Caliber and Bullet for 300yd to 400yd shooting?

[Redhawk1]

point taken, GB. I guess I didn't factor in that those hits were rested and that they were not necessarily one shot kills, rather that they could be "walked" into the target by calling the misses.

however i was just sticking up for mitchell. reading his posts for the last year or so tells me he is not a liar and that he doesn't claim to do things he cannot do.

-Matt

mjbgalt, I was not calling him a liar either. I just find it a little hard believe. After he explained the amount of practice and effort he put into it, I tend to believe he can do the. But like he said, other don't want to put the time and effort in long range shooting to become that proficient.

Now a buddy and I go to the range and shoot golf balls at 200 yards with Contender handguns in .223, and people find it hard to believe when we tell them. Wed ar on a bench and practice a lot.  But my hole point is, if I miss a golf ball or just nick it, I don't have to worry about a wounder animal suffering after a misplaced shot from long range. Know your limitations is all I am saying.  

[Redhawk1]

well i do agree that some people can't do better then 4 inches at 100 but they can't do that because they haven't been taught to do better. i've never been trained in any way but i have put 100's of hours in reading and 1000's of rounds down range but still i;m confident with 2 of my rifles that if a deer was with in 500 standing still (all of those deer i was talking about where killed while they were eating in a crop field) and having little to no wind, i know that i can kill it . if people will just put the time in to it they will be able to hunt like that . just last week i saw a friend kill a deer at 650 yards using a remington 710 in 270 .

.

mitchell, thanks for going back and clearing that up for me. You are so right about the training and time involved in being able to shoot at long distances.  

[nasem]

I have been only shootin for about 3 years now (its kind of a new hobby to me), I go to ranges alot, and the shots i take are from 100,200,300 yards.  I usually like to use my 30-06 (which i belive uses the same bullet as the 308),   At 300 yars, Its hard as all heck trying to put ur sights right on the 15X10 in paper.  I hate to sound like im a bad shooter but I think I am  :-) , it takes ALOT AND ALOT AND ALOT of practise to shoot your rifle and make your bullet go where you want it to go esspecially at long ranges (in my case 300 yards).

I know you said you want to stay away from magnum calibers, but my friend's dad was a sniper in vietnam and he is a heck of a good shot.....For long ranges (im taking over 400) he always likes to use his 7mm reg mag or my 300 RUM (but he doens't really like the recoil that much).  Just while ago(about a month ago), i got my 300 RUM in rem700 police, I thought I would be a better shot with this rifle than my 30-06..... boy Was i wrong, at 300 yards I CAN SHOOT BETTER with my 30-06 than my 300 RUM (why ?one, I think its because I know my 30-06 better, two I am less "shaky" about the recoil from a 30-06, three I practise alot more with my 30-06)

Bottom line its not your caliber, its not your gun, its not your scope (even tho some might say it is).... its REALLY all you, its all about how well you know ur gun and how it behaves and that my friend, takes alot of practise

[Bart Solo]

I have read this entire thread, and would like to point out a problem a lot of us have. Here in my area (Kansas City) it is hard to find a 400+ meter range.  Mostly the ranges are 100-200 meters. There are some longer ranges here in Missouri, but you have to drive a long way.  That means it is hard to practice long range shooting.  

Some of you are simply blessed.   :lol:

I do agree with all the comments about practice, practice, practice.

[mitchell]

I have read this entire thread, and would like to point out a problem a lot of us have. Here in my area (Kansas City) it is hard to find a 400+ meter range.  Mostly the ranges are 100-200 meters. There are some longer ranges here in Missouri, but you have to drive a long way.  That means it is hard to practice long range shooting.  

Some of you are simply blessed.   :lol:

I do agree with all the comments about practice, practice, practice.

well i must be spoiled i have a 600 yard range 10 steps out the back door.  

[mitchell]

 my friend's dad was a sniper in vietnam and he is a heck of a good shot

so was the guy i said that lat week killed a deer at 650 yards!!

its so much fun watching army trained shooter .

[jro45]

Hey Redhawk1, That time I saw you out to the range with a contender
shooting I thought you guys were shooting milk cartons full of water at 200 yds. Milk cartons or golf balls are hard to hit with a contender at 200 yds. I was shooting that steel gong with my glock 22  40 caliber at 200 yds. Just different stuff to try.

