Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters What Does It Take - to Hunt Medium/Large Game at 600 Yards?

Very accurately said! However….. larger, faster bullets do it a bit better! 😉 memtb

You guys mean unlike all the videos that get posted wherein the distance was 200? 100? Pick your distance?

More skill than 99% of the population.

A couple observations and two inputs:
1) Garandimal is catching a lot of flak and is doing (for this forum) probably an above average job of trying to stay on target for the data he showed up seeking. He has hit back too, and that didn't help things any.
2) It's my assessment if he would abandon any fixation on minimum energy levels and just listen to what folks are advocating (that being the ~50% of respondents who seem to have helping as their objective) the rest of the outfit would have less of a beef.
3) We should all note that he's hardy advocating for excess firepower. He is, after all, setting up a .270 Win for his objective.
4) His comments on wanting to be sure of hitting an 8" vital zone at 600 yards do indicate an awareness of the importance of shot placement vs. a reliance on KE in the guts.

Inputs:
Garandimal,
1) Don't recall if you already bought your barrel. If not yet, consider a 1:7.5 twist vs. a 1:8 twist. This is what Browning chose for their 6.8 Western in order to...wait for it...
2) shoot the 175 Sierra TGK. I have been struggling with the 165 ABLR in my 8" twist 270 WSM, and the 150 ABLR was hard to get shooting good too. That 175 TGK is shooting great, but some penetration test videos I watched (shot with 1:8 twist) indicated it might want a hair more twist to stay straight after impact. I figure Browning chose the 1:7.5 for a reason, and it's their branded 6.8 Western ammo that features the 175 TGK.

I don't think you have gotten any advice on this thread that isn't good, particularly that regarding the need for really good optics, and for not worrying too very much about minimum energy levels. Best of luck in your quest. What are you planning to hunt with this rig?
Cheers,
Rex

I should add you're going to want to get those really good optics mounted really well too.

I don't understand why some dude who has the confidence to dismiss what Mule Deer has told him is even bothering to ask questions here. He knows that ft-lbs of energy is the secret to an effective hunting round and clearly should be writing for Wolfe. He'll set the hunting world on fire.

A few more comments:

I have actually tested much heavier .270-caliber, high-BC bullets in more than one 1-10 twist .270 Winchester, starting with the Berger 170-grain EOL, handloaded to around 2750 fps. It shot quite accurately, which didn't surprise me much because I ran the numbers through the Berger twist-rate formula before trying it, and found it should stabilize (and come close to its maximum BC) in my local conditions.

These experiments include shooting at the local 1000-yard range at an elevation of 4500' above sea level, during summer conditions--and in typical elk-hunting conditions of around 35 degrees F. at 7000 feet. (It's kinda handy to live in a part of Montana where I can do both after a short drive.) Dunno where GA and his buddies hunt, but those were my results.

Have also found Nosler AccuBond Long Range bullets tend to shoot pretty well IF you experiment with seating depth. As an example, they'll put five shots in under 1/2" at 100 yards in my 8-pound 6.5 PRC, built by Charlie Sisk, but ONLY if I seat them a full .1 (1/10th of an inch) from the lands.

Have found the same thing with many other recent bullets, whether monolithics or high-BC lead-cores from other companies. But have also run into, and corresponded with, lot of handloaders who only seat bullets close to the lands--and if they don't get immediate results give up.

Great post Scotty. The OP should appreciate your honest opinion. It really does boil down to practice. Practice with what you have and practice so you have a good understanding of what your rifle and load is going to do under different conditions. Wind is the big one, but changes in temperature and even overcast skies or super bright conditions mess with poa/poi, as well as humidity. I like what rcamamuglia has added to this thread as well. You guys really hit the nail on the head. I like his approach to joining a club that has some long range events. Anything, where you can learn from others and even get educated by the environment and changing conditions, will help IMENSELY!!!. There's a lot to shooting long range and the more you do it, the more natural it becomes. You automatically adjust for conditions. You may be using your scope to spot mirage, watching splash and dust fly. You use everything you can to your advantage. This is where skill is challenged, learned and improved on. Also, developing skill requires a lot of trigger time. Trigger time and the ability to absorb everything that affects bullet flight is what makes the difference. I also suggest joining a club that offers long range events. Hopefully in those events you will be on the dial and under a time limit and that you will also have the ability to learn real quick. If not, this may not be for you. If you can't handle that kind of pressure, it is very likely you will not be able to handle the pressure it takes to cleanly take a game animal at 6-800 yards...


(CTR2, not as accurate as CTR1 ,but it will work well this Saturday)

Doing a little testing today for Saturday's event^^^^ Loving my new bipod.. I totally agree with you guys on not needing a specialized rifle to learn to shoot @600. The last 6 rifles I've bought over the last 3 months would suffice. All of them are accurate enough to work and damn good enough to learn on. Hell, even the upper my buddy handed to me last Saturday at my clubs gunshow, and said, "take it with you, we'll settle up later", would easily work at 600 yards for practice... Again, trigger time and a scope that dials consistently. By consistently, I mean consistently not high dollar either. A fixed power SWFA SS will work very well for this application.. The Leupold the op mentioned. Hell no. It doesn't even have a ballistic type reticle and I damn sure would not trust it dialing spot on..

