Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Long range lightweight

I am looking for some serious opinions on a long range lightweight rifle. I am looking at (in the next few years) making a trip for Marco polo, and everyone I have talked to said " expect 500 yard shots",

I have looked at the various lightweight guys ( bansners, rifles inc etc), BUT I am torn on what calibre to get,

I have a 300 weatherby, and 300 wsm, and I like them both. I am just not sure what is better for knock down power on high altitude sheep, or if something in the 7mm range might be better?

any thoughts?

Hard to beat the 300WM for flat shooting and Knockdown IMHO. I killed a deer at 500+ yards this year with a 7mm-08 Kimber 84m classic at 6Lbs. I dont go hunting expecting 500 shots either. But if I did, I wouldnt want anything too light. For a trip of a lifetime where I was expecting long shots I'd want custom and synthetic in 300WSM 300WM, 7MM WM, 7MM STW. The .30's are gonna hit harder -thats just fact.But frankly, I'd be more worried about my ability than the rifle's. I can tell you that my 7mm-08 at 500 yards didnt have much knockdown power - but it worked -one shot. The deer just stood there thinking about it for a few seconds, then rolled down the hill. For bang-floppers, go .30 cal-mag!!!!

Boy, I think you are going to be hard put to find anybody with much hard information on Marco Polo guns. But there was a magnificent set of posts and photos from somebody who went to one of the 'stans to hunt the (Kysgikastan or Turkwhosistan or something I couldn't spell even if I could remember it.) Use the search feature to go through the archives within the past 15 months.

But if you say LR lightweight, I think Kimber in 300 WSM or a NULA in most any caliber you think best.

Just to help out, I found those threads:
Kyrg Ibex Story

Kyrgyzstan Ibex

Thanks for all the help guys, I will check out those old stories. Any opinions on calibre is surely appreciated,

thanks

one caliber-30/378 weatherby for those long shots

NULA IN 284!

woofer

I load for a guy who is a long range hunter. Both of his guns are 7STW's and I've seen him knock down an elk with one shot at 720 yards with a 160g Nosler Accubond. My friend's guns are both 26" barrels, one a plain old Remington 700 and the other an RS Precision (?).

Only question I would have was whether to consider a 500 yards shot "long range". I'm not a long range hunter but the guns I use are lightweight mountain guns under 8 lbs and I'm comfortable with all of them to 500 yards and a bit beyond, 580 yards to the furthest elk I've dropped with one shot. They're all 338's in WSM, Jamison and Win Mag. I'd think that 300 WSM would be great in a rifle around 7-8 lbs and a 180g slug.

First check out my Gunsmiths website, www.htcustoms.com There is some info from some guys who are major sheep hunters and I think some with Marco Polo's are on there.. Anyways.. They chose the .340Wby.. So did I.. They chose to go with a custom .340Wby with a Swarovski 4-12x50 scope with the TDS reticle. I'd say its the best of the best for the light way to go.. Mine weighs 7lbs scoped and ready to hunt.. The way Ritchie builds them its easy to see how with practice 600-700 yd shots are very possible.

So thats my two cents. Good luck

Thanks Boman, I have checked out that site in the past, and I agree that he has many succesful Asian hunting clients.He makes great looking rifles. I have considered the 4x12x50 Swarovski, but have not used one personally, do you have any experience with them?

I'm kinda in the same boat. I was looking for a "sheep/mountain" rifle and ended up with Sako Finnlight in .300wsm. The rifle weighs 6.5 lbs, I'm putting a Swaro 4x12 w TDS reticle, should put the total weight at 7.5 lbs with ammo. The rifle is supposed to be able to shoot 5 shots in an inch @ 100yds. I have got mine to shoot 1.25 with Fed Barnes X 180 gr. I'm going to try some different ammo, and hopefully get it under an inch. After my sheep hunt in AK, I came home looking for a "light" rifle, hopefully I've found it. Check out the Sako in .300 wsm, it might be what you're looking for.

I have not been on a Marco Polo hunt, but I duck hunt with a guy and his son that went on one about 2 years ago. He was shooting a 300 WM and his son was shooting a 300 Jerrett.
Boy do they have one heck of a story to tell about that hunt. Both of them got one, but the trip was something else.

There is one additional consideration in choosing a gun for this trip. This is one region in the world where perhaps coming home without your gun is higher than most. That might argue against the $3-5K custom job.

Maxx,

Yeah I have experience with that scope. I had 2 at one time now down to 1. (I'm changing that rifle up a bit so I sold that scope) Anyways- That scope is an excellent scope. Its very lightweight and is very high quality. For big game hunting on a lightweight rifle I don't think there is a better scope. Once you shoot your rifle at the extended ranges and find out exactly where your ammo hits you can tape that info to your stock or scope and use the correct hash mark to hit at those ranges. Its very simple once you shoot with it.

Let me know if that helps. Also, another thing about that gunsmith, he loves to talk about guns and hunting so feel free to give him a call and tell him what your thinking.. He'll tell you exactly what he thinks good or bad. He's been a guide for many years and a gunsmith for more so he know's his stuff.

Let me know if you have any other questions. take care

I am Bobski on this one, I would think that there is a faair number of rifles that will fit the bill for this one.

IMO 500 yds is not that far.

I would get a cal you can handle and can shoot a lot and I would get 1K rounds thru it each year b4 you went.

For glass I would opt for a Leupold with Premier dots in it, but a Swaro TDS would do well also. And to be totally honest if you're only worried about shooting to 500 or 600 then the Burris 3-9 Ballistic Plex would do some amazing things for you and at and amazing small cost. That scope is fairly inexpensive, it works and it is tough. With the experiences I've got with this scope I would not be afraid to take it on a high dollar hunt.

For cals, I would go anything between a 270 the big 7's and or the smaller mag 30's (300 Roy and smaller). I would not want anything to do with an flyweight in one of the big 30's. And I personally want nothing to do with a brake on the rifle.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Mark D

One other excellent scope choice would be the Swaro 3-10 with the sort of hidden target knobs under the scope caps.

JFSAG, what about basing the choice more on a second-worse case scenario in that the ammo gets lost?

What, if any, long-range type ammo could be found WAY out there? .300H&H, maybe?

I agree about not taking a high dollar custom unless you can stand the loss,if it happens. Probably the one single caliber most used is .300 Wthby. Not the only caliber that will work, but in that ballpark. I kinda like the rationale of a .340,but not necessary. The way they do things, if you get any bullet in him you probably won't lose him. Don't worry about ounces, you'll be hunting with a committee if you have a problem. Best thing about .300 Wthby is best chance to borrow or lend ammo if needed. Good luck.

P.S.If you go with a partner try to take the same caliber and loads. Not the place for diversity if it can be avoided.

Boman,
A 340wby in a 7lb gun. Ouch.
At 500 yards I would need to use the range finder and dial the scope. The wind would be my biggest concern. Is the 340wby that much better than the 300wsm? Im really not familiar with the wbys. But one should practice a lot what one hunts with. 340wby might not get much practice. Maybe Im just soft.
maestro

Are you talking about Spook Spann. That is a heck of a story.
Here is the link to the Field & Stream Story.

Pmc