Long Range Hunting on a Budget: Part 2

In part one, I discussed ethical considerations for long-range hunting. I also discussed equipment and hunter limitations, and considerations for what distance you and your equipment are capable of for taking different size game. I described entry-level rifles and appropriate cartridges, as well as starter scopes, appropriate bullet choices and ammunition. In this article, I will cover additional equipment needed for long-range hunting and report on testing done with the two entry-level rifle and scope combinations using factory long-­range hunting ammunition. I’ll conclude with a test of the two scopes to investigate how well they work for long-range shooting.

Rangefinders

It is imperative you have a rangefinder capable of reliably ranging game at the distances you plan on shooting. This is one piece of equipment I would save up extra funds for; buy the best you possibly can. Based on my experience, most of the claims for maximum ranging distance on game for small rangefinders are optimistic. If you multiply the claimed range by .6 to .7 — at best — that’s about what it is capable of on animals in the field. Read the reviews and do your research. For a good firing solution for long-range hunting, you have to know the range accurately.

Both Leupold and SIG Sauer offer rangefinders that advertise long-range capabilities, as well as onboard ballistics solvers. In the case of SIG Sauer’s, it also factors atmospheric condition measurements. These rangefinders are generally in the $500 to $800 range. My recommendation, though, is to save up and purchase one such as the Gunworks Revic BR4 rangefinder. Yes, it is $1,400 but it’s well worth it. It has a built-­in angle inclinometer, a weather station that is very accurate, and it is sync’d to an advanced ballistics solver that includes aerodynamic jump, spin drift, and angle of fire. The BR4 has a narrowed laser beam specifically tuned in size to provide ranging on animals out to 2,000 yards when tripod mounted. I have ranged dark rocks to 1,600 yards with this rangefinder; no problem. With the BR4, you won’t need a hand-held weather station or ballistics solver. The unit also has an app for linking to your phone that provides detailed ballistics information and atmospheric conditions readouts. A small, inexpensive windmeter is all you would need to complement the Revic BR4.

Weather Meter

If you don’t have a rangefinder that gives accurate atmospheric condition data, you will have to have a good handheld weather meter. Nearly all of them have windmeters included. The longer the range you shoot, the more important it becomes to know the atmospheric conditions in order to make an accurate ballistics solution and air density determination for your ballistics solver. Your weather meter must be capable of measuring atmospheric pressure and temperature. Humidity is much less important, but still useful.

Kestrel is the standard by which all handheld weather meters are measured. They have basic models that give wind speed, temperature and pressure for about $160 and run up to nearly $1,000 with meters that include WiFi, Hornady 4DOF, or Applied Ballistics solvers. Wind-­only meters are available for $50 to­ $100.

Ballistic Solvers

An accurate ballistics solver is critical. There are many solvers available as an app for ranges out to 800 yards, but any solver that can handle the G7 ballistic coefficient (BC) should work well enough. In addition to elevation and windage calculations, the solver must be able to calculate muzzle jump, spin drift and accurately allow for the angle of fire. Many solvers only use the Rifleman’s Rule for angle fire, which is not accurate enough past 400 yards. The Hornady 4DOF solver is hard to beat for this; I have used it shooting in the mountains at ranges to 1,600 yards at angles of 30 degrees. It also calculates an atmosphere based on the inputs you give it to allow for changes in the elevation of the projectile in flight. This provides another level of accuracy when shooting in the mountains. Hornady 4DOF is available as a free app in the app store. The solver in the Revic BR4 rangefinder is also quite good. It uses the G7 BC, but it is more than accurate enough for ranges we should be hunting at.

Miscellaneous

Other details to consider: You must have a good cheekweld to ensure repeatable, accurate, long-­range shots. A gun having an adjustable comb or a strap-­on cheekpiece that you can put foam under, if needed, helps provide a solid cheekweld and consistent, center placement of the pupil behind the ocular lens.

A compact spotting scope on a small, lightweight tripod is also handy. The spotting scope is, of course, useful for spotting game, but it is indispensable in reading mirage for wind drift. I often use a compact Vortex Razor HD 11-33x50mm on a small tripod. The setup is small, lightweight, and easy to pack, plus the Vortex HD is good glass.

