Hitting a softball at 1000 yds

[Joe-boy]

I don't know a lot about long range shooting to be honest, but even I can understand this is complete ********.

Let me demonstrate. Let's assume you and your rifle are perfectly accurate. I mean in still conditions you are able to shoot 100 rounds through a hole the same size than your bullet at 1000 yards. That's pretty impressive to me. In addition to that, let's assume you are using a 300 gr .338 Lapua Scenar bullet with BC G1 of 0.736 and you shoot it at 847 m/s (2,780 ft/s). A softball has a diameter of 3,5 inches, so if you aim dead center, you have about 1,75 inches of margin for error per side.

Run some numbers in the ballistic app and you'll notice that if you under- or overestimate the effective side wind by 0,1 m/s or 0,22 miles per hour you will still scratch the softball. Anything more than and you will miss. And this is assuming you and the rifle are perfectly accurate.

Another way to estimate this is that if your v0 is off by 6 ft/s you'll miss.

Or how about the scope adjustments? My scopes have either 1/4 MOA or 0.1 MRAD clicks. 1/4 of MOA is about 2.5 inches at 1000 yards and 0.1 MRAD is about 3,5 inches. So your scope click is about the same size than the target and it might be possible you cannot even center your scope accurately enough to aim at the center. Doesn't make it any easier...

 

[Greyfox]

Hi Guys, just joining in the conservation from Australia. May I ask, if any of you have pulled the trigger on Game at 1,000? The circles I move in here typically limit themselves to around 600 and then rarely. Regards, Peter

Yes, I have taken game out to 1188 yards. Rifles are well tested, with carefully constructed hand-loads. Most importantly, thousands of rounds have been expended in practice Over many years along with strict attention to what constitutes the decision to take the shot. Contrary to some of the opinions voiced in this thread, there are many well accomplished long range hunters/shooters on this site. For those that think it's BS, disagree with the principles, or simply refuse to the understand the necessary skills, you should consider another forum. This is a "long range" hunting site.

 

[tony d willIiams]

A softball is ~3.8-inches in diameter, which is about 0.36 MOA. It's one thing to be consistent 0.36 MOA shooting from a bench with windrow lanes, etc. It's a whole other thing to claim 0.36 MOA consistency including first shot wind call, shooting from field positions (i.e. away from a bench, using gear you pack, etc.), and shooting in field conditions (crappy weather, wind conditions in unknown areas, etc) which is what would be required in a hunting situation. Hunting is not benchrest.

If a guy is consistently within 0.36 MOA with his first shot wind call at 1,000 yards in an unknown area in field positions, he is one of the top shooters in the world. Run the numbers, for most hunting cartridges, that means you are consistently calling wind correctly within +/- 0.5-mph.

So either you run in a pretty elite circle, or maybe some guys like to exaggerate their skill levels. It's hard for a lot of folks to accept that they are not as good as they would like to be. That's why you see fingers pointed everywhere but themselves.....it's my SD, I mean barrel harmonics, I mean seating depth, I mean my barrel sped up, please let it be anything other than me, haha.

I am able to shoot that good if you accept that my rifle, ammunition and my skills are all greater than reality by a factor of ten.
In actuality I can consistently put all my shots under a quarter at a quarter mile. I occasionally get a flyer.
I am ready to reach out to a half mile. Until I am very skilled at that range I may try a longer shot at target, but I will only shoot what I know I can drop with one shot.

 

[josip89]

Consistently is key word.
It is possible but not as easy.
For me as a hunter is the most important 1 shoot,if You can do it with 1 shoot dont do it.

I have a few story to tell about a pinocchio story.
I remeber when we(dad,brother and I) go hunt muflon and I shoot one with SSG 08 338 lapua and 300 gr scenar and PM II on 325m (not long range but ok).After we took the game and hunt is over one guy came to me and start talking how is he shoot muflon ,offhand ,with open sight,with express rifle 9.3x74 ,on 1km.
Oh boy when I start laughting.

One guy who have hunting store is full off ****,he is hunt 3 game total but know everything about hunting,he is going on few matches but no score ,always is something.
First time when he and his friend (who is sniper in military) go to 1000m to shoot ,the target was A4 paper,long story short all misese but spooter is wrong.

