I've only killed 3 cow elk here in Utah. My "average" is 190 yds! One in medium aspen (135yds) one in fairly open timer ( 200yds) one high up on a knife ridge (250yds). The wind is my biggest boogerman, and he has "got me" several times, ha. As mentioned, a few days out on a prairie dog shoot "will educate a man quicker than you can say skat!", ha. Antelope hunting? My furthest shot was 347yds, but it didn't need to be. The rest I have shot from 50yds, 150yds, 300yds and I "missed" one old confused doe antelope around 500 yds with a hot, 6mm/284 wildcat. "Four times", the wind blew it over, and under and one way off to the side! I quit before I gut shot the poor thing, went around the end of the ranch and shot one at 150yds. I have also had the wind blow my bullets 6 feet to the side on 5 different pronghorn bucks (300-350) one day. Where I was at, the wind was "slight on my rosy cheek". Out where they were at, on that short grass prairie, there were "no wind indicators". That was with a 280 AI and a 150NBT. I finally slipped up on a 15 1/2" buck behind a snow fence and popped him at 250yds. So, I think you should "re-think" shooting 500yds...with anything, ha But that's just "me". You have fun though, that's what's really important here.
PS The Vortex 168TTSX shot under an inch in my friends Browning BAR 30-06. I was with him when he shot a Eurasian hog ( 200#) right at 50yds and it opened fine yet didn't ruin any meat, and boy, do those things have some good meat...its "almost " steak, not white pork. The 165s are waaaay plenty in the old 30-06. Just my .02!
