Long range rifles?

[tjhunt2]

Not to derail this thread but if I might add something here in the way of "practical" sense. Don't think just because one goes and buys an expensive "long range" gun that all the sudden you can shoot out to 1K. Nothing and I repeat NOTHING is better than range time on a good rifle. You'd be better of to get a decent rifle/optics and then spend the money on the range practicing practicing practicing. As sportsman we owe it to these majestic animals we hunt to not be taking "hail" Mary shots just because we have a "long range" rifle.

 

Scott

 

I'm not a big supporter of the long range shooter, IN GENERAL, if it is for the use of long range hunting situations. I'm sure there are the rare exceptions out there who do practice but my main concern is with the ones who aren't going to walk across the valley and up the other hill side to check for blood even though the animal ran off. 1,000yds

 

coues7.....well put!

 

TJ

[firstcoueswas80]

The main reason I'm using Todd Bettin is because he is very familiar with the ABS carbon wrapped barrels. He'll be usiing a Stiller Predator action, with an ABS barrel, with a Mcmillian Howler thumbhole stock, Timney trigger, cerra coated, limbsaver recoil pad, removable muzzle break, and Tally rings. I'll probably top it off with my Ziess 6-20 x 50mm scope. Should be a shooting machine and weigh in at about 7 lbs. He guarantees less than 1/2 inches at 100 yards, and says that most will shoot .3's. I've been working hard and saving my pennies for a long time, so I can't wait to get it. It takes about 8 months and I just ordered it, so It won't be done until September.

 

 

 

Mine has printed in the .1's and .2's.

 

 

It does .5's all day long if I do my part. You will love it!

 

 

 

Chris, I meant on paper!

 

Atleast I shot the right buck there stud... But I guess thats what you get from an ASU education huh?

[SunDevil]

yep - we ALL know what you did there buddy - that's what happens when you try to cram Paul Bunyan's brain into Wilbur the Wildcat's head - OUCH

[mattobertin]

Not to derail this thread but if I might add something here in the way of "practical" sense. Don't think just because one goes and buys an expensive "long range" gun that all the sudden you can shoot out to 1K. Nothing and I repeat NOTHING is better than range time on a good rifle. You'd be better of to get a decent rifle/optics and then spend the money on the range practicing practicing practicing. As sportsman we owe it to these majestic animals we hunt to not be taking "hail" Mary shots just because we have a "long range" rifle.

 

Scott

 

I'm not a big supporter of the long range shooter, IN GENERAL, if it is for the use of long range hunting situations. I'm sure there are the rare exceptions out there who do practice but my main concern is with the ones who aren't going to walk across the valley and up the other hill side to check for blood even though the animal ran off. 1,000yds

 

coues7.....well put!

 

TJ

Honestly I don't know for sure but I don't think that there is anyone on this sight that would shoot an animal and not check for blood because they are too lazy to walk across a canyon! There are definately people out there that do this but most certainly I am not one of them. I would never take a shot on a deer or any animal that I was not fully comfortable with. Trying to better your range and become a better rifleman is in no way unethical, if anything it will make you more confident when you are going to take a shot. I see your point and it is a valid one but just because I might be able to shoot 500 yards or more does not mean that I would not do everything in my power to get as close as possible for a shot.

[firstcoueswas80]

yep - we ALL know what you did there buddy - all thanks to trying to cram a Paul Bunyan education into a Wilbur brain - OUCH

 

 

 

Still killed the right buck!!

 

And atleast its a education, not a edumacation...

[SunDevil]

come talk to me when you graduate.

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

Coues Sniper, great post.

 

Does Swarovski, Zeiss, or Leica make a custom turret for your exact load that actually has the yardages etched into it?

 

Thanks AZ.

 

Not to my knowledge, no. But they really should if they don't. Can't be that difficult for them to do. I did see a company on a DVD set "How to Shoot Beyond Belief" (which is a great DVD by the way - 10 hours!) that if I remember right would do custom turrets for any scope other than Leupold. I'll see if i can find the name.

 

Kevin,

Great first post! I think you covered it, and covered it well! I have the "How to Shoot Beyond Belief" DVD's as well and they are a Wealth of knowledge! That video was produced by Best of the West. They created their own turreted hunting scope as well, and the company is known as Huskemaw Optics. These scopes are very well setup for the, 1000 yd. or less, hunter.... I have one on my 300 Wby Mag and I love the scope so far. Just Google Best of the West and go to their site to find Huskemaw Optics.... With the info they provide and the help they give.... it is a much more comprehensive turret system for hunters..... the turret on my rifle is built for my gun with my bullet and load.... it even tells me the windrift at 10 mph. It also has MOA windage hash marks in the reticle. The first custom turret is included in the scope price.... and then you can have others made for extra $$. The scope retails for about $1000.00.... last I checked.

