ballistic coefficient calculations for the "lay" person

Kowotie-- last season i was out calling coyotes with some buddies. Both of those guys had their rigs topped with scopes that had target turrets, and neither had any idea how to use them-- they thought they were on there for sighting in easier. We called a coyote in to about 300 maybe 350. 1 of the guys had the shot, and after a few seconds of trying to figure range, he took a shot at it and missed. His 6.5-20X Leupold had a wide duplex reticle in it, that subtended 3.3 MOA. Checking my ballistics program for his 17 Rem/30 gr Berger setup with his zero/velocity, the lower post tip of the reticle had a 2nd zero of right around 300-325 or so @ 20X-- right about the limit of that rigs effectiveness on coyotes. If he would have know that, and had a laser sitting on his lap, he probably would have killed that dog in its tracks. Why do i know that?-- because i spent 25+ yrs. hunting coyotes like most guys, and didn't give a darn about ballistics/scopes/tactical systems in the field. But since applying that stuff now my percentage of missed longer-range dogs has gone down immensely-- WHEN I HAVE TIME TO APPLY IT!

U can be the average guy that relys on experience/guessing only for his shots, but when u start to apply ballistics in the field tactically, u WILL kill more coyotes than u ever did before no matter how many years u've been hunting them.
 
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Steve,
I sure learned a lot at SHOTS, using a balistics program for hunting sure is the way to go.
BTW I just got a 260 XP 100R. Should be interesting /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
SS, I have learned a lot from this post despite some "average" attitudes /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif. Thanks for the help. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif I can recall a pair of coyotes that held up around 400 yards. One of them would of been dead had I learned earlier what I am learning now. Much apprecieated!

Joey
 
Actually I am a less than average coyote hunter.

As far as seeing coyotes at 400 yards while calling.

Called-Yes
In-No

Randy
 
Here's to SHOTS '06 or '07 Mikee. It was fun this year, but it'll be much more user-friendly next time around.

Joey-- i used to hunt some of those ranches out Fowler way. There's some big spreads out there. What u might think about doing is to get some permission to shoot out there at some sort of target at various distances, and testing some sort of ranging/ballistic reticle and/or repeatable target turrets, to develop a tactical system for your rig with a computer ballistics program-- then test it on the targets. I came up with a good portable target system i wrote up for TVHM couple years ago. If u send me your address i'll send u a copy of it.

You may also be interested in this article on the web, that describes just about all the tactical scope applications i could think up, right here--
www.ottllc/specialtypistols/sp20.pdf

Let me know the next time u get to Pueblo, and i'll show u the long-range target systems i've come up with that r very portable.

1 other thing u may be interested in is to go to the tactical match that's held at the Whittington Center a couple time a year.
 
hey chile let me show you how to shot some time.head shots on yotes at 500 yards just to warm up! do it all the time.Iknow were my bullet goes evey time i pull the trigger. if someone is not sure where the bullet will land they have they sould not have a gunin there hands /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif
 
Great question about ballistic coeffcient. Not sure what is meant by BC not mattering. If that were true we could all just shoot lead balls. I quess you could make a case for slight differences in BC between similar bullet types not being the most important consideration in a pursuit of accuracy, but it is always a consideration. Just my two cents. --Mykal
 
well, well, well, this is a hot thred indeed. I have to agree with both sides, to a point. Yes BC is very important, when working up a new load I try to pick a bullet with a very high BC. Then push it as fast as I safley can in that rifle. Remember a high BC = less bullet drop at extended ranges and that can be very forgiving with a mistake in range istamation,a hit instead of a miss. Now to look at the other side of the card I spend a lot of time on the range. I sight in for 100yards then set targets from 200 to 600 yards and measure the bullet drop at all ranges. Then I go back and shoot at all ranges and figer out the clicks on the scope. All this might take six months to a year. And that hot 1/2" load at 100yrds wont shoot worth a [beeep] at 500yrds. Thats life boy! So please every one calm down, cant we all get along?
 
Well how about this. I like this thread. Very interested in some of the opinions. I would like to put my two cents in about people not knowing how to shoot should not have guns in their hands. How about someone who knows just teach them? For those of you who can nail yotes out to 500 yds and more stay away from me, I would never get a shot. Man, I wish I could get the time to get that good. For one, I have a hard time holding my rifle steady enough even in the prone for to long of a distance. After 300 yds, I just let them go if they don't come any closer. I have had chances to shoot a few yotes that far out but held up because that is just a little to far for me. I do agree though that B.C. is very important. Thats what makes a long distance bullet. Also a small Extreme Spread makes a big difference. That comes with consisitent loads. How many use powder drops verse how many weigh each load? Does anyone have a favorite powder that is more consistent?
 
The only comment I have on picking a high BC bullet is that often times that's a boattail, and I've seen very few rifles that shoot boattails the most accurately (you need a very pristine muzzle, it appears). Keep that in mind when you get the "high BC" bug, and your groups go to hell at long range, it can drive you batty. Been there, done that. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif
 
My Rem BDL .243 shoots 85gr HPBT like a champ. Off a solid bench and good rest I can get 1-1/2 group dead on at 200 yards and sub. 1" at 100 yards that are about 1-1/2"high.

Joey
 
Heck , the way some of you guys are talking maybe you should just give up your rifles and get a good shotgun! After all... its just a few yards closer.
Leave the long shots to the the real riflemen out there.
(and no , Im not one of them)
 
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