whats your choice of rifle

[rem]

open plains up to 500 yards (edge of the woods)?
In the woods max shot 150 yard in your shooting lane?
If you had to use the same gun for both what would you use?

[Super Star!]

why would you risk a shot at 500 yards?? most hunters can even hit an animal at 25 let a lone 500


id use my T/C pro hunter 7mm rem mag

[Cody Gruchow]

hmm 500 yards i dont think i could pull the trigger but i would have to say my winchester 30-06

[kenhuntin]

.308 warbird

[3willy]

30.06 is probobly the most versitile and has the widest range of factory loads and second choice would be .308

[HD]

500 yards? Nope, not me...............

I use a 270 for an all around gun, 75-300

If I hunt in a heavy wooded area, the 30-30 works just fine.

But, I like using my 357 Colt Python, nothing over 50 yards.


Hunter

[Faceman]

I wont shoot 500 yards.
I basically use my 30-06 for everything.
Also carry my 357 revolver for close shots.
Other rifles of choice is either lever action 308 or lever action 30-30.

[deadeye]

I use a .270 because I have a couple of them.  We have trees, fields, and open swamps so I carry the .270 becaues one minute you may have a 20 yard shot and the next may be 200 yards.

[GRIZ]

500 that's a long poke being over a 1/4 mile. First off anyone that can say they will make that shot 90% of the time prolly sleeps with their gun. I would never take that shot unless predator hunting. Then only if I knew the exact distance from range finder or whatever.

Just for the sake of being hypothetical I'm assuming your talking bout deer hunting so I would say a 270. Reason is they are just a necked down 30-06. Shooting smaller bullets alot faster (flatter trajectory) but yet with enough weight to do the job.

If your actually serious about it and don't mind replacing a barrel every 200 rounds or less maybe a 243 catbird. Just another necked down 30-06 but guys who use them claim good results even though admitting cost is what makes them impractical.

As a side note if not in MN I'd go with my 220. Gotta know your gun.

[tripnchip]

I take it this is more about what cal. we feel would do a good job at 500 yards. In non mag. the 06-, 270, 308, 280 would all be good choices. In the mags. any of them that had a big enough slug to carry the need energy out that fare. Out to a 150 yards with good solid rest i would not worry a bit about using my 7x30 waters tc.

[proangler16]

Like most of you, I'd never take the 500-yard shot.  I hunt with a .270 and also 7mm, got the wife a new .243 WSSM, great balistics on that by the way, beats my .270 up to 150-yards or so with a bit less energy.   

[Grute Man]

Forgive me if Im wrong but I get the feeling it was a hypothetical question so we could even say a rifle range with a 50 and 500 yard range. 

Either way, my choice would be the 30.06.  For the shorter range shots, you can go with the new light loads with bullets as light as 100 grains.  For the longer range shots, there are loads up to 150 grains.

[RavenDog]

1-400 yds i'd use my Tikka T3 Hunter Pro  7mm Mag, with homemade 105 gr bullets.

[JackpineRob]

At deer-sized game?

The target here is critical - as others have mentioned a 500 yard shot is one heck of a poke, and most guys just can't pull it off.  If its a deer, and I'm driving the bus, I don't have a gun in the arsenal I'd be comfortable making the long shot with.  400?  Yep, I'd do that - and in repetition in case anyone missed the first or second or third shot.  But 500 is stretching the capabilities of any popular cartridge, and without plenty of homework is a foolish choice.

My first choice for longer shots is the 30-06.  Its a known performer at long range for decades.  I've shot the Garand at 800 meters putting lead into the black consistently - but that was known windage, known distance, and a spotter.  Under field conditions, I would dial back considerably.....

If I'm looking for a field gun for deer that has repeatable accuracy at 150 to 500, I'd probably opt for either a 25-06 or one of the 25 short mags, with a custom barrel, a thoroughly worked-over trigger, and the best glass I could afford.  Ammo would be tailored specifically for the gun, utilizing my two friends who have all of the computer programs, chronographs and other neat reloading toys.

I shot a Weatherby .300 Mag many years ago that could probably have handled what you're asking about.   Exactly 5 rounds dialing that thing in, and I never wanted to get near it again!!  It shot like a freaking laser beam, but the pain was not worth the effort.  After helping the guy sight it in, I know for a fact that I probably would have flinched at the worst possible time.