Ok, low-drag is pretty obviously the name of the game for long range precision shooting, but what does it do for hunting? Hunters have been using high-drag big-bore projectiles for centuries and while they probably limit the ethical range to a couple of hundred yards, that's always been a part of hunting for sport. High-powered, small-bore cartridges became prevalent, especially in the latter half of the last century and with boat-tailed ballistic tips, they have the potential to extend the range of ethical hunting to 4, 5, maybe 6 hundred yards. At those ranges, there is a lot more than ballistics involved in ensuring a quick, clean kill, but the other benefit of those early magnums was that they shot flat. MPBR for a six-inch kill-zone could be well past 350 yards with an elk gun. It meant that you never had to fuss with a laser rangefinder, a fancy BDC reticle or elevation adjustments on a long-range precision style turret.
Then came along extreme low-drag hunting bullets. The greatest benefit they provided was not extending the range out to 7, 8, 9 hundred yards, but making 4 hundred yard shots possible without excessive recoil of the old-school magnums. They're great, but they also sold a lot of laser rangefinders and fancy long-range scopes. But now, as it would seem to have been inevitable, we have low-drag in magnum-sized cases and in larger calibers. What's the point of this? One thing the low-drag bullets aren't is lightweight. They're always long and heavy-for-caliber, and that means slow and arcing. So we're still stuck with rangefinders and precision turrets but now we're hitting game with 3000 ft-lbs of energy instead of 2000, and with larger calibers. Did game get tougher?
Is it to make 700-yard shots on elk? Is it just because we can? Is it as the cynic suspects, just to sell more rifles, rangefinders, optics and reloading gear? Is this going to mean we get a 30-30 and 270 Winchester season like we get a black-powder season?
Then came along extreme low-drag hunting bullets. The greatest benefit they provided was not extending the range out to 7, 8, 9 hundred yards, but making 4 hundred yard shots possible without excessive recoil of the old-school magnums. They're great, but they also sold a lot of laser rangefinders and fancy long-range scopes. But now, as it would seem to have been inevitable, we have low-drag in magnum-sized cases and in larger calibers. What's the point of this? One thing the low-drag bullets aren't is lightweight. They're always long and heavy-for-caliber, and that means slow and arcing. So we're still stuck with rangefinders and precision turrets but now we're hitting game with 3000 ft-lbs of energy instead of 2000, and with larger calibers. Did game get tougher?
Is it to make 700-yard shots on elk? Is it just because we can? Is it as the cynic suspects, just to sell more rifles, rangefinders, optics and reloading gear? Is this going to mean we get a 30-30 and 270 Winchester season like we get a black-powder season?
