After season buck sighting - may need a 650 yd. rifle.......

[NYDAN]

Our regular season deer season ended last Sunday. Our last season muzzle loading and archery season ends Tuesday. This morning after daylight I saw a trophy grade buck walking across the end of the field behind my house. He was coming from the creek bottom where there is dense cover and running water and heading for a bedding area on a very steep hillside with dense evergreen cover. He was bigger than anything I have seen this year in either the trail camera photos or in person.

His antlers were white which made it difficult to see against the fresh snow but they showed up very well against the dark trees at the end of the field. It looked to me to be in the 22" to 24" range for spread and had tall tines. IMO it was trophy grade and definitely "mount worthy".

I bought my .270 Win. with the idea of it being a 400-500 yard rifle. But, this buck was 600-650 yards away. But, the time I could have gotten a window open, sand bags set, and a rifle loaded, he was 650 yards away. 650 yards seems like a stretch, energy wise, for a .270 Win. with 140 gr. AB or 150 gr. BT bullets. I will have to check some ballistic applications for energy for a 150 gr. ABLR at 650 yards.

If my budget would allow it next year, does any one have opinions concerning a 650 yard deer cartridge? Please keep in mind that, for vision reasons, I have had to switch to left handed shooting and that recoil bothers me much more than it did when I shot right handed. I know I don't want to shoot a 250gr. .338 Lapua Magnum. Also, many cartridges are not available in left-handed models. The last I checked Nolser only offered long action left-handed models.

I am really regretting selling my .264 Win. magnum, but then again it was right handed.

 

[Elkman]

For deer only, I think any of the long range 6mm's would be the ticket. A, 308 Winchester tricked out will put them inside a paper plate (and smaller) at that range. I have been working on that same concept for Elk the last couple of years, and find that hardware upgrades (scopes, range finders, bipods,) are a must, as well as lots of range time. Most major manufactures provide these calibers in left handed models. For me a lot of $ has been spent gaining that 250 yards.

 

[gerry]

The 270 Win is capable of taking deer at that range, chances are those kind of shots will be pretty rare anyway. A fast 6.5 does make a lot of sense however there are a couple of LH 264 WM factory guns that I know of that are reasonably priced, the MRC 1999 and Zastava come to mind. You could also buy LH and RH Remington or Ruger rifle and swap the barrels then sell the RH one, a bit costly but an option. It is probably possible to find a new 264 WM take off barrel with a bit of looking and go that route.

 

[NYDAN]

Gerry, I probably see a very good buck in this field during daylight at least once a year during the regular gun season. The biggest ones are generally toward the end of the field, 500-650 yards. I am pretty sure that, if I wanted to, I could fill my tag every year without leaving the back porch. However, I prefer being out "afield". But, I am getting older and I may not always be able to get out, climb the stands, and take the cold.

 

[SJB358]

I think your 270's fine. Especially if you pair it with the ABLR. Ran about 2900 or maybe more, you should be around 1500ftlbs at 650. That's enough for elk. Should be fine with any deer. Or a 270WSM, I know that'll have the oomph if you want more.

 

[wildgene]

...the guys @ Gunwerks & BoftheW seem to be building a lot more 7mm WSM's than .338 Lapuas or .338-378's these days. A .26 Nosler might be just the ticket... 8) :mrgreen:

...or you might consider cheating, & building a nice, comfy blind outta straw bales in the middle of the field...

 

[NYDAN]

SJB358, You are correct. I checked some ballistic calculations with the 150 ABLR and it does look good for energy. I will see what I can get out of the 150 gr. ABLR. I had some very good results this fall, but then I had some inconsistent results so I didn't hunt with them. I don't know if I got a sore shoulder and started flinching or if my loads had an inconsistency.

Wildgene, I 26 Nosler does look appealing. By the way, I do have a blind on wheels that I have in the field about half way down. From the blind, the furtherest corner of the field in only 300 yards. The trouble with it is getting into the blind in the morning without bumping the deer out of the field. I did do that this season and shot a buck from the stand.

 

[DrMike]

I don't doubt that your .270 will provide sufficient energy at that range to cleanly take deer. The suggestion that you load it with the 150 grain ABLR seems solid enough, and it will work just fine. However, the need could easily justify a new rifle. Just saying... :grin:

 

[DrMike]

SJB358, You are correct. I checked some ballistic calculations with the 150 ABLR and it does look good for energy. I will see what I can get out of the 150 gr. ABLR. I had some very good results this fall, but then I had some inconsistent results so I didn't hunt with them. I don't know if I got a sore shoulder and started flinching or if my loads had an inconsistency.

Wildgene, I 26 Nosler does look appealing. By the way, I do have a blind on wheels that I have in the field about half way down. From the blind, the furtherest corner of the field in only 300 yards. The trouble with it is getting into the blind in the morning without bumping the deer out of the field. I did do that this season and shot a buck from the stand.

