Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Your personal, perfect-conditions maximum range on game

.25-06 115g Berger at 2900fps, BC .523
TOF-
100y- 0.107s
600y- 0.760s
1000y- 1.484s

-0.6 seconds(less than 1s) for a bullet to fly 500 yards doesn't effect "random" movement much in my opinion. 1.3s moreso, but still not much.

And up close, even the tiniest little noise or a quick shift in the wind can spook them causing them to jump while you're taking the shot. Odds of this are reduced at longer ranges.

Lil' old ME?

Well so far, so good. It's not degenerated and hopefully, it won't. Folks so far are staying more or less true to the topic, which is NOT the ethics of long range hunting.

AHhh what fun,
For me so far perfect conditions 425yds, with modern firearms 300 is cake. I am working on streching my perfect conditions moving up from my trusty .270 and 440yd rangefinder to my 300win mag and 1200yd range finder cant wait to have the time to see what I can do with it, On watermelons and paper to start with till I am comfortable.

I really love 300yds, seems to be where elk don't seem to smell or care if you are there and is easily sighted in for. Sighted in 3.5 inches high at 100yd I can aim square in the kill zone from 0 - 300 yds without any compensation.

I believe in a good rest and accurate firearms loaded with the best long range load for the purpose. Having said this, I took a 15"+ antelope buck, eastern MT, with my XP-100R in 260AI. The distance was 364 paces, whatever that might equate to. My handload consisted of Lapua brass fireformed to 260AI, neck turned, 46.0 gr. of H4350 and topped with a moly coated 107gr. SMK just kissing the lands. My XP-100R is topped with a Burris 3-12 BPLX handgun scope equipped with a scope level. This XP will shoot .5 groups all day. I was fortunate to have a windless evening and the buck had not seen me at all. I was able to get into a a prone position and had lots of time to drop him with one shot to the lungs. Well, actually he walked about 5 steps before he dropped. Can't breath, can't go! Now, I will say this, I normally will be cautious of long shots whether with a rifle or pistol. The conditions have to be perfect before I will chance a long shot at best.

Jeff

My point was random movement is part of the equation, but no one listed it as a factor. I never said what limit, if any, it would put on a given situation. But 1/2 second can be a world of time.

Toltegriz

I use quick reply... nothing ever directed specifically at someone....

Yep random movement is there... I relay a 75ish yard shot... 2 pigs crossing the road, my nephew ends up firing just before I did, and as a result, I had a total miss of where the pig WAS a micro secodn before, that could have been a bad shot (is that possible on a pig) but lucky was a miss.

random movement is always an issue. Odds are it bites you worse at long range due to common sense, but lets face it, a grazing relaxed animal isn't going to do much normally, and a bedded animal almost never can move enough to be an issue.

Bottom line, IMHO most average folks will get bit by a wind issue before a movement issue at longer ranges.

But the real line is if I feel confident its a green light, if I am doubtful its a red light.

Last game I let walk away was cow elk at under 50 yards, they were alert, I was having a hard time with a clear target identification.... but there was certainly a shot, but I choose not to. My bottom line(not trying to sound arrogant) but I try to do the very best so that if you hear me shoot, you don't even have to ask...
My buddy listened to me take a couple of mid range pokes I was convinced I could make this spring.... ends up I had overestimated the wind at about 350 yards and decided to quit shooting at the head and use the lungs... but his comment was, you never shoot 2 times. I heard the first shot but no impact and your head shots usually pop pretty loud, then 2nd shot... same.... then a long pause(while I'm digging for the right baggie in my backpack with more ammo... and wiping the blood off my knuckle-- Remmy ripped a hunk of meat loose from me having a bad hold on the gun... long story but I was making do with what I had for a rest etc...) and then a THIRD shot but a loud pop...
I digress.

I'm much more concerned with a 20 yard bow shot than I am a mid range rifle shot VS animal movement, after all the bow shot the animal can hear it coming..... to top it all off, and I still aim low cause almost every animal I've shot with a bow has moved before the arrow hit. Doesn't stop me from shooting though.

Jeff

everything right, wind non moving game, flat shot, ill take 600. my gun produced a 3" group at 500, opened up a little at 700 but still good enough to take an elk everyshot.

You got a bench in the woods you aren't telling anyone about...got those elk trained to walk infront of the bench and pause at 700 yds? Insert head scratching icon here....

Perhaps one day I will understand what is sporting about shooting a game animal at nearly .5 miles, but most likely not.

Why exactly do people like you click on the forum titled, "Long Range Hunting?"

Did we mention ethics or sporting... challenging yes. Of course I personally don't see whats sporting about using a firearm on an animal at ALL... its all too easy, and gives them very little if any chance...

A boxing match, a football, baseball, or basketball game is a sporting event.
When I hunt I am trying to kill an animal and then I am going to eat him, sporting has nothing to do with it, it is the same as killing a beef IMHO.
If it were a sporting event then Las Vegas would give odds on the outcome and taking bets but they don't. Niether is Professional Wrestling a sport and there is no odds or bets in Las Vegas on it either.

So tightloop tell us how you hunt, and under what kinds of conditions that are so sporting?

Thx
Dober

Well I wasn�t going to say anything�.But since you brought it up� I got the whole heard trained.

Joecool,

That is hilarious. Great pic.

Joecool - great photos!

Well heck training those elk was fairly simple�these guys on the other hand have proven to be most difficult�. I�m still looking for a ultra long range shot gun�

yep that's a classic photo jc


but tell me do you do the sporting thang and ring the gong first to let them know of incoming?

and if so does it just make them deaf and then you can pick them off at your leisure?

I've not done enough turret work, so for me, 350 yards is my max self imposed limit, and then it'd better be conditions perfect.

Heard tell of shotguns and shot that will take Geese down at over 100 yards....

Pretty much my thoughts too.

I once killed one gaminal (a pronghorn) at @400 yards or slightly less with a friend's .270W and ammo he reloaded - that I had complete faith in until I learned the ammo was made with a Lee Loader where powder charges were scooped unsterad of weighed.

When selecting a rifle-scope-cartridge-and "load," I always select something that will do a good job to 300yds, and add 100yds for a "buffer."

It's called "hunting," not slob's "shooting."

When I started hunting almost 40 years ago, I read, or heard or was told many times that 90% of my shots would be under 250yds. This has indeed proven true, along with ALL biggame I've witnessed others kill as well.