Long range shooting.
 

I am intrested in getting into long range rifle shooting. My friends and family will give no argument about my rifle shooting skill, it is fantastic. Pistol shooting skill, however, leads a lot to be desired. In truth, I am an excellent shot up to 400 yards with a rifle, but I have no long range ability what so ever. I feel I have hit a rut with my rifles. I have never taken a shot beyond 400 yards at an animal, becuase I have no skill at that range. How can I seriously take my skill to the next level? I have no desire to get on here and brag I killed an elk at 778 yards, I am a pretty private sort of hunter. However, I would love to have the confidence to make that kind of shot. It can be done with astonishing success, but not by me. Where do I begin?

RE: Long range shooting.
 

You need to start with a rifle and load that are accurate at longer ranges.A long range rifle and load should at least shoot MOA which amounts to 1" groups at 100 yards,2" groups at 200 yards,3" groups at 300 yards etc,etc.A more accurate rifle is even better.The rifles accuracy can be determined by a very good long distance shooter firing groups off of a benchrest. Then you need to learn the trajectory of that load out to the distance that you want to shoot.This can't accurately be done by using ballistics charts,you must actually shoot the rifle and load at the distances in question.Then you need a laser rangefinder to accurately judge that distance.Then you need to be able to reasonably judge wind and when the wind is too strong for accurate long distance shooting.After that you need a lot of practise actually shooting at long distance.This will amount to at least several hundred rounds per year,perhaps many more depending on the shooter.Accurate long distance shooting requires a lot of committment as well as access to proper equipment and range facilities.

Just a question-You say you you are an excellent shot out to 400 yards.Just how large are your groups at 400 yards?

RE: Long range shooting.
 

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RE: Long range shooting.
 

muley69
I bought a Remington Sendero chambered in 7mm-STW for my long range shooting. I am not good enough to shoot past 500-yards at a big game animal. I killed a antelope doe @ 497-yards this year. A laser range finder is a must for long range shooting. I have set my personal range limit @ 500-yards, IF everything is perfect & the shot feels right? I shoot gophers & prairie dogs in the spring & summer months. This helps me shoot better in the fall.
I would love to attend a shooting school to help my long range shooting. My local range has targets out to 1000-yards.
If I had to recommend a long range hunting rifle my starting point would be the Remington Sendero. The Remington Model 40-X from there custom shop chambered in 338-R.U.M. would be a great choice if you don't mind the extra weight & money.
You will also need a good scope for that rifle. I use a Leupold Vari X-III 6.5x20x40mm. I think this is a good starting point for any long range rifle. There are better choices out there, they all come with a price.
good luck,

WK

RE: Long range shooting.
 

I got to be a pretty good long range shot by getting into the steel silhouette shooting. This shooting is done on about life size steel targets out to 500 meters. The shooting with rifles is all off hand and its not easy to hit that Ram which is about the size of a small whitetail off hand at 500 meters. None of us could hit it very often to start but every match we got close and closer. There is no better way to practice off hand shooting. At least you know the range and a bench rest is there for sighting in and setting your silhouette scopes. 90 percent of the rifles used are 308 win. filling out the group are 7mm-08 and 260 rifles. The 243 will not tip over the rams with any consistancy. Most ranges do not allow magnum rifles to hold down damage to the targets. The 308, 7mm08 and 260 have plenty of pop to knock the targets down at 500 meters. My 308 silhouette rifle shooting 190 grain Hornady BTSP's had no problem with deer at that range either I shot a lot of big mule deer at 500 yards. This because I knew the range and the rifle. My rifle was an out of the box Remington 788. I shot out three barrels in about ten years of shooting.

RE: Long range shooting.
 

I practice up to 500 yards but I have never taken a shot beyond 400. All of them have resulted in 1 shot kills though. I prefer a shot under 250, just is nicer.

RE: Long range shooting.
 

I really dont think that a 778 tard shot at a big game animal is ethical. That is not to say that it cant be done.I think that anything over 500yds should be at targets only. We have a 1000yd gong at our range, its an old oxygen bottle like you hook up to a acetalyne torch. I have the hieght down , but the windage is almost impossible to predict. every little draw between the bench and the target the wind is slightly different, I can hit about 3 out of ten. On a perfectly calm day I'm sure that I could do better, but on animals you dont have a nice bench, cant wait until your ready, you take what the animal offers when it offers it, ect.... There are just to many variables to shoot 778 yds at big game.

RE: Long range shooting.
 

A tripple amen to that NVMIKE. Long range shooting is for targets.

