Long range affordable rifle caliber?

[Holland&Holland]

I think one can get good with a .308. Recoil is more manageable in .308 vs. many other calibers mentioned in this thread. Especially for someone with physical limitations.

Agreed, but too shoot an Elk at 500?

[Ironbear]

If given the choice of all available calibers, would all, or even most Army snipers choose .308 over every other available option?

I would think that a fashionable sniper would chose the accessories appropriate to the social occasion....

[infidel]

500 yards for any game would far exceed my capabilities. But, there are plenty of choices in many calibers that can do the job, with a qualified/experienced shooter.

[Rip Van Winkle]

Alright, as this thread seems to have focused on hunting ethics I'll post a few more thoughts.

Years ago, the late Jeff Cooper wrote an article about the ethics of taking game past 300 yards. He opined that while it's possible, under field conditions it isn't responsible. I share his view.

More shots are missed and more animals are wounded because of poor marksmanship skills than inferior ballistics. IMO, there are probably only a handful of the 4600+ members of this forum who can reliably make a 300 yard shot, let alone a 500 yard shot (under field conditions).

MaryB,
FarmerJ was correct about taking a CMP or Appleseed clinic and shame on me for not backing up that advice sooner. If your serious about hunting at 500+ yards you need to shoot that new rifle. You need to shoot it the way you intend to hunt and not from sandbags on a bench. You need to shoot at varying distances up to the distance you intend to hunt. You need to shoot in the wind, poor light and rain. You need to shoot until you can reliably hit the vital area of the animal(s) you intend to hunt 10 times out of 10. Unless you can do that under controlled conditions, you don't belong doing it in the field.

I'll get off my soap box now.

As a Postscript, I don't put any value in a gun writer's opinion. Modern gun writers are nothing more than equipment whores selling themselves for whatever trinkets and toys manufactures shower on them in exchange for favorable reviews.

[MaryB]

Gun club I belong to has 40 acres I can practice on. Some of it valley and hilly so varied terrain. I would only take a 500 yard shot if things were optimum. I do not do gee maybe this will hit shots. And I am not new to shooting. I was hunting northern MN with my dad's 30-16 when I was 14, 39 years ago.

Area in MT I would be hunting is not steep mountains, it is accessible by 4 wheeler edges of grazing areas that are pretty wide open from the stands.

[Rip Van Winkle]

I do not do gee maybe this will hit shots. And I am not new to shooting.

Does that mean you don't take "Hail MaryB" shots? Sorry I couldn't resist.

Enjoy your new rifle and remember, Mental Focus not Equipment Hocus-Pocus.

[OldmanFCSA]

@ERUD,
How does your experiences with shooting your 50BMG compare with other rifles shot at 1000 yards or greater distances?
How do the people differ also?
Just wondering as you seem best equipped to answer this topic.

[Erud]

@ERUD,
How does your experiences with shooting your 50BMG compare with other rifles shot at 1000 yards or greater distances?
How do the people differ also?
Just wondering as you seem best equipped to answer this topic.

Doug,
I've never shot the .50's competitively, so I can't really speak to that aspect of it or the people, as I don't really know any other .50 shooters. Seems like people are great in all of the shooting sports I've ever been involved with and I'd expect the .50 folks would be no different. I've always enjoyed shooting .50's, but rarely do, mostly due to the expense and general hassle of it. Lugging around a 36# rifle with 50# of ammo and assorted gear turns into a pain, and with only 1 1k yd range anywhere nearby, I just never seem to do it. I think the .50 would really be great fun out past a mile on steel, boulders, cinder blocks, etc, but I do not have access to anywhere where this type of shooting would be possible. All that said, I just sold my last .50 and I don't plan to get another. Will have some powder and primers for sale in the next week or so if anyone is looking for that.

For 1000 yard target shooting, there are a ton of lesser chamberings that are very capable at 1000 yards. Most shooters in this type of competition will shoot something in a 6, 6.5 or .30 cal. 7mm offerings are getting popular in F-Class, but not so much in conventional prone. The 10-ring on the 1000 yard NRA target is 20", and the X-ring is half that. Strings of fire are generally 2 sighters + 20 shots for record in 22 minutes, or some slight variation on that. 200 points possible. Good shooters will generally shoot in the mid to upper 190's, and 200's will be shot sometimes, particularly in good weather conditions. Keeping all of your shots inside a 20" circle may sound easy, but I assure you it isn't. Keep in mind that these matches are shot from the prone position with iron sights(front and rear circular apertures - they look fancy, but are just 2 circles that you try to center the target in) and using only your own body and a sling for support - no rests, bipods, etc. the sling also means you are absorbing all recoil, so larger calibers are not always going to result in better scores. A hard-kicking magnum can wear you out pretty quickly and result in worse scores than a lesser caliber. The 6mm that i shoot is very manageable and comfortable to shoot all day and the ballistics of it are pretty impressive. Wind plays a huge factor at 1000, and not paying attention to it, or not understanding it will cost you points. Positional errors are another huge factor and are often harder to figure out than the wind. Tiny mistakes move bullets a long ways off center.

The people in HIghpower are top-notch, and I've made many good friends and even more shootin' buddies since getting started. We are lucky to have some real living legends in the MN/WI area and to a man, they are all happy to help people out and will basically tell all of their secrets to anyone who asks. I am a firm believer that this type of shooting will build a person's skill with a rifle faster than anything else out there. The fundamentals are absolutely critical in this sport, and bad technique is exposed quickly. I sat at a bench shooting little groups with a scope and bipod for several years when I first got into shooting, but I don't think I learned how to shoot until I started shooting HP. Anybody who might be interested in this type of shooting can send me a pm or email, I'm happy to answer any questions or help in any way I can.

Erik

[MaryB]

My days of shooting prone are over unfortunately or it would be fun. In between my spine and hips and knees getting prone is not something I would do unless hunting and absolutely needed.