Blooded the 338 Lapua

[Nimrodmar10]

Bought a Remington 700 LRP in 338 Lapua Magnum this summer. Added a Nightforce 20 MOA base and rings along with a Nightforce 5.5-22x56 NXS NP-R1. Worked up a load with the Sierra 300 gr. SMKs and 91.5 GRS. H1000. Load is shooting 2687 fps and grouping less than .5 MOA at 500 yds.

Finally got a chance to try it out on game this weekend. One of my hunting places lets me shoot out to 750 yards by shooting from one ridge, over a short ridge, to a third ridge. Conditions were right one the deer were using the far ridge. The first deer was a doe yesterday morning about 10:00 a.m.. She was feeding on top of the ridge at 535 yards according to my Leica 1600. I dialed in the elevation adjustment from the Shooter program on my Droid Bionic. With just a slight breeze from my right I shifted .5 MOA and touched off the shot. I recovered in time to see the deer flop to the ground. The shot broke the spine just above the rear of the lungs. The deer flopped for a bit so I fired a second round. With the deer down but erect the second bullet entered behind the shoulder and took out the top of both lungs. The exit wound from both rounds were only about 2 inches in diameter with the spine shot laced with bone fragments.

I returned to the same place today hoping to to give the 338 another test. I didn't have to wait long. A little after seven three deer came out of the woods and started feeding along the open ridge. I let them feed hoping to get a little more distance. When they started feeding over the crest I figured I better do something. I ranged the lead doe at 580 yards. There was no wind so I dialed in the elevation and held high on the shoulder. I checked the bubble level on top of the rear ring and concentrated on a smooth trigger pull and follow through. By the time I got the scope back on target the deer was down. The bullet took out the spine and splinters took out the far lung. I watched her ribs rise and fall a couple of times then stop.

The other two does ran when the first one fell but stopped a after just a few yards and looked at the fallen deer. They started walking back to check her. I ranged the bigger one at 545 yards and took back 3 clicks on the elevation and settled into the cheek rest. I put pressure on the 1.5 lb. trigger and rocked with the recoil. The deer rolled 50 yards down the steep hill and came to a rest. Again the bullet broke the spine and hit the lungs. This bullet made about a four inch exit wound high on the back.

The Remington 338 LM worked great. I'm pleased with it so far. I just need to stretch it out some more. That could happen sooner than later. When I hiked to the top of the ridge to dress the deer and drag then out I noticed that if I shot in the opposite direction there was a hillside on the next farm that I could shoot from 1000-1200 yards. Time to start trying to get permission.
Oh, and I just bought a Savage 110 LR Hunter in 6.5x284 that needs blooding before the season ends.

 

[pyroducksx3]

Good shooting but why would you wait to get more distance? I fully support the ability to shoot longrange but dont understand the concept of intentionally letting a shot to get longer just for the sake of bragging about a longer shot. Hopefully this can be discussed civially and I am not calling you out or calling you unethical. Like I said good shooting and congrats on cleanly taking your deer at longrange.

 

[Nimrodmar10]

Pyro
The long distance shooting is the whole point. I could very easily have climbed a tree on the ridge where these deer were and waited for them to walk under me and shot them at less than 100 yards. Then they would have been just like the hundreds of other deer I've killed.

Here in Tennessee, where I live, we have an over abundance of deer. You can legally kill something like 350 deer per year if you are so minded. In some areas they have become a nuisance. Farmers are regularly allowed to shoot them during the summer due to crop depredation.

I really enjoy deer hunting and have been doing it for 44 years. Over the years I've strived to become a better deer hunter by honing my skills. I've killed my share of wall hangers. I don't shoot a buck now unless he's bigger than the ones on my wall. It's been a while since I've seen one big enough to get excited about. A doe at long range is more of a trophy to me now than a 2-3 year old 8 point. It's all about the challenge.

The name of this web site is LongRangeHunting.com. I think I can assume that most of the members on this sight are also interested in improving their ability to take game at long range. Not always because they have to. I'm not sure but I'm guessing that most of them could probably have gotten closer on their past hunts, but that's part of the challenge. We even have a section here dedicated to extended long range hunting and shooting beyond 1000 yards. I've even read some of your post talking about wanting to be able to shoot deer, elk and bears at 800 yards. Is that as close as you can get? Is there really any difference between setting up to intentionally shoot long range or letting the game feed away from you to add distance.

I'm a little surprised you started this discussion since you are a Gold Member on this site. You're not a newbie to this sport.