RE: Long range shooting.
 

My own personal limit for shooting at big game is 500 yards as well and then only under ideal conditions.Everyones definition of long range shooting is different ,but I consider any shots at game that approach 400 yards or more to be long range.

RE: Long range shooting.
 

While in the Army, I observed highly trained Army snipers during numerous practice sessions, shooting at targets up to 1000 yds. Some scored kills at that distance, but most didn't do so well. Bringing it back to 800 yds, they all did quite well. 500 yds didn't appear to be easy (from an observer's standpoint), but their kills were consistent. All shots were from the prone position, all were shooting 7.62 cal, and all had rifles weighing between 16 and 18 pounds, hand assembled (with match barrels and ammo) by military personnel or technicians. These are "trained" people, much unlike the vast majority of hunters. I doubt the average hunter has the ability to even hit a deer at 500 yds, much less make consistent killing shots. Glad to learn there are some who say they make the 500 yd kill shots. I'm not one of them.

RE: Long range shooting.
 

Muley
I recently took a Buck Muley at 450+. the only way that can happen is by setting your equipement up for long range.I am a retired marine and shot not only competition but sniper.
1. find a bullet or handload a bullet your gun likes and shoots groups less thana inch at a 100 yard
2. find a scope with the magnification you are comfortable with. a 36x scope picks up every move , concider no more than 12 or 16x---use target turrets
3.shoot at each range from 100,200,300,400,500 and know were the bullet strikes at that range and set dials to that range or draw up a range card
4. realize you limits , not everyone can shoot at ranges exceeding 400+ yards . if you accuracy limit is 350 or 400 dont push it and wound a animal.
5.make sure your caliber can do what it needs at that range you want to hit. a 270 wont have the energy to put a elk down at 500 yards that a 7 mag will etc
if i can be of any help let me know

RE: Long range shooting.
 

This is a suggestion of how to get started. You say you are an excellent shot to 400 yards. This is very long range for most already. When I had an itch to try shooting beyond 300 yards these are the steps I took.

1. I tried many handloads until I had an honest 1/2" grouping load. The rifle I used was a custom 280 Rem. with a 25-1/2" barrel. I was using 140 gr. Nosler Bt's.

2. I sighted my rifle 3" high at 100 yards. I moved the target to 300 yards and fired a 3 shot group. I was nearly 5" low. I adjusted to be zero at 300 yards.

3. I moved the target in 50 yard increments and fired groups. I made the necessary adjustments and noted them so I could return my rifle to 3" high at 100 when I was finished. This took several range sessions and didn't happen in one day. It actually took several weeks. I watched the weather and when a calm day came around is when I did my shooting. I can't dope the wind and really didn't try.

Doing what I did gave me some confidence in myself out to 550 yards. I have a laser range finder so that I will know the distance. Also, as a side note I did the shooting on my own land with no one there to give any distraction. I still will only shoot out to 350 yards at a game animal if the conditions are right. Where I hunt this is a once in a lifetime shot. The farthest I've actually shot at a deer was 228 yards. The shot was a clean kill. I once shot a coyote at 303 yards in Texas on a hog hunt. I would consider shooting at a varmint at 500 yards but certainly not a game animal. I'm sure their are a few that can shoot 500 or farther with great results but I wouldn't chance wounding some of the magnificent animals that we hunt. Being a hunter means that you use your skills to stalk close and make clean kills. I understand that there are times when you cannot get closer. For me that means to return another day and resume the hunt.

RE: Long range shooting.
 

i would say get into reloading and to the range and start practicing and at the range you are comfortable at shooting until you can hit a 1.5 "to 2.5" grouping and then move your target back 10 to 25 yrads at a time. and just remeber that your shot should take 45 sec to a 1 min shoot at a time.

RE: Long range shooting.
 

Muley First you need to own a rifle that will meet your needs. Next you need a bullet that will perform on long yardage for the animal you intend to hunt. And the most important, quality practice at and beyond the yardage you intend to shoot. Different positions, temperatures and wind conditions. When you can hit your target from 50 yards to 500 yards consistantly you are ready to try your luck. At yardages beyond 350 or 400 yards (depending on caliber and bullet) your biggest challange is to convert wind estimation into hold off. ;)

RE: Long range shooting.
 