 

Matt,

For your original post........ I think that any of the 300 Mag's. or 7mm mag's are the best for heavy hitting at long range.... not too big.... not too small. I also like those lighter rounds... 270 wsm, 257 Wby. and others.... but I think the bigger rounds buck the wind just a bit better. IMO....

I took an off the shelf 300 Wby and dumped a $1000.00 (including muzzle brake) into it and it will hang with most custom guns. It still has a factory trigger that I have have had worked twice... and I prefir that trigger to my buddy's Timney trigger ( he says mine would get him in trouble). I don't know what my gunsmith friend did this last time but man is that thing Sa-Weet!!! All my original work was done by Answer Products in Michigan. Best of luck with your new rig! When in Doubt.... Don't Cheap Out!!!!

 

TJ,

We should Always support ethical hunters.... even if their style is different from ours (yours).

 

CnS

 

 

 

Oh.... and Casey......

We know your gun can shoot! We know YOU can Shoot! But obviously, you still get buck fever, too!

 

Dirk D.

[firstcoueswas80]

In my opinion the Jewell triggers are the best, but to me they are about equal with a Timney down to about 2.5 pounds. Once you drop below that is where the Jewell's really shine. If you were building a rifle for the bench I'd put a Jewell in it. If you are building a rifle to hunt with I'd save the money and put a Timney in it because you probably aren't going to set a hunting rifle below 2.5 pounds.

 

I'm currently having a custom .300 RUM built from the ground up. I'm having a gunsmith in Iowa named Todd Bettin build the rifle. They're not inexpensive, but if you truly want to have a rifle that you can be confident in at long range I would look into some of the different custom rifle builders. There are many good choices out there and several have been mentioned. I also have a Christensen Arms rifle and love it. The carbon wrapped barrel really keeps the weight down. This new custom I'm having built will have a 28 inch ABS carbon wrapped barrel, which from the research I've done is supposed to be a superior system to the Christensen Arms barrels. I can't wait!!!!

 

Don't for one second think that a custom rifle is a must have to kill animals. But if you can afford to have one built they sure are fun to shoot!!!

 

Good luck!

 

Tim, this is the best group I have shot from my Bettin Custom. Redrabbit was there to witness it!( He got mad at me as he shot his personal best 5 minutes before I shot this group, and I beat him )

 

[tjhunt2]

Not to derail this thread but if I might add something here in the way of "practical" sense. Don't think just because one goes and buys an expensive "long range" gun that all the sudden you can shoot out to 1K. Nothing and I repeat NOTHING is better than range time on a good rifle. You'd be better of to get a decent rifle/optics and then spend the money on the range practicing practicing practicing. As sportsman we owe it to these majestic animals we hunt to not be taking "hail" Mary shots just because we have a "long range" rifle.

 

Scott

 

I'm not a big supporter of the long range shooter, IN GENERAL, if it is for the use of long range hunting situations. I'm sure there are the rare exceptions out there who do practice but my main concern is with the ones who aren't going to walk across the valley and up the other hill side to check for blood even though the animal ran off. 1,000yds

 

coues7.....well put!

 

TJ

Honestly I don't know for sure but I don't think that there is anyone on this sight that would shoot an animal and not check for blood because they are too lazy to walk across a canyon! There are definately people out there that do this but most certainly I am not one of them. I would never take a shot on a deer or any animal that I was not fully comfortable with. Trying to better your range and become a better rifleman is in no way unethical, if anything it will make you more confident when you are going to take a shot. I see your point and it is a valid one but just because I might be able to shoot 500 yards or more does not mean that I would not do everything in my power to get as close as possible for a shot.

 

Mattobertin....I hope you are right about everyone on this site being so ethical about checking for blood.

 

CnS....I agree with you that we must always support ethical hunters even if their style is different from ours (mine).

"Trying to better your range and become a better rifleman is in no way unethical", was said by Mattobertin not me. I believe he thought that is what I meant.

 

Mattobertin....My BAD if that is how I came across. Sorry!

 

I just said I wasn't a big supporter not that I wasn't a supporter. I guess I'm just to set in my old ways. I have seen to many hunters, THAT I PERSONALLY KNEW, take long unethical shots at game with bow and rifle when they had no business doing so. In no way am I accussing any of you of doing the same as long as you practice practice practice.

