Shooting Long-Range for Elk

[fleener]

This year will be my 21st year to host a rendezvous at my farm. I used to have a contest where the target was a painted picture. The winner would be the person closest to an unknown mark on the back of the picture. Pure luck if you hit the target on if you won or not.

The first year I posted the target at 75 yards and everyone got one shot, off hand. I had to move the target to 50 yards so that more people could actually hit the darn thing.

Fleener

 

[thomas]

:hatsoff:

 

[cannonball1]

Remember it depends on your equipment too. My 1 in 18" twist is extreme accurate at 300 yards. Nearly all of those 1 in 48" to 60" twist barrels wouldn't hit the broad side of a barn at 200 yards. It would be my guess that includes most on this forum.

 

[apachesx2]

Azmtnman thank you for your opinion ethics isn't black and white but need to be discuss... In Germany would have you shot the two calves first before you would be allowed to shoot mamma... Another on here says he would reserve a 300 yard shot for an already wounded animal and I can see merit in that... Hunting like combat there are not always clear answers... Me, with patch and round in 50 cal I generally limit myself to 100 yards but at altitude a roundball does carry it's energy a little further... On a hunt, a year or so ago, I was put out on the edge of a corn field with a modern rifle I could see 1200 meters a group of deer stepped out at 600 meters never shot that far but have drop a couple with one shot at 500 meters... then another group stepped out at 400 meters which I have taken game numerous times but was in no hurry and was beginning a slow methodical process of the calculations to make such a shot... Then a third group stepped out at 200 meters and picked one out and dropped it one shot in its tracks... The groups at 400 and 600 meters didn't even react to the shot... I've been shooting a flintlock growing up in PA since 12 years old which taught me to rely on just one shot, I'm not saying I've never needed a finishing shot, it happens with the best laid plans but its a blue moon occurrence... But why take a 400 meter shot when you can take 200 meter shot... I always try to get as close to my quarry as possible I would rather take a 45 or 75 yard over 125 yard shot with a patch and round ball any day of the week... All it takes is that one sapling you missed, gust of wind, or a pulled shot off the natural point of aim... Or not mention what bone your going to hit with a low energy projectile... I swear a mature wild boar have armor plating at times...

 

[Carl Fowler III]

One thing I would take into consideration is penetration...With snow you could get by without complete pass thru of the slug and still have a chance of recovery, but a one hole elk can be the devil to track on dry ground..especially with a high lung hit! And if you only get one lung the probability of finding it will be low indeed!
Be sure to let us know what transpires and good hunting!

 

[coloradoclyde]

Remember it depends on your equipment too. My 1 in 18" twist is extreme accurate at 300 yards. Nearly all of those 1 in 48" to 60" twist barrels wouldn't hit the broad side of a barn at 200 yards. It would be my guess that includes most on this forum.

I ain't never seen a traditional muzzleloader with a 1 in 18 twist barrel....Please post a picture....I'm curious.

Nearly all of those 1 in 48" to 60" twist barrels wouldn't hit the broad side of a barn at 200 yards.

Oh! I can shoot the window of that barn out easy at 200.... :wink:

 

[azmntman]

:metoo: maybe 2 shots, Clydes better n me :blah:

 

[cannonball1]

Cannot figure out how to put photos on this forum. I have two drop in barrels with this gun. Want to see it go to: Monster Muley forum, muzzleloading hunting, archives page 3, cannonball handle. Photos are there. Made it from a hunk of wood with Oregon Barrels and rough cast parts.

 

[nkbj]

One of my GPR's is a .40 with 16" twist.; 18" would have been better.
One of the New Englander's is nominally .46 and 24" twist; works great with the TC peep. TC could have produced an inexpensive modern day analog to the British Volunteer rifles with the New Englander, had superior accuracy capability and perhaps repopularized the long range shooting sports of the 1800's. Too bad their only gig was hunting rifles.
A couple of the Renegade's are .52 with 26" twist. Haven't tried them out past 100 yet. I'm really intrigued with the flinter .52 and to see how far I can hit with it.
Well, gotta go look at xrays. Later yall.

