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

I have been goofing with it a little lately. Seems neck and neck with Retumbo in my 300 RUM. Need to try it in some more spots since I kinda like the copper eraser part of it.

Not trying to offend or question someone’s ambitions about long range hunting of elk, but many who are not terribly experienced have possibly some delusions of granger.

Hunting “trophy” elk is one of three tactics, the first by paying exorbitant amounts of money to shoot a trophy bull on some land or reservation that houses 375-425 bulls. Shots will not typically be long at all in such a situation being well inside 300 yards on a big target. Another would be a wilderness area hunt where most elk have never smelled a human (best chance at long shots). The other is to hunt dark timber after the rut where no one really wants to go due to the physical exhaustion of crawling under and over deadfall everywhere you turn and doing it fairly quietly. In addition non seasoned hunters will fear getting lost in such places regardless of utilizing a gps system.

Your chances of shooting an average bull on some drainage trail path following cows coming from feeding to bedding at first light will typically be well under 300 yards while they’re transitioning back up to higher elevations to heavy cover/dark timber, especially a week or so after the rut. Scouting helps to telegraph a shooting spot that won’t typically be “long range”.

Bull elk of substantial stature don’t get to that size without being cagey or ghostly, no different than a 7 yr old 10 pt whitetail buck weighing 350 lbs. No one ever really sees them unless they change their hunting habits and go to places most won’t or don’t hunt.

There are however many hunts that simply allow shots at 5x5 elk bulls and many cows with anything from a 6.5mm to .33 non magnums many of the chambers used are based on the itty bitty 308 Win case. Nothing wrong with employing other stds or magnums in an OEM rifle with decent glass in 6.5mm, 7mm or .30 with a good optic.

If you’re not serious about true, specialized long range rigs and long range hunting, don’t waste money on expensive setups. Save the money and hunt more often. Tags, traveling, taxidermy and expenses add up quick, especially if you hunt different game throughout the season.

Again, not criticizing anyone’s abilities or styles of hunting elk at any range, just looking at some of my experiences of killing elk over the years and relaying them. Have used 338 Win Mag, 7mm Rem Mag, 444 Marlin and 308 Win. Longest shot was 225 yards with the 338 Win Mag, closest was 120 yards with a 444 Marlin with 280 grain CorBon SP EXP at 2,250 fps in heavy timber.

Agreed: likely will offend some here , have seen no mention of fair chase in this discussion or respect for the creature we pursue. I have no doubt there are many of you out there that are capable of killing big game animals at 1k and more, perhaps I am as well, will I attempt it or desire to do so NO!!! I respect the animals we pursue to much to snipe them at distances that likely they aren’t even aware of our presence , let alone chance crippling and loosing them to die a terrible suffering lingering death. Shoot your steel and score cards for bragging rights but when it comes down to hunting get some ethics buy a good pair of hunting boots go shanks mare on equal ground with your quarry, you ‘ll treasure the experience far more and grant the creature the respect its do, From an 85 year old lifetime hunter , not as many of you would conclude , a tree hugging , flower sniffing greenie .

Depending on where I’m hunting it’s usually my 7 saum and 180’s, 28 Nosler and 180’s and quickly becoming my favorite to carry the mail is my 300 Norma Improved with 230 hybrids.

I think you missed the name of this section. It's called "Long Range Hunting".

We, who enjoy it, don't come here for a lecture from young or old hunters or non-hunters.

100% Ringman, ive seen a bunch of animals cripped off at 100 yards or closer over the years but I guess those don't count.

Just built it, we'll paid for the damn thing. Waiting on it to be put together. CA ridgeline fft barreled action, pure precision carbon fiber stock, Hawkins m5, NF NXS, scythe supressor. 7 PRC.

Gonna be a good one I think.

The first thing he needs to do is sell me that 3-12 lrhs.

I killed my cow elk last year at 470 yards with a 7 prc and 180 eldms. It worked but my first shot was a bit forward from too much lead so she required a second which put her down. Probably shouldn't have taken a moving shot at that range but she wasn't running too fast just at a trot and it was a long ways to cover so I knew I could get off a few more rounds if needed. The second hit the back of the ribs steep quartering away and took out about 6 ribs and that lung and up into the neck somewhere.