The stand is just too cool. I've sat in tractors that were left in the field to shoot at deer. Honestly, however, I have yet to shoot any game from a farm implement. Still, I really like the blind. :grin:

 

[NYDAN]

Here is another one of my blinds. It is in a field on the top of one of hills. (I have fields on two differnt hilltops.) This one has a 6' x 6' table in it. There is a cutout in the middle of the table to sit in a swivel chair. The table has arm rest (like a bar) all the way around it. The table is covered with sound absorbing material so you can lay out our binoculars, your lunch, your game calls, etc. A few turkeys and many a buck have fallen prey to this set-up.

 

[DrMike]

Very neat idea. I believe I may have to make that suggestion to a few friends. As it is, on one field, we are forced to sit in a travel trailer with propane heater and stove and such accoutrements to make it comfortable. That is a terrible way to hunt. Hopefully, no one will learn about it. The shame would give me great grief, until the deer appear. :lol:

 

[NYDAN]

DrMike, Isn't funny how the shame of sitting in a comfortable blind disappears when the deer appears?

It is also funny how my hunting friends disappear when I am working on the blinds and food plots but then they re-appear two days before the season and line up "dibs" on the blinds.

 

[DrMike]

DrMike, Isn't funny how the shame of sitting in a comfortable blind disappears when the deer appears?

It is also funny how my hunting friends disappear when I am working on the blinds and food plots but then they re-appear two days before the season and line up "dibs" on the blinds.

True, dat. I'm prepared to help cutting hay, feeding cattle or swathing oats for the opportunity to watch for bears, elk and deer. Otherwise, it is work the mountains, which isn't all that unproductive.

 

[Vince]

The .264, in a left hand action, would be ideal for that 650 Yard deer.
While the .270 can do it I'd look at the 270 WSM or 7mm WSM if looking for a new rifle. Cabela's has a left handed Model 70 for sale in the Gun Library. I'm too broke right now or I'd buy it.

 

[gerry]

Pretty cool stands you have there 8) I'm in my mid 40's and can already see how a gun with mild recoil that shoots flat would be attractive. A good scope with turrets would be a great idea for getting those big bucks in that field. If you do want a new flat shooting low recoil round, the 257 Wby, 264 WM and maybe the new 26 Nosler would be at the top of the heap.....

 

[NYDAN]

Gerry, when I was young, I grew up on the skeet and trap fields shooting full 3 dram eq. 1-1/8 oz target loads out of Rem 870's and Browning Lighting O/U's. Later I shot registered skeet, shooting as many as 600 rounds a week. I have reloaded way over 100,000 shotshells. I didn't even reload 28 gauge shells. Only 12 and 20's and a few .410's.

When I lived in NH in the mid 1980's I developed a tumor on my right shoulder, right where I shouldered the shotguns, that had to be surgically removed. I vivdly remember asking the good Dr. Kavennah from Boston, "Doctor, did all of my shooting cause this tumor?"

She replied, "Well, Mr. Wilhelm, I can't say that the shooting caused the tumor. I can only offer the observation that the tumor isn't on your LEFT shoulder."

I greatly reduced the amount of shooting I did after that.

Since then I have had two more tumors removed - all on my right side and one was a cancerous kidney. I feel no need to beat myself up with recoil.

Yes, those cartridges do sound attractive.

 

[gerry]

That's an interesting thought it certainly sounds possible. I often wonder what heavy recoiling guns do to a persons brain if they shoot them a lot. Low recoil is sounding better and better all the time. Had another thought about cartridges, the 270 WSM and 270 Wby both would be real screamers with bullets like the 110 gr AccuBond and TTSX. The 257 Wby and 264 WM both would recoil less though......

 

[DrMike]

That's an interesting thought it certainly sounds possible. I often wonder what heavy recoiling guns do to a persons brain if they shoot them a lot. Low recoil is sounding better and better all the time. Had another thought about cartridges, the 270 WSM and 270 Wby both would be real screamers with bullets like the 110 gr AccuBond and TTSX. The 257 Wby and 264 WM both would recoil less though......

Gerry,

I can't say that severe recoil is or is not associated with tumorigenesis; I can say there is a correlation with such phenomena as detached retinas. That is enough to give me caution.

 

[Charlie-NY]

I always favor a bit more down range energy than needed. I built a rifle to do exactly what you're looking to do - 700yd whitetails. In the end, I had a semi-custom built in 7STW. It was one of the most accurate rifles I have ever owned and recoil was no big deal. With 162gr A-Max bullets, deer weren't safe anywhere.

 

[sask boy]

Charlie do not be afraid to use your 270win out to 650yards on a whitetail. The new 150ABLRs will get the job done for you.
Hopefully you will have a number of good years left with your mobility and you can cut down the distance to a manageable 400 :wink:.
Good luck next year on possibly harvesting that dandy you just described.

Blessings,
Dan