My first Three at 300

[Stix]

So...ive wanted the opportunity for a long time...

Have a crack at a bunny at 300 yds & over, but the opportunity just doesnt ever seem to arise for me.

There i was, after a day of target shooting, with a 2 hour drive home ahead of me, & it coming on sunset, i thought id call into a block 10k down the road to try my luck.
The farmer had mentioned that every time he drives in there that bunnies scatter.

So i pulled up out on the main bitumen drag & had an optic nerve through the range finder...it took a bit of looking, but eventually i saw the outline of a bunny, then another, then another...

So i pulled in & drove past the rise so i could see the bunnies, ranged them at around 200 yds, the furthest being 230 ish...
The doubting thomas thoughts of reversing back to 300 yds & making a good shot crept in & so i pulled the rifle & bag out over the bonnet.

I had just spent an entire day on a bench so my trigger finger was on the ball, so i dry fired at one bunny, then at a further one, & it looked so dam good through the scope i decided to risk disturbing the furry critters & reversed the car back a decent ways.

The sun was dissapearing over the horizon so i had to make it snappy as the cheap as crap scope i have on the rifle needs a good few gamma rays to be able to resolve anything thats small, grey, furry & so far away.

The scope is also not behaving well in that it is not repeatable--come up 4 clicks & nothing happens, then come up another 4 clicks & the POI lowers by .25" before suddenly jumping up 2.5", so dialing holdover wasn't an option, i had to guess it.

The range finder said about 270 yds (but hard to tell from interfering structure in the forground).

The first first shot went a good 2-3" over the first bunnies head, to which upset the clan & had them all darting around like someone was shooting at them .

Once they settled & the uneasy (smart) ones went & hid in their laundries, i lobbed another shot at one having a munch on some grass & i rekon i pierced his ears if not was VERY close to its head given his matrix moves ...he vanished, but flushed out some kinky cousins who were apparently up for piercings.

Another frustrating thing about this scope is the thickness of the cross hairs, they are so thick that it makes picking points in the distance for hold-over very hard...not to mention at that range the reticle lines cover so much of the image-in this case basically the entire head of a rabbit.

Ok surely this time...i can see one thats been still off to the right..its a little further away at around the 300 mark, but i give it a crack...

304 yds

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Thats my first 300 yarder, played for a head shot, but cracked it in the neck.


Then another shot, & hey presto...not as good a shot, & a way off its head but still it fell over...311 yards back to the car in the backround

311 yds

2018-09-11 15.43.18.jpg (1.59 MiB) Viewed 7254 times

So i thought thats enough, ill go get them & go home...but who was i kidding--the opportunity doesn't arise very often at all, & i saw another way up the back & decided to send off another one, really concentrating on that trigger making sure of not pulling it off line...

351 yds Yeah Baby...!!

2018-09-11 15.41.15.jpg (1.38 MiB) Viewed 7254 times

My longest ever knockdown 351 yds to the car

2018-09-11 15.39.17.jpg (1.25 MiB) Viewed 7254 times

So this one managed to drag itself a metre or so before it succumbed to blood loss & shock.
While im disapointed i didnt crack it in the head where i had aimed, im pretty happy with the shot placement at that range being just a smidge below the chipset..standing over this one the car pinged at 350-351 yds. Bludy stoked...!!
The round is 204 shooting the el'cheapo 32gr Zmax & the load is not hot at all...and i should add that there was not a breath of wind to deal with, so i had it easy for my first trifecta at 300yds

Three at 300yds plus

2018-09-11 22.48.03.jpg (495.43 KiB) Viewed 7254 times

So this was the sight just as id packed everything away for the trip home last night...nice...!!

Nice end to the day

2018-09-11 15.36.09.jpg (925.71 KiB) Viewed 7254 times

excuse my self indulgence--i know its not much for some, but its my first 300 yarder, & first 300 metres plus bunny all in the one sitting, not to mention with a stock rifle...im pretty stoked...!!

