Any Need to Shoot Beyond 500 Yards?

[McPatrickClan]

Good advice thanks all.

[BTLowry]

there are 2 kinds of people in this world , those who do , and those who talk...

if you're a talker ... just don't!

if you're a doer ... go for it!

let me explain ...

i own my property and i have steel out to 730 yards ... i reload , practice and shoot allot.
@650 yards is a feeder , i'd have no problem taking a shot at that distance . flight time is .78 sec , 4.2 mils elevation and up to .5 mil drift based on wind ... 1100ft-lbs of energy left.

100 yards to 300 yards is 22lr practice. i have 2 courses setup with different wind .. one range east to west , the other only a slight angle off north. all steel targets are 2 moa in size based on distance .. 2" @100 , 4" @ 200 , 6" @ 300 .... additional sight in's at longer distances to figure out wind some times 12" .

I shoot 22lr allot ... as in ordering a case of eley at a time.

No better training than shooting 22lr on a windy day to get really good at reading wind..

switch to big guns and it seems easy...

point is , i got a place to do this and get practice .. lots of it!

if you're the kind of guy who lives in the city and goes to a 100 yard public range and it's all you got, just because you bought a 300 win mag from Cabelas and the add showed a guy hunting mountain top to mountain top doesn't mean you're equipped for success.

Not saying you can't do it , or you're a bad shot ... with practice you may shoot better than me even ... but without... you might get lucky and that's about it.

15-20 years ago I shot a doe on a fence line @416 yards with my 243 and a 3x9 leupold .

looking back... I got lucky that day and probably should have passed , knowing what I know now...

it's all about repeatability and practice, and good gear and money and time...

add all of that up and anyone can stretch further to the limit of the caliber.

but if you're a city guy with a 100 yard range ... keep it 100 to 200 ... 300 if you understand more concept and can accurately range... past that, it's just luck without practice ...

my 2c.

Pretty much summarizes what I was thinking

[db@100]

Shooting long range doesn't make you a good hunter, it makes you a good shot. Getting in for a close shot makes you a good hunter.

[Mission408]

For hunting distances that most shots will be from consider a 308. Yeah its not the cool new hot cartridge, but you'll find ammo everywhere even during the next pandemic. And it's normally very reasonably priced. Just my .02

[Raider4044]

Any Need to Shoot Beyond 500 Yards?

Well, first and foremost I would not spend $1200+ on a bolt action upper for my AR platform. For less than $1200 you can buy some very fine hunting rifles that will shoot 500yds without issue.

I agree 100%. If you want similar ergonomics to an AR, get a normal style bolt action in a chassis. Will be a much better rifle.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[trophy8]

Some guys shoot 60-100 yards with a bow.

Some guys shoot 500-1000 with a rifle.

The shooter is what matters. I know my limits. I cannot shoot a bow that well these days as I don’t practice like I used to. I also don’t get to stretch my rifles out like I used to. Know your equipment and your limits and be mature enough to walk away from a shot that you question.

[skinsfan]

Takes a ton of practice to shoot out at 500 yards consistently.

[okrattler]

If you practice out to that far definitely. My 22-250 is capable of hitting a coyote at 500 yards. I on the other hand,am not. Not consistently anyway.

Besides that I don't like carrying or dragging animals any further than I have to. If there's a path so I can drive out to it after it's dead I could see me trying to kill things that far away. I like to shoot things that are close or as close as possible. Out of laziness.....

I have no doubt my equipment is capable. I just try to get around having to do more work than necessary whenever I can.

If that critter out there is gonna be up here,here in a little bit I'm just gonna wait it out.

[2Lazy2P]

Well, first and foremost I would not spend $1200+ on a bolt action upper for my AR platform. For less than $1200 you can buy some very fine hunting rifles that will shoot 500yds without issue. .

The need to shoot 500yds on a game animal is very limited. You have to be on a hunt in wide open terrain where spot and stalk is the game. Out west people find themselves having to shoot across canyons at game, and you may very easily find yourself looking at a trophy once in a lifetime animal at 500+yds wishing you were prepared for that shot.

A Ruger American predator in 6.5creed with a Vortex Diamondback Tactical is a sub $1000 setup that will shoot 1000yds. I’ve shot steel out to 600yds with my American Predator in 308. 308, 6.5creed, 270, 30-06, 300wm… all calibers that will easily reach out to 500yds in a normal hunting rifle with authority. 25-06 will do it, but in my opinion it’s a 300 or so yard cartridge. Ruger, Tikka, Weatherby, Browning, Bergara…. All make sub $1000 rifles that will make the shot(just not going to shoot a PRS match with them).

I learned something new.

[Muddy Bud]

500 is the new 200 with todays rifles, scopes and ballistic calculators. I was extremely surprised to see how close it was to actual impact. Wind is my current challenge. But I’m working on it. Shooting a 133 grain Berger .257 Weatherby Mag at 3000 fps. A couple javelina and one coyote pup past 480 with relative ease. Most appeared while taking target practice out to 800. That’s about all the scope I got without dialing up a couple mills and holding over another 1.5 mile.

I don’t see myself taking a shot at deer past 500 on my lease. But if I ever draw out for a western hunt I’m pretty confident with a good rest or prone position I can make a good ethical shot out to 700 with this set up.

[Homer75]

This^^^^^^^

I shoot steel targets out to 1k, but it is in a very controlled environment. Wind flags, knowing the exact distance, shooting off a bench with a solid rest......

Just curious, where do you shoot out to 1k yards? I’d like to work out that far, I have a range at my place out to 700yds.

[RifleBowPistol]

I am considering a new rifle and it seems the usable distance of it is about 500 yards. I have never hunted beyond 100 yards. Is there any reason I need to consider upgrading to a rifle that shoots over 500 yards?

If you have not spent a lot of time shooting beyond 100 yards, then no, there is no reason to worry about a gun that's built for ranges beyond 500 yards.

There are guys who shoot well beyond 500 yards all the time, and very good at doing so. For them, those shots are not that big of deal, but if you don't shoot at those ranges, your chances of making a good shot are low, even with a very good rifle.

[McPatrickClan]

Thanks guys- good advice. I appreciate it.

[boy wonder]

For hunting distances that most shots will be from consider a 308. Yeah its not the cool new hot cartridge, but you'll find ammo everywhere even during the next pandemic. And it's normally very reasonably priced. Just my .02

This is exactly why I just bought one.

[Chase4556]

I learned something new.

Don’t get me wrong, LOVE the 25-06. My favorite caliber for deer. Obviously people take it further than 300(4,5,600???), but me personally I would put my limit at 300-400yds. Unless you have a faster twist barrel and start shooting some of the heavier options that are out there over 120gr.