This hunter nailed an 875-yard elk killer shot with a rifle chambered in .308 Winchester on day two of their hunt. Posted on 11/06/2016 9:25:16 AM PST by w1n1
This hunter nailed an 875-yard elk killer shot with a rifle chambered in .308 Winchester on day two of their hunt.
These hunters noticed a herd of elk feeding on a hillside two canyons away. After observing the herd for a little bit, the hunter selected a yearling cow out of the herd to shoot. He passed on the larger cows because he knew they would have a heck of a hike to get the meat out of the woods afterwards. In any case, they settled in, and he squeezed off his shot, which resulted in an 875-yard elk kill. View the video here, would you have taken this shot?
“About 550 yards.”
I know.
I only made the comment because this is a casual conversation, and most of us Americans think in feet and inches.
Couple of points-
all bullets at the end of their terminal trajectory eventually are overcome by air resistance and loose stability and the yaw of repose overcomes the dynamic balance created by rotational forces and they tumble as the fall to the ground. Usually this is just below supersonic velocity but can vary based on ballistic coefficient and other design factors
wind effect at 875 yards is very hard to read, especially over broken mountainous terrain, so judging drift becomes rather artful vice scientific. The best, even with anemometers and smoke/flags at down range locations have a difficult time hitting game sized targets past 600 yds or so ( a 175 grain 762x51 NATO sniper round (M118LR) drifts about 18 inches at 600 yards in a 5mph full value wind, that would nearly triple at 900 yards, assuming the shooter/spotter could asses the effects down to +/- 1mph or so....
Terminal ballistics ( what happens after the bullet hit flesh) is usually manufactured into hunting bullets based on expected range of impact velocity- a 308 isn’t likely designed to kill game at 875 yards , so in effect the projectile likely had no or very little expansion- and rather low velocity to boot= not very effective or ethical , a 300magnum, on the other hand, would have a better bullet ballistically, resulting on more retained velocity and more much more retained energy and a bullet designed for those ranges.
Anyway, he apparently hit his target lethally ( at least they depict it so) and took the animal home-
A good hunter seeks to get as close as possible, then 10 yards closer.....in my opinion.
Regardig 223 at range- other than a few M1a shooters in the Camp Peery National Matches, all is done with the 223, usually using a 69 or 75/77 out to 300, then an 80 VlD at 600- the target has an X ring 6 inches n diameter at 600, and winning shooters post scores with 199or 200s with X counts in the teens- meaning they, using iron M16 style sights, from a 20 inch AR15, can hold most shots in a 6 inch group, leaking shots left and right usually due to the winds....
My personal best is a modest 195-11x at 600 with an AR15 National match service rifle. This is 20 shots loaded singly and pushing an 80 grain Hornady Amax at about 2775 fps, prone, using only a sling for support.
I use a 300 Win Mag and Hornday 200 grain ELDs for long range hunting, and on the range if I call the wind well, I can hit a 12x12 inch steel target about 70% of the time first round cold bore-supported prone, from 400 to 700 yards, past that my hit prob drops quickly with every hundred yards (my range allows 1200 yards) but I limit ( or my geography limits) myself to game shots not past 500 yards- even though top flite shooters make high percentage 1st shot hits out pas 1200-1500 yards with similar rigs.
Regards
No shoot here. My scope reticles would have covered the target. If I shot at all it would have been at a boulder.
“Extreme accuracy?
How much bullet drop do you get from a 223 at 1000 yards?
“
I don’t think equating bullet drop to accuracy is proper. ALL bullets have drop.
ALL bullets can tumble once their spin is destabilized, but the 223 is no some kind of magical bullet that magically destabilizes. It is routinely used as much as any bullet.
“Still, an 875-yard single shot kill is pretty damn impressive.”
Yes, it is. Most rounds don’t have enough energy at that range to do the job.
Yes but you said extreme accuracy and I would expect about 20 or more feet of drop from a 223 at that range so I was curious as to your definition of accuracy in this case. I was not saying you can’t shoot that far, but most shooters would say you need at least a 308 if not more to reliably shoot that distance.
Exactly. Very little energy with most rounds at 800 yards to take larger game. I wouldn’t have done it just because of the ethical hunter stance not to use a round that doesn’t provide an adequate probability of a kill. Elk in Colorado require at least 1,000 ft/lbs energy at 100 yards, yet that 875 yard shot had about 600 ft/lbs. Not ethical.
Either. Factory 262 work great, too. Factory loads can be match grade and many people shoot them just fine.
There is nothing magical about the 223. It’s just another round. All these fairy tales are born of ignorance and “I read it on the Internet” crap.
Drop has zero to do with accuracy. Get over that statement of yours. Accuracy is NOT defined as flat trajectory.
I wouldnt be confident at that range (200 but not 800) but I wouldnt try it on elk with under a 200 grain framed or partition bullet. At that range you are gonna be down around 1000-1100 ft/lbs.
Nice shot.
30-06 max for 200 grain bullet is right at 2600 fps at the muzzle. 500 yards is a 54.8” drop at 1710 fps and 1298 ft/lbs.
it was definitely through and through, if he'd hit the shoulder, it would have been a looong night tracking
Count me out of the .223 vs. .308 ballistics argument - I think you have me confused with another FReeper in the thread. I’ll plainly admit having my own issues with the mysteries of hitting the pop-up targets at the longer ranges when I was in the Army. And I don’t see myself attempting an 875-yard shot on an elk, either.
Kewel dad...
Dude, I have a lot of shooting experience. Stop playing lawyer and answer the question. Your claiming to be an accurate shot at 1000 meters. With a 223 no less. What’s accurate to you? I tried to give you benefit of the doubt in explaining, but me thinks doth do protest too much. Maybe your statement is a little stretching truth?
8:46 on the video - it looks like a neck shot. It did seem like the ground was kicked up behind the animal at a spot not lined up with the body.
It was in 1962 when the WA St game department opened the 'high Cascades' for an early mule deer hunt. I was a guard at a USFS campground then. It opened on about Sept. 2 and the temp. in the mtns. was over 70 for nearly two weeks.
The hunters came boiling in with their 7mm and other high powers rifles. They were shooting these beautiful, big muleys across canyons that were only 600 yds. wide or less.
The only problem it was hot, the animals were hot from running and their adrenaline was high and the canyons were steep and deep.
By the time they could get to the animal, the meat was spoiling, then they through the carcasses across the hoods of their cars with the skin still on.
Needless to say, the rotten meat ended up in the Seattle dump.
I’m a Mississippi native
A lot hotter than Washington st
I’ve never ever ever had meat spoil in the field
Not deer or turkey or dove
The latter two when it’s particularly hot
But I’d try to gut and elevate as quick as possible
That’s as important as the temp up to a point
I agree. If you can’t be sure of a clean kill, you shouldn’t make the shot. It comes down to good stewardship.
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