[bigrich]

Well done stix ! That’s some fine shooting mate. And a nice story to go with it. I’m pretty sure I’ve said before, have you considered taking up writing ? 204’s got reach hey !

[Growler]

Bloody oath mate! I cant wait for the chance to snipe bunnies........................(SA PTA times are sh1t)

[Noisydad]

Dont think I’ve ever used a bullet that light before and didn’t know one so minuscule could fly that far and still hit anything! Makes 3 x 300 yards all the better! Bet it makes you want more...

[marksman]

well done Stix
I wish I could write a story like you
now you've started it will keep happening
I do it in areas where there is a lot of shooting and you cant get close to them
the trick is to leave them after shooting them and the others will came out after a while
when you go and pick them up they will take a long time to come back out
I find they come back out in around 10-20 minutes
a new scope for xmass might be in order

[PaddyT]

very nice!

[bigfellascott]

Nice one Stix, it's fun smashing em out yonder hey.

[Bigjobss]

Good shootin

[duncan61]

great story.Its why we do it.My 7mm Rem Mag is zeroed for 300 metres with 168gn Matchkings.I might have a go at this rabbit shooting i have a location I can do this

[Stix]

Nice one Stix, it's fun smashing em out yonder hey.

Thanks bigfella.

Hell yeah its fun...!!
Ive hit plenty out to 200 & that looks a long way accross a paddock...
But I was havin a happy laugh to myself when i saw that first one get knocked to the ground knowing it was at or over the 300 yd mark.

I knew the second one wasnt hit in either head or neck by the way it fell over & i jerked ever so slightly on the trigger.

But the third one looked great through the scope & when i saw it fall on its back with its legs kickin in the air i did a little dance...

[Stix]

Thanks guys...

Thanks Bigrich...
I try to make it into a little story so its interesting--we all love shooting & the hunters among us know what its like when we're out there so i try & put you (if you're interested) out there with me...
Maybe we'll get to do it together one day in the flesh...!!...ill shout you a few pale's mate...

Thanks Growler...
Yes pta's take a bit here...but i hear the dealers can lodge electronically now & i hear stories of 2 day approvals
Looks like you're local so when you're all set we can meet up at a range if you like & see what happens. PM if you like...

Hey Noisy...you'd be surprised what little bullets can do & how far they fly these days mate...not cast these dsys--now they're designed with a copper coating & a plastic tip that promotes expansion--but its all fueled by this new wave modern propellants thats getting around...& you DONT need breathing apparatus to shoot lots of them...!!
Yes ofcourse it makes me want more...shooting anything makes us want to shoot more of anything...!! (Doesnt it..?)
I liked that vid you posted in other thread--id love to give that a crack with you..!!

Cheers Marksman...
I hope it keeps happening...!!
Only reason its not regular is bad luck...either weather, my availability, the calici virus knocks em out or i dont have an accurate enough load to reach that far.
I have one property where i can snipe different warrens from 200-450 yds from the one vantage point but the virus gets em before i do...hopefully this year it stays away.
Yes a new reliable scope is needed for that activity.

Thanks Bigjobss & Paddy...!!
Appreciate the kind words fellas...!!

Hey Duncan...let me know if you want company...i cant match your magnum but i got my 7-08 doing this now-(mostly so marksman stops laughing at me for my best shotgun group)...ill bring the beer n nuts to make up for my non-magnum 7mm

Cheers

[duncan61]

The block I shoot is flooded at the moment but I will take pictures.I should be able to set up on a ridge with timber and the rabbits come out into the paddocks in the afternoon.You have got me all excited

[Member-Deleted]

Hey Duncan you suppose the 7mag is big enough for rabbits you may need the double just in case

[duncan61]

