Getting Ready

[bigbrother]

In preparation for an October Antelope hunt, we've been shooting our carry rifles out to 850 yards. Last weekend, 3 of the Pro Staff went to our rifle club to practice on steel. Pigs at 300 meters, Turkeys at 4, Rams at 500 meters shooting off sticks while sitting, utilizing mildot scopes and holds in the wind was most of the practice.

My carry gun is a 700 Rem, with an adjusted trigger and good handloads. No other modifications were made to it. I top it with a Leupold 4.5-14 Long Range scope with mil dot reticle. I use this gun for normal deer hunting here in PA as well as just about anything else I can find to shoot with it. I run my mil numbers to 600 yards. As with anything, the key to being profficient is PRACTICE!

It's simple enough to topple the rams at 500 meters off the bench with a rest and bags but when you sit down and shoot off sticks it's a whole different world. Breathing and a good trigger squeeze become ever more important. It seems it gets harder and harder to find time to practice but it's certainly no less important. My confidence right now is soaring and certainly if I can crawl to within range of a good antelope it will be in trouble. Am I looking for a long range shot? Not really, but if I can't get any closer than 600 yards on a record book buck, I KNOW that I can make the shot. THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!

[Ridge Runner]

my carry rifle is a bansner custom 700 chambered in 7mm STW with a vari X III 6.5x20T up top, right now I'm shooting 140's at 3550 behind a healthy dose of H-1000, I do have 200 162 gr a-max's awaiting loading if I can just find the time to work up a load
RR

[bigbrother]

what type of velocity can you run the 200's at out of the STW?

[Larryjk]

Question! How do you practice for the 30 mph winds that are normal quite frequently in Wyoming? They may be from your back, or straight in your face. But they will ususally be at some kind of angle and gusting. I am not sure you will be hunting in Wyoming, but please don't try those hail Mary shots on our poor prairie goats. Show them some respect.

[skeet]

I was gonna ask the same question. The wind is a hard thing to deal with out here. Fellow shot a speed goat the other day and the wind drifted the bullet almost a foot and a half. Oh he hit the lope and the 2nd shot did it in. The range was about 335 yds according to my Leica 1200 and the wind was (relativley) calm...by Wyoming standards. LOL Makes it pretty hard to guestimate at any times. On one really calm day I actually killed a PD at a bit more than 650 yds with my Barrett. Pure luck though..It just wasn't that PDs day. I did miss a shot on an elk at about 500 because of the different wind on the other side of the canyon... it was calm where I was shooting from.

[bigbrother]

Originally Posted by Larryjk

Question! How do you practice for the 30 mph winds that are normal quite frequently in Wyoming? They may be from your back, or straight in your face. But they will ususally be at some kind of angle and gusting. I am not sure you will be hunting in Wyoming, but please don't try those hail Mary shots on our poor prairie goats. Show them some respect.

First of all, I show all things respect including my fellow HuntChat members; which is the only reason I'm responding to this. My mom wouldn't have it any other way.

Secondly, any shot that I take is not a "hail mary" it's a shot that I know I can make or I don't take it. I take offense to the accusation.

Thirdly, the only way to be proficient at shooting in the wind is shooting in the wind. Wind values and the practices used to dope the wind do not change dependant upon the wind speed. It only changes the amount of dope required on the scope to place the bullet where you want it. I fully expect it to be windy, I also fully expect that I won't have to shoot further than 200 yards. The point of the post was practice and confidence.....

Lastly, I apologize if I've offended you in some manner.

[Larryjk]

bigbrother, I am not offended and I hope you aren't either. We have a company here in Wyoming [in Skeets area] that makes rifles and scopes for, and advocates shooting elk and deer at close to 1000 yards. They always show the hits in their tv ads but never show the leg or gut hits at those distances. [ I live the wind here and know it is impossible to know what is happening 1000 yards from a shooting location ] However, there are places in this country where the wind is very calm and a long shot may work.
Again, I didn't mean to offend you, just ask about the advisability of the long shots.

[Ridge Runner]

haven't loaded them for the STW, I'm guessing I could get 2800-2900 from it, I did work up a load with 160 accubonds for it at 3340 fps.
I'm pushing the 200's 3250 in my 7mm AM, if my brass will hold out I should start some chart workups this week.
RR

About the wind doping, its part mathematical formulas, part experience. How do you get good? you shoot in the worst winds during practice, check the results and gain experience at it.
After the 30 mph wind kicks your tail a few times at the target range, then you better understand how to deal with a 15 mph.
You can see alot about the wind by using an experienced eye looking through the scope down the bullets path, If you've done your homework you know 1 of 2 things, Either you know you can make the shot, or its time to pass. There is no middle ground.
Folks may know what the wind does at 1000 yards, but do they know how we deal with it?
RR

[bigbrother]

Originally Posted by Larryjk

bigbrother, I am not offended and I hope you aren't either. We have a company here in Wyoming [in Skeets area] that makes rifles and scopes for, and advocates shooting elk and deer at close to 1000 yards. They always show the hits in their tv ads but never show the leg or gut hits at those distances. [ I live the wind here and know it is impossible to know what is happening 1000 yards from a shooting location ] However, there are places in this country where the wind is very calm and a long shot may work.
Again, I didn't mean to offend you, just ask about the advisability of the long shots.

Well, I hope everyone that watches any outdoor show realizes that there is a lot of editing that happens. When the "Best of the West" did their "how to shoot beyond belief" they did a very good job of showing the viewer what it really takes to make a shot at long range. Unfortunately most people don't know, or don't care to understand that there is a LOT involved and you can't do it without practice and knowing what you're bullet is doing. When you watch the show, it makes it seem that anyone can do it. (And with the right equipment, knowledge and practice and LOTS of money spent they can).

As far as advisability of long shots, the responsibility rests solely in the hands of the shooter. Only he knows whether or not he has made the shot in the past and whether current conditions lend themselves to making the shot now. That's only learned by experience and lots of rounds down range. In general people don't shoot enough and I agree that the average hunter has NO business in taking these types of shots unless they've proven time and again they can make it.

[M.T. Pockets]

Hope you have a good hunt, let us know how it turns out.