ultra long range rifles.... I found this interesting.

[shaneman153D]

well I will not reveal the locale, but I launched the 257, my pard the 308. I used to be all about the bigget fastest hardest kicking sumbitch there ever was......I am pretty sold on the wee fast tough bullet guns now. I guess a fubar shoulder does that to a guy.

Am I understanding this right?  Are you saying you're getting 3250fps with a 180gr .308?

[JackOfAllTrades]

Oh.. I'm sure he's not talkin 308 Winchester. But rather something just a tad longer/wider in the brass department. 

-Steve

[high country]

yep a 308 win would rattle around like a pea in a boxcar in the ultra case.

[Deep Forks]

ok energy trajectory experts here is a quiz from a real life situation.

two elk from the same herd are standing on the same hill at the same time. two hunters are going o shoot at the same time. hunter a is launching a 100gr .257 tsx at 3700fps. hunter b is launching a 180gr scirocco at 3250fps (estimated, but close). both shots land within the lungs of their equally sized elk at a measured distance of 350 yds. what elk is drt and which elk runs 150 into the nastiest crap arond?

well I will not reveal the locale, but I launched the 257, my pard the 308. I used to be all about the bigget fastest hardest kicking sumbitch there ever was......I am pretty sold on the wee fast tough bullet guns now. I guess a fubar shoulder does that to a guy.

   

Am I understanding this right?  Are you saying you're getting 3250fps with a 180gr .308?

  And a Red Ryder will shoot your eye out.   Give me big and fast and be able to shoot where you want it to hit.  

[konrad]

To my mind, it doesn't make much difference how hard (KE) you hit them with if the round is not well constructed, expands to some degree (if it's smaller than 30 caliber) and it does not hit in the vitals.
I want a large hole so stuff leaks out fast.

I would sacrifice a little trajectory for solid bullet performance and accuracy every time.
Range finders and wind gauges should be mandatory equipment for anyone considering shots over 200 yards at big game. Beyond 300 yards, wind drift is extremely aggravated when using light projectiles.

Herein lays the bug: If you want to shoot long range, minimize the effects of wind and kill truly big game you will need heavy for caliber projectiles leaving at near maximum velocity and put up with the associated recoil generated by both factors.

The 50 caliber Browning is devastating at 1000 yards and beyond. You won't see short/light projectiles in them either. If you shoot the Big 50, you had better be ready for the BOOM.

I am surprised there was no objection to the muzzle blast or flash of the Magnum rounds.

I am an archer, I own 375 H&H's, 7mm’s and black powder muzzle loaders. When I am in the field, I consider myself hunting regardless of the ranges involved...or the weapon I am carrying.
I adjust my effective range accordingly.

[high country]

muzzle flash is not much of a big deal to me, so far nothing has shot back or required 2 shots.

[konrad]

muzzle flash is not much of a big deal to me, so far nothing has shot back or required 2 shots.

Same here...
Good discussion and things to consider.
Cheers,
K

[rbros]

I am an archer, I own 375 H&H's, 7mm’s and black powder muzzle loaders. When I am in the field, I consider myself hunting regardless of the ranges involved...or the weapon I am carrying.
I adjust my effective range accordingly.



[/quote]

Well said.  Practice and good equipment make a huge difference, whether its 100yds or 1000yds.  Practice with what you have, and use good shot placement.  People are always amazed when they find out we have shot antelope out to 950yds with a 243 Ackley using 105gr bullets.  Everyone of the them drops where they stand....shot placement.  We do practice alot though and shoot around 25,000 rounds a year.  We know our rifles from the 243's up to the 338 Edges and have confidence in the shot providing the conditions are right.  It is all hunting if done responsibly, its just a different approach.

[257 Wby Mag]

Hey Trav, good talkin to ya last night. Se ya when you get back... Later

[Cascader74]

This article said nothing about "ultra" long range shooting or even long range, it confuses mpbr for it instead.  I wouldn't consider 500 yards long range either. I don't understand peoples fear of shooting at distance. I'd suggest skill is the limiting factor not distance etc.  Shooting 500 yards is not that difficult people.  I think most people who knock it haven't tried it or haven't practiced it enough to proficiency.  A smaller caliber can take a deer or elk as easily as a magnum 300 but when factoring in other elements say hypothetically out of a 100 times s shot is taken over many varying scenarios which is most likely to suceed the most?  Caliber is only one element, same for skill, terrain, distance, species. A .270 certainly could take a bear but in other instances what about the bear with 5 shots of .38 in it & 3 shots of 7mm mag several days later before it finally died. Our troops right now are complaining of the effectiveness of their 5.56/.223 at distances; hitting the target but not penetrating. Sure the 5.56 is a fast round but come on it's a varmint round being used on people.  All in all I thought this was a crappy article. Didn't cover long range shooting and it could have covered mpbr better but that's really misleading anyhow. 

[high country]

give the troops a bunch of tsx's and effectiveness would go up 1000x

[klickitat]

I enjoyed reading the article. A well represented point of view. My problem is that I have never shot any big game past 90 yards. I have killed more big game with my pistol than I have with rifles here on the west side. This year I am hunting with a shotgun because the I have never had a shot more than 40 yards inside jack firs.

The only exception to long range hunting for me is predator hunting. I actually had to switch over to an AR platform because trying to hit running yotes at 200+ yards is tough.

[Gringo31]

Shooting 500 yards is not that difficult people.

I'm guessing you wouldn't want to make some sort of bet would you?  You and I can go coyote hunting.  You get the 450-550 yard shots and I'll clean up everything under 350.  Want to put any money on who outshoots who?  In real conditions, variable winds, changing ranges....I'm willing to say that it just might be a bit more difficult than you came across.

[carpsniperg2]

o no here it goes again 

[konrad]

I was going to comment similarly. Most folks don’t have the space to practice at much over 200 yards and have no real concept of how their rifle/projectile combination performs at 500 yards.

Calculating bullet drop on paper is nothing like trying to hit a pie plate at 500 when you are sighted in at 100.

Doping wind conditions adds another layer of complexity most folks never have the opportunity to practice in the field.

Making hits on that same pie plate at 1000 yards is a quantum leap in difficulty over and beyond the 500 yard mark. if you don’t have a place to practice.

I consider myself to be more than a fair shot; however, I would be hesitant to shoot at an animal much beyond 400 as I have never tried poking at any target at that range with my big game rifle.