I will see if I can get the .222 to group at that distance but I have done over 10,000 rounds through it and it might be a bit worn.It was my go to rifle for culling roos.My other choice is .243 HOWA that is near new but the ammo we have reloaded is 80gn PSP and they are cool for hunting but not super accurate.The 7mmx168 target Matchkings group well out to 1000 metres and buck the wind real good.The 7mm is a Remington Sendero with 26 inch S/S fluted barrel and floated composite stock and luepold 13-3.5x52 mm scope I should be able to see them and get pretty close with the tiny meplat of the target bullet it may go right through without blowing them up.I do like rabbit on the plate.I may do this next week I can wade through the paddocks to get to the high ground and where the rabbits are is an elevated sand patch.Like I said I am getting all excited

[Die Judicii]

Congrats Mate,,,,,,
My sentiments as previously suggested by another member,,,,,,,, a new scope for Xmas seems to be in order..
Something with fine cross hairs,,,,,,,,,, ???Swarovski

[duncan61]

I need to get in the 300 club with Elmer and stix

[Stix]

Im getting excited for you duncan...

I rekon you'll wana hit the bunnies furthest from the warrens with that bullet mate.
I was thinkin as you say, they'll prob skoot right on through em.

Thats why you should take me along with my 7-08--the 110 TNT's got a much better chance to open em up...

(Its always worth a try )

[Stix]

Congrats Mate,,,,,,
My sentiments as previously suggested by another member,,,,,,,, a new scope for Xmas seems to be in order..
Something with fine cross hairs,,,,,,,,,, ???Swarovski

Not likely one of those...but gees if i had the money a z6i 5-30x50 would sure be an orgasm for rabbit sniping eyes...!!!

Even 3-18 is a nice bit of glass...looked through one & had a couple of shots...drool material as far as optics ive seen through...!!

Cheers DJ...

[Member-Deleted]

The Swarovski is a nice scope alright on my 7mag I have a Z3 with etched reticle very fine xhair also the zeiss has pretty much the same
Z3 is 4-12x50 and the Zeiss is 3-12x50 it's on my 22-250 both are perfect for what I do

[Daddybang]

Nicey done!
One day I'll get the opportunity to stretch a bit at the moment most shots are less than 100.
Joys of the bush!!

[Stix]

only 12X power scopes.
Mate you must have great eyes
my eyes are cactus & i like at least 18x, even better with 24x.

I wish my eyes were like they used to be...

[Stix]

Thanks Daddybang

If you're ever down here id be happy to have you out for a snipe

[Member-Deleted]

It's funny you say that Stix I need glasses to read anything but my sight at long distance is very good
my eye doctor said he can't explain it and another thing I don't like bright lights if I look directly at a good torch I can't see properly for about half hour
It has to be a night as black as black before I can't see an outline of anything I've been told that's pretty rare but not unheard of

[Noisydad]

"Hey Noisy...you'd be surprised what little bullets can do & how far they fly these days mate...not cast these dsys--now they're designed with a copper coating & a plastic tip that promotes expansion--but its all fueled by this new wave modern propellants thats getting around...& you DONT need breathing apparatus to shoot lots of them...!!
Yes ofcourse it makes me want more...shooting anything makes us want to shoot more of anything...!! (Doesnt it..?)
I liked that vid you posted in other thread--id love to give that a crack with you..!! "
I reckon my Sharps (in the video) bullets have a greater weight of bullet lube on them than the weight of your bullets! As for those new fangled lookin glass sights...that's just cheatin! If you're anywhere in north central Vic on the second weekend of the month let me know and I'll guarantee you a good time.

[Daddybang]

Thanks Daddybang

If you're ever down here id be happy to have you out for a snipe

Long service kicks in next year and we want to take the spawn for a look at her country before she starts school so who knows I might get the chance to take ya up on that!!

[Elmer]

So...ive wanted the opportunity for a long time...
Congrats mate, 351 is a bloody decent range. I remember my first "long range" Bunny, a whopping 230yds , I was stoked and couldn't stop talking about it.
Get yaself a decent scope and start getting serious, its loads of fun and you will be hooked in no time
cheers
Sean.

