Bullet Performance at Long Range.

[Captn C]

I was just reading one of the great "long range hunting" threads and it got me to thinking. I am new to the site, with the quality of members you have here I'm sure these questions have already been ask...but I'm too lazy to search for them!

What type of bullet performance are you getting at long range?

What is animals basic reaction at the shot? Do they require a lot of tracking? I am a long time bowhunter (30 years) and do love to track. So I guess I expect there will be some tracking involved.


Please include caliber, bullet weight and the yardage of that shot. I am planning to build a gun for this purpose and I am sure the info will help me decide on a caliber/bullet weight combo that would work for me.

 

[AJ Peacock]

Couple data points.

I was just reading one of the great "long range hunting" threads and it got me to thinking. I am new to the site, with the quality of members you have here I'm sure these questions have already been ask...but I'm too lazy to search for them!

What type of bullet performance are you getting at long range?

What is animals basic reaction at the shot? Do they require a lot of tracking? I am a long time bowhunter (30 years) and do love to track. So I guess I expect there will be some tracking involved.


Please include caliber, bullet weight and the yardage of that shot. I am planning to build a gun for this purpose and I am sure the info will help me decide on a caliber/bullet weight combo that would work for me.

2 elk this year. 520yds and 508yds. 338Allen Mag, 300gr SMK @ 3300fps.

First elk took 4-5 steps forward and fell over (heart shot) 520yds.

Second elk slid downhill 20' (spine shot) 508yds.

Not really long range for the 338AM, but a data point non the less.

Other elk in area trotted off in random directions.

AJ

 

[davewilson]

one groundhog at 1030.
threw him up about 3 ft and almost in two pieces...didn't have to track.
338/300 ultra with 250 gr SMK.

 

[Brain]

7mm Rem Ultra Mag. Hornady 162gr SST @ 3320fps.

Whitetail at 598 yards (kinda long range, but not quite) impact at neck/shoulder junction. Full pass through, deer flopped over and never twitched.

Same load 402 yards (not really long range) deer facing head-on. Entrance at base of neck, exit just in front of diaphragm. Flipped over backwards, never took a step.

 

[Dan B]

Took a large doe at 460yds with a 162gr A-Max @ 2825fps MV. Not sure off hand what the impact velocity was. Entry was centered on the lungs but she was quartering to me kinda hard. Penetrated the lung, liver, gut and exited on the right edge of offside ham. Ram a few yards and laid down. The others just watched her and kept feeding. Gun is a Remington XP-100 built by APS and chambered in the 270WSM necked up to 7mm. Yes...they do make a 7mmWSM but the brass sucks. The 270WSM can be had in Norma brass.

 

[shootinfool]

shot a deer this year at 720yds and with a 7mm mag shooting a 168 gr berger vld bullet at 3063fps and hit the deer in the front sholder when it was quartering towards me(just clipped the back of the sholder and through the body). The buck did the death march for about 30 yds and bit the dust. No tracking on this one. Two years ago, I shot a buck at 588 yds. shot him through the neck, where the head connects to the neck. Automatic lights out. this shot was made with a .270 wsm and a 130 gr. nosler ballistic tip flying at 3100 fps.

 

[Captn C]

Thanks! Keep them coming!

I may already have a gun that is already a long range gun and just never thought of it being one.

I have a 7mm rem mag that I assisted in the building of that will shoot a one hole group at 100 yards. I have played with it out to 400 at the range and on 20" steel plates @ 450. The gun was built on Bruno action and I put a mesquite stock on it (I cut down the tree and everything)...it has a Tasco target model scope on it too.

 

[traks44]

2006- 6x6 elk at 780, three shots, bull dropped in his tracks

2007 - 6x6 elk at 910, 4 shots bull dropped in his tracks

both bulls were killed with 250 Gr SMK at 3000 pfs out of a .338 lapua

We keep shooting until the fall, so no tracking. At these distances the elk just stand there and are not sure what to do. We keep shooting even if we know we hit him hard, it takes some of the risk out . On both of these bulls when the last bullet struck them they dropped like a sack of potatoes.

I cannot say enough about these 250 SMK on bulls at long range. Size of the exits wounds are big enough to put your fist through!

 

[stephen newberry]

375 chey tec bullet performace

I just build the gun above this year.Shoot 2deer 1 at 573 yrds and 1 at 463 with lost river 350 soilds. The exit hole was the size of a 1 $ coin.Both fell 30 yrs down a hill dead.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

AJ, What kind of rifle setup are you using to get 3300 fps out of a 300 mk. What is the case based off of? I have several 338-378 wby's and 3000 fps is the best I can do. I want something that gets the 3300 you mentioned.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

captn C, unlike you I am color blind and don't like to track. That is why I shoot heavy 338 caliber bullets at big game. I have seen animals shot with virtually everything you could imagine. There is no comparison when a big 338 hits a game animal. The shock effect is devastating compared to smaller, lighter calibers. Internal and external damage to the animal is far beyond the smaller stuff. For right now the big 338 bullets are tops for long range animals. There is no way I could list or even begin to remember the numbers of elk/caribou size critters I have seen hit at long range. From all of those I can form about as good an opinion as anyone.

For max ranges out to say 700 yard range the 200 grain ballistic tip has perfect terminal performance and shoots extremely flat at 3600 fps out of a 338-378 or similar size case. I would try this until you become very proficient at long range. When you are ready for real long range then jump to the 300 matchking which will run off and leave the 200 ballistic tip beyond 700 yards.

Recently the last two large bodied bull elk I shot were at 634 and 713 yards with the 200 ballistic tip starting at 3600 fps. Bullet performance was excellent/perfect under off side hide. They react to the sound of the bullet hitting much more than the shot which they hear a bit later and so far away it is just not in there critical zone. Other elk may jump at the bullet hitting and then gradually walk off with limited reaction from the shot. Both of these elk were shot straight through the lungs. One took off like a bolt of lightning and piled up 30 yards from impact. The other just stood there for a few seconds and tipped over. At long range you can easily get the scope back on them and see the impact which can be phenominal with the big 338.

I do remember shooting one up close a number of years ago about 200 yards through the front shoulders with a couple of spectators watching. They said the first thing they saw was the feet flying up over the back and the first thing that hit the ground was the top of the bulls back, graveyard dead! I ended up building one for both these guys for the next elk season. They are devastating weapons far beyond smaller, lighter calibers.

 

[Qzilla]

1005 Yards Whitetail, DRT (dead right there)
400 yards Whitetail DRT
404 yards Whitetail DRT
549 yards Whitetail DRT

You see the pattern?? I hit it, no tracking required. That includes hits that are marginal at best. Big bullet, Big Gun = DRT

300gr SMK 2850 FPS out of 338 Edge.

Over 250 Whitetail with a 257 WBY out to 200 yard = None ever took a step.
Shooting factory 100gr Spire Points.


1 Whitetail at 375yrds = DRT

257 WBY, 110gr Accubond at 3488 FPS.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

Qzilla, I just got a 257 wby for my son to deer and antelope hunt with. All my loading data is packed away right now and he wants to load and shoot some over the holidays. Got any pet loads you care to share?

 

[Qzilla]

Well, I would be happy to tell you what I am shooting but, my rifle had the freebore taken out of it and is built on a Rem 700.

I shoot 74gr H1000 with the 110gr Accubond with a COL of 3.248" with Fed 215 Primers. Nets me 3488 FPS at 40 deg with no pressure problems. I am shooting a 17" barrel plus the brake for an overall length of 29".