In what situations is long-range hunting utilized??

[renegade]

I got a good deal on a 300 RUM with remington action 28" douglas #5 with bedding block. Trigger seems to be about 2.5 lbs and I have a bushnell elite 4200 4-16-50 possibly for it. The seller said it would shoot 180 barnes XLC with 95 gr of Reloader 25 quite well....3500fps. He said he used non-boattail version. I have 180 barnes XLC boattailed....any difference?? Back to the topic....Do many of you go out of your way to shoot longe range? Is it more of a sit on a ridge and glass or find some point with an expansive field of view and shoot animal first seen by glassing. Can you get closer to the animal in these situations or is it such that by doing so you scare the animal in all probability and blow any chance you had. I'm just curious. I'm going to try this gun out and shoot paper and see if I can group at 500-600 yds in field conditions. If so this gun will have plenty of downrange energy that's for sure. I have on occasion came across areas that I could sit on a cliff and overlook ponds, fields, creek bottoms etc. Hmmmmmmmm.

Rene

 

[sscoyote]

I'm a spot and stalk hunter out west. In one of the spots i hunt there is a bench on a steep north-facing slope where the elk seek refuge. The slope itself is a crossing point between 3 big basins, so the elk are on this slope quite often. This spot is a long ways off the "path", and i doubt if any other hunters have ever even seen them there, as it is the last place anyone would train a spotting scope. The problem is it is 6-700 yds. across one of the basins with no other access point, so if we're going to get them it is going to have to be a long shot. We would always like to take closer opportunities, but if we are prepared for any eventuality we will be able to capitalize where others may not. In fact, that last point probably sums it up best.

 

[Mysticplayer]

Renee, for me, the answer is both. I do still hunting as well as posting. What I have learned prepares me for any possibility I might run into. If nothing else, it gives me the experience to not shoot in a bad situation.

Some areas I hunt are not easily accessible without shooting from across a valley, other areas may have large cut blocks that need a longer poke.

At any rate, I enjoy LR plinking too and shoot clays and gongs at extended ranges.

Having a big magnum does not make it a LR rifle. You need to develop accurate loads with bullets that will work at extended ranges. You also need support equipment to ensure first shot hits are very possible. Then the last ingredient, is the desire and willingness to practise, practise, and practise some more under field conditions in different weather.

I am sure if you explore the many posts on this board, you will find that those that LR hunt take it very seriously. Far more so then many "short range" hunters. This is not a board for those that throw big chunks of lead into the air and hope for the best. The money, time and effort that these LR hunters invest ensure success.

They know a thing or two about accurate rifles too.

Hope this gives you a bearing on where we are coming from...

Jerry

 

[renegade]

To me the most important thing is an accurate rifle. At least if you know your rifle shoots MOA or better you can better judge how you are doing at extended range. This is at the point I'm at. I want to develop accurate loads with good BC's so that when I try paper at 400 plus I know that if I dope wind right and understand the ballistics of the load I'm shooting and my chrony show's good consistency I should be able to shoot decent groups. I think anyway. I've never shot at paper longer than 300 yds....but I will be..

 

[Randy in Va]

For groundhogs and prarie dogs I would say it was the opposite!

If they are easy to hit, back the hell up!
Save some for the next guy.

 

[Charles A]

Chunk the Barnes and get some SMK's or A-MAX's.

 

[Mike7STW]

Yes I set up for long range shooting but for varmints not large game. In OHIO we can only use slug guns for Deer.

 

[sscoyote]

Hello MikeAW-- what's your setup for LR varmints?