Thread: WHAT IS A "LONG RANGE GUN/RIFLE"?

Hi everyone,
Been thinking(and start to smell - just a joke) about many threads about "long range" rifles/guns, so came the question, "what is a long range rifle/gun?"
In my small experience in shooting i learn that "long range" has A LOT to do with "gun" capability, such as, a pistol will be "more" accurate at "short" distances(5-15mts), but still capable to shoot "long range" 15+ meters in a capable "hands".
A rimfire rifle is also very accurate(depending the manufacturer configuration and "intention") up to 50-80 meters but also will shoot accurate a lot further if "designed" or "tuned up" for it.
Now, when we talk about a centre fire rifle what is long range? i saw videos of people shooting with accuracy .223 remington as far 1000 meters+ knowing it would not be enough to "kill" anything with the end velocities and from there many other calibers capable to do the same and further, a lot further.
To the newbies looking for "A" first rifle what are your intentions with it? is it a hunting, target or for both? If hunting, what are your targeted animal(s) or what is the "largest" animals specie you intend to shoot? is your rifle capable to do the job(kill) "humanely"?
I read a thread where a member ask for advise for a "all around" rifle, capable to shoot accurated at ranges from 50-80 meters and sometime "long range" 100-150 meters. In the same thread he mention something about shooting from goats to "beasts", so what would be a good rifle and caliber?
Sometimes we think at long range been distances over 600, 800 meters, but are these distances really "long range"? What accuracy are we looking for in our rifles at ranges starting from here(600+ mts) with factory loads? Yes, factory loads. We have a great number of people that "craft" their own ammunition but we still have the "others" who use the factory loads that suits better their firearm.
Please, someone here that could leave a little "Lecture" about general Accuracy, long range hunting and long range target shooting? Anyone who can give basic information mainly to the newbies searching for their first rifle and "why" or "what" the options are?

Thank you for your time and be safe out there, have fun!

Mac

My definition of long range is shooting past 300 metres. Usually with a dial up scope.

A long range gun is typically something that is overly heavy, impractical and loud. The bonus thought is bragging/wanking on rights at the local pub/forum.
Typically adorned with mountains of clicky/bubble/spikey/ bollocks and scope of magnitudes that would make astronomers blush.
Seldom a rifle that is kept for long or lives in the cabinet for that "special day" it may be useful (other than shooting goats at your mates farm cause its not so bad on the quad).

Originally Posted by kiwijames

A long range gun is typically something that is overly heavy, impractical and loud. The bonus thought is bragging/wanking on rights at the local pub/forum.
Typically adorned with mountains of clicky/bubble/spikey/ bollocks and scope of magnitudes that would make astronomers blush.
Seldom a rifle that is kept for long or lives in the cabinet for that "special day" it may be useful (other than shooting goats at your mates farm cause its not so bad on the quad).

+1 Now thats what i call a no nonsense reply......nail on head....

For centerfire, up to the point where the projectile goes trans-sonic, to me is long range. Beyond that is extreme long range. So if you take a 308/708/260 type round, 300-1000yds would be long range, beyond that is ELR.

For 22LR, 100-200yds is long range to me, and beyond 200 is ELR.

That is purely from a target or gong point of view. If you want to kill an animal, I would not be using something that has less than 700ft/lb energy at a particular range (assuming medium sized game), and much more importantly, I would shoot within my limits.

There are a lot of rifles out there that can kill at very long distances, but a lot less shooters who can

Originally Posted by kiwijames

A long range gun is typically something that is overly heavy, impractical and loud.

Yup, it is a well known fact that "loudners" double the effective range of any rifle Apologies to KG

A long range gun would probably be found on a battle ship about 16in calibre. A rifle is a different story. Had a wanabee trainee culler a lot of years back who asked the same question, he was told that longer the barrel the longer the range and if he wanted to shoot the tops he needed to buy a rifle with at least a four foot barrel. Ran into him about 20 years later and his greeting was "your the c**t who made me look like a dick in the gunshop". Any way after mutual hullos he told me he had purchased a 7mm Remington Magnum which he traded in for a 308, a short time later because he found tha his average shot even on the tops was about 50 yards and very rarely except for Thar and Chamois did he have to stretch his barrel to 100 to 200 yds. He also found that a lot of hunters seem to have a great deal of difficulty gauging distance.

Originally Posted by Turehu

a lot of hunters seem to have a great deal of difficulty gauging distance.

Thank god they invented a range finder

To me a long range large game rifle is anything that is intended to be capable of cleanly killing a deer sized animal with the first shot at ranges over 400m.

Buying the gear is one thing, the shooter gaining the skill to do this is another. If your going to spend $5k on a rifle $1k on ammo to learn to use it if you don't all ready have the skill would seem right to me but most just seem to but the gear and then fire half a pack of ammo from a bench and call it done.