That's the bulk of it.

This project is to explore the edges of the envelope.




GR

More hyperbole.

This animal is already 600 yards away.

.243" 90-100 gr. bullet w/ 700-900 ft-lbs of energy.

... and you hit solid bone.

100% sure it will get to the vitals at all, and with anything more than a poke?

How about an exit wound, much less one big enough to leave a blood trail?

Track a wounded animal through thickets or water, with a pencil wound and no blood trail.


Yeah... no.




GR

Hilarious! “The edge of the envelope” is 600 yards.

😂😂😂

My longest kill is about 1000 yards longer

You don’t even know what is possible. Take the rifle that you have and start shooting it at longer ranges. If you don’t have a scope that will dial consistently, get one that’s all you need to do now to learn

You misunderstand.

Lookin' into building a rifle to Hunt at 600 yards.

Already know how to shoot.


Just don't have a scoped rifle that will meet my specs at that range.

So am exploring options and gathering information.


The .270 Win/150 gr., w/ a high BC bullet, will do it,
- in a rifle light enough to hunt with,
- in the recoil envelope for precision shooting.


The M700 already in the freezer would do nicely w/ a new light varmint contour 24" R5 Bbl..

Bullet/powder/load selection, scope, bases/rings, and gadgets.

The cartridge is not set in stone, but haven't found another one in spec with more advantage.




GR

If you already "know how to shoot", then you probably don't need to ask us.. When a guy says, "I've shot the shidt out of irons at 600 yards, just switching to any schidty Leupold scope will work", doesn't give anyone any warm fuzzy feelings about your shooting ability. If you use that old 3-9x40 Leupold, you will not be making consistent hits on target because there is no reference points in the reticle and the scope is not going to track for fu ck. This leads me to believe you don't have as much experience as you say you do.

Wind and movement, not drop, are the issues.

And 400 yards - is already a very long shot at game.

8"/first rd. hit.




GR

Feel better?

This thread is w/r/t those things necessary for 600 yd. hunting not skill related.

As mentioned, the original scope would be for testing - w/ an option for an upgrade.

And 600 yards on paper, w/ that rifle/scope, as is, was no problem at all.

So ya know.

This place is a Kindergarten.




GR

Why are you wanting to start with a 270/6.8 cal? The bullet selection going down one caliber or up one or two would give you way more selection in long range bullets and you wouldn’t need a special twist. You’re starting at the worst possible caliber between 6.5mm and .308 for what you want to do as far as bullets and and needing a non factory barrel twist.

Why is 600 yards your goal?

You can buy any number of factory rifles with your stated heavy barrel preference (or lighter) that will do what you want to 600’ yards given that you already “know how to shoot.”

If you want to ring steel, practice, or snipe out of a box blind near your quad by all means buy a heavy barrel with repeatable turrets. If you plan on lugging it over open country choose something with a lighter contour. Pick an optic with repeatable dials or better yet for a hunting rifle out to your stated 600 yard goal I’d be inclined towards something with a multiplex and learning your holds.

Nothing that you post makes any sense.

Because you don't bother to read.

- Don't need a bunch of bullets... just one adequate one, heavy for caliber.
- With the new Bbl., there is no "special twist." It's just the spec ordered.
- Heavy for caliber .308, pushed to .270 Win. velocities, results in excessive recoil for precision shooting.
- Heavy for caliber 6.5mm, pushed to .270 Win. velocities, shows no ballistic advantage out to 600 yds, and requires a new rifle.
- Already shoot and load for the .270 Win.
- A new Bbl. on an existing excess rifle will be far less expensive than a new rifle.

This place is a Kindergarten.




GR

You’re making this Kindergarten because you obviously need schooled.

If you have a standard long action rifle that you’re looking to rebarrel you could go with any number of calibers. Better yet press the easy button and just buy something already twisted how you want. There’s lots of factory rifles and ammo/bullets between 6.5 and .308 to choose from without having to over complicate things.

There’s nothing wrong with 270/6.8 but it would be the last caliber that I would choose from between 6.5 and .308 out to your stated 600 yards. A 6.5 CM, 6.5 PRC or a plain jane .308 Winchester would be just fine. Pick from any number of factory store bought options. Tikka, Rem 700, Ruger American Rifle. To name a few. Put a good multiplex scope on it learn your holds and be done with it… Since you already know how to shoot. If you want a range rifle to practice and learn longer range shooting skills with you could narrow it down some more and lean towards turrets.

You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make a jackass drink.

Iteration … is a crutch.

Wrong.