question about 7mm mag recoil

[Threerun]

Originally Posted by TaxPhd

Is that a B.O.S.S. on the end of that rifle?

No.

[Threerun]

Originally Posted by TaxPhd

It’s been a while since I’ve done the math, but if I remember my geometry, if that 60 degree angle is downwards, the bullet drop will be equivalent to a horizontal shot of 173 yards, and if the angle is upwards, it’s equivalent drop to a horizontal distance of 100 yards. Both of those shots are easily within “point blank range” with error of less than 1.5”.

However, I agree with your general point - more accurate is more better. I handload 100% of my center fire rifle ammo, and I don’t have a bolt action rifle that groups worse than .75” at 100 yards. But I also won’t take a shot at a big game animal at more than 400 yards. Both I and my rifles are capable of much more, but I can’t control environmental conditions. It doesn’t take much wind to create a wounding shot at longer ranges. Others are better at doping the wind than I am, but that’s my personal limitation on big game.

I’m running numbers off Hornadys ballistic app. I know in practice I need to hold on slopes differently for sure. At least on rocks.

Wind holds are getting easier for me. I’m getting pretty confident at 600-700 yds as long as I have a little time. My prone hold and lock with a bipod is pretty rock solid.

[TaxPhd]

Originally Posted by Threerun

I’m running numbers off Hornadys ballistic app. I know in practice I need to hold on slopes differently for sure. At least on rocks.

Wind holds are getting easier for me. I’m getting pretty confident at 600-700 yds as long as I have a little time. My prone hold and lock with a bipod is pretty rock solid.

Without getting bogged down in the math, you need to hold lower when shooting uphill or downhill, because the drop is based on the horizontal distance the bullet travels to the target, which will always be shorter than the actual distance traveled (the bullet path is the hypotenuse of the triangle, while the horizontal distance will either be the opposite side or the adjacent side). However, it really only becomes a significant issue as the shooting distance gets quite long, and the angle gets steep.

I'm lucky in that I have access to some private land where I can shoot out to well over 1,000 yards, and the land also has lots of cool terrain features - hills and valleys with lots of steep up and downhill shots, cross canyon situations, LONG wide flat areas filled with prairie dogs, etc. I can bring my steel targets out, set up lots of different shooting situations, and practice a ton in actual field conditions. It's like a day at Disneyland for a shooter.

My friends ask me if I would really pass up a shot at a big 6x6 bull if it was at 500 yards. And that's a tough call for me. It it was really calm, the animal wasn't moving, and I had a good shooting position, I'd probably go for it. But not with heavy or gusty wind or a moving animal. Tracking game is something I'm pretty good at, but I just don't want to do it. I've followed too many blood trails of poorly hit animals that other shooters have failed to follow up on. I guess it's too much trouble for them to do the ethical thing and go search for signs of a hit, and then to take the time and effort to track the animal.

To my knowledge, I've made two poor hits on big game animals. One animal recovered, one not. Both of them bother me greatly, and I work hard to never have that happen again.

[Threerun]

I'm okay with 500yds now, even with a 10-15 mph steady wind. My 160 partition load at 500 yds with a 90deg cross wind at 10mph is a 3moa adjustment. 15 mph 4.75moa. I use Leupold windplex or similar reticles and I've been damn near 100% hits at that distance with winds. I dial for elevation and hold on reticle for wind.

At 500 yds that bullet is still pushing 2,100 fps with 1,500+ ft-lb energy. Lots of gas left in the tank.