[RaySendero]

Get a 270.  Learn to shoot and practice at those distances.  Find out what you can consistently hit.  Go hunting and keep shots  to under your capability.  It's easy to resell if unsatisfied - Bet you'll keep it!

[Redhawk1]

Hey Redhawk1, That time I saw you out to the range with a contender
shooting I thought you guys were shooting milk cartons full of water at 200 yds. Milk cartons or golf balls are hard to hit with a contender at 200 yds. I was shooting that steel gong with my glock 22  40 caliber at 200 yds. Just different stuff to try.

We shot both. We like to watch the water jugs explode. The golf balls are the challenge.

I know what you mean about the gong, I shot it with my .380 Auto.  :-D Took a few tries.

[longwalker]

Not wanting to repeat the all gun and shooter stuff all over again. I will just give you my experience. I grew up hunting in PA. When I moved to the upper midwest I decided to get a fast flat shooter. I picked a Ruger 25-06. Loaded with 100 grain bullets I have used it on everything from Mule deer to Prairie dogs. It does a great job on deer size animals. I took a nice mule deer with it about 3 years ago. My longest big game shot was on an antelope at over 350 yards. My longest single shot hit was on a prairie dog at over 500 yards.

I do shoot often and reload. For the most part I only shoot 100 grain SPBT bullets in it. I know the load and am most comfortable with them.  If you spend some time with the rifle you will be able to do the same.

longwalker

[Jimi]

I get kind of tired hearing all this talk about how well someone shoots at the range. And don't get me wrong, I am all for practice, practice, practice... but just because someone can shoot a nice group off a bench doesn't necessarily correlate into being able to take game. I have seen serious target shooters that are piss poor on game, and similarly, I hunt with a couple of guys that aren't much at the range but are death on game. So when someone starts talking about the tight groups they shoot my eyes kind of glaze over. I'll sit at a bench to sight my rifle in, but otherwise most of my practice is shooting from various positions, angles... and when I shoot longer distances I do the same thing. I think that's the best way to prepare.

But to answer the question... I am comfortable shooting 400+ yards with my .300 Weatherby... I tend to use 180 grain bullets but if I were going to do much of it I would probably look seriously at 150s. I am also effective with my .375H&H with 235 grain bullets. I don't take long shots lightly, but so far (and I touch wood) the shots I've taken have been good kills. Of course, we won't talk about a clean miss I made too ;-)

[Redhawk1]

I get kind of tired hearing all this talk about how well someone shoots at the range. And don't get me wrong, I am all for practice, practice, practice... but just because someone can shoot a nice group off a bench doesn't necessarily correlate into being able to take game. I have seen serious target shooters that are piss poor on game, and similarly, I hunt with a couple of guys that aren't much at the range but are death on game. So when someone starts talking about the tight groups they shoot my eyes kind of glaze over. I'll sit at a bench to sight my rifle in, but otherwise most of my practice is shooting from various positions, angles... and when I shoot longer distances I do the same thing. I think that's the best way to prepare.

But to answer the question... I am comfortable shooting 400+ yards with my .300 Weatherby... I tend to use 180 grain bullets but if I were going to do much of it I would probably look seriously at 150s. I am also effective with my .375H&H with 235 grain bullets. I don't take long shots lightly, but so far (and I touch wood) the shots I've taken have been good kills. Of course, we won't talk about a clean miss I made too ;-)

Jimi, so you are kind of tired hearing all this talk about how well someone shoots at the range. I shoot extremely well at the range myself. And if you would like to come see my 2 trophy rooms full of animals, due to my shooting skills, come on over. Not everyone fits into your stereo type.

[Jimi]

Not everyone fits any stereotype, Redhawk1.

I didn't say that a good target shooter is never good on game... that was your own inference... I simply said that just because someone is good on paper doesn't necessarily mean they are good on game. Glad to hear that you're good at both.

