SDarcher

Like Bocajnala, I am looking to extend my effective range and hoped I could get some advice form the accomplished shooters on here. Right now I'm shooting a Winchester Model 70 .270 with a Simmons 3-9x40 scope and a 150 grain Winchester cartridge. I guess I'm wandering whereto start (other than to keep practicing) ir order to achieve that goal. Would improving my setup as far as upgrading the scope, reloading, etc be the place to start?. I would love to eventually be able to get to that 500 yard range. Right now I'd be comfortable to about 300 yards.

Thanks in advance for any advice you guys can give!
-SDarcher

bigcountry

Start shooting and start changing things as needed. With any setup, you should be alble to get 15" groups at 500 yards. From there, start playing around with different ammo. if you are reloader, pick a bullet with a better BC. If your gun is not that accurate, have it accurized. Pillar bedding, glass bedding. Scope leaves alot to be desired. But if its not moving or causing you accuracy problems, leave it, or buy a new one.

CarpetBagger

Number one thing is you have to take alot of things into account shooting long range. Altitude, cross winds, hold over, ect...

With my 270 I have it sighted in at 2" High at 100...You basically just square up on the animal and pull the trigger out to almost300yrds which is an oddity of a shot in the woods here in western PA. I have shot a few Doe out to almost 200 across a field, but 300yrds is a hell of a longshot.

1st thing to do probaly would be to banish that simmons scope from your gun and get yourself a quality set of optics if you want to shoot 500yrds.

Practice...just a thought...Ive never shot 500yrds nor wanted to. We had a 19 year old kid here take a shot at a deer here about a week ago he missed and it hit another hunter in the head killing him.....not a very smart idea no deer alive is worth another human beings life. IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE TAKING THE SHOT WITH THE CONFIDENCE TO PROVIDE A FAST CLEAN KILL TO THE ANIMAL YOU ARE HUNTING....DO NOT SHOOT!

bigcountry

What????

We are talking about long range shooting here. Your talking about hitting another person??? Goodness gracious, what has this page turned into.

spaniel

The first thing you need to look at is a rangefinder. No gun of any cartridge will do you much good at 500 yards unless you have a rangefinder that can reliably range an animal or at least something you can depend on being near the animal (like a tree). The human eye is only reliable to +/- 150 yds or so at 500 yds, USELESS and you're slinging guesses without a rangefinder.

The second thing you need is better optics. You cannot reliable "hold over" for drops that far out. You need 1) a tactical-style scope with external adjustments, 2) A mil-dot scope, or 3) a BDC reticle, I recommend them in that order. I shoot a Nikon Tactical 4-16X 50mm scope on my 300WM. This fall I got the trip of a lifetime (so far!) to Montana for elk and muley and took my bull from 683 yards as I was not going to get another chance to get one closer.

The third thing will depend on what you hunt. Deer? A 270 might still be a 500 yard gun, I'd have to check the ballistics. I'd recommend a little more gun that far out and certainly if you intend anything bigger than deer.

The fourth thing is practice, and lots of it, which suggests the fifth thing, which is reloading equipment. I could not afford to shoot the quality ammo I shoot if I did not reload it for under $1/shell. Once you have a rangefinder, the biggest problem shooting long range is wind and while the computer will calculate rough drift values for you only a lot of experience shooting far and possible a wind meter can help you judge conditions and adjust your drift compensation.

Shooting long range is a complex process, and expensive to do it right, especially if you consider what I did:
Before hunt:
1) Put together long range rig - Remington Sendero, Nikon Tactical scope, Scope Level, Burris Signature rings with inserts to add addtional upward travel into the scope.
2) Learned to reload and got all the equipment
3) Carefully developed the fastest accurate load with 200gr Accubond in my rifle - 2945 fps
4) Gained 200+ rounds of experience at 100-400 yds
5) Two range sessions to 860 yards to verify drop chart, wind drift estimates,and group size (6inches)
6) Additional range time with .22 and muzzleloader at long ranges to practice wind drift compensation
7) Bought Bushnell 1500ARC rangefinder

