Best caliber for long distance shooting?

[Mr.Seacucumber]

Other then price no reason to choose 300 winmag over 7mm Rem.

[sungazer]

There really is no reason for a 338L other than I want one the 300WM really is more than enough for anything other than very specialized competitions. Which there are only a couple of each year in the entire country.

[Archie]

Someone gave me a really good rule once. I think it makes a lot of sense.

You take a dinner plate sized target. You take one box of ammo. You use the stance you are likely to use in the field - i.e. off hand standing, kneeling, tree/fence as a rest etc - not a bench, and probably not prone unless you know that's how you will be placed. If so, fair enough.

You shoot the full box. When you can - without having shot earlier in the day and getting your eye in, with a cold barrel etc - get 19 of those 20 rounds in a dinner plate - you have your ethical hunting range. Because that says that under field conditions you have a 95% chance of a clean kill shot.

(edit - and some people would say a dinner plate is too big. Guess it depends on the animal, and on the plate).

[bladeracer]

There really is no reason for a 338L other than I want one the 300WM really is more than enough for anything other than very specialized competitions. Which there are only a couple of each year in the entire country.

If I were going to try to kill a sambar at 500m or more I'd want the .338Lapua with a heavier bullet.
If I were going to actually hunt sambar I'd go with the .300WinMag and a 180gn bullet. For smaller deer, goats, pigs and such the .300WinMag is more than enough.

I did a bit of a chart analysis as I've been thinking of a magnum myself.
It gives me some idea of bullet weight/velocity performance, how much powder it takes to run, what the rifle weighs and the potential recoil. Also started some numbers on factory ammo costs but gave up since I wouldn't be buying any anyway. If you work on about 30-cents for 50gn of powder you can see that some of the big ones are getting expensive to run even for cheaper loads. The Ruger is 10"-twist in .300WinMag and .338WinMag. The Savage 110 is the only model I've found in a 9"-twist .300WinMag barrel to run the heaviest bullets.

[albat]

Liam, like a lot of people have already mentioned , take a cold shower and forget about shooting stuff in the next postcode, you we ill be shooting those things under 80m 90 percent of the time the 308 is a great round for making stuff extra dead close in thats my reason for using one not many run offs with heavy bullets

[Bigjobss]

Someone gave me a really good rule once. I think it makes a lot of sense.

You take a dinner plate sized target. You take one box of ammo. You use the stance you are likely to use in the field - i.e. off hand standing, kneeling, tree/fence as a rest etc - not a bench, and probably not prone unless you know that's how you will be placed. If so, fair enough.

You shoot the full box. When you can - without having shot earlier in the day and getting your eye in, with a cold barrel etc - get 19 of those 20 rounds in a dinner plate - you have your ethical hunting range. Because that says that under field conditions you have a 95% chance of a clean kill shot.

(edit - and some people would say a dinner plate is too big. Guess it depends on the animal, and on the plate).

I practiced with paper plates set out at various ranges.
Imagine the Homer Simpson "Whacking Day" sequence but with me and a 300wm instead of a bat.

[bladeracer]

Someone gave me a really good rule once. I think it makes a lot of sense.

You take a dinner plate sized target. You take one box of ammo. You use the stance you are likely to use in the field - i.e. off hand standing, kneeling, tree/fence as a rest etc - not a bench, and probably not prone unless you know that's how you will be placed. If so, fair enough.

You shoot the full box. When you can - without having shot earlier in the day and getting your eye in, with a cold barrel etc - get 19 of those 20 rounds in a dinner plate - you have your ethical hunting range. Because that says that under field conditions you have a 95% chance of a clean kill shot.

(edit - and some people would say a dinner plate is too big. Guess it depends on the animal, and on the plate).

Its not a bad test.
Most of us can manage fairly consistent sub-MoA off the bench I would think, but unless that's how you hunt you need to practice _a lot_ from various field positions and at varying ranges.
My offhand shooting has improved heaps from practicing metallic silhouette - highly recommended

[in2anity]

The argument that the 308 isn’t good a good hunting round past 300m is garbage, you just gotta know your load. If you shoot metallic silhouette, it’s like taking a piss to dial in at any range inside 500m; knowing your gun like that is basically a prerequisite for the sport. Shooters consistently hit a ram sized target at 500m from standing unsupported with a 308w. With a high BC projectile, it’s still got over 1000ftlb of energy at that range (and can still buck the wind). That’s enough to pulverize game. Drop into the sit and shoot off the elbows at that distance and you can confidently get a center-of-mass hit at 500m. Prone bipod thingy “tacticool” and you could almost go for a headshot. Sorry, but IMO the 308w is way more gun than just about any hunter needs in Australia (besides far north grass eaters). 300win mag really boots, IMO honestly I think it’s a mistake (for a hunting rifle). Now let’s be clear, I’m not arguing about target shooting here, it has a place there no doubt.