Or you could just say that any rifle that doc Watson is holding is a long range rifle. It really is more about the nut behind the but

Well I'll be the first to put my hand up and admit I'm a great big girly man , because to me anything over 250 m is long range .
Sure I'll shoot at paper targets further away , but conditions have to be perfect ( and 99% of the time they aren't ) for me to trigger a shot at an animal further than 250 m . I have shot an animal at 342 paces ( I'm 6 ft 3 inches ) , but that was a one off , everything was perfect , and I confidently sent the projectile on its way . If I have any doubt about the shot , then I don't shoot . I would rather leave the animal undisturbed than to scare it off and teach it to be wary or worse injured .
I must be old , stupid , untrained and a sadly lacking member of the hunting community , because I can't compete with most of the hunting stories I hear of these days .
As Clint Eastwood said " a mans got to know his limitations "


Ken

I must be old , stupid , untrained and a sadly lacking member of the hunting community , because I can't compete with most of the hunting stories I hear of these days .

Shall we form a club?????????

Furtherest Sika stag I ever shot was a confirmed 435 metres. Rifle was a 308 with 2-7 scope and 150grain Norma soft point bullet. I guessed the hold over and held a spread hands span above his shoulders. He was facing me. The bullet went end for end through the length of that deer, chest to bum. It went uphill over 200 metres before dying and was shot through heart lungs and kidneys. The exit hole was not large.
Furthest Tahr I shot was estimated 500 metres plus using 303 with 2 1/2 power Bushnell banner and holding over twice body depth above him as he stood in a high rock notch. He ran down hill back towards me. I was using filed off military rounds. I shot him several more times as he came down hill. I still have that skin at home here. Both these examples were a few decades ago and bullet velocities were not what is obtainable today with newer powders and better bullets. However, it does prove that if you regard long range as around 500 metres, that 308 will do the job and is plenty accurate enough. Over 500 metres I would be inclined to look to 30-06 or a short magnum in the 7mm-30 cal class but at long range you need superior shooting skills and excellent means of wind and range/ trajectory information properly applied. Keep in mind that hunting is more about stalking challenges than target shooting at animals. You can't go far wrong with a good 308 or 30-06 with very good loads using bullets around 150+ grains.

If it matters that much then you got the bigger dick. Feel better now?

Originally Posted by Turehu

I must be old , stupid , untrained and a sadly lacking member of the hunting community , because I can't compete with most of the hunting stories I hear of these days .

Shall we form a club?????????

The sub200 club? I'm an active member already

@Mauser308, @Ground Control, @res and the other members who share their thoughts in this thread, THANK YOU!
Mauser308, what an explanation, Res, you also up there and Ground Control 250mts is a quiet far distance for sure.
People, i really enjoy the posts and again I learned something from you guys.I also want to share with all the others expert or newbies who want to learn a bit more about hunting and shooting.
In any point here i want to make or call myself an expert or very good shooter as i am still learning about it.
Here is my little opinion about my thread, ANY rifle is capable to shoot long range, however, not all the rifles will be effective at long range. Have a rifle in the 338 Lapua Magnum calibre means that you can shoot at extreme long range with the power to kill an animal but does not mean you can hit it yet or if so it will be accurate enough to kill that animal in the case of hunting.
As mention in this forum before, a good long range base is how far your rifle can shoot "a" projectile and it keep supersonic or about to "transonic" with still good energy to kill an animal.
Even knowing a 223 will kill a Red Stag it does not mean "everyone" can appropriately use it with that confidence, many here use a .223 successfully but in my view to a newbie it may not be appropriated. I shot goats at ranges up to 250 mts with my .223 but it does not mean i am right doing it as i could just harm it before it disappear, them i shot few red stag, red and fallow spiker and hinds with my 7mm Rem Mag at distances in between 20 - 330mts with confidence.
I know that not everyone is stupid enough like "i am" regards rifles and or can afford 2, 3 or 4 different rifles to suit their needs or "wants". To a newbie i don't hesitate in recommend one of those cheap SKS style rifles in 7.62X39 as a first rifle, i know many here will complain about the recoil and etc but it is a rifle that will shoot from 20 - 150meters with easy and will kill any nz game without doubt in these ranges, a .223 Rem also will kill most of NZ game but only when used appropriately. Any of the other popular calibers available in NZ from 243 to 375 H&H also will kill with easy inside their capabilities.
Now, more important than anything, does not matter what rifle brand, colour, length and or caliber you have, the only thing that will make it effective is the shooter behind it pulling the trigger. Practice, research and acknowledge of your gear will make you a better shooter with confidence in the field.
So, be your rifle a .223 Rem, .243 Win, .260, 6.5, 270, 7mm, 303, 308, 300, etc, etc, etc use it appropriately, find your rifle and your limitation, if you can't do it surely, let it go and come back another time.
Have fun guys, if you have a range, a farm or just a place to practice your shooting do it, ask your friends, check with your forum mates, search for advise and etc. Shooting is a great sport and hunting a great activity, be outdoors, be safe and follow our few basic rules to be happy.

Thank you and do not hesitate in put more and more comments…