The last cow I shot with a 7mm was a 7-08 with 150s and it took 2 shots too. The first was well placed but if they're still moving I always keep shooting. I know a 7mm is plenty for most elk and too my first elk with one. However, my 300 wsm with 215g hybrids seems to stop them with 1 shot. I used to use 200g accubonds and those work well too.

If you aren't worried at all about recoil I think there's some value in a 300 wsm, 300 win, or 300 prc with 200 g plus bullets. At closer to mid ranges a 200g partition has worked well too.

I personally prefer at least a 7 mag with 180s for longer range elk but think I'm going to use my bergara hunter fsp 22" 300 win with 225g eldms this year. I keep going back and forth between 7mms and 30 cals.

My 300wsm with 215g hybrids is doing 1800 fps and has 1500 #s energy at 1000. That's the parameters I used when I decided to go with it for a 1000 yard elk rifle built over 15 years ago. I love 7mms but if there is such thing as an inherently accurate cartridge I think the 300 wsm is it. I have several of them that have been 1/2 moa and better guns.

Bb

I'm not normally a big Norma fan but about 15 years ago I bought a bunch of Norma 300 wsm brass because it was on close out at sps. It has been excellent brass in my 300 wsm so I False shouldered and formed some for my 7 wsm. They worked great there too.

My 300 wsm just has a #4 interrupted fluted 10 twist brux on a stiller predator action. It weighs under 7 pounds without the scope. I saw a local rifle builder at the range one day as I was testing a load at 100. He was at the 1000 yard range shooting. He said let's see if that light little rifle for long range hunting will actually work at 1000. I had some rounds left with 208 amaxes in the Norma brass so I grabbed my rear bag and put my Harris bipod on and sat at the 1000 yard bench.

He had a 16" plate so I dialed my elevation and held off to the left about 1/2 mil for a light steady breeze. I shot 3 rounds and then said I have to get back to work so call me and let me know how I did. He said throught the spotter he thought they were hits but wasn't sure. About 30 minutes later he called and said I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it. He said you just shot a 2.5" 3 shot group off a Harris bipod and a little rear bag with a 7 pound rifle. I said well its more like 8 pounds with the scope and acted like I do it all the time.

I killed my biggest buck ever that year with that 208 amax load but it was only 289 yards. It was on the run however but the donut of death helped me get the lead right. That Norma 300 wsm brass is seriously good stuff.

Bb

Sounds like an awesome rig, Coyote10. Keep us posted. And, welcome to the club, I'll put your complimentary flat-brim in the mail.

AMEN!

Ok ok; but no one has addressed my question of fair chase, does that not deserve a consideration. Many prominent hunters, like Wayne van Zwoll, believe it does.

Is it legal, are you hunting legally, are you capable for the distance and conditions, is your weapon capable?
If yes, it is a green light if you want to fill your tag.

Fair chase and ethics will always be definitions that will not have total agreement.

So the primary goal is to fill the tag, does that mean a hunt without successful kill is a failure with no value? I have done many hunts without taking an animal, some of them are the more memorable , once hunted 19 days in BC., for California bighorn sheep, without seeing a legal ram , we hunted hard, in some terrible conditions, spent a couple nights shiwashed on the mountain. Hunt cost several thousands of dollars , but it was memorable in terms of CHASE. Where I’am coming from is the concern I have , for the non hunting public’s reaction when they see one of the many hunting videos out there showing hunters shooting big game animals at ridiculous ranges. Here’s an animal peacefully grazing or bedded totally unaware of a humans presence and a couple of guys are setting up their spotting scopes, discussing the range , wind , adjustment to scope etc, and then smoking(hopefully) the animal, and then rejoicing like a couple of idiots. I find that offensive as an avid hunter, and can not imagine what the reaction might be from the many of non hunters, not necessarily anti hunting. I don’t think it is favorable to our sport, Some may say p____s on them , we can not take that attitude, we as hunters are in the extreme minority of the American population, and perhaps even out number by the anti crowd out to destroy our sport. We need to be more proactive in our own defense and broadcasting marginal behavior is not proactive. One man’s opinion ok! !!

I have traveled out of state, flown places, packed in (Back-Pack), and never fired a round. I still had a great time.
I can not fill a tag, and have fun or fill a tag, and have more fun.
I have hunted up close and far away. Hunted on public land and private land.

Your definitions are your definitions.
Your opinions are your opinions.
What offends you, may or may not offend me, and vice versa.

