[azklmsr]

I've never made a truly long range rifle shot, though I've made a couple of pistol shots that would cause folks to question my honesty.

My father though is the best at preparation. He drew a cow elk tag in Nevada and really took his time to get ready. He had been a handgun hunter, but decided the range might be difficult and wanted a rifle. He's cheap, so I recommended a good savage or ruger in 7mm rem mag from Walmart. After much deliberation and input from his buddies on the range moving ever further and closer to 800yds being the norm (his buddies can exagerate with the best), he purchased a Rem 700 300 Ultra, a target barrel, laminated stock, target trigger. Worked up his own loads for 4 months and was set for the hunt.

Opening morning, he came out of his camper and shot his cow at 50 feet. Hit it in the neck just below the head, and it fell in a deep ditch. Rope around the head to drag it out resulted in loss of said head and several interesting photos.

He did have his 9mm in his back pocket, just in case. I'm glad he was able to make this record long shot (ok, the only Elk he's ever taken) and was fully prepared to double the range if needed.

As for me, a scoped pistol is good for up to 200yds on a small deer (TC in 30 herret) but that sure feels like a long one to this kid. Beyond that, I'm looking for a different shot