I am in the market for a 400-600yd gun for deer hunting and a target practice. I have no caliber or manufacture preferences just in the starting phases of looking so I thought I pose the question to all you fellows.
Accurate 400- 600yd gun
- Thread starter slchvac
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W.E.G.
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T/C Icon Precision Hunter. I have one in 243 and love it, a very accurate rifle. T/C is also chambering the rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor now as well.
Below is a picture of my set-up. I have been very happy with this gun a caliber for both target shooting and hunting white-tailed deer. My longest shot this past season was 416 yds on a doe. My gun shoots Berger 95 VLDs very well. The bullet has performed well both at the range and excellent on deer. Looking forward to thinning the groundhog population on the farm this summer!
Below is a picture of my set-up. I have been very happy with this gun a caliber for both target shooting and hunting white-tailed deer. My longest shot this past season was 416 yds on a doe. My gun shoots Berger 95 VLDs very well. The bullet has performed well both at the range and excellent on deer. Looking forward to thinning the groundhog population on the farm this summer!
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Your caliber needs to deliver at least 1000 foot-lbs of energy at the desired range to kill deer. At 600 yards, it is far and few between the cartridges that still deliver this sort of power. Most non-magnums bottom out before 500. A 30-06 using ho-hum Winchester Super-X in 150 grain Power Point will only have 808 ft-lbs @ 500 yards, while a 300WSM will still have 1,074 ft-lbs., & the 7mm Rem Mag w/ the 150 grain bullet is still toting an ass-thumpin' 1,239 ft-lbs at 500 yards....but its at -40 inches at that range, so you'll have to practice alot. Consequently, it hurts your shoulder and nerves to shoot a 7mag for more than a box of shells at a time. My advice would be to get closer to the deer and shoot a more enjoyable caliber. Like a 7mm-08. It has 1,094 ft-lbs out to 400 yards with the 140 grain bullet and only 25" of drop.
Remington or Savage in .308 common caliber and buying a bolt from either of these manufactures will leave you plenty extra for nice glass and plenty of practice/hunting ammo. .308 if you want short action .30-06 for long action reason I choose these two calibers is they are very very common. But .270 and 7mm mag are pretty common also and would make good choices. Just my opinion.
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Evil One
Member
My heavy barrel savage .300 win mag would fit the bill.
Its also comfortable to shoot off the bench all day long.
Jim
Its also comfortable to shoot off the bench all day long.
Jim
.300winmag is a whole lotta gun for deer at 400 to 600 yards a fellow I worked with bought one and used it for two seasons and sold it after the second got sick of bloodshot meat.
Evil One
Member
A .300wm at 500 yards has pretty much the velocity and energy of a .308 @ 300 yards.
I dont hear any complaints about damage to the meat from a .308 @ 300 yards.
Jim
I dont hear any complaints about damage to the meat from a .308 @ 300 yards.
Jim
Yeah, If you shoot a deer at 100 yds with a 300 it really messes up the meat. I Shot a muley in the neck once with handloaded barnes x bullets and it put a 5 inch hole through the neck like it was shot with an artillery shell...too much velocity for up close.
Take a long look at the 280. Shoots a 7mm bullet, won't punish your shoulder, and delivers the goods out to the ranger you're looking at. I use a 700 BDL for hunting, and a custom Model 70 for my long range prairie dog needs.
In my opinion (worth exactly what you paid for it) its the most highly underrated long range round out there.
In my opinion (worth exactly what you paid for it) its the most highly underrated long range round out there.
Evil One, I don't think its a bad choice at all a .300winmag can really come in handy as it can hunt bigger animals also but just for deer it just too much thumping for me I'm 6'1 165lbs and yeah when I shot one I felt it haha.
Evil One
Member
.300 WM at close range is like cracking walnuts with a sledgehammer.
One thing to keep in mind tho, at close range a good shot with a .300 should put all shots in a space the size of a quarter...
And a sledgehammer WILL crack the hell out of a walnut.
Jim
One thing to keep in mind tho, at close range a good shot with a .300 should put all shots in a space the size of a quarter...
And a sledgehammer WILL crack the hell out of a walnut.
Jim
Evil One
Member
Recoil is one of the reasons I went with the heavy barrel, my wife even enjoys shooting it now.
If a person reloads, the .300 is one of my favorite rounds... .308, .300 wm, .375 H&H.
The .300 and .375 can be up and downloaded to take pretty much anything that walks on this continent.
One thing about 400-600 yard hunting... you need speed for acceptable trajectory, you need weight for true flight and destination energy.
Jim
If a person reloads, the .300 is one of my favorite rounds... .308, .300 wm, .375 H&H.
The .300 and .375 can be up and downloaded to take pretty much anything that walks on this continent.
One thing about 400-600 yard hunting... you need speed for acceptable trajectory, you need weight for true flight and destination energy.
Jim
My calculator shows a Berger 168 grain .284" (7mm Rem Mag) at 2,900 FPS carrying 1,006.6 ft pounds of energy all the way to 950 yards. Impact at 1,642.7 FPS.
blackops:
Several of the gun writers in Peterson's Hunting years back (mid-1980s) had stated that there were two trains of thought regarding remaining energy needed to efficiently kill a deer: 1,000 Lbs and 1,200 Lbs. To be certain, less energy than that will drop a deer.
Geno
Several of the gun writers in Peterson's Hunting years back (mid-1980s) had stated that there were two trains of thought regarding remaining energy needed to efficiently kill a deer: 1,000 Lbs and 1,200 Lbs. To be certain, less energy than that will drop a deer.
Geno
30.06, 270, 7mm mag, 300 win mag, 300 H&H (only if you reload for this last one), 257 wby, 7mm STW.
Personally, I'd go with the 30.06 or 270. Use a heavier bullet in the '06 at the longer ranges. FWIW, according to remmingtons website, they have some 180 and 165 grain pills that will still carry 1200+lbs out at 500yds, calculations stop there.
As for rifle, thats a more personal preference. I like my rem 700. Its light to me, and has a terrible trigger that keeps others from taking it out of the safe when I'm gone, that also limits me to around 400yds to reliably shoot it.
Personally, I'd go with the 30.06 or 270. Use a heavier bullet in the '06 at the longer ranges. FWIW, according to remmingtons website, they have some 180 and 165 grain pills that will still carry 1200+lbs out at 500yds, calculations stop there.
As for rifle, thats a more personal preference. I like my rem 700. Its light to me, and has a terrible trigger that keeps others from taking it out of the safe when I'm gone, that also limits me to around 400yds to reliably shoot it.
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