Flat Trajectory?

[Oldtrader3]

I mountain hunted (mostly) in Utah and Wyoming for 20 years and in California (and other states) and Eastern Washington. Typically I would guess, having hunted for 30 years with no rangefinder and twenty years with one, that my ranges were broadly 200 to 425 yards. This with the 7mm Mag or a .340 Bee with the 225 Partition at 3060-3080 fps (chronographed). With the .270 Win or the .30-06, I would rather shoot under 350 yards just for comfort.

Most of my shooting was in the mountains, side hill across to side hill, in a canyon that was at least 200 yards wide. I have killed deer at 20 yards and an elk at about 70 yards on the short range end. The balance were mostly 200-350 yards. Most of my deer have been shot with a .270 Win, elk with a .338 of some description. I also used a loaded up .300 H&H for quite a few years on deer and elk. My first serious deer rifle was a 7mm Rem Mag.

 

[alaska100]

The 30-06, I have been on that band wagon for years, right scotty LOL

Seriously I have always felt that there wasnt anything in the world I could not hunt with my 6.5 swede, 30-06, 375, and 416 Rigby, and I still feel that way. but like the member Fotis, I also am a gun alcoholic.

Recently I have been letting the 257 and 340 wby bookend the 30-06. and they have been fun to play with. Scotty and I recently discussed the 340 wby and 35 whelen--both great calibers and both with merits of their own. But in regards to the thread we are on--flat trajectory--the 340 gives you a few more feet and a little more energy. I love the 300 H & H, but for this thread the 300 wby would fit better

 

[Desert Fox]

Let see. I hunted a lot with my 300 Winchester Magnum and my 280 Remington for almost two decades. I recently acquired a 300 Weatherby, build a 6.5-284 and thinking of a lightweight 7WSM or a 25 WSM. I guess flat trajectory means a lot to me.

 

[efw]

Not at all.

Primarily because I hunt in the east where long shots are the exception rather than the rule, but also because I love to shoot and learn my weapon's trajectory.

Other than my 257 Weatherby I don't own a rifle that I can just go out and feel confident with at longer ranges (up to 400, which I consider my upper limit for hunting situations) so I develop a load and then send a bunch of lead downrange from field positions.

That tends to make flat trajectory a non-issue, within reason...

 

[cloverleaf]

.25 Cal 100 gr BT @2880 fps = a 10 inch circile at up to 275 yds. Beyond that I cant hit $%i%. AND Drift is a bigger factor than drop 90% of the time anyway. The 75Gr V-Max must shoot flatter but if I ever draw down on a coyote the difference wont likely be enough to save his hide. CL

 

[IdahoCTD]

Every rifle I hunt big game with and several I hunt small game with are magnums of some flavor. So trajectory is pretty important as is retained energy/velocity and BC. Trajectory can be compensated for with target turrets/calibrated dials/BDC type reticles though.

 

[PJGunner]

I did my first deer hunt back in 1949 using my Great-grandfathers Winchester m94 in 30-30. With the exception of a couple of years in the military, I've hunt deer ever since. I've only done a few elk hunts, tag draw and bad luck I guess. Only one antelope so far but again tag draws suck.
In all those years, I've only had to take longer ranged shot three times. In 1973, I remember the year because it was my first hunt with that rifle, a Remington 660 I shot a deer my hunting partner wounded at a distance of 426 paces. I'd guess the velocity with the 150 gr. Sierra bullet to maybe be 2700, if that fast. The shortest of the "long range shot" was 250 yards laser measured, this time with a Ruger M77 RSI in .308 doing 2550 at the muzzle with the 165 gr. Speer Hot-Core. My longest shot ever as 530 yards laser measure at a cow elk. One shot and the elk was down.
I really don't much care for long shots, much prefering to get as close as I can, but I realize sometimes thing don't work out like we want so I practice for the longs shots with whatever I plan on using prior to the hunt andgo hunting.
Paul B.

 

[ElmerThud]

I shoot all UK deer including Red Stags (Small Elk) & Sika (Japs) with .25-06Rem using a 100gn bullet. Mostly the shots are on Red Hinds and between 150 & 250 yards out on open hillside terrain, maybe just some peat hags to crawl in, or a small stream (Burn) cutting for cover.
The occasional shot perhaps once a year may be out to 300/320 yards. Rare though.
The cartridge & calibre does it with ease.
Cheer, ET

 

[Coyote Hunter]

How important is a "flat shooting rifle" to your hunting success?

Define "flat shooting"?

Next to my Browning B92 carbine in .44 Mag, they are all "flat shooting" - even my Marlins in .30-30, .375 Win and .45-70!

