Shooting Long-Range for Elk

[mooman76]

I've hunted UT before for elk years back. Chances are you won't have to even take that 300y shot but it's better to be prepared and not have to than not be prepared and take a chance.

 

[azmntman]

Or if yer dead set on 300 yards just slowly back away. Like reverse still hunting or bassackwards stalking till yer at 300 and show him who's boss! :blah:

 

[SDSmlf]

Was at the range yesterday playing with a 45 caliber Greenmountain LRH barrel (1-28 twist) shooting 400 grain paper patch bullets over 80 grains of Swiss fff, enjoying the great weather we had the last few days, and had a chance for a simple ”˜test’. There are steel gongs at various distances, and I always like to take a few shots at the one at 300 yards, either off a lead sled(hitting it more often than not), shooting sticks (not quite as good as off sled) or off hand (no point discussing). Using adjustable peep and globe sight setup.

Had been punching paper at 100 yards when a half dozen deer wandered across the range at around 275 yards. Suddenly I had a live moving target at a known distance. Open country. No wind. Shooting sticks in hand. Even a stool to sit on.

The ”˜test’. Tried to settle sights solid on largest deer for three seconds (to allow for trigger pull, lock time and time of flight) as the group slowly moved across the range. Deer were in view for maybe five minutes. Couldn’t do it. Either the deer or I moved. Never got the sight picture I felt I needed to make the shot with confidence (FYI, gun wasn’t loaded). Ok, elk are a bigger target, but this was the ”˜ideal’ setup, at least for me, and couldn’t see shot happening.

Staying with my 125 yard limit.

 

[cannonball1]

How big was the gong and were the deer Mule or Whitetail? :grin:

 

[nkbj]

Yep, that's why telescopic sights started finding favor during the 1860's war, because the rifles became capable of hitting men much further away than the shooters could. Just the same for me, even with my latest eye glasses I need a scope to shoot as good as a TC can with barrel modifications for long lubed or paper patched bullets.

 

[SDSmlf]

Believe gong is 12”. With good light and no wind can be on it most of the time, but light and wind don’t always play nice.

They were whitetail deer. Don’t see many does much larger that 150 pounds around here. Nowhere near the size of an elk.

Have taken large game out to 350 yards off sticks while looking through glass, but at 275 yards just couldn’t settle peep sight from sticks on a stop and go live whitetail yesterday. Doesn’t mean it can’t be done on deer (or elk), just not by me.

The question is simply this: With the parameters above how long is the longest shot a person can reasonable ethically shoot an elk. I drew a limited entry ML hunt for elk in Utah. I know what I think, but thought it would be interesting in what all of you think.