So how many people here actually test their rifle and load at longer distances to determine the actual trajectory of their load in their gun?I find myself surprised to hear just how many people think that their gun shoots laser beams,and the bullet magically defies gravity.One of the most ridiculous statements that I have ever read on a forum was:

Anyone with any actual experience with the cartridge knows that even with a 300 yard zero,any 300 wby load is going to be far more than 8.5" low at 500 yards.In fact 20" low at 500 yards is a far more realistic figure.

http://www.weatherby.com/product/amm...ompare=Compare

I'm not an expert by any means but I do know close to what each rifle and round I shoot will do. I do not reload, so after I figure out what round I will be shooting,I stick with it. It's easy to start off with the ballistic charts of each round and then to check how close it is compared to your own gun. In almost all cases the ballistic information for the rounds I shoot are really close to the actual performance out of my own gun.

For example the ballistic chart for the round I shoot out of my 300 RUM says that if I'm zeroed at 250 yards I will have right under 3 inches of drop at 300 yards and right over 12 inches of drop at 400 yards. The chart nails the performance that I'm getting out of my gun to a tee. I've had this same set up for a while now and I will not change it because it works and I have become very effective with it.

I try and know all of my riflesas good as the 300and carry around my little chart notebook with me everywhere. I wishI was as good as some of the guys on here but I'm getting better. I don't think all of the dead animals I've killed can tell I'm just learning though!

24 clicks of up at 600 yards out of the Ackley...field tested...

Of course that changes a bit with different lot#s of powder,altitude,temperature,etc.

just started to get into the longer range game...

i was using an online computer to calculate the clicks i need for the 22-250...

i kept missing at 300 and 350...finally on a dry day when i could see my hits well, i was calling them all high...i was over clicking by nearly double what the computer said i should need to click with my setup.

either my load is shooting faster(could be im shooting a 26" barrel) or my scope clicks are a bit off, which isnt uncommon and i never got around to actually measuring it...mainly because i dont have a rest that will eliminate a large degree of the shooter error...

starting to learn....slowly...not enough time for me to get super serious right now...

Even withthe rifles actual load data inputed into a ballistic calculator it is only a starting point (close isn't good enough on a live target IMHO). Like you stated their is more to know then just numbers to the long range equation. For me the only true way is shoot and not just once either!

In some of my rifles I know it all too well. Some not so much but often this is of no concern as the distance I would shoot those is well within 'aiming on hair'.
My .204s I shoot thousands of times a year at multi-distant prairie dogs, yes I pretty much know how to compensate for those out to about 450 yds. or so, I tape that info to the scope. My .300 Win mag is my longdistance big game getter and out to 500 yd. I have it taped to the scope.

I dont know if point and shoot out to 375 is totally unrealistic. I have tried a 300 yd zero on my 270 and it was "good enough" to point and shoot to 350 yds without going more than 4" high or low the entire way. I didn't keep it like that because the vast majority of my shots are 200 or less, and I didn't like being 4" high from 100-200 yds. I was still amazed that it was possible to go that far without needing any holdover.

You are 100% right about the 500 yd shot, Im calling BS on that one.

One thing that seems to floor most people...

You drop a bullet and shoot one, both hit the ground at the same time!

Course that's if the ground was perfectly flat etc...but the physics are all there.

All bullets drop, and whether its a 300wby or a 375H&H, there isn't a huge difference, sure a .257wby vs. a 45-70 is quite different.

But dead on at 200yds, I find most bullets, drop close to 40" at 500yds, sure +/-, so whether its 45" or 38" or 50", it's never, 5" at 500yds vs 50".


I've never been too into that zero range of my bullet, I like to know where my bullet will be at a certain yardage.

I've found that the charts and ballistics tables are somewhat in the right area BUT there is nothing like letting them fly at known distances.. I've found that my rifles, about 10 of them fly a littler flatter than what the books say for the most part.. It's always best to check and make a listing of how they are flying...