What range is these cal. good fore?

Dachs

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Joined
Mar 10, 2003
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Hi.. know just about nothing about long range hunting. I wonder what range my cal´s can be used for. I got:

.222
6,5x55 SwedishMauser
375 H&H Mag

What is the acceptable hunting range for these calibers? What would you consider is the max range? Consider use of a bullet that are good and a scope that fits its range. The target may be in the size of an roedeer.

[ 03-12-2003: Message edited by: Dachs ]
 
Dachs

It is more a matter of what is the capablility of the accuracy of the gun. For example a Swedish 96 mauser in 6.5x 55 might only be capable of shooting 8-10" groups at 400 yards max. The 222 with its limited bullet weight and down range energy might be limited in accuracy and configuration to 300 yards on very small animals. The 375 could easily take any game out to 300 yards, but at 1000 the trajectory is similar to a mortar firing. Makes LR hits a challenge to say the least, but not impossible. Plus do not see many ballistically efficiant LR bullets for 375. The 375 is normally "up close and personal".

however guys are building match grade LR guns in 6.5x55 with special fast barrels 1-8 and shooting 140-147 gr bullets at 1000 yards into 3-7" groups and are very capable of taking deer size game at that range.

For LR hunting you are trying to get a combination of bullet size, weight and energy into the animal with the most efficiant caliber that is easy for you to load and shoot.

If you are not a reloader proficiant or willing to spend time and money to learn, then it does not make sense for you to have a tight neck wildcat cartridge. Get a "standard" cartridge with minimum SAAMI chamber and learn from that. Can always use factory ammo.

Bottom line it is a combination of gun caliber, bullet weight, downrange energy in relationship to the target animal, and accuracy level of both gun and shooter's capability to put it all together. No cookie cutter formula here. Everyone is different!

Good luck

BH
 
I am a reloader, and all my weapons go 20 mm or less at 100 yards. Thats not benchrest, but I´m interested in whats the cal. good for if we consider the accuracy to be very good.
 
Dachs

From what I just looked up, a roe deer is about 36 to 50 inches long, 24 to 30 inches tall at the shoulder and typically weigh 33 to 66 pounds, a smallish animal. A whitetail deer is 32 to 40 inches tall at the shoulder, about 60 to 80 inches long and typically weigh in the range of 125 to 210 pounds. A standard deer has about a 16 to 18 inch chest depth and of that about 12 inches is a good kill zone estimate. So I'd guess your roe deer have about a 12 inch chest depth and a 8 inch kill zone (a guess).

For game animals I initially base my max range for killing at 1/2 the kill zone in MOA, so a 12 inch kill zone give me about 6 MOA for a respectable figure. If I'm shooting at rifle and load capable of 1 MOA in hunting conditions the max distance I could shoot a deer with a 12 inch kill zone is 600 yards. Your roe deer (assuming a 8 inch kill zone) would be a 400 yard limit for me.

My limits are based on my method of hunting. I don't shoot sighter rounds, I'm a "first round hit" hunter and this limits me by comparison to others posting here.

Hope this helps a bit on the range vs accuracy.

On retained energy, wound channel and animal reaction. I have essentially no lower limit on retained energy... I shoot for a double lung shot when hunting at longer ranges. It's been by experience that that I know that a double lung shot deer is a dead deer, as long as the round can penetrate (pass through) the deer or reach both lungs. I have shot deer at greater than 500 yards with a 243 using a 70 grain varmint bullet and the bullet passes through the deer's chect cavity at that range and resultant velocity. I've also shot deer at close range with the same bullet and it expand quite rapidly, better for head shots than chest at 50 yards. SO, the 222 should be fine to your comfortable range on a roe deer, as should the 6,5 and 375... One last issue, animal reaction; animals hit from long distances typically don't respond in the same manner as animals shot in close proximity to the hunter/shooter. My observations have been that animals shot at longer distances sence no fear and seldom run away to die out of sight, they typically die in place while feeding or after they lay down to "rest".
 
This was very informative Dave. I do understand a bit more, but dam I got a lot to learn. I my country long range hunting qualifies to loose your right to hunt and you´ll probably loose all your weapons as well - since you´ll no longer have a need for them.

Max range I´ve ever shot is 200 yards on roedeer. I do not dare to exceed that. Need a lot more understanding of LR balistic etc. If I failes in ranges over 150 yards and wounds the animal (even misses) I´ve broken the law. I may shoot at 600-1000-2000 what ever, but a miss or wound could get me in trouble if it was detected.

Fair enough, here we have to be absolute certain of hitting the animal deadly before firing the shot. Wounding an animal is not accepted if it is due to your own imperfection. The common (safe) range is 100 yards, but up to 150 will probably not lead to procecution.
 
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