Guys,
I became interested in long range hunting a few years ago and I built a Savage 6.5-06 (Stockade Woodchuck, SSS benchrest trigger, 27" varmint contour Douglas barrel, EGW 20MOA base, and TPS rings) with Zeiss Conquest 4.5-14X50 with target turrets and duplex reticle. I spent a couple years familiarizing myself with the gun and setup a drop chart with Hornady A-max bullets. I hunt whitetails in GA mostly in clearcuts and powerlines. I used the rifle two seasons and was not able to take a long range shot because the bucks I see in these situations don't stand still very long and conditions change quickly. I use a Leica range finder, and it is fairly quick/accurate; however, I am not quick enough (or proficient enough) to range, focus, dial, aim, and shoot before the animal begins to move again.
Enter question: I came across a great deal on a Weatherby Accumark 7mmSTW. The gun was used for crop depredation (hogs/deer) and was carried in a truck for opportunity shots across ag fields and was not shot often. It is in great shape, and the gent who owned it has health problems and cannot handle the recoil anymore. I want to set this gun up for long range, but rather duplicating what I did with the Savage, I want to set it up for quicker shots (it is much lighter than my other rifle so I figured it would be a good candidate). Should I set this gun up with standard mounts (i.e., Talley) and a scope with a ballistic reticle? Or should I set it up with a scope with a BDC type turret (i.e., Kenton Industries)? Windage is not a big issue for me, since I pick my long range opportunities when conditions are calm. Do I absolutely need a parallax adjustment or should I pick an optic with lower power to eliminate this step? Bottom line, I need to be able to range and adjust elevation as quickly as possible to take a buck while he sniffs the air for a sweetheart.
Thanks in advance.
I became interested in long range hunting a few years ago and I built a Savage 6.5-06 (Stockade Woodchuck, SSS benchrest trigger, 27" varmint contour Douglas barrel, EGW 20MOA base, and TPS rings) with Zeiss Conquest 4.5-14X50 with target turrets and duplex reticle. I spent a couple years familiarizing myself with the gun and setup a drop chart with Hornady A-max bullets. I hunt whitetails in GA mostly in clearcuts and powerlines. I used the rifle two seasons and was not able to take a long range shot because the bucks I see in these situations don't stand still very long and conditions change quickly. I use a Leica range finder, and it is fairly quick/accurate; however, I am not quick enough (or proficient enough) to range, focus, dial, aim, and shoot before the animal begins to move again.
Enter question: I came across a great deal on a Weatherby Accumark 7mmSTW. The gun was used for crop depredation (hogs/deer) and was carried in a truck for opportunity shots across ag fields and was not shot often. It is in great shape, and the gent who owned it has health problems and cannot handle the recoil anymore. I want to set this gun up for long range, but rather duplicating what I did with the Savage, I want to set it up for quicker shots (it is much lighter than my other rifle so I figured it would be a good candidate). Should I set this gun up with standard mounts (i.e., Talley) and a scope with a ballistic reticle? Or should I set it up with a scope with a BDC type turret (i.e., Kenton Industries)? Windage is not a big issue for me, since I pick my long range opportunities when conditions are calm. Do I absolutely need a parallax adjustment or should I pick an optic with lower power to eliminate this step? Bottom line, I need to be able to range and adjust elevation as quickly as possible to take a buck while he sniffs the air for a sweetheart.
Thanks in advance.