Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Who Is Actually, Regularly, Shooting at Game Over 400 Yards?

Another comment at this stage of the discussion: I learned decades ago that while an accurate rifle and the skills to use it certainly help in pronghorn hunting, I eventually found more pleasure and satisfaction from pulling off a good stalk than a long shot. This may because of hunting them a lot, not just due to living in Montana (where we often draw multiple tags) but other states. A while back there was a period of around 15 years where I frequently hunted at least one other state each fall.

While obviously a rifle loony, who appreciates (and owns) quite a few very accurate big game rifles of varying vintages, I get plenty of long-range shooting on prairie dogs, where I generally bring at least four rifles--a rimfire to start on a town, a centerfire that does most of the shooting to 300-350 yards (where the highest percentage of hits are made), another for shooting out to 500 or so when the dogs under 300 are thinned out, and another for 500+ yard shooting--which can vary considerably in chambering, from fast-twist .223s to cartridges such as the 6XC and 6.5-06. Have also used oddballs, including several with iron sights I planned to use on big game, such as a replica Winchester High Wall .30-40 Krag, a .375 H&H Ruger No. 1 I planned to take on an all-iron sight safari in Botswana, and an original "trapdoor" 1873 Springfield .45-70. The longest shot made on a PD with the iron-sighted rifles was 275 yards with the trapdoor .45-70, thanks to its excellent Buffington rear sight.

But have also always known that big game involves skills other than shooting--which is why there's always some amusement when I see photos of big game country where a closer stalk is considered impossible, such as the one of the Snake River Canyon that appeared earlier in this thread. This is due to making quite a few stalks in supposedly unstalkable country in various places around the world.

That's partly why I haven't shot a pronghorn at 400+ yards for quite a while: It simply isn't as enjoyable as it used to be. Last fall, in fact, I got the strange notion to fill my Montana tag with my most accurate drilling, a Sauer 16x16/6.5x57R. No, this wouldn't limit me like a bow, traditional muzzleloader, or even a trapdoor .45-70, partly because like many older 6.5 Euro-rifles it has a 1-8 twist, and holds about the same 50 grains of powder as many "moderate" 6.5mm cartridges, from the 6.5x55 to a 21st-century round today's hunters tend to either love or hate.

The bullet eventually selected was a high-BC model in the 130-grain range, started at around 2750 fps, and I practiced with it on the local range--which extends to over 1000 yards, and is covered with all sorts of steel plates, including a life-size pronghorn silhouette at 300 meters. Turned out that despite the Sauer's low-powered, non-dialing variable scope, it was good to go out to 400 yards, though I was a little more comfortable with 300 meters. But after a very satisfying stalk the shot turned out to be a little under 250--and I had a lot more fun, in preparation, anticipation and hunting, than I would have shooting the buck at 400+ yards with one of my genuine 21st-century rifles, such as my custom 6.5 PRC--though that would have been fine too. But I think this is a good example of how hunters vary--and how weird some of us can be!