Altitude and it’s effect on load development?

[zr600]

ok I have been thinking about this. I live in ND were our altitude is around 1900-2000. Now if I'm to go on an elk hunt in Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and end up hunting at higher elevation how will that affect my loads? Won't it change velocity which means my rifle and load wouldn't be in tune to each other anymore?

 

[Canhunter35]

Temp may change your mv, altitude should make little to no difference.

 

[cohunt]

Altitude will definately change your stability factor.

 

[Rick Richard]

It will change, however in most ethical hunting distances the change is not that significant. You will probably see more of a change because of different shooting/hunting positions.

 

[bigngreen]

Your exterior ballistics will change but interior will not. You want to keep your zero at the 100 yards range so you have less issues and you will certainly need to shoot some before hunting with that kind change. I hunt from 6500 ft to 9000 ft here in Mt.

 

[FEENIX]

Altitude will definately change your stability factor.

Yep! SG factor increases with elevation.

 

[dfanonymous]

It will effect it

 

[FIGJAM]

ok I have been thinking about this. I live in ND were our altitude is around 1900-2000. Now if I'm to go on an elk hunt in Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and end up hunting at higher elevation how will that affect my loads? Won't it change velocity which means my rifle and load wouldn't be in tune to each other anymore?

You will just want to rezero your gun when you get there and run the new ballistics for it given that altitude. I zeroed a 300wby and 7mm RM at sea level then went elk hunting in colorado at 10k feet. Couldn't believe how much higher both guns shot at 100 yards. Glad I shot both before we went out hunting and made the adjustments...

 

[ramrod79]

I live at and do all my load work at 4500. I sheep hunt so my evlevation really changes but it's hard to re verify on top of mountain while on a ram. But luckily my trusty G7 rangefinder has yet to let me down.
Sheep in my aviator pic was about 6000ft I ranged him and down he went . I have done a lot of shooting in different areas with my G7 for me to trust it like I do but it's never let me down. This year my antelope was at about 1900 ft same thing range shoot DRT.

 

[FIGJAM]

It will change, however in most ethical hunting distances the change is not that significant. You will probably see more of a change because of different shooting/hunting positions.

Since this is a long range hunting website...there could be a material change. Adjusting the altitude in my Strelok pro app from 6000ft to 1000ft for my 270 wsm shows my drop going from 226" to 248". That is almost 2 ft of additional drop with a 5000ft elevation change - the difference between a hit and a miss.

 

[zr600]

So are you saying just rezero my rifle when I get there? Should it shoot the same or will it change the accuracy? Also can I just rerun the ballistics from my dropnchart at home and change the altitude and be good don't think I would really be shooting over 300-400 yards.

 

[Rick Richard]

Since this is a long range hunting website...there could be a material change. Adjusting the altitude in my Strelok pro app from 6000ft to 1000ft for my 270 wsm shows my drop going from 226" to 248". That is almost 2 ft of additional drop with a 5000ft elevation change - the difference between a hit and a miss.[/QUOTE
Don't disagree, but my statement prefaced ETHICAL hunting distances. So I can agree we could have different interpretations of ethical and size of animal. Good day!

 

[FIGJAM]

So are you saying just rezero my rifle when I get there? Should it shoot the same or will it change the accuracy? Also can I just rerun the ballistics from my dropnchart at home and change the altitude and be good don't think I would really be shooting over 300-400 yards.

I didn't notice a change in accuracy, just that it hit higher...check your zero, input the new data in you ballistic calc and you will be good to go.

 

[FIGJAM]

So are you saying just rezero my rifle when I get there? Should it shoot the same or will it change the accuracy? Also can I just rerun the ballistics from my dropnchart at home and change the altitude and be good don't think I would really be shooting over 300-400 yards.

I always like to check zero upon arrival just in case it got bumped off anyway...you could techinically zero it at a given altitude with your ballistics app, I would still check it when I went out there..