How far are you shooting monos?

[Newtosavage]

The conversation on the 6.5 thread gave me a lot to think about. One point that Form and others were making was that monos really aren't the choice for longer ranges. I don't think that's a surprise to anyone, but it did make me wonder how far people are killing things with monos, which monos they are using, and what they are killing with them.

If you're a mono user and take shots at game beyond say, 400 or 500 yards, what say you?

And if you just want to debate monos vs. lead, you're in luck. I am starting a new thread just for you so you don't have to crap all over this one!

 

[Newtosavage]

I'll go first. Longest shot I've taken with a mono was a 310 yards on a small TX whitetail using a 120 TTSX that left the bore at 3150 fps. Impact velocity should have been something like 2700-ish. Textbook performance. Quarter-sized exit hole and the small buck ran about 20 yards and fell over. I've shot a number of deer at 200-ish yards including my last one - a 275+ lb. muley. But I'd love to hear from guys that are taking those 400 and 500 yard shots with monos.

 

[prm]

I don’t find myself shooting far, so monos work fantastic for me. Longest shot I’ve taken was 200 yds, so I’m not exactly the norm. But, it worked just fine. No surprise. It would be interesting to see data on the actual ranges big game are shot. I think the monos would cover the percentages of shots quite well. For those that shoot long range it seems softer bullets are preferred.
However, for extended ranges, there was a large test done by a magazine some years ago, and it was surprising to me just how many bullets do not open much once getting down to the 2000fps range. Those pics of monos just a bit larger than caliber are not unlike many bonded or C&C bullets at those slower velocities. It is not safe to assume a Ballistic Tip, Partition or (favorite non mono) will open more than a TTSX or (insert favorite mono here) at 1800-2000.
The most damage I’ve seen from any bullet are from close range shots with a .338 TTSX with a MV of ~3000 fps. The only bullets I can compare to for similar close range shots are 30 cal 180 Partition, .338 180 BT and 185 TTSX, 6.5 140 VLD and 139 Scenar.
While the shedding of parts of the bullet does do a lot of damage, I’ve concluded the outcome does not change. A properly placed bullet results in a dead animal.

 

[Northpark]

I shot my coues buck at just about 400 yards this year with a .284” 140gr absolute hammer. Impact velocity would have been right about 2300fps. Broke both shoulders, 1.5” exit. He hit the ground on impact, kicked a couple times and that was about it.

 

[sndmn11]

I shot a cow this year around 400yd +/- with a 168ttsx leaving the muzzle between 2975-3000fps. Impact velocity should have been 2400fps. Diaphragm/lung/liver area. She walked away and died around 150 yards away. Pass through with zero blood found.

That is right around the limit I know I have for that bullet and velocity.

 

[S-3 ranch]

308 , 150ttsx, never been in a situation where I needed to shoot + 300 meters

 

[S.Clancy]

I've shot deer out to 470 yd and elk over 500 yd with .270 win, 126 gr HH 3250 fps. Only one elk didn't exit, longest distance traveled after was ~50 yds. All one shot kills.

 

[prm]

Since the subject is questioning the performance of monos at longer ranges, I’ll toss this in here as it shows a lot of bullets struggle at slower impacts. A bit dated, but clearly more to choosing a long range bullet than simply avoiding monos.

 

[rclouse79]

My longest was a mule deer buck at 470 yards with a 130 grain Barnes ttsx. Got to watch him roll down the hill in my scope when I was getting ready to shoot again.

 

[prm]

My longest was a mule deer buck at 470 yards with a 130 grain Barnes ttsx. Got to watch him roll down the hill in my scope when I was getting ready to shoot again.

What was your muzzle velocity and elevation? …or just impact velocity.

 

[rclouse79]

What was your muzzle velocity and elevation? …or just impact velocity.

I think 3050 fps and 5000 ft.

 

[Macintosh]

It would be helpful if people
include cartridge, factory or handload, bullet model, estimated impact velocity, etc so we can put this all in context.