 

[Greg Nolan]

Flat shooting for sure. . I want to be able to make a normal shot (out to 300 yards) without worrying about trajectory. Just as important to me is the knowlege that, if the animal moves during the shot process and bullet flight time, the high velocity Nosler bullet will get there quicker and have the energy and penetration to do sufficient damage wherever it hits.
I've shot to 430 yards at antelope and deer and a faster bullet seems to work better in the Wyoming wind. IMO
Greg

 

[Oldtrader3]

Most of my hunting is done with a flat shooting rifle. When I miss an animal I usually shoot over there backs. MPBR messed with my head. I sight in 2 inches high @ 100 yds. It seems to keep my shots lower. Longer shots have time for the range finder. I have used a range finder before the shot only twice in 10 years. After the shot I always range them and they are always closer than I thought! Brian

I am with you on this Brian. Precision and accuracy is more important to me than a little more drop. I always try hard to get the bullet within 2 inches of aimpoint and a little drop calculating never hurt me because I do not shoot that much at longer ranges (beyond 300 yards) which is just a 6 inch holdover.

 

[dragger201]

While it's certainly somewhere in the back of what little brains I have, this subject has always been more of an "excuse"(like I needed one) to do some long range target practice. I use deer sized cardboard targets and 100 yd increments out to what ever my longest shot may be. This serves the dual purpose of training me to use a plain duplex reticle as a range finder.

 

[mcseal2]

I love flat shooting rifles. There are enough variables in field shooting, I want to take out every one I can. As I've said many times, a BC around .500 and a velocity of around 3000fps with an appropriate caliber and bullet weight is my favorite for big game. I'm sold on turrets also anymore. I like to leave the turret set to give me a +/- 2.8" trajectory as far as possible and if I think the critter is past 250yds I range and dial if I have time. That gets me zeroed around 250yds and within the 2.8" window to about 290yds. I like that it works with all the rounds that interest me, 270 or 280, 264WM, 7RM, 300 magnums etc.

For my varmint guns I stick to the +/- 2.8" rule also since varmint pretty much means coyote here. I get longer PBR and more drift, but it keeps things as close as possible. With any of my rifles if I think a critter is within 225yds I aim for the heart, farther I aim for the center. I almost never get time to range on coyotes lately so I just take my best estimation and shoot when they stop. It works pretty well to 300yds, farther it gets tougher.

 

[hardpan]

Hi Guy,
I like to "hold on meat". that means that a flat shooting gun is a lot more fun. For instance, I shoot a .257 wby at 3400 fps. I can sight in to be flat at 300 yds, and can hold meat clear to 350 or so. the high spot is about 4 inches high.

Generally, my shots at under 300 yds, so it is likely more a preference than a requirement.
Hardpan

 

[Elkman]

OK I dug my notes out, such as they are. What they "note" is the elk my dad (who passed in 03), my self and essentialy one other guy have killed since 1958. I documented the place, the animal and usually the weather. I was unable to remember some of them, but not all. There are to many and we did not always hunt together every year. There are a fair number of elk listed on it, but also a fair number that for various reasons wern't. The percentages are as follows.

0-100 yards. 25%
100-200 yards. 30%
200-300 yards. 23%
300-400 yards 12%
400+ 10%

I was only able to remember the distance on about 55% of the total kills listed, but the percentages would not probably change significantly.

 

[cloverleaf]

Roosevelt waxed long and eloquent about his new flat shooting 30-30 on antelope...... :shock: CL

 

[widgeon]

Roosevelt waxed long and eloquent about his new flat shooting 30-30 on antelope...... :shock: CL

:lol: :lol:

I truly enjoy reading Roosevelt, but he waxed long and eloquent about everything.

 

[cloverleaf]

Roosevelt waxed long and eloquent about his new flat shooting 30-30 on antelope...... :shock: CL

:lol: :lol:

I truly enjoy reading Roosevelt, but he waxed long and eloquent about everything.

:grin: :grin: That he did. I actually like using that phrase more than I actually know he was long winded about the mighty 30. He did say that but..... Perhaps we have the same affliction. Talk about wind... :wink: CL

 

[Elkman]

This could be considered "fightin words in some parts of the world) but I have never owned a 30-30 nor shot one!!! I would bet that this makes me part of a very small minority. In addition up until last year I never owned a lever rifle. I know its strange as I grew up in the west. Just the facts.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Wow, that is just different. I thought that in our generation, everybody had owned or started with a lever sometime during their younger days. However, thinking about it, when I moved to Washington, the first rifle that I bought here was a 7mm Rem Mag bolt action Husky (Mauser) for elk hunting. My first real deer rifle was a Marlin 336, in .30-30 followed a couple years later by a Model 94 in .32 Special.