Muley69, I'm not an expert on the subject but I saw this video advertised on a show called "The Best Of The West". It was a long range shooting video called Beyond Belief and they give some clips of it during the show. I haven't picked it up but it looked interesting as they explained their system and demonstrated it as well. One guy dropped an elk at like 760 yards on a hillside that was way out there. These guys are based in Wyoming and I do enjoy the show as they seem like they hunt hard and show some public land hunts where they take some nice animals. Here is the link to their website where it shows their video and some more info from one of the hosts of the show...

http://www.thebestofthewest.net/

Shooting Host - John Burns
Custom rifle builder and long range shooting instructor. John will share his knowledge of long range shooting and handgun hunting with our viewers.

Due to the tremendous response to the longer than normal shooting we sometimes do on “The Best of the West” I thought I should add some information to our web site to help out our viewers. A lot of you want more nuts and bolts type technical information on the show but it is hard to delve into this type of thing in a ½ hour television show format.

In an effort to satisfy our viewers we are building a set of videos that will explain all the things we do to prepare ourselves and our equipment to be ready for the chance of a lifetime. This three-volume set will be the most complete reference of its kind ever produced and we are really excited about it. The scheduled release date late summer 2004, before hunting season.

We are also releasing a new video that is a compilation of many hunts that ended with a successful long-range shot. This video is a great tool to learn what is possible with the proper equipment and training.

In an effort to start providing you, our viewers, with the information you have been requesting I have posted a few articles on the subject of long-range game shooting. While not meant to be the definitive work on the subject I hope it helps to give you a place to begin in your efforts to extend the range you can humanly harvest game.

Good Luck and remember to never take a shot at game unless you know, from past performance, you can make it.

RE: Long range shooting.
 

I am a beleaver that takes more skill to shoot 20 yards that to shoot 700 yards.So if you want to improve your hunting try not shooting till it gets UNDER 50 yards.

Now that said I shoot a 300 win,I live in montana [land of the big guns]. Most of the guys I know use guns like 30/378 340 wb and 416 rb. NOT one of them shoot there guns over 400 yards BUT they all say they can kill a elk at 700. I do shoot at targets out to 600 yards I run 200 or more shells though my gun a year shooting dogs ,fox and targets few shoots at elk hehe

2 years ago two friends and I where walking out of hunting 3 bulls came up the hill to the north of use.We ran around the hill to try to get a shot there was a very deep gut .one guy was shooting a 30/378 the 2nd was using a 340 . I tooled them there was there chance to show me that long shoot they wouldnt shoot started to give me crap I grabed a tree and shoot. Droped the bull in its tracks. It was 702 yards.This shot was 400 yards farther than any shot I ever took. My point is KNOW your gun shoot it a lot is way better than having a gun that you cant buy bulets for and dont shoot.

I am sure i will get crap for the 700 yard shot,wouldnt have shot if all would have not been perfict.

RE: Long range shooting.
 

Iron Ranger: What you are talking about is exactly what I was referring to. 1068 yard shot on a coyote and they dusted it in its tracks, awsome. I watched them jacking targets 7-800 yards like nobodys business. I disagree with some who feel a long range shot is unethical. If you are skilled and competant and know you and your rifles capability, there is no reason you cannot take a clean long range shot. There are people out there who can make better shots at 700 yards, then others at 100 yards. In my original post I was clear that it was not my goal to get on here and brag about the distance I shot, rather, having the skills to increase my effective shooting range is my goal.

RE: Long range shooting.
 

Muley69, I know what you mean. In MN here, most of my shots have been from 20 to 100 yards or less for as long as I've hunted here. Now, I've started hunting some western states and want to learn to shoot the longer distances in case the opportunity presents itself and to have confidence in the shot. That's about it. I love sneaking on all game and trying to use the land to get as close as possible and definitely prefer the close shot but I think you also need to practice at longer ranges so that you are ready if you decide to take a longer shot to know where that bullet is going to go.

RE: Long range shooting.
 

It is amazing to me that there are so many long range shooting experts on this board. To think that every one shooter in a thousand with the necessary skill would just magically appear here of all places.
I hunted the west for over 30 years and never had to take a shot beyond 350 yards. I thought that was plenty far. If'n you can't get closer you ought not shoot. If you miss the vitals, can you hit the animal again before it gets out of sight? Will you know if you hit too high, too low, or too far back? I think not!

RE: Long range shooting.
 

As I stated in my earlier post, I'm not an expert on the subject but just passing along information. I've always been one to want to get right on top of game and most of the elk, deer, turkeys, etc have been up close and personal. I also think that it doesn't hurt to be prepared so that if the need arises that you can take a longer shot and do so with more confidence. I'm not advocating longer shots but like to prepare for any hunt I go on.