ORIGINAL: RedAllison
200yds with ONLY magnum capable BP rifles (150 grain loads in quality in-lines) is a VERY VERY capable proposition for most folks.
I disagree. "Most folks" I know shoot maybe 10 shots a year and some of those are at game. Your thinking drop only. At 200 yds a deer is a pretty small target even at 9X. It takes practice to make those kind of shots. I've put close to 200 rounds through my Omega this year and I know where it hits out to 200. I passed a nice buck the third day because it was at 231 yds and I had no idea where it shot at that range. I could have guessed (and a friend told me I should have), but I've got too much respect for my quarry to risk a shot if I don't know I could make it.
I think alot of guys are under-estimating their own abilities as well as that of their guns. With something like a Encore/Omega/Knight Disc etc firing 150grn loads with 250grain bullets like SSTs or Barnes, the typical drop @ 200yds is 6" when sighted dead on @ 100yds. They drop like anvils once you cross the 225 range (but still are killable at 300 with practice) and I personally recommend something like a mil-dot setup. All of the above loads and guns will still produce around 1k ft pds of energy at 300yds so at 200yds they are more than adequate for deer sized game.
The guns are capable certainly. However the most important element is the shooter. If the shooter is not capable of the shot then the gun is irrelevant. Also a small point, without a range finder how far exactly is your animal? How do you know where to hold? Guessing an animal is at 200 when it's at 240 could lead to a miss or even worse, a crippled animal. What about wind? Wind is a bigger factor than drop at extreme ranges. What's your drift with a 10 mph wind? If you don't know then you could have a problem.
When dealing with loads under 130 grains of propellant I would recommend 150yds as the maximum for most shooters,
RA
Why 130 gr of powder? Why is that the magic number? I read about a fellow taking a Nilgai at 300+ with 100 gr of Pyro and a 325 gr bullet. According to the shooter the bullet expanded properly. There is no magic number. I shot 105 gr. of 777 (Actually I weigh my powder and the weight was 85 gr.). According to your number I am way under powered. However my bullet still exited. I maintain the minimum energy out to just past 300 yds.
Simply put, the most important factor is the shooter. Always has been. Most shooters can make long shots but only after sufficent practice. There is no substitute for that.