Long Range Rifle - Elk Down

[flashpan]

Back in the 80's my family all shot 7&30 cal magnums for Elk in Colorado...some were Weatherbys. LR wasn't a thing then, we just wanted to put Elk down. So I started drinking the cool aid, working up screaming loads for the 300 Weatherby with long slippery bullets. Sighted in for 300yrds and ready to go 800 or? Started shooting with the 600yd boys at TCGC. Then after a week of hunting, I got my chance last Monday and dropped a nice cow. Shot her in the neck at 90 yards. So much for Long Range.

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[joken]

Back in the 80's my family all shot 7&30 cal magnums for Elk in Colorado...some were Weatherbys. LR wasn't a thing then, we just wanted to put Elk down. So I started drinking the cool aid, working up screaming loads for the 300 Weatherby with long slippery bullets. Sighted in for 300yrds and ready to go 800 or? Started shooting with the 600yd boys at TCGC. Then after a week of hunting, I got my chance last Monday and dropped a nice cow. Shot her in the neck at 90 yards. So much for Long Range.

What tag did you have?

 

[flashpan]

212 Miami Nehalem for Feb1-March 15

You?

 

[11Charlie]

I wasn't aware that Elk were in season right now.

 

[flashpan]

There are a few late seasons on the coast...I think really designed for damage control. Many landowners are also given tags.

 

[slidecreek]

Long range shooting of elk or deer is a sin. Been a shooter and hunter all my life. And every year I listen to hunters that talk about getting shots. They say down he went but couldn't find him. Another dead animal gone to waist. Long range shooting should be at a range, not while hunting.

 

[Mistman]

Cow seasons run through the end of March.

My bull this year was long range. 1st one we got opening day was @ about 50 yds, mine was well over 100 yds, maybe even 115 or so. Dropped right where he was standing too. Before I dumped him I had another one walking right to me in the woods, got to within about 25 yds before I eased off the safety (thick, thick woods). The cow with him heard the safety release and that was all she wrote.

I'd say 80% of the elk I've shot have been under 100 yds, once in a while I will get a shot in a clear-cut but I'm usually in the woods. Even if I see them at long range anymore I try and close the distance. I really don't like a whole lot of distance between myself and an elk when shooting, seen too many disappear after a shot with no indication of a hit, even when hit. It's not like you have a chance to set-up, range the animal and get prepared for a shot. Once in a while those opportunities come up but for me I'm more successful when I'm 'on them' which generally means following them through the woods. You usually have just a few seconds to get a shot off as they file past.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

haha! i know the feeling! i shot a buck once at 25 yards after practicing all summer at 500!!

most of the coast tags right now are damage control

 

[Idaho44]

Years ago I shot a nice 4 pointer Mulie that was so close I had to sight along the barrel since all I could see in the scope was fur. When he got shot he flipped and fell (slid) down the slope (steep) about a 250 yards. It took me about half and hour to pull him back up the slope, hand over hand with the rope (30 footer para cord) while I anchored myself behind trees progressing up the slope. Once on the logging road it was less than five minutes back to the truck. I think my longest shot has been 100 or way less. And that is in fairly open woods, stalking is the name of game for me.

 

[No_Regerts]

Long range shooting of elk or deer is a sin. Been a shooter and hunter all my life. And every year I listen to hunters that talk about getting shots. They say down he went but couldn't find him. Another dead animal gone to waist. Long range shooting should be at a range, not while hunting.

Just because you can't, doesn't mean others shouldn't. By your logic, men should sit down to piss because of the guys who still piss all over the toilet seat.

 

[osprey]

Nice, always like it when I can get up close. Several years ago I bought a xbolt long range model in 6.5 CM and put swaro glass on it as the breaks country I hunt in Montana sometimes warrants some longer shots. I dialed my load in with high bc bullets that would expand properly at longer range and practiced all summer out to 750 or so. That fall I shot a mule deer at 90 yds or so, the next fall I shot one in his bed at 50 yds. I will take those ranges all day long. This last fall I did have to stretch the creed out a bit and took a decent mulie at 515 yds. I never hope or plan to shoot longer but I do practice for it if the need arises.

 

[P7M13]

Just because you can't, doesn't mean others shouldn't. By your logic, men should sit down to piss because of the guys who still piss all over the toilet seat.

Those are guys who don't know how to control their gun, and lose the bull even at a 90yd shot.

 

[No_Regerts]

Those are guys who don't know how to control their gun, and lose the bull even at a 90yd shot.

Maybe their barrel doesn't have the proper twist rate.

 

[osprey]

Or maybe their barrel has a bad case of peyronie's.

 

[Koda]

The vast majority of hunting shots are under 100yds. My closest elk was probably only 25 yds, last year I filled my tag at 100yds.
Long range hunting is not a sin, I do practice yearly out to 300yds and would like to improve even further. I passed up an elk once that was roughly 4-500yds... was my only chance that year, I just could not ethically take any shot at an animal at a distance I had not practiced at.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Long range shooting is subjective.

Subjective :
To the skill of the rifleman...
How much and how well the shooter has practiced...
The area hunted in....Where I hunt 100-200 yards is long range...other areas it can be much further...
The rifle and cartridge / projectile itself...

Hunt hard and hunt well...
Stay within the shooting distances that you can shoot well at...
We owe it the animal , whose life we take , to give it a quick and as painless as possible death.
Andy

 

[Oregonhunter5]

I'm not sure I agree with long range either. Now I have shot elk at 450 while it was moving. But I had about $3,000 setup.

Two issues with long range. First, crappy shots happen more than not. Anything past 400 is gonna have a different wind pattern a lot of the time. So are you reading the grass out that far? Is there grass?

Second. Pack out. Shooting a animal at 1,000 yards in the open country is not as bad. But in steep nasty crap? Two rushes over? No thanks!

 

[P7M13]

Maybe their barrel doesn't have the proper twist rate.

It's often a problem with a retractable barrel shroud. Really changes POI.

 

[eightyeight mag]

It's often a problem with a retractable barrel shroud. Really changes POI.

Retractable barrel shroud?
Is that like an uncircumcised barrel??

 

[P7M13]

Retractable barrel shroud?
Is that like an uncircumcised barrel??

Never heard of one, but I'm having @Velzey thread a muzzle for me. I'll ask for the shavings so we can have a bris celebration.