400 yard plus rifle for Mulies? Made a choice!

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Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
9,933
Location
missouri
400 yards isn't too much unless you have to deal with swirling/eddying winds. Shooting across canyons/valleys can be tricky because you're sitting in one type of wind current and shooting across maybe 2 or 3 different ones. With all the big steep hills around here, it seems that most of the longer shots are across a valley of some sort. Just have to be mindful of how that airflow in the valley is moving.
 

jpickar

Blackhawk
Joined
May 30, 2008
Messages
732
Location
Montana
Practice shooting at the ranges you will be shooting at. And shoot in the wind so you can learn windage. Like has been said elevation is easy. Windage is a learning experience. I shoot a 280 AI and wind drift is surprising at 350 yds.
 

jgt

Buckeye
Joined
Jul 30, 2008
Messages
1,000
Location
coleman texas
I would recommend using your muzzle brake. They help tame recoil like nothing else I have ever tried. If you can afford the outlay, I would put a good quality scope like a Leupold. Those with the custom dial that tunes it to the load you shoot would be a great help for bullet drop compensation; letting you concentrate on doping the wind. If you are going to be shooting up hill or down hill, remember the further off horizontal you move the higher the bullet strike will be no matter if up or down hill. The shooter still has to choose how much that rise will effect the outcome. I doubt I am telling you anything you don't already know, but a little reminding never hurts.
 

Paul B

Hunter
Joined
Dec 4, 1999
Messages
2,131
Location
Tucson, AZ
I can still handle recoil if I have to but at my age (83) it isn't the fun it was when I was a lot younger. My usual elk rifle is a .35 Whelen based on a custom Mauser, Lately though, I've been doing some work with the 7x57 Mauser and have one good load using the 150 gr. Nosler Partition. In my string Winchester M70 Featherweight or Ruger #1A I easily use 7-08 data for my reloads. I've serious begun thinking on trying the 160 gr. Grand Slams as a all round bullet as well. I just have to see how well they work in my rifles which does include a custom Mauser as well as the two mentioned. That one has been a bit of a puzzle and it shows high pressure signs a lot earlier that the other two rifles. I'm thinking that the very close tolerances in the chamber may have something to do with the problem. The action used was originally a .270 Win. so I doubt the fault lies there.

I'm not much of a fan of long range shots. It was more fun to see just how close I could get. My longest shot ever was on a cow elk at 530 yards. The rifle was chambered to the .300 Win. Mag. Next was a Mule Deer at 426 paces with a .308 Win. There was one cow elk at 350 yards with a .35 Whelen. Yardages were laser measured. Closet shot were about 12" from the muzzle. A sneak in very heavy cover with the deer not moving as I did the sneak. Almost stepped on another one I didn't see while creeping up on the one I wanted. Shot was literally from the hip. Scared hell out of me.
Paul B.
 

volshooter

Buckeye
Joined
Apr 12, 2002
Messages
1,574
Location
EAST TN, USA
Please don't overlook the 25-06!
This over bore cartridge is a forgotten round that was perfect for game from yotes to elk with proper projectiles.
I have one that is beyond a sure thing with tailored hand loads from crow to bear.
I reload many rifle cartridges but the 25/06 is by far the most effective/versatile round I've encountered in my 50 years of reloading for performance!
 

Rockrat75

Bearcat
Joined
Dec 9, 2021
Messages
52
25/06 would be good, as well as a 280. If I planned a hunt like you are, I would use my 6.5 Swede
 

buckeyeshooter

Blackhawk
Joined
Nov 8, 2004
Messages
856
Location
Ohio
You are a much better shot than I! 300 yards is a very long shot for me. I generally shoot them at less than 75 yards. If I was going to shoot that far, I do have a 300 Ultra Mag.
 
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