[RaySendero]

I get kind of tired hearing all this talk about how well someone shoots at the range. And don't get me wrong, I am all for practice, practice, practice... but just because someone can shoot a nice group off a bench doesn't necessarily correlate into being able to take game. I have seen serious target shooters that are piss poor on game, and similarly, I hunt with a couple of guys that aren't much at the range but are death on game. So when someone starts talking about the tight groups they shoot my eyes kind of glaze over. I'll sit at a bench to sight my rifle in, but otherwise most of my practice is shooting from various positions, angles...

Jimi,

I've seen the difference you are referring to about some shooters and hunters too.

I enjoy target shooting - Really spend more time reloading and shooting at range than either target shooting or hunting. But...except for a couple of competitions per year most of my reloading and range time is focused on developing the best deer load each rifle will shoot. Also spend a lot of range time getting the trajectories down pat for each rifle. Have masking tape on all scopes listing the drop at each range.  Also have another piece of tape on variable power scope listing the range and power setting when a deer "fits" between the crosshairs and the lower duplex point.  So far all this prep has paid off - Never needed a second shot and never mised on first! (knock-on-wood)

I do agree that that you should pratice the way you intent to play (or hunt).  Think this explains why some hunters don't do very well at target shooting - They don't practice it.  Also think some poor shooters in hunting situation don't understand and are unprepared to handle "deer fever".  I feel it on every shot - doesn't seem to lessen with age!

[Coyote Hunter]

I would like to stay away from a Magnum if possible.  Mostly used for Mule deer and Whitetail.  So, .270, .280, .308?  Lo0king for very accurate combination to reach out a ways.
Example might be 130gr in a .270 Ballistic tip.  I need some help here I am basically a woods and timber hunter, need the open country hunters to tell me how it is.  Thanks  Buckfever

Any of those will work, as has been pointed out.  I just purchased a .308 for the express purpose of knocking down steel rams at 500 meters, something I have very successfully used my Marlins in .375Win and .45-70 to do.  For hunting at that range I would prefer my 7mm Mag or .300 Win Mag.

Pick one and learn to shoot it.

[kenjs1]

I dunno.  Terminal velocity, ballistic coefficient, 3000 fps, trajectory, elevation, windage, gravity, drag, crosswind, ................. I'm no astronaut but it sure SOUNDS like rocket science!   :wink:

[Jimi]

RaySendero... That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!

I like your commitment. Admirable. And impressive shooting, to boot.

<<<Note to self: do not piss RaySendero off>>>

[safetysheriff]

nobody has mentioned the 'rule of square' that i believe i read about on the 6mmbr.com website.   basically it says that if you shoot twice the distance you will have four times the effect of the wind upon moving your bullet.   if you get one inch deflection at 100 yds' you will get four inches of deflection at 200 yds' and twenty-five inches at 500 yds!!!

has anybody else ever read/studied that kind of tidbit re: shooting with Any kind of wind at all?

are we all aware of the fact that with the wind in our face that our bullets tend to go Higher out there at 'long' range?   and the bullets tend to strike lower if the wind is at our back at 'long' range.....

i recommend we become better big-game hunters while maintaining shooting proficiency at more 'reasonable' distances in Most Cases.   i doubt that 5% of the american male population is capable of becoming a long-range sniper/ big game hunter......with the unknown distances involved in such shooting.  

animals do not deserve to be wounded, is what i'm trying to say.

take care,

ss'

[srwshooter]

there are lots of good calibers for that range on deer.
3006
270
308
2506
7-08

the problem is not with the cal. its the shooter,most people talk good 400 yd shots, but the truth is alot of hunters have problems at 100yds. first thing is if you don't reload you better start,just to cut down on cost.
most deer hunters don't even know what there gun can do at long range,because they never shoot at 300-400 yds.

when i bought my first 270  i loaded it down to 110grn bullets and killed
thousands of groundhogs over a ten year period. this got me to where i knew what kind of rest is needed to make long shots. this is the hardest part for most shooters. its not easy in the field to make that kind of shot.

what ever caiber you go with get the trigger worked on from the start and buy a good scope and practice alot.

my longest shot on a deer with my 270 and 140gn bullets is 345yds
and that was setting on the ground useing a tree as a rest.

[longwinters]

Just an opinion, of course, but if you reload go with the 280.  If not, then go with the 270.

Long