What is humorous/weird/odd/etc.. to me is that folks who are opposed to LR hunting, will come one to a section in a forum that is dedicated to it, and think/assume they can change the minds of people that are already quite content doing it.
Or, maybe they just come in to this section to stir the pot, because they enjoy the conflict and drama.

Many folks who hunt at distance, also hunt close up...I like both!

Those who are opposed to hunting are going to be opposed to any and all kinds of legal hunting.

I thought my definition was simple and clear:
Is it legal, are you hunting legally, are you capable for the distance and conditions, is your weapon capable?
If yes, it is a green light if you want to fill your tag.

Fair chase and ethics will always be definitions that will not have total agreement.

Notice, I said, "IF you want to fill your tag."

FWIW I would rather kill an animal that is peaceful and at rest, than one that is spooked.
Chances of making a bad shot on a spooked or alerted animal is higher.

Have a great weekend sir.

I need to get load development done and two center-grip XP's:
6.5 Leopard (270 WSM necked down) and a 300 SAUM...Who wants to go shoot?[b][/b][u][/u]

I killed a doe last year at 28 YARDS.

It was TOTALLY UNAWARE of my presence. Shot it in the head with with a .45/70

Is that ok? Or should I have alerted it to my presence and taken a much less accurate shot at a running deer?

I live in Michigan where a long shot for me is 200 yards depending on which property I am hunting. A vast majority of the animals I have killed have been 75-125 yards.

If I lived in an area where longer shots were common, I damn sure wouldn't worry about taking one as long as my rifle and my skills were up to task.

I don't understand those that choose not to shoot at long range to bash those that have the skills to do so.

Not directed at anyone in particular, just the anti-hunting wierdos ... spazzing out on a hunting forum

Your pretend ethics halo is yours to wear alone, Attempting to impose your brand of pseudo ethics on others is the exact same fkn thing that the vegans, trannies and climate whackos are doing

Don't like something because you don't have the proper equipment or abilities ? Don't do it ..... but please keep your knob gobblers shut, 'cause long range hunters don't give a fk what you think anyway so go suck somewhere else


ok, lets try this .... probably gonna piss a bunch of you off but fk you anyway, so here goes

you go on guided slaughtering trips and call yourself a hunter ? Really ? You didn't hunt sh it, period ...... YOU PAID someone big bucks to hunt the game for you, all you did was fire the shot when instructed to, that's not hunting, that's just shooting ....

and if you missed or fkd up the shot, the hunter YOU PAID ... kills it for you, then you take a bunch of pics with the animal someone else shot for you and you brag about your amazing hunt every chance you get

WOW, how fair chase & ethical is that ?

Guess this is a waste of my time and yours, last comment however, define in your mind what is fair chase, if killing animal at such extended ranges it has no idea you are in the same county meets your definition of fair chase , fine that’s on you. Maybe you could care less whether the concept even exsist, however to many it does and is an important ingredient of the endeavor. I do not intend to bash anyone , just trying to inject an ethic into our sport I find lacking more and more as technology advances.

The animal doesn't need to know it is being hunted (Has no idea that I even exist), to hunt it...Whether it is 5 yards or 500 yards.

IF, my ethics stated, unless you use a bow (No guns allowed) with no sights, and can only release (No releases allowed) an arrow under 20 yards, you do not believe in fair chase and you are an unethical hunter.

#1 Would you disagree with my definition/ethics and my judgment to put limits on you?

"Hunting" has a lot of different definitions in a lot of different places, way before either of us were born.
Some of those ways of hunting, I have no desire to ever do.

Have a good weekend.

Define fair chase yourself ...

1. YOU PAY someone to hunt the animal for you, all you do is shoot it, then if you miss or wound, it gets killed for you , money well spent, ya ?

2. You get so close to the animal that it has zero chance of escape, especially when you have an experienced hired gun to back you up if you screw up

3. You don't do any hunting at all, Zero, Zilch ... all you do is tag along until your hired gun sets you up and tells you to shoot .... and again, kills the animal for you if you screw up

how ethical & fair chase is your style of so called hunting ? when the animal has absolutely zero chance of escape, it gets gunned down even if you suck at shooting


Not so much fun when the way you hunt gets picked apart, is it ?

We can apply these anti-hunting scenarios to all forms of hunting

But we don't....

So why do we keep hearing from the ass holes about long range hunting ?