phorwath.
i suppose my post was confusing. i was talking in general, and not necessarily to anyone in particular.
i would agree fully with your asessment of the 7 rem. and 7wsm. as for distance.
ive owned a 7x300 wby. for a very long time. velocity of that cartridge is in the 33 to 3400 range, w/ a 162 gr. bullet. some claim slightly more.
ive killed deer to 1200 w/ it. based on those experiences, i personaly wouldnt go much further with that cartridge. agreed, a heavier bullet might improve that some.
the ultramags ive seen in our camp may be slightly better, but not much. kirby allens 7 mm is certainly very impressive. im sure it extends the range of the 7mm.
but make no mistake, 1500 yds. is one helluva distance. ive shot at that distance, and further many times.
the difference between 1000 yds. and 1500 is like comparing minor league to major league. everything is much harder. wind becomes far more critical, due to velocity loss.
the trace, or wake of a 7mm bullet, is way way up there, and its lost, when it decends down. only very good glasses, and an experienced spotter will consistantly see hits at 1500. at least where i hunt.
certainly its possible to accomplish, and its done fairly often. but those who do it, dont use 7 mms. and definatly not wsms.
ive never met kirby allen, never heard of him till recently. id lay odds he'd pretty much concur on my comments.
you know placing a target, or a gong plate at some desirable spot, and picking a nice day to have at it, is not the same as game day. certainly its good practice, and fun. but it ends right there.
there are 2 kinds of facts involved here. 1 kind allows us to pick a bullet and velocity, and print out a chart telling us what to expect at various distances. i personally consider that as i do the gas millage posted on the vehicles we buy. best to take it for a test drive.