Looking for guidance?

simplepeddler · Nov 19, 2018

I am looking for a little help to accomplish a 350 yard shot.

Our best spot on the lease presents a shot right at that distance. Last year I missed a monster and just could not figure out the shot.

I am relatively new to deer hunting and want to get this shot down.

I am aware each shot presents a different challenge, but I would like to build some confidence before the rut gets here.

anyone willing to help an ole boy out?

shooting a 300WSM standard federal loads.

Gator 45/70 · Nov 19, 2018

Be glad to come give that monster a good flogging like he deserves?

Just kidding, You need to hook up with a long range shooter on here.

troy_mclure · Nov 19, 2018

ive never owned a wsm, but have read that they can be finicky on bullet weight/length and twist rate.

what are your 100yd, and 200yd groups showing?

simplepeddler · Nov 19, 2018

Inch High at 100 with 2 inch grouping. Not shot target at 200 yet!
165 grain vital shocks federal

- - - Updated - - -

Lol. No doubt I could have used the help

mickey · Nov 19, 2018

Sounds like you roughly have a 200y zero if you are an inch high at 100y.
Dail an additional 3.25 moa of elevation into your scope to account for the 12 inches of drop at 350y or don’t dial and hold a foot high.
These numbers are approximate and should get you close as we don’t know the true muzzle velocity for you setup.

simplepeddler · Nov 19, 2018

Forgive my ignorance, but ......there is no "dial" .......just the elevation and windage ........it's a X-bolt with a 6-18X50 HABICHT......Older scope but still a nice one. It does have the holdover or bullet drop marks. and the Swarovski website offers ballistic info. I went there this afternoon, now a just need a place to shoot it seems

mickey · Nov 20, 2018

simplepeddler said:
Forgive my ignorance, but ......there is no "dial" .......just the elevation and windage ........it's a X-bolt with a 6-18X50 HABICHT......Older scope but still a nice one. It does have the holdover or bullet drop marks. and the Swarovski website offers ballistic info. I went there this afternoon, now a just need a place to shoot it seems

Dial means turn elevation turret the additional 3.25 MOA (13 clicks if it is a .25 moa adjustment scope) from your current zero.

Request Dust Off · Nov 20, 2018

simplepeddler said:
Inch High at 100 with 2 inch grouping. Not shot target at 200 yet!
165 grain vital shocks federal

- - - Updated - - -

Lol. No doubt I could have used the help

Why do you think you missed? Gun off, bad estimation or you pulling the shot?
One major thing I feel a rifleman needs to be able to do is "call the shot". To do that need to know POA vs POI. Once you can do that you will be able to trouble shoot your shooting and or rifle.
Shot calling and NPA (Natural Point of Aim) are 2 core skills.

Could you practice that shot on paper in the off season? Calcs are nice but there is no substitute for actually confirming the shooting.

Realize that on the Ballistic calculator the 3 biggest inputs are:
Height of sights above bore - this make a big difference - but a constant
Bullet BC - should be pretty much constant on a decent bullet - affects wind drift
Muzzle Velocity - will have some variance from shot to shot
What is great about the Calc is you can change 1 variable and see how it affects things - so you can see what a 10, 25, 50 or 100 FPS in MV variance does
Distance to target can be varied to see what being off in range estimation can do.
At 350yds - Atmospheric data is probably not much of a concern, but again you can vary it and see. Temp might affect the powders burn rate, again probably not enough to be of concern and out side the realm of most calcs any way, but would show a change in MV.
You can also look at time of flight or see the wind drift values.

Figure your 2 MOA translates to over 7" @ 350 yds - so think about if you are comfortable with that. My suggestion is to shoot farther on paper than you would on game, but I don't hunt anymore, so that is easy for me to say in the middle of deer season.

simplepeddler · Nov 20, 2018

I understand dialing the turret, not practical for me in a hunting situation though. But I understand your thought

Barry J · Nov 20, 2018

Some ammo boxes have a ballistic chart printed on them. Should give you an idea on drop at 350.

simplepeddler · Nov 20, 2018

Request, I missed because I am inexperienced, plain an simple.
I only measured the shot distance after I got back to the camp. We had a cross wind that day of 21 MPH. It was one of the snow days last year.

I am primarily on this lease as a duck hunter, but take stands in the afternoon. So I am terribly inexperienced at rifles. If he had been flying through the air at 70 yards, pretty sure I could have put him down LOL.

