buckhorn_cortez
New member
Hitting an Elk with a .308 at 1k would not be a problem.
Really? Not a problem...you must be a very, very good marksman with a lot of long range shooting experience.
My problem with the 1,000 yard shot is based on shooting a .308 from a bench rest.
The problem is not bullet drop - you can easily correct for that. It's wind drift. The wind can change radically over the 1,000 yard distance. I measure the wind at the shooting position and take notes so I have a "dope book" for the range I shoot at.
The shooting problem is trying to figure out what the crosswinds are doing between you and the target. It's not the same over the entire distance. You have to very carefully study what's going on with the bushes and grasses at different distances.
When I get to the range, and it's breezy, I may spend 15-20 minutes looking at the wind patterns that day with binoculars and the rifle scope - and make notes on the conditions.
The 1,000 yard target I use is a steel plate 24-inches square. On a calm day, I can regularly hit the target. The last time I was at the range there was an average 9mph wind - and that's the problem - "average."
It was as low as 2mph and as high as 12mph - with variable directions (the range has a flag you can use for direction reference).
How do you factor all of that into a hunting location with unknown wind conditions over the distance you're shooting?
Unless you have had a lot of long range shooting training, or are an unnaturally talented shooter (I'm neither) - I wouldn't try a 1,000 yard shot on an elk.
But, I readily acknowledge my limitations...
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