500+ Yard Shots on Game With Sporter Barrel

[zrodwyo]

I ran an unbraked/unsuppressed 6.5 saum for years and killed a pile of elk, antelope, and deer with it. I think the longest shot was 550 yards at an elk.

I never had any issue spotting my shots but I don’t think I ever fired that rifle in any position but prone.

 

[Wrench]

I've killed in the 0- -15* area a few times with both wsm and 308 based cases and never had an issue. As a personal rule I do not shoot over 30grs powder with a srp in zero or below.

I only shoot prone over 500ish and prefer it for everything. I like to shoot from my pack as I can stay on target better than any other method I've tried including my massive tripod with expensive heads (this applies to sporter weight guns with modest to severe recoil).

 

[sndmn11]

It has to do with the use of magnum primers. If it is above zero, I have no issue with a cartridge that uses small rifles or large rifle primers but when it is below zero I'll take a magnum cartridge all day. You'll have enough close on you won't even notice that "1/3" additional recoil.

Jay

Are you reloading with mag primers, or aware of what factory loads with magnum primers in 6.5prc?

 

[Cactus kid]

Have you had much real life experience hunting below zero or is this just calculated? I've killed several elk between -10⁰f and -20⁰f and magnum cartridges tend to have more consistent shots when it is really cold. Several times, non magnum cartridges have sounded "off" when fired and missed wildly. It has to do with the use of magnum primers. If it is above zero, I have no issue with a cartridge that uses small rifles or large rifle primers but when it is below zero I'll take a magnum cartridge all day. You'll have enough close on you won't even notice that "1/3" additional recoil.

I would have taken my 6 ARC my last elk hunt but I expected a temperature of near or below zero and didn't want to chance it without shooting more at those temps. I'm not saying it wouldn't have worked but I knew the 6.5 PRC wouldn't have issues.

Jay

I’ve never heard of anyone experiencing this. Interesting…

Do you think it has to do with the temp sensitive powders? Or increased density altitude? Or some other reason?

Also have you ever shot these rifles over a chrono at different temperatures? Legitimately curious

 

[TaperPin]

I think the idea of spotting shots is well meaning, but in many hunting situations watching bullets impact has a very low chance of showing anything. Out at the range, or shooting rocks, or even plates placed out on public land, 99% of targets I see are in areas where it’s easy to see impacts, which doesn’t reflect hunting scenarios. Most plinking/training is also in great weather with the sun well above the horizon - most folks are fair weather shooters.

More than that, if the shooter isn’t confident the 1st shot will connect with a large amount of time for the shot, odds of a rushed follow-up shot at long range on a moving target are tiny at best. Responses from the very few posts about moving targets shows the average guy struggling to hit a stationary target has no chance at one rapidly moving off dragging a leg or with intestines hanging out. Living in antelope country and watching hunters do what hunter do, if a running goat is ever hit in front of the diaphragm the guy was aiming at the goat in front of it.

My gauge of how far to shoot has always been the single shot at a 10” paper plate - pinned to a bush or tree branch. We have used a single shot on paper plates for decades and it not only provides conformation of an ability to hit at that range, but it removes the false sense of security people get when missing the target completely then excusing it by saying it would have killed anyway, or from spraying bullets until a steel plate is rung - the number of times the bullet impact can be seen is minimal at best. The nephew is often dumbfounded when I’ll drive 1-1/2 hours to set a plate for a single shot, but judging by the number of times he chokes when it’s 4 hrs of work for that one bullet, the pressure is real.

500 yard shots in good weather, with unlimited time on a 2 MOA target shouldn’t be hard, or something is fundamentally very wrong.

 

[hickswr]

Have you had much real life experience hunting below zero or is this just calculated? I've killed several elk between -10⁰f and -20⁰f and magnum cartridges tend to have more consistent shots when it is really cold. Several times, non magnum cartridges have sounded "off" when fired and missed wildly. It has to do with the use of magnum primers. If it is above zero, I have no issue with a cartridge that uses small rifles or large rifle primers but when it is below zero I'll take a magnum cartridge all day. You'll have enough close on you won't even notice that "1/3" additional recoil.

I would have taken my 6 ARC my last elk hunt but I expected a temperature of near or below zero and didn't want to chance it without shooting more at those temps. I'm not saying it wouldn't have worked but I knew the 6.5 PRC wouldn't have issues.

Jay

Or just use magnum primers in all hunting cartridges like most folks.

 

[bojangles808]

Nice! What cheek riser kit you got going on that rifle?

It's a stock tek cheek riser. Some guy was selling for cheap on eBay a while back so I tried it. Pain to install but looks cleaner than most drilled raised comb setups

 

[wyosam]

Have you had much real life experience hunting below zero or is this just calculated? I've killed several elk between -10⁰f and -20⁰f and magnum cartridges tend to have more consistent shots when it is really cold. Several times, non magnum cartridges have sounded "off" when fired and missed wildly. It has to do with the use of magnum primers. If it is above zero, I have no issue with a cartridge that uses small rifles or large rifle primers but when it is below zero I'll take a magnum cartridge all day. You'll have enough close on you won't even notice that "1/3" additional recoil.

I would have taken my 6 ARC my last elk hunt but I expected a temperature of near or below zero and didn't want to chance it without shooting more at those temps. I'm not saying it wouldn't have worked but I knew the 6.5 PRC wouldn't have issues.

Jay

Most of my hunting loads use magnum primers regardless of cartridge.


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[Macintosh]

Its cold here, but Im rarely hunting in legit below zero temps before wind chill—our rifle season just doesnt go that long into the winter. That said, Ive never experienced this issue shooting in midwinter. Have had issues with cold-soaked rangefinders, snow and ice buildup, .22rf lube issues in cold, etc but never ignition issues or erratice performance with centerfire rifles using factory loaded ammo. Ive had cold weather poor ignition and performance on low-pressure shotgun shells reloaded for antique shotguns with a few specific powders, but never with standard loads. Is this cold weather problem something widely documented, or based on specific powder issues, etc?

 

[Wrench]

Here's a piece of advice for those who are nervous about that shot.

Shoot something the same or close to the same distance away but away from the target. You can usually watch the impact to gauge the conditions and at 600 critters don't freak out.

Now you've called the sighter.... shoot.

If you scared the critter in the process, you probably shouldn't have shot anyway.