I have practiced the shot in an app called "Long Shot" a gazillion times since last year. I've really been bitten with trying to be better prepared given the opportunity again.
I made a 180 yard shot two weeks earlier with a 7MM-08 but it was dead calm.
Ironically after shooting at the monster FOUR times, (yes he gave me four opportunities) I gave up, set my rifle in the corner and starting feeling sorry for myself. Then a smaller 8 walked out at 80 yards and I folded him in his tracks.

Request Dust Off · Nov 20, 2018

simplepeddler said:
Request, I missed because I am inexperienced, plain an simple.
I only measured the shot distance after I got back to the camp. We had a cross wind that day of 21 MPH. It was one of the snow days last year.

I am primarily on this lease as a duck hunter, but take stands in the afternoon. So I am terribly inexperienced at rifles. If he had been flying through the air at 70 yards, pretty sure I could have put him down LOL.

I have practiced the shot in an app called "Long Shot" a gazillion times since last year. I've really been bitten with trying to be better prepared given the opportunity again.
I made a 180 yard shot two weeks earlier with a 7MM-08 but it was dead calm.
Ironically after shooting at the monster FOUR times, (yes he gave me four opportunities) I gave up, set my rifle in the corner and starting feeling sorry for myself. Then a smaller 8 walked out at 80 yards and I folded him in his tracks.

Sounds like you have the right attitude about getting it figured out.

I did edit my earlier post to add some stuff.

I practiced a lot with an air rifle. The main thing is being able to get feedback on each individual shot. That is what I feel helps the learning curve.
Air rifle for daily shooting @ home. .22LR on a range to get the round count up. Then CF on a range to verify you are achieving results. Dry fire is in the mix. I have not shot in a while but have found when you have solid core skills you don't revert back to nothing.

Not to crack on any brand of rifle, but we have had some Brownings give our friends fits. One was a .325 WSM, after my buddy worked with it and then involved me we got fed up with it and told the owner to get rid of it. The BOSS system also gave 1 of my friends issues. So try another rifle and see if there is a big gap in results. It ain't always the loose nut behind the trigger.

Gator 45/70 · Nov 20, 2018

simplepeddler said:
Request, I missed because I am inexperienced, plain an simple.
I only measured the shot distance after I got back to the camp. We had a cross wind that day of 21 MPH. It was one of the snow days last year.

I am primarily on this lease as a duck hunter, but take stands in the afternoon. So I am terribly inexperienced at rifles. If he had been flying through the air at 70 yards, pretty sure I could have put him down LOL.

I have practiced the shot in an app called "Long Shot" a gazillion times since last year. I've really been bitten with trying to be better prepared given the opportunity again.
I made a 180 yard shot two weeks earlier with a 7MM-08 but it was dead calm.
Ironically after shooting at the monster FOUR times, (yes he gave me four opportunities) I gave up, set my rifle in the corner and starting feeling sorry for myself. Then a smaller 8 walked out at 80 yards and I folded him in his tracks.

Move your stand closer?

simplepeddler · Nov 20, 2018

request, thanks.

Gator, it's a permanent stand...........one dem nice ones! Ironically we did build one on the other end of the food plot for wind adjustments.........sat in it the next day.......no deer der

mike84z28 · Nov 20, 2018

Shooting that far is long range in a hunting situation, not to say with a bunch of practice that it cant be done. Each rifle will like a different ammunition and shoot better or worse depending on that ammunition. Practice is key even if you can only practice out to 100 yards. I shoot a browning x-bolt in .270 wsm and it likes a specific ammo. I have shot deer at 305 yards and yotes at 375 yards but it takes practice and that's probably what you need more than anything else. Good luck !

And don't watch those BS TV shows that show guys dropping a Bull Elk at a 1000 yards because it's just that BS !

Troedoff · Nov 20, 2018

mike84z28 said:
Shooting that far is long range in a hunting situation, not to say with a bunch of practice that it cant be done. Each rifle will like a different ammunition and shoot better or worse depending on that ammunition. Practice is key even if you can only practice out to 100 yards. I shoot a browning x-bolt in .270 wsm and it likes a specific ammo. I have shot deer at 305 yards and yotes at 375 yards but it takes practice and that's probably what you need more than anything else. Good luck !

And don't watch those BS TV shows that show guys dropping a Bull Elk at a 1000 yards because it's just that BS !

