Making A Long Shot

Everywhere we turn these days we’re bombarded with long-range ammunition, long-range optics and long-range rifles. There is no question that the accuracy of modern ammunition and hunting rifles is as good as it has ever been throughout history. In this regard, things have really changed. What hasn’t changed is us. We still have to make the shot happen, no matter how close or far. The equipment can’t do it by itself. Here are some things to keep in mind if long shooting is something you’re interested in.

The Right Tools

If you’re preparing for a hunt where you think a truly long-range shot may present itself, you first need an ammunition/ rifle/optics system capable of precise, consistent long-range bullet delivery.

The most important ammunition consideration is sufficient downrange energy. Even if your cartridge can deliver pinpoint accuracy at long ranges, it won’t do you any good unless it delivers enough energy to perform as designed when it gets there. I use the 100-yard equality principle. For game the size and weight of a pronghorn or whitetail, I take a classic .30-30 as my reference point. A typical 150-grain .30-30 load delivers about 1,300 ft-lbs of energy at 100 yards, which is universally considered appropriate for these animals. A typical 150-grain .300 Winchester Magnum load delivers 1,300 ft-lbs at about 475 yards. A 150-grain 7mm Remington Ultra Mag delivers 1,300 ft-lbs all the way out to about 650 yards. These figures tell me the maximum 100-yard equality for those cartridges compared to the energy of a .30-30.

Trajectory is also important. If you’re preparing for a really long shot, choose the flattest load that meets your energy standards.

When choosing a long-range rifle, accuracy must be a given—both in terms of mechanical accuracy and shootability. Given a mechanically accurate rifle, the most important factor in shootability is trigger pull. A traditional hunting-grade rifle trigger doesn’t really make much difference for conventional deer hunting at 100 to 200 yards; even a half-skilled marksman’s shot will not be thrown off more than a couple of inches by a lousy trigger—the deer will probably still be dead.

However, at extreme ranges, even slight movement due to a bad trigger at ignition can twitch the muzzle enough for a bad hit or a total miss. You need the most crisp, precise trigger you can get. I won’t even consider trying an extreme-range shot with a rifle that doesn’t have a glass-crisp 2.5-pound (maximum) trigger. If your rifle doesn’t have such a trigger, it’s not for long-range hunting. Get a different rifle; or if it’s otherwise an accurate tool, install one of the many readily available aftermarket triggers.