 

[fleener]

English sporting rifles have fast twist barrels. While the above rifle is a target rifle and not a hunting rifle (no ramrod) it is an example of an original traditional ML made in 1864, with a 1 in 18 twist barrel. I have a few modern copies of English sporting rifles all with fast twist barrels.

I would not hesitate to shoot an elk at 300 yards with one of these rifles. The bullet has the energy and the rifles have the ability to be accurate.

Keep in mind I believe he said that he is able to get an 8" group at 300 yards. That is 4 inches from the point of aim.

For hunting peep sights have some limitations. Low light conditions make them very tough to use and rain can be an issue with the peep sights as well.

Also as pointed out the bullet is dropping very quickly at that range, if you are off in your yardage and/or sight settings you can easily shoot over or under an animal, or get a bad hit if you did not calculate the wind properly. It is not as easy as shooting at a target and being off a few minutes, only to have to crank on the sights and take another sighter.


Fleener

 

[coloradoclyde]

I looked, All I found was your 45..

Very beautiful.... :thumbsup:

 

[cannonball1]

Thank you. That is probably the rifle I will hunt with, except I will use the other drop in barrel that has the blade/peep sights. Then again I might use one of my lighter weight guns.

 

[Idaho Ron]

I had a green mountain renegade hybrid that was 1-18 twist. There was a very limited run if tgem made and I got one. Mine shot pretty well but started to hang fire on me. I picked up several stainless barrels and the 32" long 1-18 Sat unused. I ended up giving it to a good friend that simply had more time to play with it. There was a piece of metal from production that was blocking the hole. He pulled the clean out screw and put a dremil tool in there and got it out. He has been shooting it and is planning to try to get very long range with it.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Yep thanks Ron....I'm up to speed now. I was envisioning a factory gun.

 

[cannonball1]

For a while Green Mountain made 50 caliber barrels 32" - 1" across the flats - 28" twist octagon, so I purchased several of them. I have one gun left, but the rifling's were quite a bit deeper and it would only shoot ("sabots"-am I allowed to say that) and actual black powder which was very accurate. Substitutes powder(I tried several) and paper patch bullets would not group.
Figure the substitute powder not grouping out. A little disappointing. Never got around to shooting GG bullets though.

 

[coloradoclyde]

("sabots"-am I allowed to say that)

No......
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/306297/

Rules 7 and 9

 

[Rifleman1776]

And I'm no stranger to distance.

Like most real men :wink: I always thought I was very good at judging range. But, last week I got a bit of a humbling lesson on just how good I am (not). :redface:
My club just had our range cleared and pushed back from 100 to 300 yards. Until Saturday I hadn't seen the new look. On first look I would have judged that 300 to be only 200 yards. Wow! Wat a misjudgement. But, here in the Ozark woods we seldom see an open space that long. It takes practice and experience to judge those distances accurately.

 

[cannonball1]

Some people are good at judging range I am not and have to rely on a good range devise to make certain of the drop. One evening we went out looking at deer and elk for the soul purpose of judging range. Saw a deer I figured was 135 yards - it was 89 yards. Saw a cow elk that I figured to be 450 yards - it was 380. We didn't get one right at the longer range animals. With a muzzleloader you better make sure of the EXACT range if you are beyond 75 yards. At least that is my yardstick.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I find the best way to hunt with a muzzleloader is to let the game come into my range....rather than trying to send a bullet to them.

I know that's not always an easy thing to do with some animals. That's where stalking, camouflage, and ambush come in.

 

[cannonball1]

Hunting is just like life in general - Clear full of options. Find out what others in the know, think. Study the subject, study the environment, is it better to get closer and take a chance on spooking the animal, or can I make a clean kill from this location. Some hunters, hunt 10, 20, 40 years the same, Others learn from their mistakes and mistakes of others. Just make the right decisions. Just an analogy here: Some years back a bunch of the locals here in the valley hunted the same place, the same way for 50 years and complained about the deer hunt. The hunters from out of state hunted where they found the deer and had some real good deer hunts - - They did their home work. I am rattling on, but the point is: Just cause you don't think it will work doesn't mean it isn't the best option. I was really surprised what a 28" twist would do, then what a 18" twist would do better.
With those old 60" twist barrels, stay 100 yards or less, but at least know what you have got and what is available(even with side hammers) :grin: :grin: