This month, I asked writer Mark Kayser for his thoughts on when and how hunters should practice their long-range shooting techniques. This is what he had to say:
No need to search for activities during the summer months. Family extracurricular activities, vacations, yardwork, expanded career bustle and more make summer a blur for most. For hunters, summer also means preparation for the hunting season ahead, especially if you hold a premiere tag you have been waiting years to draw. Use your summer time wisely.
With the rage of precision rifles, honed actions, carbon barrels, high quality optics and calibers with Millennium Falcon performance (lightspeed of course), many of you now own a rifle capable of long-range shots beyond 400 yards. Trust me, while looking at a pronghorn at 450 yards it looks a LONG way off. Place that pronghorn at 600 yards and you will need to look twice to spot it on a good day as its evolutionary camouflage conceals it in a sagebrush world.
Many newer or accurized heirloom rifles are capable of that shot. The accurate placement of a bullet beyond 400 yards then falls on the operator, you. The rifle can make the shot, but without confirmation, can you? This summer get out and test your long-range shooting abilities with enough range time to determine your long-range limit. Why? Because if you hunt enough, some point in the future you will be presented with a shot that will test your long-range limit.
IT’S GONNA HAPPEN
Confirming your long-range limit at a manicured and managed shooting range is a must. You need to shoot in a controlled environment before moving your testing to uncontrolled environments that truly challenge your shots. Photo by Mark Kayser
Regardless of whether you live in South Carolina or Oregon you may be faced with a 400-yard or longer shot. Are you and the gun together capable of making a long-range shot as a team? To make such a shot you need to prep your gun for long range and then prep yourself. That means prep yourself mentally and physically for the shot.
Prepping yourself mentally not only means going to the range or a real-world practice session with a can-do attitude, but it also means you mentally must understand your rifle and the particulars of the caliber. Most long-range hunters utilize larger calibers that not only exhibit a flatter trajectory for less complicated ballistic calculations, but those larger calibers also hit at long distances with more energy. Not chiseled in stone, but most hunters with experience understand that a bullet needs to hit with enough energy to cleanly kill your quarry. The number floated by many is landing a bullet at extended range with approximately 1,000 foot-pounds of energy still barreling with the bullet.
Common calibers to consider for this chore today include the popular .308 Winchester, 7mm Remington magnum, .300 Winchester magnum, 300 PRC and the newer kids on the block - the 7mm PRC and 7mm Backcountry. Stick with these larger calibers to maintain flatter trajectory and foot-pounds of energy. Although your kids may have hunted with a .243 Winchester, it is not the caliber to pull off a 600-yard shot on a brawny whitetail with energy well below the 1,000 foot-pounds hitting power. Enough said about calibers, but do your research on a caliber that delivers a high ballistic coefficient, flat tractory and still hits hard beyond 500 yards.
For big game calibers that may be your long-range choice, think large and calibers with a high ballistic coefficient. Photo by Mark Kayser.
Regarding optics, you cannot hit what you cannot see. Whether you decide to go with a click-style reticle or a lighted reticle that adjusts with Bluetooth teamwork, is your decision. For long shots, consider a variable that has a minimum of 12 power magnification and 18 is even better. Going beyond 20 power is fine as well, but for hunting, especially mountain hunting, every upgrade tends to add weight. Shop wisely for the right magnification to handle your hunting needs and spend enough for a clear sight picture.
Many outfit their rifle with a bipod when hunting in backcountry settings while whitetail style hunters increasingly lean toward clamp-style tripods to steady their rifle. You cannot land a bullet accurately without a steady sight picture. Again, hunting style and weight dictates what you take to the field and it never hurts to consider lightweight all around just in case you draw that once-in-a-lifetime sheep tag.
Closing out the outfitting department, add a suppressor. Even while maintaining a lightweight outfit, a suppressor aids in accurately landing bullets where intended. First, a suppressor saves your hearing. Enough said. Second, a suppressed firearm gives you the freedom to forgo hearing protection during the hunt, even with larger caliber firearms. You can hear your partner whisper yardage adjustments or the bugle of a distant bull. Third, a suppressor tames recoil and recoil can lead to flinching. Recoil varies depending on the caliber of the firearm, but for most big game calibers, expect some felt recoil. This increases if you shoot with a lightweight firearm and/or a larger caliber. Suppressors tame the beast, so to speak and the Banish lineup from Silencer Central offers options for all hunts.
Lastly, reduced recoil also aids in faster follow-up shots if required. You may miss, your hit may be a bit off, you could have more than one target (extra doe tags) or you simply may be hunting ultra-tough animals. A follow-up shot could be required. Reduced recoil equals a speedier reacquisition for that next shot.
PRACTICE TO KNOW YOUR LIMIT
Confirming your long-range limit at a manicured and managed shooting range is a must. You need to shoot in a controlled environment before moving your testing to uncontrolled environments that truly challenge your shots. Photo by Mark Kayser.
To make a 400-yard or longer shot on a big game animal you must practice. That practice begins in a controlled environment. Visit a long-range shooting course. Shooting ranges equipped with rock-solid shooting benches, wind indicators and most important of all, targets for possibly ranging to 1,000 yards should be your goal. You may need to bring along your sandbags or shooting tripod, but look for a range that delivers to test your limits.
The reason to visit a manicured range is to confirm that you and your rifle can make distant shots without worrying about improvised shooting platforms and odd targets. You should also plan to visit the range on a day with minimal weather or early in the morning before winds whip up. Mother Nature can wreak havoc on bullet trajectory and again, you want to confirm your shooting limit without the interference of climatic conditions.
After shooting groups at extended distances, say 500 to 800 yards, confirm if you can hit the vitals of a whitetail deer or the larger vitals of an elk consistently. When your bullets begin to stray at an extended range you now need to be honest with yourself. This is my limit under ideal conditions and while hunting, ideal conditions rarely exist. Create a DOPE (data on previous engagement) card for the ballistic information out to that distance (and beyond) to ensure you have both digital and paper assets to utilize. Your DOPE data should be attached to your buttstock for quick reference.
Mark your groups and see how every aspect of the shot affects your accuracy. It pays off in the end. Photo by Mark Kayser.
After range day or days, take your practice to the field. And you should consider field practice more than once during the summer. Shooting in real world conditions aids in working through scenarios to create the best stabilization for your shots, possibly prone and possibly from a tripod. Most importantly, you will see how a variety of weather situations affects your shooting performance.
Nobody likes to shoot in cruddy weather and you could spare yourself from practicing in a downpour. Nevertheless, one weather condition you need to practice in is wind. Wind adds another dimension to your ballistic math calculations. Wind or commonly known as deflection, causes your bullet to fly off your aiming point. Ballistic calculators, on your smartphone or on your DOPE card, consider wind speed and angle to provide you with the correct information to adjust your aim.
And do not take the wind lightly (pun intended). Consider the new 7mm PRC shooting a 160-grain CX bullet traveling through a 10-mph crosswind. At 500 yards it steers a bullet off course an incredible 13.6 inches.
Shooting in breezy conditions not only helps you understand deflection, but also to read the wind. Using a wind meter helps you pinpoint speed at your location, but it could vary across a field or canyon. Real-world practice gives you a chance to use swaying branches, dust and even mirages to help you understand wind beyond your ambush point.
Once you determine your long-range limit, get out in the real world and practice. Mark Kayser enjoys a summer coyote hunt and the chance to shoot long range with real-world conditions. Photo by Mark Kayser.
Although shooting long-range targets in pastures is a fun way to spend a few hours over the weekend, you can also consider summer trips for varmint hunting. Prairie dogsprovide live targets in natural settings. Start out your morning calling coyotes and then switch over to midday varmint hunting at locations across the country for precision practice.
Long-distance shots are doable with modern gear. If you decide to push your shooting limits, remember to determine your ethical shooting distance. After summer passes, that knowledge will greatly improve your odds for a successful outcome if a long-range shot presents itself on your fall hunt.
To many of you, Mark Kayser needs no introduction. An acclaimed outdoor writer, Kayser has written for most major hunting publications including American Hunter, Outdoor Life, North American Whitetail and many more.
He is also a regular guest on the Deer & Deer Hunting podcast, and on many hunting television shows. He is based in the heart of big-game hunting - Sheridan Wyoming.
While many suppressors can be used on several different caliber firearms, we have some specific models that can make your shooting more enjoyable. Pick the caliber that you have in mind. If you don’t see your caliber, pick one close to it to see our recommendations.
