Thread: just Varminting - how far was your longest shot on your last walk

Originally Posted by bully

He's got a point. The subs might work better.... High velocity slowing down can get unstable. Ask a 308 shooter at 1000 yards.
My last walk was so long ago, iv forgotten the ranges. Typically 300, but always look for longer if I can find it.

if anyone has tried how unstable the bullets are with PowerPoints at LR i am all ears . . . just a blanket it won't work passed 120 doesnt do it for me.
i have used subs out to +300 yards on paper/steel and Rabbits but there are problems, the Supers longer Point Blank Range is easier to use when your in a hurry in the field.
i have 2 X .22lr rifles, one for subs out to 400 yards the other for supers out to 200 yards . . . i was looking at some Rabbits passed 300 the other day with my Super setup and thinking the reticle ( mildot 3.5-10 ) is plenty fine enough with enough magnification and enough elevation to get out to 350 yards, thats enough to get me started on this path for awhile.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

So @rossi.45, for this thread is there a preference for rimfire varminting or can we include the full range of centrefires too?

I've always regarded varminting as a .224 max calibre kind of pursuit, just a personal generalisation. But I'm looking more and more into longer range 6mm and even 6.5mm varminting loads, using bullets in the 90-100gr range. But gut feel is we should be looking at the .17s and traditional .22s, whatdaya reckon?

i am hoping its anyone, any caliber . . . just dial-up or BDC scopes out to LR . . we already have a thread for traditional style small game shooting

there are some guys on this forum with some very sharp gear that don't post the results sadly . . i would hope to encourage them to post and get Varminting out there.

I use my .223 (69 gr hpbt) on rabbits to 300 metres and .22 subs to 100.

Good thread title, always admired the skills of Rossi.45 and others. I've just got my 17HMR with BDC reticle going, so hope to contribute when I have some factual evidence of long range success.

Originally Posted by mimms

None of your 150 shots is a guaranteed humane kill on rabbit size game. Could be a clean miss, could be gut shot, could just break their back leg.

The groups are a bit better than they look here, draw a 3" square on a piece of paper and look again. What seems odd is that there is such a dramatic change in groups from 100 to 150. I would like to know at what distance point the change takes place. Between you and me, Rossi needs to spend more time practicing and less time reading 'Stalingrad'

best so far.
983m according to the laser range finder. hare with a 7mm RM
probably will never be as lucky ever again though

Originally Posted by Flyblown

Hi @mimms. PM sent. I hope you can respect the desire not to spoil this thread with this kind of argument, for the reasons stated.

I don't mind my opinion being public, so my reply to you was:

" It wasn't intended to start an argument. Personally I wouldn't take
a shot that I didn't feel was going to kill the thing quickly. I would
guarantee a humane kill.
Whatever your standards are, you gotta live with them not me."

Feel free to post your "justification" here for taking such shots.
Not intended as a derail. Just a matter/degree of ethics.
And having said my piece I will "go somewhere else"

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

The groups are a bit better than they look here, draw a 3" square on a piece of paper and look again. What seems odd is that there is such a dramatic change in groups from 100 to 150. I would like to know at what distance point the change takes place. Between you and me, Rossi needs to spend more time practicing and less time reading 'Stalingrad'

I know what 3" is. The KZ on a bunny is 2" at most, even a large hare, 1" for a headshot.

Anyone can fluke 3 shots, I'd like to see his 100 with 10 shots on, I'd pick he's holding 2 MOA or wider.
From my experience the opening up of groups occurs as the bullet goes transsonic. Which as said is about 120m for most brands/barrels. The heeled 22s aren't very aerodynamic in the first place. and once that shockwave overtakes them they can go to fuck pretty quick.

Originally Posted by mimms

I know what 3" is. The KZ on a bunny is 2" at most, even a large hare, 1" for a headshot.

Anyone can fluke 3 shots, I'd like to see his 100 with 10 shots on, I'd pick he's holding 2 MOA or wider.
From my experience the opening up of groups occurs as the bullet goes transsonic. Which as said is about 120m for most brands/barrels. The heeled 22s aren't very aerodynamic in the first place. and once that shockwave overtakes them they can go to fuck pretty quick.

If you had been on here longer Pimms you would have seen some of Rossis earlier postings. He has got some very specialised long-range centrefire gear and we can be sure that any wounded rabbits are dispatched immediately. The effective kill zone is bigger than you think, depending on position. If a bunny is sitting up face on or facing away a hold at the top of the head gives a vertical kill zone of 180 mm. I am thinking wind may have had a hand ruining the 150 metre group

Good thread, I was just thinking a few days ago that varminting doesn't get much coverage here in NZ.

I enjoy dialling my 22lr, 17 Hornet and 223 rems to shoot small game out beyond the max point blank ranges.

As you will likely have seen from recent posts, I'm having a ball with my new favourite rifle/cartridge. CZ 527 in 17 Hornet.

gonetropo's remark could be the most candid one yet re the element of LUCK ?
Surely the hits/shots fired ratio gets lower and lower the further u go out ? Exponentially perhaps ?
At what point do ya just not bother throwing lead out there, or is there no limit ?
Do u spot your shots and walk them in ?
I'm absolutely not on about ethics here lads, just curious.

Originally Posted by gonetropo

best so far.
983m according to the laser range finder. hare with a 7mm RM
probably will never be as lucky ever again though

You must have a mt palomar telescope fitted to it.

Originally Posted by rossi.45

if anyone has tried how unstable the bullets are with PowerPoints at LR i am all ears . . . just a blanket it won't work passed 120 doesnt do it for me.
i have used subs out to +300 yards on paper/steel and Rabbits but there are problems, the Supers longer Point Blank Range is easier to use when your in a hurry in the field.
i have 2 X .22lr rifles, one for subs out to 400 yards the other for supers out to 200 yards . . . i was looking at some Rabbits passed 300 the other day with my Super setup and thinking the reticle ( mildot 3.5-10 ) is plenty fine enough with enough magnification and enough elevation to get out to 350 yards, thats enough to get me started on this path for awhile.

Originally Posted by mimms

I know what 3" is. The KZ on a bunny is 2" at most, even a large hare, 1" for a headshot.

Anyone can fluke 3 shots, I'd like to see his 100 with 10 shots on, I'd pick he's holding 2 MOA or wider.
From my experience the opening up of groups occurs as the bullet goes transsonic. Which as said is about 120m for most brands/barrels. The heeled 22s aren't very aerodynamic in the first place. and once that shockwave overtakes them they can go to fuck pretty quick.

It is rather blanket. This guy explains it fairly well, or with better words than my self... The supersonic slows down, the point from super to sub Sonic is supposed to make projectiles unstable. (Transsonic) He seems to think around 120 mtrs. Which it might be, depending on the cartridge it was fired from.
So it seems backwards that the faster projectile leaving the barrel is worse for long range, but only because of the transsonic point. .22 might be 120 like he says.
Some 308 loads are a bit before 1000. That's why I say your long range .22 rimfire efforts may be better with subs, more predictable, or stable.
I haven't personally had this problem but I've heard of it a lot. But by all means put a target up and try, let us know.

I haven't quite worked my way out to your sort of distances but my longest in the last wee while was 120m flat with fiocchi subs out of the 452 with no wind using the half mil reticle holdover(which isn't 100% accurate as the reticle is apparently calibrated for 10x on a 9x scope wtf) but still seemed to hit the right spot and go all the way through him even at that distance!!

Why are you collecting the blood in an ash bucket suthy? Will you be burning it to make some sort of 'spell' with the ashes ?