over 300 yards. It is for me. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />
GWN

Someone with more experance than I have may respond differently, but your not going to need to change bullets until your on the far side of 500yd. From my 30-06 I use a 150 Balistic tip from "up close" to 440yd (over hay fields), and I wouldn't question using that combo at 500yd.
IMHO The most important thing (for anyone) is to practice at the longer ranges, and don't shoot at game unless you have a 95+% confidance level (of a first round kill) at that range/conditions.
Close is normaly considered to be "under 300"
Mid-range as "300-750yd"
Long range as "750-1200yd"
Ultra-long as over "1200yd"

For under 300 just use whatever has worked for you in the past. I would lean toward Accubonds or Ballistic Tips but Hornady, Speer, Sierra. etc would be just as good for deer.

Ian over on lrh has done alot fo tests with the bonded bullets .. and at close range they are great but from what I gather at lr they aren't all that great.
In my personal experience the Nosler BT's are good fro both unless you have hyper volocities at very short range and hit bone...
The SMK's work well under all conditions. The a-max might get pretty graphic at short range...
if youa re working at 500 yards or less and getting really high velocities the 160 gr accubond mihgt work well in that 7 mag...

I persoanlly like the 175gr SMK but you need at 9 twist in your 7's for that...

The Nosler Ballistic Tip, the Swift Scirocco, and to a lessor extent the Nosler Partition will all expand at 1500-1800 fps. I know, the Partition isn't suppose to do that, but it has for me.
Reasonable, consistant accuracy, of course is needed, but I'd also rate resistance to wind up near the top as well.
Assuming you have a good solid shooting position, I'd rate being able to call the wind most important. If there is a way to do this w/o lots of practice with your rifle and hunting load, I haven't seen it. It teaches you how to call the wind and shows you just how well your rifle and load works. E

I use the 165 gr Ballistic Tip in my 308 and have shot deer from 150 to 600 yards with them, they work great.


huntin1

I am trying to decide between the 30-06 with 180 gr Ballistic Tips or the 7mm Magnum with 160 gr Sierra HP boat tails.
I guess more range time is in the cards. I will go on a windy day and shoot them both at 300 meters.
GWN