Long range choice

[Beardog]

I was thinking of getting a custom job on a 7mm rem mag for hunting and will do some plinking too, with reloading, what's the max range I can expect to get from it. I've looked on various ballistic apps but they all vary so much. Was after some real world info. I'd like a rifle where I can achieve a mile. I've a slot for a .338 LM but so expensive!

 

Cheers.

[borbal]

Tsk tsk! The British Deer Society frown heavily on those who take "unsafe" long shots. Stalking is the thing my boy! You should work your way carefully to within a hundred yards of your quarry for a safe and certain shot at what is effectively point blank range.

 

However, there is a different view held by a group of deer shooters in this area, which is that with the right equipment, you can effectively engage roe deer at ranges of 400 or 500 yards without having to crawl through bogs, mire and bug infested undergrowth. One keeper hereabouts (I will call him Tom) has become passionate about long range deer killing - and anything else that happens to pass through his cross-hairs - but then he looks like a small hill moving towards you as he stalks, and he blots out the sun as he stands up! Tom has set up benches at the ends or junctions of rides through the Sitka forest and waits for the deer to come out into the open where he can get a clear shot at them. This class of deer shooting is more like long range bench-rest shooting. Tom uses a laser rangefinder to determine the exact range of the beast, then consults a drop table - determined for that rifle - before adjusting the elevation knob on the scope. The wind is estimated from experience in conjunction with a windage table and then that is wound onto the windage knob.

 

I remember when Tom first felled a deer at just over 1000 yards, and that was with a 25-06 as I recall. But that was exceptional - and even Tom would admit, a bit risky - for that cartridge. He would regularly take on deer at 400 yards plus with the 25-06 though. Tom's quest was for even greater range and he progressed though the 338, but to achieve the mile shot with some certainty about the final result, Tom resorted to the 50 BMG.

 

I hope you are getting the idea that long range deer (or other game) shooting is a very specialised discipline for which you need some specialised bits of kit and a lot of experience. It is expensive both in the kit you need and the dedication you have to give to it. Busting rocks at long range is very good practice for this form of shooting.

[Beardog]

Apologies perhaps I didn't make sense or posted in wrong section. The long range is just for fun on steel etc. My question is what is the real world realistic distance I can expect to get from a 7mm rem mag to fire a bit of brass and roughly hit where I'm aiming. I know it won't get near a mile. Many thanks.

[srvet]

I have once shot the 7rem mag to about 1300 at Warcop at which point I ran out of elevation. Have a look on YouTube for mark and Sam after work. They go beyond a mile with most things

[meles meles]

We have a 7mm Rem Mag, a blueprinted Remington 700 in an AICS chassis. Extremely accurate up to 1000 yards and probably beyond that too.

[gbal]

For some comparisons on this,favourable to 7mm (rem mag ), see my post 10 today 19Feb,on "6.5 Creedmoor" thread.

It helps back up srvet and meles meles experiences.

It's been a very fine cartridge,ever since Warren Page (et al) promoted the concept,and its adoption by Rem in 1962.

World class as a game cartridge,rather underdeveloped for LR targeteering-there are more magnum magnums?-but should do rather well ,without extensive dental risks :-) Enjoy.

 

gbal

[JB1]

Why is it that when someone asks about "long range shooting" some folk jump on the soap box that it's long range quarry they are shooting.

We have a thesis about what the BDS like or don't like.

Just because you have a sporting rifle doesn't restrict the owner to shoot just live quarry. Unlike some target shooters that don't have permission to shoot off a range.

[baldie]

Beardog,

The 7mm rem mag is a pleasant cartridge to shoot...it doesn't have the recoil of its big brother, the .300 win mag.

I've always found it finicky to load for though, and it has the case separation problems of its brother too.

Belted magnums have problems.

I,m just about to build a couple of 7mm RSAUM's on long action Mcmillan actions. This will be a better mousetrap methinks.

Norma brass....no belt...will fit on a 300 magnum bolt face, and mag feeds lovely. With a light bullet, it will just about go in a short action, but a long action will give huge potential for bullet weights/lengths.

[borbal]

Yeah, I blew a gun up once shooting 7mm belted magnums. Belted magnums have a weakness in that the brass just ahead of the belt is thin and not supported. That said (and apologies for continuing the theme of long range quarry) the longest confirmed kill in Iraq was with a 300 Win Mag. It is just that much more accurate than the big boomers.