Thread: just Varminting - how far was your longest shot on your last walk

some might have heard a Rebel yell and a few Yahoos coming from the Crown Range this morning . . . it was me

I think the 260 would have another 8 to 15percent more recoil then a 243win. Its the same case so its just a bigger projectile right.... It is a wind cutting machine. Im running the old nxs 5.5-22x56 with the npr2 reticle. it got glass thats good enough for me. The reticle is not the best when calling corrections with the 5moa wind hashs. But you get there in the end. i find i can only spot shots from 400yards when i muscle the rifle a little. I free recoil so im not the best at spotting my shots. The newer nxs with the moar-t ret would be the go. 833 yards mate. im sure the neighbours were worried.

Do you guys use a kestrel to estimate the wind speed and how much to compensate by? Or you walk your shots to the prey?

I have a kestrel 3500 i think. But the more you use it the better at estimating you get. Its good having the built in pressure ect. Its obviously then put the information into your app. i estimate the direction. Gully networks can be interesting cross winds.

Originally Posted by Friwi

Do you guys use a kestrel to estimate the wind speed and how much to compensate by? Or you walk your shots to the prey?

i have a Kestrel 2500 which mostly stays in the truck but as Tim D said they are a great tool for learning true wind speeds ( but only where you are ) . . . they are of limited use where i am shooting for LR work.

as an example yesterday where i was shooting from Strelok predicted 20 inches of drift to the right with my imputs . . but somewhere on the bullets journey from one hillside to the other the wind was moving in another direction and i needed 30 inches of correction the other way to the left..
shooting across gullies around here you may have an up or down wind, as well as an all over the place wind, all at the same time . . if the animal will co-operate and stay put, fire and adjust
part of the fun ( to me ) is working out how am i going to get around the problem . . get that bullet to connect with that fur ball way out there

shooting LR with a .22lr is very helpful to learn wind skills

i have been doing a little research @Tim Dicko on the 6.5mm 143grn. ELD X bullet at 260Rem velocities, playing with the numbers on Strelok and comparing them with my 87grn. VMax bullet / load i use.
Certainly makes for an interesting comparison but maybe a little depressing for me if i let it . . best not to think of the soooo close shots that would have been good hits if i had a bullet with 50% better BC / half the wind drift of the VMax.

sometime in the near future i will have to rebarrel the tikka, the 6.5s will be on the maybe list.

can i ask why you chose the .260Rem in a sporter profile as your varmint rifle ?
what other calibers / rifles have you tried ?

R.

Rossi 45 if you look at my rifle i am left handed and dont have alot of choice as to what rifle i buy. as to the barrel contour i do alot of walking. but when i shoot out that barrel id put a 4 contour on to keep it light for my long walks. The 6mm would be more competitive with a higher b.c round to give you more wind cutting. It has a big advantage on spped obviously. I like the 260 ive had it for 2.5years and its done some kms

Originally Posted by Tim Dicko

Rossi 45 if you look at my rifle i am left handed and dont have alot of choice as to what rifle i buy. as to the barrel contour i do alot of walking. but when i shoot out that barrel id put a 4 contour on to keep it light for my long walks. The 6mm would be more competitive with a higher b.c round to give you more wind cutting. It has a big advantage on spped obviously. I like the 260 ive had it for 2.5years and its done some kms

so your a leftie @Tim Dicko . . or the term i like to use ' one of the Devils children ' that does kinda limit your choices.
the Ruger No.1 would be worth a look if you want something different, i have one in .204R and rate them.

we all have our own ideas on the best weight of a walkabout varminter, mine is definitely on the heavier side . . . when i put the miles in over the hills for a days shooting i never feel a heavy rifle is a problem, i welcome it when its time to pull the trigger. Today i added another 3-4 pounds of lead inside the stock for better balance and hoping to get a little better recoil management, have to see how that goes.

i may just rebarrel with another 243, i have loads of cases etc, maybe a faster twist . . . watching a couple PRS shooters today and one of them said something like we only shoot out to 1000yrds for 20% of the shots so we dont put all of our energy / focus on it . . which i kinda have to watch myself doing, concentrating on the very LR when most is inside 500 yards and i dont need the razzle dazzle bullets etc

I am a lefty, better looking and more intelligent i say....... It does and im not such a ruger fan. They are solid and accurate shooters but not my cup of tea. For a truck gun heavy is sweet as. for long distance walking keeping it under 5kg overall is important. When you are pulling the trigger weight is your mate.

Yeah go 243 or 6mm xc 260 and get a reamer to suit projectiles you are running. any thing with work a. I watch some of the prs shooting and follow the gears they are using. If you focus futher out it is good practice at all ranges. The higher the b.c the less effort you need to put into wind calls. Direction is the most important factor with the wind. not strength obviously. Bryan Litz has some interesting videos.

Originally Posted by Tim Dicko

for long distance walking keeping it under 5kg overall is important

harden up man

Originally Posted by rossi.45

some might have heard a Rebel yell and a few Yahoos coming from the Crown Range this morning . . . it was me

Are you saying that you shot a rabbit at that distance? If so, that is bloody amazing!

Originally Posted by MB

Are you saying that you shot a rabbit at that distance? If so, that is bloody amazing!

here's some numbers for ya @MB . . . the bullet started at over 3000ft per second, arrived at the Rabbit 1.25 seconds later doing just 1350ft per second, plenty of time to wait for the hit & watch it get knocked head over bum a few times rolling down the hill, ya just gotta love those VMaxs

Hi all, maybe the wrong thread but I have a 22-204 with loading gear and data that I dont need anymore, PM me if you want any details.

Originally Posted by stickle7

Hi all, maybe the wrong thread but I have a 22-204 with loading gear and data that I dont need anymore, PM me if you want any details.

i'm keen to see pics etc @stickle7 . . put it up and lets see what you have

Terminator 22-204 supplied by Terminator Products.