What exactly is a long shot.???

Anything on a coyote sized animal at 200-300 yards is a long shot. My longest shots to date are a mule deer at just over 500 yards, with a .243. A shot an elk at 375 yards lasered, and if an elk looks small at that distance you can imagine the size of a coyote.

I think if one gets a lot of trigger/range/load development/range estimation/good optics/gun and confident/practiced shooter behind it that a lot of ranges are possible. However, anyone can shoot at something multiple times and walk it in close, given target stays in general area and you can see where your hitting.

All in all, I'd rather be safe than sorry and that happens from making shots you know you can make 9-10 times in a range that your comfortable with.
 
Some guys are incredible sandbag or bench shooters but can't shoot off stix to save their own hide. Especially when it comes to engaging a constantly moving coyote under field conditions...

A practiced shooter with all the "tools" can undoubtedly connect at some impressive lengths. But is the coyote that determines how long it wants to stand around being a target while the shooter employs his "tools" for connecting.

The Coyote Doctors videos show off some REAL good shooting in wide open spaces under some windy conditions. Those SD boys can SHOOT!
 
I would suggest looking around to see if there's any sniper-style matches locally. These r becoming way popular these days as they will teach most of what someone needs to know about long-range shooting in the field. Optics applications are paramount to becoming a successful L-R practical field shooter.

You must--

1) Have a good rangefinder

2) Be able to reference bullet trajectory with either reticle or turrets as accurately as possible--both vertically and horizontally.

3) Have a system set up to test rigs (and practice) at long-range.

4) Know when to shoot and when not to.

Here's some good places to start studying--

http://www.6mmbr.com/TacticalFroggyA1.html

http://www.6mmbr.com/reloadingfroggy.html

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=378812#Post378812

See if u can get ahold of Ernie Bishop's article in the Spring '07 issue of Dakota Arms magazine. He has a long article in there about tactical long-range shooting concepts for shooting in the field that decribes what's needed for shooting/hunting to the longest practical ranges.

longrangehunting.com is another good place to learn.

Once these concepts are understood, studied and practiced the motivated shooter THAT HAS AN INTEREST IN THIS KIND OF SHOOTING will increase his ranging potential significantly, and he'll have more fun than he's ever had before with his firearms.

Don't think it can't be done, it's being done everyday by some, and not just by experienced shooters. My wife's done it, my mother's done it and 16 y.o. kids r doing it. The most accurate calculated field shooting i ever saw accomplished was with a custom 6.5-284 XP-100/Burris 3-12X Ball. Plex reticle. Partner Ernie Bishop ran 10 in a row between 585 and 685 yds. on 8" silhouette discs in the '04 International Tactical Riflemans Championships WITH A "HANDGUN". Anybody wanna stand in front of that guy at 600 yds. in a 10 mph quartering wind? I wouldn't do it standing sideways.
 
This subject is much too much like many others discussed on here. There is NO magic number that is the same for everyone. If you brought someone from an area of heavily wooded country to the mid-west they would be astounded at how far some of our shots HAVE to be. I'm talking about deer and coyotes. My farthest whitetail kill was 528yds lasered, and coyote was 417 lasered. Both of these shots were one shot kills...DRT. Now in both of these situations there was no wind and shot prone off of a bipod, but it proves that if you know your equipment and YOUR PERSONAL limitations, long shots can be accomplished humanly.

I can honestly say that I have missed more coyotes inside 125 yds because I hurry what I feel is a "slam-dunk" shot. On the longer shots I find myself taking more time to consider all of the variables and I don't feel I have to hurry and shoot before the animal sees or smells me.

Just today a friend and I were calling coyotes with no luck. We came across an old stove top so we set it up and walked to an area to shoot it from. I lasered the distance at 488yds and we were both shooting off bipods in the prone position. He was shooting a savage .204 and I was shooting my .22-.250. The target was 18" x 18" and we both hit it six out of six shots. All of the hits would have been in the kill zone of a deer and all but a couple would have been lethal on a coyote.
 
I made the longest shot of my life this winter with my VLS 243 win.40gr.varget and 65gr.vmax 632 paces I'm 6 feet tall so don't really know how many yards it was but the longest shot I ever made witnessed could not believe it myself I thank its just one of them guns I have made shots at 350 to 400 yards a lot of times I thank I'm going to have this gun buried with me
 
I made the longest shot of my life this winter with my VLS 243 win.40gr.varget and 65gr.vmax 632 paces I'm 6 feet tall so don't really know how many yards it was but the longest shot I ever made witnessed could not believe it myself I thank its just one of them guns I have made shots at 350 to 400 yards a lot of times I thank I'm going to have this gun buried with me oh 6-18-40 vx-II by the way it was a yote /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
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the longest distance i'm able to practice at is 300yds and i can hit 2 liter bottles pretty consistantly with my 243 WSSM. i'm shooting 87gr BTHP. it's a browning a-bolt varmint, topped with a nikon 6.5-20x44AO with target turrets. with a sturdy rest, this gun will shoot .5 MOA five shot groups at 100yds /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif i love it!
 
Redfrog,

First let me say, I'd way rather shoot a coyote at 75 yards with my 223. Totally committed and running to the call, but, in our rather wide open country, coyotes get a fair bit of calling pressure, so..........

I've been using a 27" barreled 25-06AI loaded with 110 grain Nosler Accubonds for the 'longer' stuff this winter. 530 lasered yards is the longest this year, with a few over 650 last. It has a VXIII 4.5-14x40 w/ Varmint Hunters Reticle mounted on it. It's been surprisingly good on fur with the Accubonds and is very, uuummmm, decisive! And to be honest most, of the ranches we hunt just want them gone, especially this time of year.

My two cents,

David
 
My biggest deer to date was range found at 475yds. I have shot p.dogs at 520 with my 22.250. That's about it for me, but had super steady, no wind situations. 300-400 is about max most of the time, with any flat shooter. Way less with the others.
 
I killed a coyote with my .223 at 14,567.45 yards (converted to feet: 43,702.35'/ miles: 8.28 mi.). Our higher altitude here in Wyoming helped the bullet sail right along...there ya go and I double-dog dare any one of uz' guys to top it!
 
Wrongside, what part of the province are you in that you get hunting pressure? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif I've only ever seen two guys calling in the last 7 years and one was my brother, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

who did your gun work for you and what did you have done?
 
Quote:
You forgot to say "14,567.45 LAZERED yards". If you put in the "lazered" part it authenticates it.



Doyle, I measured the distance with a yardstick, 3' at a time!
 
Quote:
Wrongside, what part of the province are you in that you get hunting pressure? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif I've only ever seen two guys calling in the last 7 years and one was my brother, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

who did your gun work for you and what did you have done?



Too close to Cowtown. Just south west of the city. For better or for worse predator hunting is becoming very popular, translating into increased pressure near major centers. That combined with ranchers who shoot on sight. Or my calling might just need help. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I had this rifle built by Rick Timmins @ Alberta Tactical Rifle in Calgary. It has a Ron Smith (a good AB boy) 10 twist 27" SS barrel. The action (M70) trued, trigger tuned, glass bedded, barrel free floated. The rifle shoots very well and the workmanship is good but Bill Leeper in BC will be doing my next one. I remember you're wanting to get a custom built, another gunsmith I have heard nothing but good about is Dave Henry in Bentley, AB.

We missed you at the Calgary Gunshow this year......my buddy wanted one of your Ghille suits.
 
I shot an alien on Mars. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
My lazer won't work that far. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
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