 

[Macintosh]

I have no long range kills, period. I have this annoying habit of shooting animals inside 75 yards.
Longest were on antelope and deer and were in the 200-220 range, all with 7mm-08 barnes vortex 120gr ttsx factory loads. Typical performance, some bang/flop, one ran about 50 yards and then tipped over (double lung). All had golf-ball size exit wounds. A bunch with 30-06, but all 100 yds or less.
I consider my 7-08 and 6.5 as well as my 30-06 about 350-yard maximum range guns in order to keep impact velocity above 2200 fps. Have not found much copper I want to shoot in factory loads that would offer much longer range. Apparently otjers get better velocity out of these, or are handloading and able to get higher velocities.
I will likely try to switch over to lrx from ttsx as everything I can determine from others suggests they will reliably expand at slightly lower velocity than other monos available in factory ammo. I had the opportunity/misfortune to rebarrel my 7-08 this year and chose a 270 barrel just for the additional range that factory offering would stay above 2200 fps, and to hopefully get slightly more reliable expansion at more moderate ranges (have never had a problem, just keep hearing the fragmenting bullet crowd talk down on copper, so…), while staying with a widely available, versatile cartridge with lower to moderate recoil.
Also, I mainly shoot copper for the reduced meat damage, I find I get significantly less meat loss.

 

[Mark at EXO]

Longest for me was ~520yds on a bull elk with a 155g Hammer Hunter out of my 7SAUM. One shot and he was down in sight. Complete pass-through of the shank. Found some petals in the off-side hide.

I don't plan to shoot that far with any regularity and a mono wouldn't be my top choice (for a variety of reasons) if I were trying to be a "long range" hunter.

 

[brushape]

I have my long range rifle setup with hammers but all my shots end up close, I did watch my friend shoot a nice mule deer at 475 yards with a 145 lrx from a 280ai


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Newtosavage]

Just to be clear, I'm the last guy who would ever advocate long range hunting with a rifle or anything else for that matter. But that said, I did have a scenario on my most recent hunt where I had a decent mule deer buck feeding for almost an hour at 552 yards (according to my rangefinder). That was two ridges over from the one I was on, and I can see where if that had been the last afternoon of the hunt, I probably would have sent one. So that's why this question interests me.

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

518 yards, Dall Sheep.

6.5 CM shooting Barnes 127 LRX factory ammo with a MV of 2790. Impact velocity of appx 2,000 fps.
Complete pass through on both shoulders. Didn’t recover the bullet to see its expansion.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[finner]

Muley buck this year was 500 on the nose with a 180 Hammer going 3150 out of a 300wm. Last year's was 465 with a 143 out of a 7rm. Also shot or watched 5 elk get shot with hammers between 200 and 500, all with immediately lethal effects. I have also have shot half a dozen antelope with 124 gn hammers out of a 6.5cm between 200 and 600 yards. Given how well that particular bullet has performed on game, I'd feel confident on performance out to around 700 with my elk rifle right now.

 

[Newtosavage]

The longest shots I have taken with monos were both with 300 win 180 grain Barnes Vor-tx TTSX, 2063 fps and 1702 ft-lb at 500yds
- antelope at 608yds, 6800ft elevation
- elk at 500yds on the nose at a downward angle over 40 degrees at 8500ft elevation

Here is the end result on the elk:
View attachment 484899View attachment 484900

So that bullet had an impact velocity of 2063 fps? Did I understand that correctly?

 

[Newtosavage]

Muley buck this year was 500 on the nose with a 180 Hammer going 3150 out of a 300wm. Last year's was 465 with a 143 out of a 7rm. Also shot or watched 5 elk get shot with hammers between 200 and 500, all with immediately lethal effects. I have also have shot half a dozen antelope with 124 gn hammers out of a 6.5cm between 200 and 600 yards. Given how well that particular bullet has performed on game, I'd feel confident on performance out to around 700 with my elk rifle right now.

I need to feed my 6.5 CM barrel some hammers. Been too long since I used those but I did like what I saw.