Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting If you were setting up a new LR elk gun?

I really don't care what distance people kill big game animals, as long as they are adept at it, and the weapon/bullet is capable of it at that distance.
If it is legal, you and your weapon are up to the task, whether a matter of feet with a spear or distances that I know I would never pull the trigger, go for it. That's your business.

I also don't care if you want to set up a rifle for killing elk at a grand or at 1500 yards.
Set up 10 different ones, if that suits you.

Regardless of what you have, before you go hunting, actually practice from field positions on targets that are the size of the vitals or smaller, and intentionally shoot at your max distance with your first shot from a field position (Cold bore shot).

This will teach you so much, if you will pay attention.
Each time you go out, try this, and you won't feel real salty about yourself, but it will give you a better idea of where you are at in specific conditions.

Who knows, you may need to shorten your MAX distance for game or maybe you can actually extend it...

On a good day I can get many newbies on steel out to a grand with 15" 223 Remington, 6 Creed, or 308 Win (15.75").
Are they qualified to hunt at distance? No
Were they being coached on fundamentals, and getting input as they continued to shoot? Yes
Do they probably suck at reading the wind still? Yes
Was their hit at a grand a cold bore shot? No. I have never started a newbie at a grand.
Were they shooting from a weird field position? No
Did they have to shoot on demand? No
Did it matter how many times it took them to get on steel at a grand? No
Was their target bigger than the vitals of a big game animal? Sometimes yes, and sometimes no
Do I want them to be happy and proud of themselves? Yes

Actually practice at distance...

Your gun may be the the uber-ELR rifle of the world, but if you suck at the fundamentals and at adjusting for the atmospheric conditions, including wind and terrain, keep your shots within the distances you have proven to yourself you can consistently do for that shooting circumstance.

Good catharsis...Time for more coffee

I have no desire to stretch to 1,000 for several reasons. The biggest being that I would never, in any situation shoot at an animal that far. I am confident and comfortable to make lethal shot to 700, 800 in the right conditions. Even that is stretching it. I cringe when I see people shooting 1,000 yards at animals, that's not for me. Especially when people are doing it with 6.5 Creeds.

I really don't care what distance people kill big game animals, as long as they are adept at it, and the weapon/bullet is capable of it at that distance.
If it is legal, you and your weapon are up to the task, whether a matter of feet with a spear or distances that I know I would never pull the trigger, go for it. That's your business.

I also don't care if you want to set up a rifle for killing elk at a grand or at 1500 yards.
Set up 10 different ones, if that suits you.

Regardless of what you have, before you go hunting, actually practice from field positions on targets that are the size of the vitals or smaller, and intentionally shoot at your max distance with your first shot from a field position (Cold bore shot).

This will teach you so much, if you will pay attention.
Each time you go out, try this, and you won't feel real salty about yourself, but it will give you a better idea of where you are at in specific conditions.

Who knows, you may need to shorten your MAX distance for game or maybe you can actually extend it...

On a good day I can get many newbies on steel out to a grand with 15" 223 Remington, 6 Creed, or 308 Win (15.75").
Are they qualified to hunt at distance? No
Were they being coached on fundamentals, and getting input as they continued to shoot? Yes
Do they probably suck at reading the wind still? Yes
Was their hit at a grand a cold bore shot? No. I have never started a newbie at a grand.
Were they shooting from a weird field position? No
Did they have to shoot on demand? No
Did it matter how many times it took them to get on steel at a grand? No
Was their target bigger than the vitals of a big game animal? Sometimes yes, and sometimes no
Do I want them to be happy and proud of themselves? Yes

Actually practice at distance...

Your gun may be the the uber-ELR rifle of the world, but if you suck at the fundamentals and at adjusting for the atmospheric conditions, including wind and terrain, keep your shots within the distances you have proven to yourself you can consistently do for that shooting circumstance.