During the shot:
1) Called in elk until he hung up and offered no stalk opportunity without being winded.
2) Several range readings to be confident in range - 683 yards
3) Set up gun and leveled Harris bipod legs
4) Adjusted magnification and side focus to eliminate parralax error
5) Consulted drop chart, dialed in appropriate drop
6) Estimated wind through valley in front of me, consulted chart to dial in wind
7) Got all set, verified spotter was ready to call my hits
8) Verified gun was level with scope level, tightened in and fired first shot
9) Spotter called he couldn't see it, animal did not react (he was well hit)
10) Repeated firing sequence, fired again. Spotter couldn't see it, animal didn't react (well hit again withing 6inches of first hit)
11) Double-checked all calculations
12) Fired third shot; spotter called he heard the hit, animal turned 180 degrees at the shot
13) Fired fourth shot; spotter called miss right at his nose. Realized wind drift was a little more than estimated (first shots had just missed lungs through liver), so pulled the crosshairs further over and fired fifth shot. Heard shot impact (boilerroom shot perfect), animal reacted slightly, walked behind tree where he soon collapsed.
14) Waited an hour before approaching animal as you can't see what happens that well from that far away!!

Long range rifle hunting is a complex game and a lot more than just getting a gun and scope that will get bullets out there! Study up, read longrangehunting.com.

game4lunch

JUST CURIOUS . . . WHY OUT TO 500(+) YARDS?
You can dump a pot load of money into your gun to make it "match grade". Don't need to . . . but you can.
I could go down a list of suggestions but let me stear you to an outfit that "specializes" in long range shooting/hunting.
From a TV show called "Best of the West", http://www.thebestofthewest.net/
There are DVD's of examples of long range shooting, and a "How-to" DVD of how to achieve successful LRS by modifying your gun. Like pillar bedding, floating the barrel, etc. VERY good stuff! Look for their Video Archives for some sample shots. In their Store, there are DVD's called "Beyind Belief". And they are! Seeing still won't be believing! They take an elk at over 800 yards with one shot. They also caution you from trying any of what they teach until you have become very good at the practice range. Ethical shots first!
If you want to shoot long range, these DVD's will help you do-it-yourself.
I don't think you need a $1,000.00 + scope, but it is very advisable to get a better scope than you have. And...........
One that has features you can use like interchangable turrets and higher power.. Example: http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...amp;id=0043015

It's a long link, but try to get there. Cut & paste.

bronko22000

Other than what's been previously stated, the best advice I can give for long range shooting (at and animal) is 'get closer'. Most competent shooters can handle a 300 yd shot with a 270 or similar shooting cartridges with a bit of practice. Beyond that, without extensive shooting under varing conditions you are pressing your luck. Holdover is easy once you know your rifle/load - its wind that can cause havoc to an inexperienced shooter.

spaniel

"Get closer" is easy to say but there is a place for long range shooting. One example was the elk hunt I mentioned. Now, the day before I shot that bull we got the same one bugling and stalked for over half an hour, finally getting within 80 yards of him downwind, an exhausting stalk. But I couldn't get a clean shot as he wouldn't exit the dark timber. The next afternoon was my last chance to get a bull, I could not get downwind of him and he was not going to hold there long enough for a stalk before departing over the mountain and disappearing.

It's easy to say "get closer" when you're not the one who dropped $700 on a non-resident take, a couple thousand on other miscellaneous expenses, burned half your vacation for the whole year, and drove 28 hours each way and your only alternative is to eat your tag. So I put in the time and went prepared to make that shot it and only if I had to...and boy I'm glad I did my homework.

A blown stalk is no big deal if you are local. There's always tomorrow. When you will only get 1-2 stalks after all the time/effort/money mentioned above, the proposition changes. I'm not advocating Hail Mary shots, but if you are prepared, practiced and capable of doing it...

Rammer

Just come an do some shooting with me one of these days, and I'll get ya all dialed in!

SDarcher

Thanks for all the tips guys, I do plan on putting in a lot of practice before attemptingany longshots. I'm not looking for a quick answer so I can just go out and start shooting long range shots, but am interested in working my way out to those longer ranges, more I guess for the challenge of it and just didn't know where to start. Keep the tips coming guys, and thanks again.

Rammer- we'll be up to your place for New years. we'll deffinately have to go out and do some shooting.