[Oldbloke]

Someone gave me a really good rule once. I think it makes a lot of sense.

You take a dinner plate sized target. You take one box of ammo. You use the stance you are likely to use in the field - i.e. off hand standing, kneeling, tree/fence as a rest etc - not a bench, and probably not prone unless you know that's how you will be placed. If so, fair enough.

You shoot the full box. When you can - without having shot earlier in the day and getting your eye in, with a cold barrel etc - get 19 of those 20 rounds in a dinner plate - you have your ethical hunting range. Because that says that under field conditions you have a 95% chance of a clean kill shot.

(edit - and some people would say a dinner plate is too big. Guess it depends on the animal, and on the plate).

How sensible is that.

[sungazer]

Most Target shooting is done with a 308 or less in the F open where they can choose any claibre they want for shooting 1000yrds most go for 6.5's and 7s not 30's and defitnatley not the magnums. they just dot have the shootability, recoil, shock wave and other factors detract from accuracy, for shot after shot performance. Ok for a one or two shots but not 36.
Get to know your 308 and on a day with not too much wind I can hit dinner plates no problem at 700. Given reasonable conditions I would not hesitate to take a Sambar at 500-600 with a 185 in a 308.

[bladeracer]

Most Target shooting is done with a 308 or less in the F open where they can choose any claibre they want for shooting 1000yrds most go for 6.5's and 7s not 30's and defitnatley not the magnums. they just dot have the shootability, recoil, shock wave and other factors detract from accuracy, for shot after shot performance. Ok for a one or two shots but not 36.
Get to know your 308 and on a day with not too much wind I can hit dinner plates no problem at 700. Given reasonable conditions I would not hesitate to take a Sambar at 500-600 with a 185 in a 308.

Target shooting is not hunting. The heavy recoil for one or two shots a week is a small trade for more terminal performance.

[in2anity]

Most Target shooting is done with a 308 or less in the F open where they can choose any claibre they want for shooting 1000yrds most go for 6.5's and 7s not 30's and defitnatley not the magnums. they just dot have the shootability, recoil, shock wave and other factors detract from accuracy, for shot after shot performance. Ok for a one or two shots but not 36.
Get to know your 308 and on a day with not too much wind I can hit dinner plates no problem at 700. Given reasonable conditions I would not hesitate to take a Sambar at 500-600 with a 185 in a 308.

Target shooting is not hunting. The heavy recoil for one or two shots a week is a small trade for more terminal performance.

Sure the 300wm might hit harder on paper, but the 308w kills things, I mean really kills things dead, too much so in fact, fist size holes if it hits bone Dunno I just see 300wm as overkill in the field. Just IMO of course.

[AusTac]

Just get a 50 better to have the firepower and never need it rather than need it and not have it, ya know in case a deer appears at 2kms

[hazza3006]

Most Target shooting is done with a 308 or less in the F open where they can choose any claibre they want for shooting 1000yrds most go for 6.5's and 7s not 30's and defitnatley not the magnums. they just dot have the shootability, recoil, shock wave and other factors detract from accuracy, for shot after shot performance. Ok for a one or two shots but not 36.
Get to know your 308 and on a day with not too much wind I can hit dinner plates no problem at 700. Given reasonable conditions I would not hesitate to take a Sambar at 500-600 with a 185 in a 308.

Target shooting is not hunting. The heavy recoil for one or two shots a week is a small trade for more terminal performance.

yep and when it comes to Sambar and Buff in particular, bigger is definitely better for sure. I'd rather get the job done and dusted, than fluff about with theory based on target shooting etc. 338 Lapua Mag minimum for sure... not that i'd ever try a 600m shot at deer or Buff anyway, so i'll just stick with my good old time proven 30-06 with 180grn Hornady Interbond pills for Sambar, cause i know shots past 100m rarely exist...

[bladeracer]

Target shooting is not hunting. The heavy recoil for one or two shots a week is a small trade for more terminal performance.