 

TJ

[TAM]

That's about as good as they get Casey!

 

Anytime we lump an entire group of people together there are bound to be a few bad apples. However if you look at this new breed of long range hunters I think you'll find a group of people that have spent a lot of money on shooting systems and a lot of time to tune them in at the range. They are for the most part very well prepared for longer shooting conditions and senarios.

 

I could argue that there is a large percentage of hunters that don't spend enough time at the range to be proficient at even 100 or 200 yards. No one seems to flame the short range hunters for this? In fact I'll bet that it's some of these same yahoo's that shouldn't be shooting at 200 yards that are taking pot shots at 400, 500, and 600. We've all seen them, we all have a friend or two that thinks it's ok to sight there rifle in at deer camp by shooting at a couple beer cans on a burm that's 67 yards away. After blasting the sand all around the can they say something like that's close enough for me! These are usually the same guys that come back to camp and say they saw a herd of javelina with at least fifty something pigs in it and that there were a couple big boars that came all the way up to there belt buckle.

 

These are what most people call slob hunters and believe me they exist on both sides of the fence. We shouldn't be non supportive of any legal group of hunters because of a bad apple or two. Chances are you've got a bad apple or two running in whichever group you align yourself with as well.

[firstcoueswas80]

Tim, thats not the only group like that that the rifle has produced!

 

 

 

Your right on many other types of hunters not gettin flamed. This past year in October AzpackNhorns and I were at camp finishing our cleaniing chores after his buck was killed when we saw some deer run across the hill 1,000 yards behind camp. I grabbed my binos and put them on my tripod, got on the deer. 3 does. BANG! some one shoots right near camp! It ends up being this old man with a cane that is about 400 -500 yards from our camp... Do the math! thats a 500-600 yard shot OFF HAND at RUNNING DOES!!! He of course missed by a mile, but didnt even bother to go check. He later walked right through camp and asked us if we heard him shoot. we said of course, you were in our back yard! He then asked if we saw the size of the buck... We all said, partner, you just shot at does.....

 

I believe that guy to be the kind of guy that shots his beer can ( which he had just consumed, and was making more targets, just in case he hit one!) at 67 yards!

[Coues Sniper]

They created their own turreted hunting scope as well, and the company is known as Huskemaw Optics. These scopes are very well setup for the, 1000 yd. or less, hunter.... I have one on my 300 Wby Mag and I love the scope so far. Just Google Best of the West and go to their site to find Huskemaw Optics.... With the info they provide and the help they give.... it is a much more comprehensive turret system for hunters..... the turret on my rifle is built for my gun with my bullet and load.... it even tells me the windrift at 10 mph. It also has MOA windage hash marks in the reticle. The first custom turret is included in the scope price.... and then you can have others made for extra $$. The scope retails for about $1000.00.... last I checked.

 

Good idea on checking the website, here i was about to skim thru the DVD to find the name Sounds like a heck of a set-up.

 

By the way CnS, have you loaded up any Bergers for your 300 yet? I'm thinking of giving them a try in my 300 RUM this year.

 

(I know Casey, I know, the world is flat. )

[Coues Sniper]

By the way CnS, have you loaded up any Bergers for your 300 yet? I'm thinking of giving them a try in my 300 RUM this year.

 

Never mind I was reading an old thread. I'm going to try them i think.

[GameHauler]

They created their own turreted hunting scope as well, and the company is known as Huskemaw Optics. These scopes are very well setup for the, 1000 yd. or less, hunter.... I have one on my 300 Wby Mag and I love the scope so far. Just Google Best of the West and go to their site to find Huskemaw Optics.... With the info they provide and the help they give.... it is a much more comprehensive turret system for hunters..... the turret on my rifle is built for my gun with my bullet and load.... it even tells me the windrift at 10 mph. It also has MOA windage hash marks in the reticle. The first custom turret is included in the scope price.... and then you can have others made for extra $$. The scope retails for about $1000.00.... last I checked.

 

Good idea on checking the website, here i was about to skim thru the DVD to find the name Sounds like a heck of a set-up.

 

By the way CnS, have you loaded up any Bergers for your 300 yet? I'm thinking of giving them a try in my 300 RUM this year.

 

(I know Casey, I know, the world is flat. )

 

Thank You

[Diamondbackaz]

If you don't mind the weight, the Sendaro in 7mm ultra or 300 ultra would be hard to beat. http://www.remington.com/products/firearms...ndero_SF_II.asp Top it it with your choice of a VariX III.