Rifle shooting out to 400 yards +/-

Adam Helmer · #1 05-18-2011, 05:17 PM

I own a 60-acre farm and have a 20-acre hayfield up on top that is about 400yards by 250 yards. I do have a 100 yard range just up behind the house, but decided to "Range" my rifles out to 400 yards. Actually, I only get 375 yards (lasered) from my shooting bench to the target frame and two gongs. A verticle hill behind my gongs provides a safe backstop for all rounds fired.

I built several target frames 48" X 32" from scrap wood and placed them at 100, 200 and 375 yards. It takes a BIG target for 375 yards when one uses iron sights; a 5-minute or 20-inch bull will suffice for iron sights. For scopes, a 10-inch bull does fine out to 400 yards. My scoped rifles are sighted to print 2 inches high at 100 yards. I wanted to see where they printed at 200 and 375 yards. Before actually shooting, I studied the Sierra Ballistics Tables for my various bullets. Sierra was very close in the drop for all my arms tested.

I fired an M1 Garand with 150 grain spitzer handloads, a .243 with 100 grain spitzer handloads and a .25-06 with 87 grain spitzers and 117 grain spitzer handloads. My results were recorded in Volume 14 of my shooting logs. Bottom Line Is: all shooters should shoot beyond 100 yards for the information they will glean. Gravity always works! There are NO "Flat shooting rifles" and all bullets drop, some more than others. I will test fire a .264 Winchester Magnum, a .300 Weatherby Rem 700 and a .35 Whelen whenever this constant rain stops. I use my Polaris Ranger to dash up and back to patch targets.

Adam

Jack · #2 05-18-2011, 11:33 PM

Shooting targets at extended distance can be very illuminating! Particularly in different wind conditions.

skeet · #3 05-18-2011, 11:34 PM

You are right about the long range being really tough Heck till I hunted in Montana many many years ago..I thought a 2x7 was all i would ever need for bigger game hunting. Then holy Toledo.. 400 Yds is a LOOONNNGGG way and a 3x9 really isn't enough for some shooting here. Especially in the pointy places...and unless you have a good rangefinder the prairie country sure is long too but it is easier to figure yardage out there..in my opinion. I can usually get it pretty close out in the flats..the pointy areas are really hard. I almost always understimate. I ranged an elk I figured was just a bit over 450 yds. When the Leica told me it was 742 yds, I was amazed. I kinda think Petey and those guys in that long range shootin club up therehave a much better handle on the long shootin. I have my 300 Win Mag sighted at 300 yds for elk. and that sure is a Long way out there. I have learned also that there really is no such thing as a FLAT shootin rifle. If any comes close to flat it would have to be the 257 Weatherby Mag. I consider mine to be a real 450 yd antelope rifle...and like your targets..those critters target area is sure a lot smaller than you think. I figure my longest shootin range on an elk will be at the most 500 yds..in the open...not later than 2 hours before sundown and as little wind as possible. It is really amazing to me how much a bullet will drift in a LIGHT wind. In the mountains 500 yds is a very long way to walk...sometimes LOL. I have also observed that in the cold of winter in the mountains the wind is usually much lighter than in the summer. No wonder we hunt in winter LOL

buckhunter · #4 05-19-2011, 09:05 AM

Talk about long range. Spoke with a bud last night. His nephew is a Marine, scout/sniper currently serving as an instructor. In Afaighan (sp) he had a confirmed kill at 1490 yards. Now thats a long way. Barrett naturally.

It funny we speak that 40 yards with a bow is a long way.

wrenchman · #5 05-19-2011, 11:21 AM

This is a vey good post i to do read the charts and in most cases they ae close but u need to shoot each gun they will shoot different.
I have been hunting shot guns for the last few years and it is even more so with the new hot rounds the box says you can shoot 200 yards it does depend on the gun and shooter.

muledeer · #6 05-19-2011, 04:44 PM

Long range shooting is an eye opener. It's amazing how much a bullet drops at 500yds when you're 2-3 inches high at 100. Our county range has gongs starting at 300yrds out to 700yrds and a 55 gal drum at 1,000yds. I shoot a 270 Weatherby mag with 130 gr Nosler Ballistic tips and a 300 Weatherby with 180 gr BT (both handloads). I've shot several deer at 500 yrds +- with one shot kills (270 mag) simply because I practice long range shooting. Never shot anything that far with the 300 mag except gongs. I prefer closer shots but feel confident at 500yrds because I practice otherwise I would not attempt that distance for fear of wounding the animal.
I shoot a Barrett M99 50 cal 1000yrds at the drum. I gotta say, 1000yrds is a long ways even with a scope. I have nothing but respect for our snipers at the 1000+ yards shots they make.
muledeer

Jack · #7 05-20-2011, 10:13 AM

I think only us oldsters know what a huge advance in long range shooting the laser rangefinder is. Before that, range estimating was a big part of field shooting at long distance.

