What is considered Long Range now days?

[Orange Dust]

While I do admit today's equipment is more available and well known, I still have a 1970's model 3x9x40 that has the BDC dial with plex wires on the crosshair. I used it to shoot fairly long distances on game. Also, there were several turret target scopes back in the day many of us used for LR shooting, comp, varmints, etc. My old 1,000yd turret BR scopes saw much usage on MR and LR P-dog towns, so even decades ago, there were many options for the dedicated LR shooter.

There just wasn't as many of us.

If we really take a trip down LR memory lane for the really old timers, I'm not there yet but getting close:

I can even remember when Remington Varmint rifles came with bases for this scope from the factory.

 

[del2les]

I can even remember when Remington Varmint rifles came with bases for this scope from the factory.

Scary how fast time flies.

 

[LVJ76]

Going back 3 and 4 decades here, how may of you used a T recticle scope? I think it was a Weaver if I'm not mistaken. My dad had one on his Reminton 700 in 30-06 back in the early 80's and late 70's. I cant even begin to count how many coues and mulies were victims of that rifle and scope. He had me use a 3x9 Wide Angle Weaver on my 7mm-08 and 270 in the early 80's, I still wear the scar above my eye from when I killed my first javelina, thanks to this last scope.

Back then 300 to 400 was Long Range for us.

Growing up shooting Silhouette we learned to guess distance in 100m increments, my dad would say, that's at 350 hold 3 inches above hair, and he was right, down went the deer.

 

[LVJ76]

No range finders, no apps, no nothing.

Now its easier as some of you mentioned. I think it was more challenging and fun also, it was more of a fair chase

 

[BrentM]

No range finders, no apps, no nothing.

Now its easier as some of you mentioned. I think it was more challenging and fun also, it was more of a fair chase

I primarily archery hunt so much hasn't changed for me. I long range hunt predators.

 

[Orange Dust]

Going back 3 and 4 decades here, how may of you used a T recticle scope? I think it was a Weaver if I'm not mistaken. My dad had one on his Reminton 700 in 30-06 back in the early 80's and late 70's. I cant even begin to count how many coues and mulies were victims of that rifle and scope. He had me use a 3x9 Wide Angle Weaver on my 7mm-08 and 270 in the early 80's, I still wear the scar above my eye from when I killed my first javelina, thanks to this last scope.

Back then 300 to 400 was Long Range for us.

Growing up shooting Silhouette we learned to guess distance in 100m increments, my dad would say, that's at 350 hold 3 inches above hair, and he was right, down went the deer.

It was Weaver. I still have one, a K2.5. Deadly on running deer.

 

[Wolf76]

It's a little bit geographical.
I consider 200 yards medium range here in the Midwest. 400 is definitely long range. Slug guns and straight wall cartridges have a lot to do with this perspective.
Out west 300 is a warm up shot.

Regardless of what you call it, you'd better be able to make the shot when you take it.

 

[del2les]

No range finders, no apps, no nothing.

Now its easier as some of you mentioned. I think it was more challenging and fun also, it was more of a fair chase

Some of the BDC scopes in the 70's did have a statia wire for bracketing the game animals' chest between the recticle and the wire via increasing the scope's power. Similar to using mildots. Then depending on the animal, it was set up for 12, 18, 24 inch chests, antelope, deer, elk, one calculated the estimated distance and adjusted the BDC dial for that range. Once you matched the correct dial to your ballistics, It did work fairly well, as I could get to within 25yds or so of the range.

Other range finders were the handheld prismatic type that were only about as useful as the BDC to 25 yards with practice. The best was the mil surplus mortar/artillery spotter and ranger, but those were big, bulky and not conducive to taking into the back country. They did work great for stationary hunting and P-dog shooting.

Yea, modern equipment is great, but there were ways to get close to the range back in the stone age.

 

[Orange Dust]

Going back 3 and 4 decades here, how may of you used a T recticle scope? I think it was a Weaver if I'm not mistaken. My dad had one on his Reminton 700 in 30-06 back in the early 80's and late 70's. I cant even begin to count how many coues and mulies were victims of that rifle and scope. He had me use a 3x9 Wide Angle Weaver on my 7mm-08 and 270 in the early 80's, I still wear the scar above my eye from when I killed my first javelina, thanks to this last scope.

Back then 300 to 400 was Long Range for us.

Growing up shooting Silhouette we learned to guess distance in 100m increments, my dad would say, that's at 350 hold 3 inches above hair, and he was right, down went the deer.

I had range flags all over a big beanfield I used to hunt. Used to have an improved 8MM mag that would spit 210gr J26's 3200fps. We shot deers a long ways, even back in the day.

 

[Coyote_Hunter]

"Long range" for an individual is always an individual thing. While I used to think 200 yards was a long way, that is a chip shot now. These days my favorite targets are clay pigeons on the 600 yard berm. Don't hit them every time but have had hot rates of 75% and better when the wind wasn't blowing crazy like it does most of the time.

For Daughter #1, anything over 400 is outside her comfort range when t comes to game, even though she shoots steel at 500 and 600.

Two SILs ares limited to about 300, another 500 or 600. Just depends.

 

[LVJ76]

I primarily archery hunt so much hasn't changed for me. I long range hunt predators.

You now have range finders and thats if you use one for archery. When they came put my dad used to say: heck no, I don't need an electronic piece if crap to tell me how far my deer is. That changed when he started hunting elk and shooting further.

 

[LVJ76]

I had range flags all over a big beanfield I used to hunt. Used to have an improved 8MM mag that would spit 210gr J26's 3200fps. We shot deers a long ways, even back in the day.

Qe used to count the click on the old scopes and mark each distance with a different colors so we would know how many clicks to dial back. Those were some good times

 

[nt7332]

Tv has polluted what the typical hunter thinks is long range. Shooting animals at 1k plus looks easy on the big screen. High tech gear, apps, high BC bullets have without a doubt stretched ranges. However, to many often leave out the important part, good ol" trigger time and shooting. With proper practice and range with true dope numbers high tech apps is no longer needed. There is no more better if an option than real world numbers. That trigger time tells u what long range is for your specific abilities.

 

[LVJ76]

Forgot to post this after all that writing, I guess for me long range will eventually be 1000y. My max was 500 and I'm now at 600