where do you draw the line?

Tikkamike

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Big Horn Basin, Wyoming
I want to know what you guys think about this. At what range are you shooting long range? when hold over becomes more than you can legitimately accomplish with a standard duplex and no turret cranking? And once you achieve long range when is it considered EXTREME long range? In my mind long range starts about 500+ yards and extreme long range starts about 1200+ yards
 
I think there's alot of variables to describe this, and it varies depending on rifle being used, cartridge, target size and technology being used also.

For me, shootin prarie dogs with a little 223 and .2 BC bullets, long range begins at around 300 yds. It takes known distance, dialing or hold, and good wind doping beyond that. But for more modern bullets with higher BC's, long range on prarie dogs begins somewhere in the neiborhood of 400 to 450 yds, depending on the caliber and scope being used. Anything beyond 400 means holding off some to make consistant first round hits, so dialing/holding something is almost a must. Anything beyond 400 also means a 10 mph wind is blowing the bullet off by 2 or 3 "dogs", so that requires some adjustment too. In addition, even on calm days; consistant hits at 400 and beyond require a sub 1/2 minute rifle that will shoot that way all day long, hot barrel or not.

This is just me, others will have different opinions I am sure. Heck, I've heard it said on this site somewhere that 500 yds is point blank range, and LR doesn't even begin untill 600+..? I don't know of any cartridge that when zero'd for 200 or even 300 is still "hold on hair" at 500.........unless they're talking about Elk/Moose size hair and high BC bullets going 3500'/sec or faster.?
 
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For me, 450-500yards is achievable with mill dots for holdover, but beyond that I start cranking. Extreme range would probably be anything past 850 at my current level, I can handle making the shot, but I still have some learning to do when it comes to reading the wind out that far. With my new Sightron, im hoping the reticle will give me the ability to hold over for anything out to roughly 750.
 
Little off Topic Bruce but whats that deer Score?

Officially, it was 186 3/8" after the 2 month drying time. He was 9X6 (counting points 1" or longer) 28 1/2" wide on top.

I'd personally consider him to be a "long range" buck, because it was a full out running shot at approx 350 yds. Still point blank range for my 25-06 sighted in at 300, but I was leading him by at least two full body lengths and hit the front shoulder. I was laying prone without support, not enough time to even think about using a bipod or sling.

Thanks for asking.:) He's my "buck of a lifetime" for this part of Wyoming I think.
 
For hunting (for me) with my edge, I would consider it long range if it is 500 or further plus yards. The reason for this is that i am applying all of the techniques etc at this point that i would be using for a 1200 yard shot, and i dont have a ton of longrange kills yet! for steel, longrange to me is 800 plus yards. I am in no way saying that anything less is not long range, i am just saying that if we are going out to shoot long range at steel, we dont shoot much under 800 yards. there are time we shoot less distance if 1) we cant find anything further, 2) conditions are unique and or tricky and we want to attempt a first round hit 3) validating, or shooting a new gun. for the most part when we go out to shoot long range with our dialed guns we are looking for something 1200 yards plus, or 1000 at the minimum. I personally love to shoot 1200 plus yards because it feels like a whole different game, even from 1000 yards.
 
Personally once you start having to dial for elevation or significant wind hold offs I think it's long range. Most flat shooting rifles like a .270 or 7mm can hold point blank out to what 275-300 yards. To the average hunter 300-350 yards is out of the question. Personally for me shooting at deer and pig sized animals long range is anything beyond 400 yards and I personally would not take a shot past 600. Now if I were shooting at elk I could see pushing that as you have much more margin for error with the larger kill zone and hopefully would be shooting a substantial bullet.cartridge at those ranges not your run of the mill deer rifle with 150+/- grain bullets.
 
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