Good catharsis...Time for more coffee

I really don't care what distance people kill big game animals, as long as they are adept at it, and the weapon/bullet is capable of it at that distance.
If it is legal, you and your weapon are up to the task, whether a matter of feet with a spear or distances that I know I would never pull the trigger, go for it. That's your business.

I also don't care if you want to set up a rifle for killing elk at a grand or at 1500 yards.
Set up 10 different ones, if that suits you.

Regardless of what you have, before you go hunting, actually practice from field positions on targets that are the size of the vitals or smaller, and intentionally shoot at your max distance with your first shot from a field position (Cold bore shot).

This will teach you so much, if you will pay attention.
Each time you go out, try this, and you won't feel real salty about yourself, but it will give you a better idea of where you are at in specific conditions.

Who knows, you may need to shorten your MAX distance for game or maybe you can actually extend it...

On a good day I can get many newbies on steel out to a grand with 15" 223 Remington, 6 Creed, or 308 Win (15.75").
Are they qualified to hunt at distance? No
Were they being coached on fundamentals, and getting input as they continued to shoot? Yes
Do they probably suck at reading the wind still? Yes
Was their hit at a grand a cold bore shot? No. I have never started a newbie at a grand.
Were they shooting from a weird field position? No
Did they have to shoot on demand? No
Did it matter how many times it took them to get on steel at a grand? No
Was their target bigger than the vitals of a big game animal? Sometimes yes, and sometimes no
Do I want them to be happy and proud of themselves? Yes

Actually practice at distance...

Your gun may be the the uber-ELR rifle of the world, but if you suck at the fundamentals and at adjusting for the atmospheric conditions, including wind and terrain, keep your shots within the distances you have proven to yourself you can consistently do for that shooting circumstance.

Good catharsis...Time for more coffee

6.5 creed is an impressive little cartridge. Does nothing a 260 or 6.5x55 hasn't already done for a handloader, but whatever floats your boat. It's not an elk cartridge. It has killed elk, ut that doesn't make it an elk cartridge.
I find myself a stauch 30-06/280 rem fan with an appreciation for good 7 rem mag. I can't believe I'm saying this, but a 7 prc may actually be an equivalent to anything you'll ever need. If I wanted to kill elk and not just shoot targets, I would actually build a rifle set up around 1 specific bullet. In this case I'd go with a 175 accubond lr. I think that bullet with the correct powder in a prc would be a stomper to a grand.
I do think as well, that a 7 rem mag throated for that bullet would probably beat that prc in velocity at the muzzle, but I'll bet when you run the numbers, they are so close at 1000 in velocity and energy that that bullet will be one in the same in performance.
With all this said, I'm gonna stop diving into this comparison, because it may cost me a trip to my smith and about 5 or 600 on a rebarrel. Then dies, brass,.....

Who have you observed shooting at elk at 1k yds with a 6.5 creed?

I can't believe I'm saying this, but a 7 prc may actually be an equivalent to anything you'll ever need. If I wanted to kill elk and not just shoot targets, I would actually build a rifle set up around 1 specific bullet. In this case I'd go with a 175 accubond lr. I think that bullet with the correct powder in a prc would be a stomper to a grand.
I do think as well, that a 7 rem mag throated for that bullet would probably beat that prc in velocity at the muzzle, but I'll bet when you run the numbers, they are so close at 1000 in velocity and energy that that bullet will be one in the same in performance.
With all this said, I'm gonna stop diving into this comparison, because it may cost me a trip to my smith and about 5 or 600 on a rebarrel. Then dies, brass,.....

Looks like one little nudge and you'll be over here on the Dark Side, Coyote10!

Well I’m pretty well narrowed to either an adl rem 700 7RM build or Rem 700 long range 7RM and have it fluted and threaded. Looks like fluting can pull 3/4 of a pound or so out of it.

Boy, it didn't take much eh!

He held out a few months - a valiant effort!

I could feel him falling for it. Trying to fight it....

I am not against one in the least. Just not sure what I'd love to have as far as a rifle to wrap around it.

Be sweet in one of your pre64 70's, I bet.