 

[longrangebo]

I was reading your post and thought , why would someone shoot 3 does? Then as I read on I realized there is a lot of them. Where I live in Pa. the heard has been reduced to nothing, Because of too many doe tag,s We did manage to get 2 nice 9 point buck, one 18 inches and one 20, one 1000 yd,s and 1 at 1250 yd,s I have lot,s of hunting buddies and some hunted a week and didn,t see a tail. Our Game Commision only cares about $ from tags not hunters, that being said it is the hunters who killed all the deer and their sport. Keep an eye open for this. By the way good shooting You wouldn,t want to tell me where in Tenn. would you HaHaHa just kidding

 

[pyroducksx3]

Well first off I have absolutely no problem with longrange hunting. I have no issues with setting up for a long range shot. I dont have any ethical issues or complaints that you shot a doe or took a shot at the distance you did. I dont even have a problem with you trying to take that 1000 yard shot on a deer in your neighbors farm if you can ethically make the shot. I have set up for longrange shots, it allows me to cover an incredible amount of land. my questions was "Why would you let a shot get longer intentionally?" I wouldnt find a bedded animal and then walk farther away to make the shot longer. I can understand if in you were setting up your shooting solution and the deer gained distance while preparing. I just dont understand sitting there for the sake of making a long shot longer is all. Maybe I'm all alone in this. I like the ability to shoot longrange and will even set up to do so. I like shooting at relaxed unaware animals, as I prefer to not take running or offhand shots unless the animals is already hit. The distances you are talking about arent very hard at all, especially with no wind, so I can see that you didnt feel it was very unethical, it probably isnt to be honest. I just dont think I will sit on an animal to let it get further away is all. No disrespect to you, you did some fine shooting and Im glad your rifle is preforming well for you.

 

[JackinSD]

pyroducksx3,

Very well said. You are not alone in your thoughts.

 

[MSLRHunter]

Nimrod,
Living east of the MS river I totally understand. Sometimes if we easterners want a long shot we have to let em get a little farther. IMO it's no different from setting up out west for a long shot when you could have set up closer. Good shooting and Merry Christmas!

 

[angus-5024]

I have the same mindset as PyroducksX3, I dont let them get farther. I shoot eveything if its 10 yards or 1000 yards. But... thats becasue deer hunting is a challenge for me period. Not the finding deer, just having time to go out. So first thing I see goes down (I dont shoot little bucks though).

In this case I totally understand the waiting for it to get further away. It is almost like varmit hunting. There are so many animals, it just gets too boring. I lived in Alberta for a bit and you can literally fill your two doe tags and a buck in an evening.

If the shot is a sure thing, its a sure thing.

Good shooting!
Im looking at trying out the 250 grain Berger OTMs next season, cant wiat!

 

[JackinSD]

MSLRHunter,

You could well be on to something with that east/west thinking.

However, I will not agree with setting up further away than is neccessary either.

Taking a longer shot just to take a longer shot, in my opinion, is an ego trip. Nothing more and nothing less.

Taking a longer shot is what the range/practice time is for. So, you will be ready to take that longer shot IF it were to present itself. NOT, if you set it up to be longer.

 

[Nimrodmar10]

However, I will not agree with setting up further away than is neccessary either.

Taking a longer shot just to take a longer shot, in my opinion, is an ego trip. Nothing more and nothing less.

Taking a longer shot is what the range/practice time is for. So, you will be ready to take that longer shot IF it were to present itself. NOT, if you set it up to be longer.

Jack
According to your way of thinking we should all just sell our long range rigs and go back to the lever action 30-30s. There is no animal that's we hunt that has to be shot at more than 50 yards unless you're on an ego trip. The proof for this is the fact that archery hunters do it every day. I've killed a lot of good deer with all kinds of bows, even recurves and long bows. We don't need firearms to kill game.
I don't know you, but I know the area you live in very well. I'm guessing you shoot prairie dogs since you live near the Conata Basin. When you shoot prairie dogs do you stalk up close to shoot them or do you do like I do and set up at the edge of the town and see just how far you can hit them from? If that's an ego trip then I'm guilty.

 

[NCBoy]

Good shooting. I would like to speak to those who do like the idea of intentionally choosing to take a long shot. I would just like to say that to be we are all brother in the hunt. Whether you like to shoot close or far, bow or gun, or shotgun versus rifle. We are all hunters. We have enough pressure from anti-hunting groups like PETA and others that attack us. We do not have to attack one another.

He hunts responsibly, ethically, and had a great time. I congratulate you. How else are we back east supposed to practice for Western hunts if we do not set up at distance. Shooting steel is just not the same. Congrats on 3 does.

 

[JackinSD]

Nimrodmar10,

You went off the deep end there.

Don't take what I said as condemnation of long range hunting or shooting (they are different). But, more of the reasoning behind taking a longer shot just because you wanted to shoot longer than the shot that presented itself.

As the question was asked earlier by pyroducksx3, "Why would you let a shot get longer intentionally?"

Answering that question will allow others to understand your thinking. If not for ego, than for what reason?

 

[bigngreen]

He explained himself quite well in post three!!!

 

[Broz]

Since when do we feel the authority to come on a guys personal hunting report thread, pick it apart looking for something we don't agree with, or is different than "how we do it" or should I say "how we would do it, if we did do it" and then call him out by asking him all these "why" questions?

He hunted the way he wanted to, he was successful and knew his equipment well and made the shots and dispatched the game.

If you don't agree with something then please be polite enough to just not agree and say nothing. If you feel strongly enough about a method used then start your own thread and argue, debate and ridicule there.

For heavens sake guys, this is Long Range Hunting. I think some people really need to look into other places to complain. Or maybe look into golf or tennis.

JMHO!

To the OP, glad you had a successful hunt and the team effort of your equipment and your shooter skill worked well.

Congrats and good shooting.

Jeff