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Originally Posted by Blackops_2
Placement IMO should come before bullets. No bullet on earth is going to guarantee good performance, and it just furthers the result if placement is not precise.
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That was my point above.
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Originally Posted by blacksky
Just about every precision rifleman knows the 100-yard group his rifle fires; since he knows his group doubles at 200 yards, and triples at 300, quadruples at 400 and so on, he can determine the maximum distance that he can place a shot in a deer’s vitals – which is his maximum range.
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Not sure what that has to do with what you quoted, but OK.
If the game animal was standing still, on a billiard table smooth/flat surveyed range, tied to the "600 yards" sign, on a perfectly windless day, you (and Maj Plaster) would be right.
The real world doesn't work like that. Reread Maj Plaster's article, but this time go all the way to the bottom, specifically
"The Ethics of the Long-Range Shot"
My 6.5-06 is about a 3/4 minute gun. I would say I am a decent shot, I have been varmint hunting for about 20 years, used to compete in NRA/CMP Service rifle matches pretty regularly (out to 600 yards with iron sights), even have a Leg Medal around here somewhere.
At my local range, there is a steel plate at 600 yards, that is about a foot square. I have so far, never missed that plate with my 6.5.
I would not take a shot at a deer at that range, for the reasons I stated above. The bullet really will drop about 10" every 25 yards traveled around 600 yards. Those wind figures are from my range sheet for long range matches. Actually, those are for match bullets, hunting bullets will be a little worse.
A prairie dog, sure, and I have, even hit some. The difference is that if you misjudge the wind or the range on a varmint, you miss completely. If you misjudge the wind or range on a deer, you have a cripple.
Even if you have the best laser range finder money can buy, and can get the range perfect every time, you still have to account for wind, and while the 6.5 family are very good in the wind, they are still subject to it. And the funny thing about wind, what is happening where you are standing, is probably not the same thing happening where your target is, or at any point along the bullets path. There are no wind flags in the field, and while mirage is a good guide, that is all it is, a guide. High Master Long Range shooters, with decades of experience, at ranges with wind flags still get the wind wrong regularly.
Just curious, what is the farthest you have shot?