Longer Range >350 yards shots

[Climbhard]

Question for all you hunters. how do you guys handle longer range shots. I have a 7mm Rem Mag zero'ed at 250 which gives me maximum point blank range of 285 - 290. Meaning my bullet is never more than 3" above or below line of sight. That's great for my VX-II fine duples scope but what if I see my big bull at say 475 and he's just standing there broadside. At 475 I'm looking at 31" of drop. Do you try to hold over or do you dial in your MOA or MILs? The turrets on my VX-II aren't very good for rapid adjustment. Do I get a Butler Creek cap to put on top so I can dial in 6.25 MOA? Do you guys hunt with Target turrets or a BDC recticle that might get you close to your known yardage?

 

[kennygss]

Question for all you hunters. how do you guys handle longer range shots. I have a 7mm Rem Mag zero'ed at 250 which gives me maximum point blank range of 285 - 290. Meaning my bullet is never more than 3" above or below line of sight. That's great for my VX-II fine duples scope but what if I see my big bull at say 475 and he's just standing there broadside. At 475 I'm looking at 31" of drop. Do you try to hold over or do you dial in your MOA or MILs? The turrets on my VX-II aren't very good for rapid adjustment. Do I get a Butler Creek cap to put on top so I can dial in 6.25 MOA? Do you guys hunt with Target turrets or a BDC recticle that might get you close to your known yardage?

For me ( 168 Berger at 3000 FPS with 250 yard Zero) its about 23.5" at 450, I would dial in clicks. So, about 18 clicks ( 1 MOA is 1/60 of a degree. 500 yards is 18000 inches.
tan(1/60) * distance in inches = size of 1 MOA if Im thinking straight, its late. . .)
But, I have made that shot with holdover in your scenario. I try to set my rifle up for the most likely scenarios for my area, and then adapt if necessary. You might consider selling or trading your optic for a more friendly setup if you anticipate that kind of shooting.

 

[jakes10mm]

I'm starting fresh for Elk and took the opportunity to get a new rifle and scope combination. I topped my new 300WM with a Leupold VX2 with CDS knob. Once I get my ideal load developed, I'll have a custom elevation turret to set range for a center hold. I am under the impression that Leupold Custom shop could equip your scope with such a turret.

 

[RockyMtnHigh]

I shoot a 300 RUM with a custom load. Scope wise, I use a Schmidt & Bender PM II. I always dial both elevation and windage (my turrets are mil/mil, but moa vs. mil is just personal preference), so I'm holding dead center. I have a tactical mil hash reticle, so, for shorter distances, if I'm in a hurry, I can easily holdover. I also use a cosine indicator and anti-cant device as well.

I'm not sure I would ever feel comfortable using the "drop in inches" from a drop chart to holdover significant amounts (probably anything north of 12 inches). I actually deleted the "drop in inches" from my drop charts because it just clutters everything up, and I never need it because I adjust my turrets. I'm not familiar with your scope specifically, but, in my opinion, if you are long range hunting you should be taking shots only when you are really comfortable that you can put a bullet in the vital zone. I'm most comfortable using the methods and tools I've described above, but that is just me. The most important thing is to be comfortable and confident with whatever method you use.

Play around with a ballistic calculator and validate everything at the range. If you haven't developed a drop chart it can be a very insightful process.

Good luck.

 

[Elkmen]

On my 300 Win Mag, and STW, I have mounted the Leupy 3.5X10X40 with the BDC reticle. I have validated the turrent on the 300 to 320 yards and will within a few days attempt to validate it out farther. I am awaiting a new turrent for the STW using the 175 Gr. PT at 3100. Its been on order for over a month now so don't wait to long to order. I love the 3.4X10.

 

[D.ID]

I use the nikon bdc reticle on my light rifles expecting shots under 650 yards. Light and fast. I dial in with a .25moa turret every-time on my long range rigs.