Longe range shooting ?

MrLongbeard · 01-13-2005, 07:41 PM

I have a Savage 300 WSM. I was shooting it at 200 yards from the pron pos with bi pods. Anyhow I was grouping 5 shots in a group about the size of a soft ball. I want to shoot it at 300 yards the next time I go out. I'm figuring I should be able to keep my group inside a paper plate at that range.

What do you guys think about this grouping. Is this exceptable for Elk hunting out west????

Slamfire · 01-14-2005, 02:03 AM

Sounds like plenty of accuracy to me, but then I'm not one to shoot elk at 700 yards distance, all of mine were closer than 100.

Power · 01-14-2005, 04:19 PM

Should be fine. Make sure you can hit that plate from a sitting position as well as leaned up against a post or something. Can't always get prone in Elk country to get that shot.

gunny97 · 01-15-2005, 01:27 AM

If your hitting the size of a softball at 200 at 300 you should the group to grow about a inch and a half. if you want a better group. check and see if the barrell is floated and also shoot several diferant bullets. i found that mine likes the hornady better than winchester. the best thing to do is have a handloader who has a laod your gun likes make the bullets

MrLongbeard · 01-15-2005, 11:37 AM

Power I was thinking about the extended Bi pods that you can shot with from the sitting position.

Can anybody recomend a good outfitter for my first
elk hunt ???

jones123 · 01-15-2005, 01:15 PM

I am more solid with a sitting bipod than with a prone one.. I have had very poor luck with a prone bipod - I am better off with a filled backpack (good reason to carry one). Grass is nearly always too tall for a short bipod, and the butt is too high on my shoulder with a longer one.

Last season I shot a doe sitting in tall grass with a sitting bipod, and couldn't believe how solid I was.

This year I am going to take advice from the best elk shooter I know and learn to shoot off my knees, sitting. Whatever distance I can group inside a paper plate - that's my shot. If an elk is further away, I'm just going to have to hunt closer.

I have been with a guide on horsey and was devastated when I found out I couldn't fit my bipod into the rifle scabbard. Guide made me feel small when I said I needed it, so I just left it behind. He said I should learn to shoot. Luckily I had a tree rest and got my elk with one shot at 180 yds.

My sons learned off bipods and I think that was a mistake. I don't want to depend on the bipod any more, so I'm going to learn to shoot off my knees and off those fold-up stix. Whatever distance my shot-up paper plate is will be by stalk-to distance.

Power · 01-15-2005, 03:26 PM

I've had my best luck sitting with my knees up in front of me, resting the rifle across them. Seems good enough for shots up to 200 yards. Longer than that I prefer a tree or rock or backpack to shoot over. All of my shots have been with 200 yards but one and that was through a tree I was sitting by. I would never shoot off-hand unless the shot was within 100 yards. I'll drop to my butt and sit and take a shot or pass on the shot. Elk are big, that's true, but they are very tough and if you don't place your shot in the right place you'll regret it the rest of your life. I'm not much of an expert (only shot 2 elk) but neither of them dropped at the shot and required a few follow up shots to finish the job. My story of them are on my site if you want to read about them.

jones123 · 01-15-2005, 05:23 PM

Nice site, Power. You are lucky to live around Wenatchee. Been there a few times and loved it there.

My son got this one with one shot at 150 to 200 yds sitting & holding off his knees. Two steps and dead. I was so proud.

Power · 01-16-2005, 01:59 AM

Hey, congrats on the nice Elk! That's looks pretty recent...is that out in the Tarpiscan? I think I've seen that horse out there during this last Elk season. Did you guys come out with about 4 horses and meet a guy when you crossed the N. Fork of the Tarpiscan. If so, that was me sittin' on those rocks.

Slamfire · 01-16-2005, 03:02 AM

There are better descriptions of the sitting position than this,. but here goes. You have to lean way over so that the arm above the elbow rest in the flat spot inside of the knee when it is bent. Then your back muscles will oppose the lock of your arms and legs and steady your position. If your beer belly gets in the way it is time to lose that sucker. A tight sling will steady things up even more. See if you can find a description of a "Ching" sling, it is a steady as a tight sling and as fast to get into as a hasty sling.[8D]