Why would it be BS? Are you saying that there aren't people out there who can regularly shoot 1k+? In Louisiana or any where within 500 miles of here one would not likely have to take that shot, but in the arid lowlands of the Rockies, and desert it may be the only shot you get. Apparently you are used to only one type of hunting, and or have never been hunting in the mountains or say Utah. People there regularly are presented with long shots, because unlike here still hunting is not very productive there where herds are migrating. There are groups of people there who are dedicated to shooting long range, and develop their wildcat rounds, and custom rifles just for that.

350 should be child's play for his 300WSM. He said his groups are 2" at 100 yards, which tells me he needs to work on his shooting before he tries to start stretching his legs. If his rifle is capable of 1" groups and most even off the shelf today are capable of that or better, at 100 he should be able to produce groups close to what his rifle is capable of before trying to take longer shots. 1" is only 3.5" at 350, but 2" is 7" now he missed the heart for sure, and maybe the lung depending on how he pulled the shot, and that is given his 100yd margin of error dead still. Now account for ballistics, and wind which there is little knowledge of, and your not even on the paper anymore. People on here can recommend things for you to do, but ultimately it is going to come down to learning and understanding basic ballistics. How elevation, Wind, and gravity affect the bullet, and developing the skills, and ability to shoot small groups @100 yds which means rounds down range. Then actually shooting at distance. There are many who can tell you how they do it, but that doesn't mean you can do it. The only way is to put in the range time with a good spotter, see and do. When you consistently are putting rounds on target at range, then you won't blink about taking that shot, and will know what the conditions are, and have a high percentage to make your shot.

Blue Diamond · Nov 20, 2018

Keep it simple. Aim 4" to 6" high at 300-350 and your good to go in a hunting situation. the 300 mag drops very little at those ranges. If you go beyond that requires more calculations.

mike84z28 · Nov 20, 2018

I'm not saying there are not people capable of the shot, but the hype and BS surrounding taking an animal that size at 1000 yards and dropping it in it's tracks is just that BS. The editing of those shows is done strategically and is misleading. There are factors at play at those distances that 99.9 % of hunters know nothing about. As you stated wind currents and thermals are a complete unknown in the areas where these animals are hunted. Your not pulling up an AP on your phone for it. Go out west or on the plains and hunt, one out of every 30 days you may have calm winds. Long range target shooting and killing animals of that size with one shot and dropping them in there tracks are two completely different things.

Troedoff said:
Why would it be BS? Are you saying that there aren't people out there who can regularly shoot 1k+? In Louisiana or any where within 500 miles of here one would not likely have to take that shot, but in the arid lowlands of the Rockies, and desert it may be the only shot you get. Apparently you are used to only one type of hunting, and or have never been hunting in the mountains or say Utah. People there regularly are presented with long shots, because unlike here still hunting is not very productive there where herds are migrating. There are groups of people there who are dedicated to shooting long range, and develop their wildcat rounds, and custom rifles just for that.

350 should be child's play for his 300WSM. He said his groups are 2" at 100 yards, which tells me he needs to work on his shooting before he tries to start stretching his legs. If his rifle is capable of 1" groups and most even off the shelf today are capable of that or better, at 100 he should be able to produce groups close to what his rifle is capable of before trying to take longer shots. 1" is only 3.5" at 350, but 2" is 7" now he missed the heart for sure, and maybe the lung depending on how he pulled the shot, and that is given his 100yd margin of error dead still. Now account for ballistics, and wind which there is little knowledge of, and your not even on the paper anymore. People on here can recommend things for you to do, but ultimately it is going to come down to learning and understanding basic ballistics. How elevation, Wind, and gravity affect the bullet, and developing the skills, and ability to shoot small groups @100 yds which means rounds down range. Then actually shooting at distance. There are many who can tell you how they do it, but that doesn't mean you can do it. The only way is to put in the range time with a good spotter, see and do. When you consistently are putting rounds on target at range, then you won't blink about taking that shot, and will know what the conditions are, and have a high percentage to make your shot.

mickey · Nov 20, 2018

Blue Diamond said:
Keep it simple. Aim 4" to 6" high at 300-350 and your good to go in a hunting situation. the 300 mag drops very little at those ranges. If you go beyond that requires more calculations.

Nope
Run his numbers on a ballistics app.
Will drop more than that.

mike84z28 · Nov 20, 2018

Yup according to Federal 11.2 inches at 300 yards if sighted dead on at 100 yards

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