For those who feel the long range itch
probably not what you want to hear, but it will save you money, and cut your learning curve in the long run.
If its your first steps into the world of long range, forget the lazer flat trajectories, the "up" is the easiest part of the whole deal, lazer flat means big cases, small bullets, lots of throat erosion.
When I started I kept thinking man a bigger case and faster bullet will get me where I need to go.....I bought a 7mm mag, did ok to 450 yards, so I bought into the weatherby hype, bought a 270 Bee, did ok to 450 yards, so I went a step higher on the ladder and ordered a full house custom, a Bansner UR-1 chambered 7mm STW, still I was stuck at 500 yards.....how could this be? that 300 fps extra velocity only gives you another 50 yards max range, then I learned the #1 rule in long range shooting
In the world of long range, BC outruns velocity every time
cartridge is not important, a high BC bullet drops and drifts 30% less than a standard bullet at ranges beyond 500 yards
example
270 weatherby, 140 gr bullet, 3150 fps, sierra 140 HPGK sighted dead on at 250 yards, lets call the BC .366
at 750 yards that bullet is 126.5" low at 750 yards
same rifle, sight in and conditions only with a berger bullet of 140 gr, with a BC of .487 it drops 23" less at the same distance
jack that up to a 150 gr, with a BC of .531 and though it has a lower MV, it still drops 23" less than the sierra, or the same as a 140 gr berger at 3150 fps. yet they both retains almost 400 ft/lbs more energy at 750so what would you rather shoot a deer with a bullet that drops 126" at 750 yards and gets there with 668 ft/lbs of energy, or one that drops 103" and retains over 1000 ft/lbs of energy.
get a ballistic program and play with some numbers, take the load you shoot and just raise the BC on the bullet and check the drop and drift beyond 700 yards, you'll me surprised what you discover
and remember this, any 2 given bullets if they have the same BC, and launched at the same velocity, drift and drop exactly the same reguardless of weight or caliber
more to come
RR
Last edited by Ridge Runner; 01-24-2015 at 12:54 PM.