Long Range Sambar

Game hunting and large prey. Deer stalking, hunting with hounds. Boar, pigs etc., large prey, culling, hunting large feral animals.

Long Range Sambar

Post by MG5150 » 25 Mar 2025, 4:42 pm

Hello Everyone

I've been watching a few Youtube videos and seen a few images pop up of people taking Sambar from 500m to 1.2km

What calibre firearm would you be using to take deer at this range?

Also, what magnification would you be looking at for your scope?
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Re: Long Range Sambar

Post by Oldbloke » 25 Mar 2025, 4:58 pm

It's madness.
Respect the animal.
Most are taken under 100yards.
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Re: Long Range Sambar

Post by bigpete » 25 Mar 2025, 5:02 pm

Not even hunting. Just target shooting live animals
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Re: Long Range Sambar

Post by Wapiti » 25 Mar 2025, 6:42 pm

I agree.
I tried it with my Sako TRG in 338Lapua, but on goats.
The 250gn Sierra Gameking mimicked the 250gn Matchking at all ranges so all I had to do was swap projectiles loaded, but this rifle is incredibly forgiving.
I got sucked in by all the bullsh*t online by all the people who cannot stalk, have no patience and way less skill than they think, because the internet is not a good university.
The huge variation in ranges that you find animals means that all the BS about knowing your "dope" every 100yds out to 1000yds might be fine, but that never happens in the bush.
And anyone who actually shoots long range knows that there isn't a ballistics program that puts your shots in the instant kill zone of an animal at long range, let alone varying wind eddies all the way out there too. We're talking 1st shot kills here, not your steel gongs you can dial in on. Anyone who disagrees with this is a liar or a dreamer.
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Re: Long Range Sambar

Post by bladeracer » 25 Mar 2025, 6:43 pm

MG5150 wrote:Hello Everyone

I've been watching a few Youtube videos and seen a few images pop up of people taking Sambar from 500m to 1.2km

What calibre firearm would you be using to take deer at this range?

Also, what magnification would you be looking at for your scope?


My dealer was a big fan of taking sambar at long ranges. I believe he was using 7mm SAUM, his mate had something more exotic but I can't recall it right now. No idea what scopes they were using. It's a long way from what I consider to be hunting. You screw up that sort of shot and it might take an hour to get across the valley to find and finish off your target.
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Re: Long Range Sambar

Post by Oldbloke » 25 Mar 2025, 6:50 pm

bladeracer wrote:
MG5150 wrote:Hello Everyone

I've been watching a few Youtube videos and seen a few images pop up of people taking Sambar from 500m to 1.2km

What calibre firearm would you be using to take deer at this range?

Also, what magnification would you be looking at for your scope?


My dealer was a big fan of taking sambar at long ranges. I believe he was using 7mm SAUM, his mate had something more exotic but I can't recall it right now. No idea what scopes they were using. It's a long way from what I consider to be hunting. You screw up that sort of shot and it might take an hour to get across the valley to find and finish off your target.


That's if your lucky enough to find it.
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Re: Long Range Sambar

Post by mchughcb » 25 Mar 2025, 6:51 pm

They are generally using 338 lapua or a derivative of it with Berger VLD projectiles. The scopes vary from march to swarovski. Magnification up to and over 30x.

To actually see so far you are always shooting across gullys where a slip has occurred to give some clearing and generally some grass.

To actually stalk that country is impossible and hence the glassing and long distance shots.
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Re: Long Range Sambar

Post by Oldbloke » 25 Mar 2025, 6:53 pm

Wapiti wrote:I agree.
I tried it with my Sako TRG in 338Lapua, but on goats.
The 250gn Sierra Gameking mimicked the 250gn Matchking at all ranges so all I had to do was swap projectiles loaded, but this rifle is incredibly forgiving.
I got sucked in by all the bullsh*t online by all the people who cannot stalk, have no patience and way less skill than they think, because the internet is not a good university.
The huge variation in ranges that you find animals means that all the BS about knowing your "dope" every 100yds out to 1000yds might be fine, but that never happens in the bush.
And anyone who actually shoots long range knows that there isn't a ballistics program that puts your shots in the instant kill zone of an animal at long range, let alone varying wind eddies all the way out there too. We're talking 1st shot kills here, not your steel gongs you can dial in on. Anyone who disagrees with this is a liar or a dreamer.


That's being nice. It's become ses pit full of sh1t.
You can't trust anything you read on the net any more.
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Re: Long Range Sambar

Post by mchughcb » 25 Mar 2025, 6:55 pm

Oldbloke wrote:
Wapiti wrote:I agree.
I tried it with my Sako TRG in 338Lapua, but on goats.
The 250gn Sierra Gameking mimicked the 250gn Matchking at all ranges so all I had to do was swap projectiles loaded, but this rifle is incredibly forgiving.
I got sucked in by all the bullsh*t online by all the people who cannot stalk, have no patience and way less skill than they think, because the internet is not a good university.
The huge variation in ranges that you find animals means that all the BS about knowing your "dope" every 100yds out to 1000yds might be fine, but that never happens in the bush.
And anyone who actually shoots long range knows that there isn't a ballistics program that puts your shots in the instant kill zone of an animal at long range, let alone varying wind eddies all the way out there too. We're talking 1st shot kills here, not your steel gongs you can dial in on. Anyone who disagrees with this is a liar or a dreamer.