But my favorite is men who has hunting agency, oh he has a story like double heart shoot on 600m with one bullet,in Kirgistan he shoot with guide rifle (he dont know whivh rifle and ammo) two ibex on 850m and 45° with single bullet.
He dont need reloading to have shoot groups single hole and 2km.
He dont use temp ,pressure or anything to 1km,he dont know diffrence betwen G1 and G7.
So I challange him and offer a bet ,first he sad he is hunter on game not paper,then he need better gun ,but bet is still on the table after 3-4 years.
But on positive side there is no more hunting story from them.

 

[Joe-boy]

Yes, I have taken game out to 1188 yards. Rifles are well tested, with carefully constructed hand-loads. Most importantly, thousands of rounds have been expended in practice Over many years along with strict attention to what constitutes the decision to take the shot. Contrary to some of the opinions voiced in this thread, there are many well accomplished long range hunters/shooters on this site. For those that think it's BS, disagree with the principles, or simply refuse to the understand the necessary skills, you should consider another forum. This is a "long range" hunting site.

Believe me or not, I'm not trying to pick an argue and I trust a man's word (as well as a woman's word), but just to gain some insight about how small things have a huge effect on long distances
1)What cartridge/caliber/bullet were you using and what was the v0, even roughly?
2)Which animal it was, and what do you estimate as the size of the vital area?
3)How much your wind estimate could have been be wrong to still hit the vitals?

I can spare your time and do the math if you provide the information.

Anyways, congrats for one hell of a shot. I'll never be able to do that.

 

[josip89]

One more thing.
I think many people think if they have good group it is good for hunting long range,yes You must have good group but if You dont hit what You aim....
I mean what if You have one bullet hole group at 1000y but you hit off center 5" or 10" or 15" or anything ,you are still miss.

 

[aushunter1]

Ol' Uncle Jerry might be able to.

Cough cough...……………….********

It could be possible with a rail gun.

But you would have to ask mother nature to stop blowing wind up your *ss & for the earth to stop rotating momentarily(yes I know the taking Coriolis effect would be more like 2000+yrds.

 

[nz 101]

yes My old Savage 110 22-250 Heavy 26" Barrel was all factory other than the 50 power scope and my hand loads 53gr BTHP bullets at 4300 fps had NO problem hitting Golf Ball size targets @1000 yrds constantly.

 

[fiftybmg]

Could anyone who can hit softballs consistently at 1000 yards with a hunting rifle please enter yourself and your rifle in a nationally or internationally recognised long range shoot [ PRS or whatever ], and let's read about it on the shooting news.

That kind of skill should be recognised and rewarded.

 

[Greyfox]

Believe me or not, I'm not trying to pick an argue and I trust a man's word (as well as a woman's word), but just to gain some insight about how small things have a huge effect on long distances
1)What cartridge/caliber/bullet were you using and what was the v0, even roughly?
2)Which animal it was, and what do you estimate as the size of the vital area?
3)How much your wind estimate could have been be wrong to still hit the vitals?

I can spare your time and do the math if you provide the information.

Anyways, congrats for one hell of a shot. I'll never be able to do that.

I see you are a new member. Welcome to a LRH.
The shot was made with a 6.5x284 Cooper 1:8tw, 142gr JLK(g7.323), 2975FPS, antelope-chest shot, DRT:10" vital area, 4500Ft, 46F, H 55%. Angle 5 degrees. Wind 11:30@3mph. Spin drift and CE compensated. Witnessed.
Why don't you search the archives. You will find hundreds of comparable shots made by members of this forum. I can assure you that I understand the math. You can do your math, and either gain some insight to increase "your" level of understanding ....... or continue to convince yourself that you will never be able make a shot like that. The latter would be unfortunate. The knowledge, technology, and assistance is there for you......if you have access to a shooting area, and you are willing/able to invest, and put the time in.

 

[Sako284]

Ol' Uncle Jerry might be able to.

That is the most unimpressive thing you could have possibly posted. Go spend one morning at a range where you can see the first kick up when you're too short. You'll hit the target too in enough ammo. Jerry is a speed shooter. He is not a precision rifleman.. I've talked with him on multiple occasions

 

[Sako284]

They are probably all shooting hammer bullets...

 

[GLTaylor]

They're baacckkk!

 

[Ol' Red]

I doubt they could hit an egg at 300

Is it legal to shoot an egg in Texas, or is that considered "poaching"?