Have a crack at a bunny at 300 yds & over, but the opportunity just doesnt ever seem to arise for me.

There i was, after a day of target shooting, with a 2 hour drive home ahead of me, & it coming on sunset, i thought id call into a block 10k down the road to try my luck.
The farmer had mentioned that every time he drives in there that bunnies scatter.

So i pulled up out on the main bitumen drag & had an optic nerve through the range finder...it took a bit of looking, but eventually i saw the outline of a bunny, then another, then another...

So i pulled in & drove past the rise so i could see the bunnies, ranged them at around 200 yds, the furthest being 230 ish...
The doubting thomas thoughts of reversing back to 300 yds & making a good shot crept in & so i pulled the rifle & bag out over the bonnet.

I had just spent an entire day on a bench so my trigger finger was on the ball, so i dry fired at one bunny, then at a further one, & it looked so dam good through the scope i decided to risk disturbing the furry critters & reversed the car back a decent ways.

The sun was dissapearing over the horizon so i had to make it snappy as the cheap as crap scope i have on the rifle needs a good few gamma rays to be able to resolve anything thats small, grey, furry & so far away.

The scope is also not behaving well in that it is not repeatable--come up 4 clicks & nothing happens, then come up another 4 clicks & the POI lowers by .25" before suddenly jumping up 2.5", so dialing holdover wasn't an option, i had to guess it.

The range finder said about 270 yds (but hard to tell from interfering structure in the forground).

The first first shot went a good 2-3" over the first bunnies head, to which upset the clan & had them all darting around like someone was shooting at them .

Once they settled & the uneasy (smart) ones went & hid in their laundries, i lobbed another shot at one having a munch on some grass & i rekon i pierced his ears if not was VERY close to its head given his matrix moves ...he vanished, but flushed out some kinky cousins who were apparently up for piercings.

Another frustrating thing about this scope is the thickness of the cross hairs, they are so thick that it makes picking points in the distance for hold-over very hard...not to mention at that range the reticle lines cover so much of the image-in this case basically the entire head of a rabbit.

Ok surely this time...i can see one thats been still off to the right..its a little further away at around the 300 mark, but i give it a crack...

2018-09-11 22.01.22.jpg

Thats my first 300 yarder, played for a head shot, but cracked it in the neck.


Then another shot, & hey presto...not as good a shot, & a way off its head but still it fell over...311 yards back to the car in the backround

2018-09-11 15.43.18.jpg

So i thought thats enough, ill go get them & go home...but who was i kidding--the opportunity doesn't arise very often at all, & i saw another way up the back & decided to send off another one, really concentrating on that trigger making sure of not pulling it off line...

2018-09-11 15.41.15.jpg

2018-09-11 15.39.17.jpg

So this one managed to drag itself a metre or so before it succumbed to blood loss & shock.
While im disapointed i didnt crack it in the head where i had aimed, im pretty happy with the shot placement at that range being just a smidge below the chipset..standing over this one the car pinged at 350-351 yds. Bludy stoked...!!
The round is 204 shooting the el'cheapo 32gr Zmax & the load is not hot at all...and i should add that there was not a breath of wind to deal with, so i had it easy for my first trifecta at 300yds

2018-09-11 22.48.03.jpg

So this was the sight just as id packed everything away for the trip home last night...nice...!!

2018-09-11 15.36.09.jpg

excuse my self indulgence--i know its not much for some, but its my first 300 yarder, & first 300 metres plus bunny all in the one sitting, not to mention with a stock rifle...im pretty stoked...!!

[Stix]

Thanks Elmer

Ive been well hooked on sniping bunnies all my life so dont worry about that...!!!

Its just that sniping for me has been 100yds with a 22 or couple hundred yards with 22CF, & longest headshot before now was 284 yds...but never cracked em that far (300m+) before...

Ive got a fair way to go before i catch up to you though...!!

Cheers