That's being nice. It's become ses pit full of sh1t.
You can't trust anything you read on the net any more.


Amazing.
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Re: Long Range Sambar

Post by deye243 » 25 Mar 2025, 7:05 pm

Ignorance is bliss
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Re: Long Range Sambar

Post by animalpest » 25 Mar 2025, 7:44 pm

There was a SAT case in WA were the guy was knocked back for a long range calibre. He wanted to shoot animals at 900-1500.

Interestingly, one of his "experts" said if you can shoot below 1 MOA at 100 you can hit the heart of a Camel at 1000 if you use a ballistic program.
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Re: Long Range Sambar

Post by on_one_wheel » 25 Mar 2025, 8:06 pm

This is what happens when you've watched American Sniper one too many times.
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Re: Long Range Sambar

Post by mchughcb » 25 Mar 2025, 9:43 pm

animalpest wrote:There was a SAT case in WA were the guy was knocked back for a long range calibre. He wanted to shoot animals at 900-1500.

Interestingly, one of his "experts" said if you can shoot below 1 MOA at 100 you can hit the heart of a Camel at 1000 if you use a ballistic program.


This is about as retarded as having an argument about why you should only have 5 firearms. If he wants something let him have it. He's got to feed it.
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Re: Long Range Sambar

Post by Wapiti » 26 Mar 2025, 9:56 am

I bet anyone ridiculing this sort of stuff has never tried it.
I'm ashamed that I did, and it at least gave me some credibility in my opinions of it. But the fantasy of the internet continues.

Anyone who's ever shot clays knows you have to lead, and that's at rock throwing distance. Imagine what happens at 962 yards ( which all BP's drop results will be false anyway) when the animal takes a simple half step or changes position just as/after you've tripped the trigger?

Dream on, snipers. Animal welfare is your number one priority, ensuring a pinpoint hit with more than necessary striking energy, and ensuring you can sort out any f**k ups you've just made asap.
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Re: Long Range Sambar

Post by bladeracer » 26 Mar 2025, 10:18 am

Wapiti wrote:I bet anyone ridiculing this sort of stuff has never tried it.
I'm ashamed that I did, and it at least gave me some credibility in my opinions of it. But the fantasy of the internet continues.

Anyone who's ever shot clays knows you have to lead, and that's at rock throwing distance. Imagine what happens at 962 yards ( which all BP's drop results will be false anyway) when the animal takes a simple half step or changes position just as/after you've tripped the trigger?

Dream on, snipers. Animal welfare is your number one priority, ensuring a pinpoint hit with more than necessary striking energy, and ensuring you can sort out any f**k ups you've just made asap.


I almost ended up having to try to drop some fallow out past 400m a couple years ago because I simply couldn't get close to them due to the terrain. The places where I was able to get close to them I could never take a safe shot. My plan was to spend time out there shooting at steel gongs in the positions where the deer were hanging out, but during the middle of the day when they were bedded down. I was already shooting a fair bit of .303 out there anyway and it didn't seem to bother the deer at all, I guess they'd gotten used to the noise. I'd spend a few weeks getting a feel for the winds 300m plus above the valley, then once I was confident I could make the shots I'd be out there in the early hours when I knew they'd be around. Something else happened that made the deer no longer my problem so I didn't have to pursue it. I certainly wasn't looking forward to making such long shots, and it would've taken a lot more than an hour to get around there to recover them after the shots.
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Re: Long Range Sambar

Post by markg » 31 Mar 2025, 7:27 am

What's the point of hunting at all ? I don't see much reward for effort in the long range scenario. I guess if your not able to stalk due to age or some type injury that prevents you from being able to hunt the animal in the physical sense then I would understand. Seems to be all about outcomes and youtube these days.
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Re: Long Range Sambar

Post by mchughcb » 31 Mar 2025, 7:38 am

markg wrote:What's the point of hunting at all ? I don't see much reward for effort in the long range scenario. I guess if your not able to stalk due to age or some type injury that prevents you from being able to hunt the animal in the physical sense then I would understand. Seems to be all about outcomes and youtube these days.


Which youtube channels are you referring to?
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Re: Long Range Sambar

Post by Bugman » 31 Mar 2025, 9:34 am

mchughcb wrote:
markg wrote:What's the point of hunting at all ? I don't see much reward for effort in the long range scenario. I guess if your not able to stalk due to age or some type injury that prevents you from being able to hunt the animal in the physical sense then I would understand. Seems to be all about outcomes and youtube these days.


Which youtube channels are you referring to?

Probably not yours, Chuckles
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