My longer range hunting rifle, for me at 300 yards plus if I need to stretch it out a bit, is my left handed Sako AV in 7MM STW. It wears a fluted McLellan 24" stainless barrel and is fitted in a Fajen nutmeg laminated stock. It will put 3 factory Federal Premium 160 gr AccuBonds into a 1" group @ 300 yards when I do my part, and 3 of the factory Federal Premium 160 gr SGKs into a 3" group @ 400 yards. It originally wore a Vari-X III 3.5-10x40 duplex scope for several years.
It has accounted for 30 big game animals from whitetals to elk over the past 21 years, ranging from 15 to 475 yards. It has taken 2 unwounded animals over 300 yards; a whitetail @ 354 and a 7x7 elk @ 475 (which I had initially misjudged to be at 400, and later ranged), and one wounded mule deer at 350 yards. I did hit the elk with initial shot, grazing the brisket, and when he stopped after taking a few steps forward after the first shot, readjusted for the second shot making a higher double lung shot. Only the extensive practice at 400 yards allowed me to adjust my 400 yards point of aim with the duplex reticle which allowed for the second shot placement.
The rifle has worn a Leupold VX-III 4.5-14x40 B&C since about 2007, and have practiced to 500 yard .
One of the fun field practices that DrMike and I, and our other hunting partners over the years have done, while taking lunch breaks out hunting, is to find an area with long distance targets with safe back drops, and take turns guessing the distance and taking one cold bore shot from an improvised field rest, to see who guessed and placed their shots on, or closest to, that distant target. These targets could be across large openings, down cutlines, across mountain ravines, or across bodies of water. These varied openings really added to the challenge! Only afterwards would we range the target to see who's range estimate was closest. Fun and educational!