Sure the 300wm might hit harder on paper, but the 308w kills things, I mean really kills things dead, too much so in fact, fist size holes if it hits bone Dunno I just see 300wm as overkill in the field. Just IMO of course.

I agree with you, .308 is just fine at proper hunting distances. I'd want more velocity and a heavier bullet for long ranges where I have zero chance of getting to an injured animal to finish it off quickly.

My neighbour shoots dozens of sambar every year using .300WSM at normal distances.

[Lumbajak]

. Depends on the game if pigs I would swap the 308/or 6.5x55 over at about 300 for the 300wm with atleast a 190/200gr projectile with high bc and dope set up.
600 metres is a looong shot on a living creature.
Personally I would like to be sure of 1 Moa accuracy in the field in any conditions to achieve this on any animal.
Goats and thin skinned or smaller game 308/6.5 or even 7 08 will have the berries to do the job out to 600 given the same parameters as above.
Buff/scrub bulls get yourself a howitzer for over 300 etc haha

[bladeracer]

600 metres is a looong shot on a living creature.
Personally I would like to be sure of 1 Moa accuracy in the field in any conditions to achieve this on any animal.

Even a half-MoA rifle doesn't guarantee clean kills at long range.
A 1MoA rifle will drop its bullets into a 200mm circle at 600m - meaning it'll hit somewhere within 100mm of your aim point.
With a high-BC bullet - like the Hornady 220gn ELD-X (BC .650) - at 2300fps from a .308 with a 200m zero, you have 3.4m of drop at 600m. Even if you dial the scope in, misjudge the distance by just 10m short or long and your 200mm circle is 250mm above or below where you want it. Add a full-strength 10mph wind and your 200mm circle is now 250mm high or low _and_ 900mm off to one side. At 600m the bullet is doing 1540fps and carrying 1160ft/lb of energy.

Put that same bullet in a .300WinMag with 400fps more velocity and you have only 2.4m drop and your 10m range mistake reduces to 150mm over or under, and the wind reduces to 700mm. And it hits at 1850fps with 1680ft/lb of energy

Go to the .338 Lapua with the 270gn ELD-X (BC .757) at 2800fps and your 10m error reduces to 120mm high or low and your wind to 540mm. Velocity is stil 2050fps and you have 2520ft/lb of energy making a near miss pretty damn fatal.

Long-range shooters like the WinMag and Lapua because it allows them to make the hits.

[Archie]

Not that I want to keep e-beating up on this poor guy, because he was only asking a simple question. But something else did occur to me today.

The other issue with long range hunting is not only that the potential for wounding increases with distance. Its also, that if you have to go and find a wounded animal because it ran off, the first issue is usually getting to where you last saw it and trying to find some blood etc. Pigs etc.. well, if I'm honest I might not care too much in that case, hypocrite that I am. But I think in most cases, you're going to want to try at least.

And in many parts of Oz - not all of course - there doesn't seem to be a 300m stretch where that doesn't involve at least a gully and frequently a lot more. So if you bugger it up at >500m, then you can easily be a 30+ minutes hike away from getting to where you need to start to do the proper work. I've never hunted sambar, but if half of what people tell me is true, then I suspect a badly-hit sambar will be in the next state by that time.

[AusTac]

Not that I want to keep e-beating up on this poor guy, because he was only asking a simple question. But something else did occur to me today.

The other issue with long range hunting is not only that the potential for wounding increases with distance. Its also, that if you have to go and find a wounded animal because it ran off, the first issue is usually getting to where you last saw it and trying to find some blood etc. Pigs etc.. well, if I'm honest I might not care too much in that case, hypocrite that I am. But I think in most cases, you're going to want to try at least.

And in many parts of Oz - not all of course - there doesn't seem to be a 300m stretch where that doesn't involve at least a gully and frequently a lot more. So if you bugger it up at >500m, then you can easily be a 30+ minutes hike away from getting to where you need to start to do the proper work. I've never hunted sambar, but if half of what people tell me is true, then I suspect a badly-hit sambar will be in the next state by that time.

Some.of the terrain i see the critters hoping up is mind boggling! Vertical cliffs and all sorts like its nothing

[scoobs]

22LR. because LR = Long Range right?

[Bigjobss]

22LR. because LR = Long Range right?

Damn I always thought it stood for Ludicrous Recoil? I've been scared all these years for nothing!