Ethical to shoot past 400 yards at elk w/AR15 based rifle? Yes/No

[mountainman]

Children, please..let it go already

[grundy53]

The rifle is not really relevant. What matters is the bullet and the velocity. That's all anyone needs to know to judge how effective a particular cartridge might be on an elk standing at 600 yards. I don't think I need to have hunted with an AR15 in order to have an educated opinion on the topic.

When did this hypothetical elk move to 600 yards?

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[yorketransport]

The rifle is not really relevant. What matters is the bullet and the velocity. That's all anyone needs to know to judge how effective a particular cartridge might be on an elk standing at 600 yards. I don't think I need to have hunted with an AR15 in order to have an educated opinion on the topic.

When did this hypothetical elk move to 600 yards?

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About 9 pages ago. 

This thread is like a group of kids with ADHD trying to discuss politics. It keeps going off on the weirdest tangents and never really getting completely back on track. The up side is that it's full of plot twists and unexpected alliances like a bad reality show!

[grundy53]

The rifle is not really relevant. What matters is the bullet and the velocity. That's all anyone needs to know to judge how effective a particular cartridge might be on an elk standing at 600 yards. I don't think I need to have hunted with an AR15 in order to have an educated opinion on the topic.

When did this hypothetical elk move to 600 yards?

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About 9 pages ago. 

This thread is like a group of kids with ADHD trying to discuss politics. It keeps going off on the weirdest tangents and never really getting completely back on track. The up side is that it's full of plot twists and unexpected alliances like a bad reality show!

well they should have shot him when he was at 400 yards it would have been easier and less controversial.

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[kentrek]

riddle me this batman.  What is the difference between a berger vld traveling at 1600 fps @ 500 yards and a 130 gr berger vld traveling 1600 fps @ 1000 yards?

Depends if it was shot with an AR or not....AR's  just don't have same wammy factor as long rifles

[Karl Blanchard]

   hunting season is over and I've got a few more weeks till application season begins.  I'm not good at book learnin so I need some form of entertainment   This thread has made my weekend.  So much entertainment!  Sadly though,  my reloading bench needs some attention   Gonna try and learn about ballistics when I'm out there.

[kentrek]

  hunting season is over and I've got a few more weeks till application season begins.  I'm not good at book learnin so I need some form of entertainment   This thread has made my weekend.  So much entertainment!  Sadly though,  my reloading bench needs some attention   Gonna try and learn about ballistics when I'm out there.

There's still alot of wolves to chase !!

[Karl Blanchard]

This is true but I do enjoy being married

[coachcw]

quality of the weapon , scope and dope absolutely  make a huge difference . my bet is that a arm chair novice that does his home work and spends the money on quality gear be it a custom ar or bolt gun can out perform 80% of the good old boys slinging corelocks and blue box from there 30/06 toped with there favorite 3x9.  I can say that through experience and have seen it done. Id bet that I can take a novice hunter that hasn't shot at distance and set them up with with my 6.5 and show them how to use the cosine meter and windicator . and put them on a pie plate at 500 yards using a decent range finder on the first shot if not the second . I have tried to hit targets at 400 yards with some standard calibers and kentucky wind age and never did hit it . I did see a guy hit a stump at 545 with a 32 win special and open sights so that must be the best choice . 

[Kurt_S]

So JD your saying the guys you hunt rock chuck with just arnt that good ? ..... to put into perspective the first five shots behind my 6.5 where at 405 yards with a 10-12mph cross wind the first shot was clean bore and was about two inches of the mark the next four where in the bull and could have been covered with a paper cup . that's a bolt gun I never shot ... blrm shoot it a 545 and believe he shot a one inch stick off a stump .....that's a quality bolt gun with little to no practice other than a couple dry fires . If I had a 6.5 grendal in a good ar platform that was say 1/2 moa with a lrab or a vld bullet id not hesitate to punch a elk through the lungs at 500 . ten iches behind the shoulder is a huge target . a 30/30 at 150 yards with a weaver 4x is far more difficult . by the way have you seen how far a elk can carry a arrow ?

A one inch stick at 545 yards.   Right 

[kentrek]

This is true but I do enjoy being married

She's allowed to shoot wolves too ....i won't even care what gun she uses 

[Karl Blanchard]

So JD your saying the guys you hunt rock chuck with just arnt that good ? ..... to put into perspective the first five shots behind my 6.5 where at 405 yards with a 10-12mph cross wind the first shot was clean bore and was about two inches of the mark the next four where in the bull and could have been covered with a paper cup . that's a bolt gun I never shot ... blrm shoot it a 545 and believe he shot a one inch stick off a stump .....that's a quality bolt gun with little to no practice other than a couple dry fires . If I had a 6.5 grendal in a good ar platform that was say 1/2 moa with a lrab or a vld bullet id not hesitate to punch a elk through the lungs at 500 . ten iches behind the shoulder is a huge target . a 30/30 at 150 yards with a weaver 4x is far more difficult . by the way have you seen how far a elk can carry a arrow ?

A one inch stick at 545 yards.   Right 

Actually....  it was a knot with the remnants of a branch still protruding from it.  I said, "ok, I'm gonna aim at the knot with the stick at the end of the log."  Watching through my 60 spotter, he spotted the shot.  I hit that little knot right on the money!  So ya, a stick at 545

[bobcat]

The rifle is not really relevant. What matters is the bullet and the velocity. That's all anyone needs to know to judge how effective a particular cartridge might be on an elk standing at 600 yards. I don't think I need to have hunted with an AR15 in order to have an educated opinion on the topic.

When did this hypothetical elk move to 600 yards?

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I chose that number because I wanted to know what we're actually talking about here. The title of the thread says "past 400." Well, how far past? I could see 401 yards being do-able. 450 maybe, 500, well that's really stretching it, but maybe. So, I kept asking about an elk at 600 yards and none of these self proclaimed ballistic experts ever admitted that 600 yards just might be too far for a 120 grain bullet that starts out at a measly 2400 fps.

[Boss .300 winmag]

I really like busting milk jugs at a 1000 yds. 

[jay.sharkbait]

The rifle is not really relevant. What matters is the bullet and the velocity. That's all anyone needs to know to judge how effective a particular cartridge might be on an elk standing at 600 yards. I don't think I need to have hunted with an AR15 in order to have an educated opinion on the topic.

When did this hypothetical elk move to 600 yards?

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I chose that number because I wanted to know what we're actually talking about here. The title of the thread says "past 400." Well, how far past? I could see 401 yards being do-able. 450 maybe, 500, well that's really stretching it, but maybe. So, I kept asking about an elk at 600 yards and none of these self proclaimed ballistic experts ever admitted that 600 yards just might be too far for a 120 grain bullet that starts out at a measly 2400 fps.

6.5/264 doesn't start out at 2400 fps. My rifle shoots them well past 2500. you rounded 2490 down to suit your argument.