Long range bullets at close range

[GetReel]

I've done some searching but haven't found what I thought was the answer. So…

If you are set up with a long range bullet, (let's just say a Berger EOL) and a shot presents itself at a close range. How do you handle that shot?

I've read a couple things; aim for bone or have a mono bullet built that aims close.

I'd like to have your thoughts.

 

[sea2summit]

Depends?

How close? How stable are you? Within ~200 if I'm on a tripod and feel good it's probably going to get one to the dome.

 

[Huntnful]

I shot two bucks under 50 yards with a 28 nosler shooting 195 EOL Bergers at 3030fps. I just aimed behind the shoulder like normal. One made a grapefruit sized exit and the other didn't exit at all. Just grenaded. Both deer went about 30 yards.


DO NOT aim for bone of a close shot with a target bullet.

 

[cabelasken]

I ran into a very knowledgeable shooter at the range that used Bergers extensively because they were so accurate and performed very well for him at extended distances. Well one year his bull elk opportunity came at under 75 yds. The bullet hit the near shoulder and never reached the vitals. After a couple of miles of tracking, and a day and a half thru some steep terrain, he gave up. An unfortunate loss of a great game animal. His custom rifle was capable of launching 168 Bergers at over 3250 FPS with accuracy consistently below 1/3 MOA for 5 shot groups. He had taken many bulls well beyond 600 yds and at that distance never had an issue. I have had two 140 partitions from my 284 win fragmented so badly that the biggest piece I could find was 6 Grains. There was no shank left but 10 pieces of 3 to 6 grains were found throughout the body cavity. Apparently there was a manufacturing problem for my particular lot number. Three years ago, I took a cow elk that had been shot the previous day by another hunter in our party. His shot was good, but the factory cheapest he could find load did not perform as well as he expected and the cow showed no sign of being hit. So, if you have the capacity to load your own, I suggest doing some research and selecting the best bullet that shoots well in your rifle. There are many premium bullets available that will do the job from 25 ft to 1000+ yds.

 

[FEENIX]

I've done some searching but haven't found what I thought was the answer. So…

If you are set up with a long range bullet, (let's just say a Berger EOL) and a shot presents itself at a close range. How do you handle that shot?

I've read a couple things; aim for bone or have a mono bullet built that aims close.

I'd like to have your thoughts.

My son shot a muley busk under 100Y with 215 Berger at 2850 FPS out of my .300 WSM without any problem.

 

[memtb]

While not a popular system by many on this forum……use a mono, Barnes LRX, or something similar, and limit your long range shots to the maximum range for effective expansion.

This makes you "good to go" from muzzle to a ways out yonder! memtb

 

[Huntnful]

While not a popular system by many on this forum……use a mono, Barnes LRX, or something similar, and limit your long range shots to the maximum range for effective expansion.

This makes you "good to go" from muzzle to a ways out yonder! memtb

That really not a bad opinion honestly. Especially for someone wanting to maybe have 5-600 yard max range. That's about when lead starts overcoming the mono's anyways.

 

[Plinker147]

I've never had an issue shooting burgers close or far, that goes with the EDLX, and Nosler LRAB. I believe the real key to this question is what muzzle velocity are you shooting. If you're shooting muzzle velocity of 3200+ you might have issues with bullets designed to expand at low velocity like long range bullets. If you're shooting 3000-ish and less I don't think you'll ever have a problem. I always shoot heart lung area no matter what distance

 

[laker]

Two 156 grain bergers from 6.5-06 at 43 yards. Was above him. First shot broadside second shot he quartered away. He went maybe 5 yards.

 

[memtb]

Two 156 grain bergers from 6.5-06 at 43 yards. Was above him. First shot broadside second shot he quartered away. He went maybe 5 yards.
View attachment 419584

Congratulations! No doubt, it can be done…..and happens many times every season! How well would that combo work ……if a hard, quartering away shot, is your only shot? memtb

Asking for a friend!

 

[laker]

Congratulations! No doubt, it can be don…..and happens many times every season! How well would that combo work ……if a hard, quartering away shot, is your only shot? memtb

Asking for a friend!

Being that I don't take hard quartering shots with any bullet I'd have been just fine. And if I HAD to take that shot I'd have went for the neck at 43 yards and hard quartering

 

[Hydra6]

What about keeping a "tough" bullet combination in the chamber while walking/stalking in case of a "close range" engagement then - if you have a "long range" engagement, switch to the long range bullet combination.

 

[memtb]

Being that I don't take hard quartering shots with any bullet I'd have been just fine. And if I HAD to take that shot I'd have went for the neck at 43 yards and hard quartering

You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel

A policy that I fervently believe in……especially so with bullets! memtb

 

[HARPERC]

I'd like to have your thoughts.

Just a thought not married to it: 1) You don't mention a cartridge or bullet weight. 2) Neither "long range" nor "short range" has a specificity. Details matter 3) If you reviewed threads on this subject, they would mostly track with this one. Namely with Bergers those wanting high BC use heavier for caliber bullets than the general population. Which provides a certain amount of mass that helps offset when things don't go well up close.