You should have an adjustable bipod, and it is important that you practice shooting off of it. A small bean bag that can clip to your belt or belt loops can also be useful for building a solid rest. Practice field shooting positions, too; don’t just practice from a bench.

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At The Range

I tested two factory rifles with what I consider long-range scopes that are reasonably priced. The Mossberg Patriot LR Tactical in 6.5 Creedmoor has a rigid stock, adjustable comb, heavy contour 24-­inch barrel, a one-­piece scope rail and a detachable 10-­round magazine. It retails for $1,089. You will want to replace the included scope base with a 20 MOA-­bias base to maximize the elevation adjustment range in the scope. You would need to get a five-round magazine for the rifle, or block the 10-round magazine for hunting. I topped this rifle with a Burris Signature HD 3-­15x44mm scope with side focus and target-­type turrets. It has the Ballistic E3 reticle and retails for $672. The elevation turret features a turret push-­pull locking adjustment feature with positive click adjustments. The optics were clear and sharp. 

I tested the rifle at 100 yards with Federal 130-­grain Terminal Ascent, Hornady 143-­grain Precision Hunter, Norma 143-­grain Bondstrike, and Remington 140-­grain Premier Long Range loaded with the Speer Impact bullet. These factory loads have bullets designed for long-­range hunting, offering expansion at distance. Table 2 shows my test comparisons. Notably, the Remington load was very accurate and would be appropriate to about 700 yards. When I received this rifle, it had a number of rounds already through it, as evidenced by the heavy copper fouling the barrel had. It was likely reasonably well broke in. Table 1 illustrates the accuracy results.

The second rifle I tested was a Ruger American Go Wild in 6.5 PRC. It sports a rigid camo stock, screw-­on muzzlebrake, medium-­contour barrel, a 20-­MOA bias rail and a detachable three-­shot magazine; it retails for $789. I topped it with a Leupold VX-­Freedom 6-­18x40mm scope for $500. It has a side focus adjustment, Tri-­MOA reticle, target turrets with positive click adjustments, and sharp optics. I tested this rifle with Federal 140-­grain Fusion ammunition. This is not a long-­range load, but it was all that was available from Federal at the time. I also tested the long-range Hornady 143-­grain Precision Hunter load. Table 2 shows the test results. The Hornady load would be appropriate to about 675 yards. The difference in accuracy between Remington’s 6.5 Creedmoor load in the Mossberg and the higher performance 6.5 PRC Hornady load in the Ruger clearly shows the advantage of accuracy in terms of long-­range shooting. This Ruger rifle was brand new and not broken in. I’m quite sure that with another hundred rounds through it, the accuracy results of that rifle would improve.

To evaluate each scope, the rifles were zeroed and one shot fired at 100 yards. I used the Norma Bondstrike in the 6.5 Creedmoor and the Hornady Precision Hunter in the 6.5 PRC. I then raised the elevation 20 MOA, fired another shot, then returned the elevation to the original zero and fired another round and repeated this three times. I measured the height difference of the group centers, in inches, on target between zero and the 20 MOA elevated scope setting. I then converted this to the actual difference in MOA by dividing by 1.047 inch/MOA at 100 yards and calculated the click value for each scope by dividing the MOA value by 80, as each scope claimed “.25 MOA” click adjustments, 4 clicks per MOA. I then measured the group size for the 100-­yard zero setting and the plus-20-MOA group. For all practical purposes, both scopes shot groups within the results from above (Table 3). These are examples of reliable long-­range scope options for a reasonable price. 

Parting Shot

Long-­range shooting, much less long-­range hunting, is challenging. You should not go into long-­range hunting with the intention of purposely shooting game from far away. Having the capability gives you flexibility in the field, but hunting also means stalking and responsibly taking as clean and effective a shot as you can. There is a tremendous amount of equipment and ammunition available for this purpose. The performance of many of these products is very good for the price point. This article offered some considerations for long-­range hunters. Hopefully, the equipment tested also convinces some that long-­range hunting doesn’t have to equal the down payment of a new pickup truck.

Sound Off

Have any preferred gear that makes shooting easier? Let us know by emailing gaeditor@outdoorsg.com and use “Sound Off” in the subject line.