PJgunner · #8 05-20-2011, 06:41 PM

I usually sight my rifles in 3" high at 100 yards, but do shoot them out to 300, 400 and 500 meters depending on whatever round I'm shooting. For example, the 7x57 and .308 usually shot to 300 meters, the .270 to 400 meters and the .300 Win. mag. to 500 meters. I shoot enough that I have a strong working idea where to hold on game out in the field. I was able to hold off on a cow elk at a laser measured 530 yards and drop her with the first shot. Roughly 3 months of practice usually twice a week with that rifle was what making that shot possible.
Paul B.

Adam Helmer · #9 05-21-2011, 03:21 PM

Guys,

Today the wife said, "I want to shoot the .25-06 at the 375-yard gong. At 10:00 a.m. we trekked in the Polaris to the hayfield range. Shooting an 87 grain handload, she scored two hits on the far gong from the shooting bench. Nuff said. From now on nothing is safe in that BIG field.

Adam

jalewi · #10 05-21-2011, 10:57 PM

If you are into ipod/iphone apps. you can download the same apps the snipers use built by Knight Armament Company. They have a few options--a simple one for dummies like me for around 4 bucks with simple windage, yardage and then they have the one with all the bells and whistles that the snipers use that has temp, curvature of the earth, etc. etc. I think this one is 20 or 30 bucks. Even the cheap one has built in ballistic charts for multiple calibers and bullet wts. Neat little tool.

Ridge Runner · #11 05-22-2011, 10:09 AM

started working on extending my range since 1981, the last few years I have been taking a couple whitetails a year at 600-800 yards, and normaly get 1 in the 1K range or beyond.
I sight dead on at 300, then dial up from there using exbal on a pda, after having tweaked the datta to fit my trajectory. I've burnt up my share of barrels and alot of ammo to get to this stage, hope the money holds out till I'm comfortable at 1 mile.
RR

Adam Helmer · #12 05-22-2011, 10:34 AM

Ridge Runner,

What caliber are you shooting? I am surprised how long the time of flight is at 400 and 600 yards and how long it takes the sound of "Whomp" from the 47-pound steel gong to get back to the firing line.

I wonder what happens when a deer takes a step forward while grazing and the bullet is enroute? Care to comment?

Adam

Ridge Runner · #13 05-22-2011, 08:14 PM

sure,
I shoot a 7mm Allen Mag, it tuns a 160 nosler downrange at 3575 fps, 500 yard TOF is just under 1/2 sec. just shooting isn't all there is to long range hunting, you study the game enough to know by its actions when you have the window for the shot, its not that hard to tell, my longest shot to date had a TOF of 1.6 sec.
but in the event of a bad hit, deer do not sprint off in a blind terror like they do when the muzzle blast is in they're face, they seldom even move more than 30-40 feet.
My 2 bad hits that I have had since 1981 have went like this, one hit too far back at 611 yards due to the light wasn't good appeared to be broadside when in fact she was quartering too, she made 3 jumps and bedded down, I gave it 1/2 moa of up and the next round took her through the head.
The other was 1350 yds, hit a bit back in the liver, ran 30 yards layed down and was dead in less than a minute, that 2 out of 51 deer shot at beyond 400 yards, hows your average?
RR

Adam Helmer · #14 05-23-2011, 10:21 AM

Ridge Runner,

I do not shoot beyond 250-300 yards with a .270, .30-06, 7mm RM, .264 WM or a .35 Whelen. In the last 23 years here on the farm I have watched many deer. The erratic movements of those deer convinces me a long time of flight for a bullet could change the bullet's point of impact on those deer. I haven't lost a deer yet, but I have passed up some long shots for good reasons; light, wind or a running deer.

Adam

Ridge Runner · #15 05-23-2011, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Helmer

Ridge Runner,

I do not shoot beyond 250-300 yards with a .270, .30-06, 7mm RM, .264 WM or a .35 Whelen. In the last 23 years here on the farm I have watched many deer. The erratic movements of those deer convinces me a long time of flight for a bullet could change the bullet's point of impact on those deer. I haven't lost a deer yet, but I have passed up some long shots for good reasons; light, wind or a running deer.

Adam

its not hard, only shoot when they're head is up, in the last 40 years I've taken somewhere beyond 200, I've lost 2.
RR