Extreme long range muzzle loading REAL

[bestill]

https://youtu.be/GRC0yE7_gKk

 

[GM54-120]

 

[Idaholewis]

I really enjoyed the Video! It is no secret that i have never agreed on shooting at Big Game at those Extreme distances, I have voiced my opinion on it Several times. That being said, I have nothing but respect for you Jeff! You have put forth a MOUNTAIN of time to get where you are. I know from hands on experience that it takes SERIOUS dedication to Shoot Long Range, especially if you plan to get Good at it, Which you obviously are. Thanks for sharing your Video, the Good, and the Not so good, I REALLY respect that!! BIG Congrats on your 2 Deer! Especially that Recovery :yeah:

 

[Idaholewis]

I hope others appreciate the Time you have put forth in this video to explain everything, from your gear, to your time testing in Various Temps and Logging all of that info Down for reference. There is a LOT more to Driving bullets ACCURATELY at long Range than a lot of folks realize.

Another BIG variable that comes in to play out West here is Elevation, I hunt Mostly in the 2500 Ft Range, But i can end up at 6500 Ft Fairly quickly, And that makes a big difference!! i personally feel 400 yards is about my Cut off point at Big Game, and that is with my .308 CF Rifle, If the conditions are right (No wind, and i have a good solid rest) i can pull a 400 Yard shot off NO PROBLEM. Zeroed at 200 yards, my chosen Bullet drops 22” at 400 yards, but at 500 yards i am already Double that (44.5”) and at 600 yards my bullet Drops 76.6 inches. Anything much beyond 400 Yards at Big Game and i am Just not Comfortable with it, Even Though i am very efficient at Ranges MUCH MUCH farther on Targets.

 

[ENCORE50A]

Without question, an excellent, very well presented, actual real life explanation of long range hunting and shooting. Jeff excellently pointed out the REQUIREMENT of using ballistics data. Range finders and wind meters are a REQUIREMENT. There can be no guessing. Even with all things being perfect, another great point was made.

 

[GM54-120]

Yep, i "fixed" the video link to make it easier for some people. Its important people watch this. This video is also one of the reasons i recommend Bestill for custom work. He is REAL and i believe he is honest to a fault.

I think this needs to be our first "sticky" in the Long Range section.

 

[Idaholewis]

Jeff’s YouTube Video is the Best one i have ever seen on Extreme Long Range hunting, He actually shows a Bad situation instead of hiding it, He could just as easily of showed the PERFECT shot and left it at that, But he was Honest and Showed what can Happen at that kind of Extreme Long Range if an Animal Takes a Step, An otherwise perfect shot quickly becomes a Bad one. You can clearly see that it genuinely bothered him, having to Leave, then go back to Dispatch it. He was diligent in Finding the Deer, and he ultimately Recovered it! BIG KUDOS To Jeff on seeing it through to the end!! :yeah: Sadly most of this stuff gets Covered up, and only talked about through close friends. They only post and Show kills at Extreme Yardages with their Rifle on a Bipod in front of the Animal, and a Big Smile, Never to mention how many Accidents happened to get to the Picture of the Dead one. Again, I have nothing but respect for Jeff for posting his Video :yeah: He is obviously Meticulous with his Gear, his Data, and is NO DOUBT an AWESOME Shooter!!

 

[Idaholewis]

Yep, i "fixed" the video link to make it easier for some people. Its important people watch this. This video is also one of the reasons i recommend Bestill for custom work. He is REAL and i believe he is honest to a fault.

I think this needs to be our first "sticky" in the Long Range section.

I absolutely agree on the Sticky! :yeah:

 

[ENCORE50A]

Yep, i "fixed" the video link to make it easier for some people. Its important people watch this. This video is also one of the reasons i recommend Bestill for custom work. He is REAL and i believe he is honest to a fault.

I think this needs to be our first "sticky" in the Long Range section.

I absolutely agree on the Sticky! :yeah:

Absolutely!

 

[GM54-120]

If Jeff plans on leaving it up on Youtube and its ok with him i will get it stuck to the top of the section.

 

[451 whitworth]

94 grains of smokeless powder!? Holy cow. I've seen Bestill post on this site for years and heard him referenced to in posts but I really didn't pay attention to what kind of rifle work he did. Last week I was loading up some 375 H&H for my Ruger No.1 with 80.0 grains of H4350 and a 300gr. Sierra and this Bestill rifle has more bullet and powder weight!

 

[bestill]

94 grains of smokeless powder!? Holy cow. I've seen Bestill post on this site for years and heard him referenced to in posts but I really didn't pay attention to what kind of rifle work he did. Last week I was loading up some 375 H&H for my Ruger No.1 with 80.0 grains of H4350 and a 300gr. Sierra and this Bestill rifle has more bullet and powder weight!

I would be honored to have this video as a sticky to help others learn and understand long range shooting.

Per load.
Alot of things very different in a muzzleloader than centerfire rifle in reference to powder selection and bullet and chamber pressures and performance.

The load i am shooting is absolutely safe in this rifle and creates rite at 55,000 chamber pressure .

This is a very heavy high pressure built rifle specifically for this load.

 

[GM54-120]

Great Jeff.

Since its within the context of long range shooting and in this case the powder used is not as relevant as the MESSAGE. Im not going to object to the mention of using smokeless powder. I believe the message is too important. I see far too many people buying "long range rigs" or talking about hunting at ranges over 200 yards. They really need to understand what they are getting into.

There is far more to it than "the rifle is capable".

 

[Smyrnagc]

Sticky done...Great video bestill!

 

[52Bore]

Good job.
Your 23 moa caught my attention as that’s my 300 yard setting with a 500gr bullet MV=1350. I’ve always said: shooting BP is 1/3 that of a HighPower, that’s a close estimate.
1.2sec (1-Mississippi) flight time doesn’t seem long as that’s close to the same from the report of a BP to 500yds - we are very used to this flight time at Friendship.
I would suspect the 2nd was skiddist smelling the 1st doe that was hit, as you say she was not calm- or should be with LR kills.
Good you found her.

 

[long shot]

I believe this was Jeff first try by himself, which makes a great difference in attempting the shot. The only factor you can't control is the animal itself.The bullet worked well or might not have found the deer. Good Job

 

[451 whitworth]

94 grains of smokeless powder!? Holy cow. I've seen Bestill post on this site for years and heard him referenced to in posts but I really didn't pay attention to what kind of rifle work he did. Last week I was loading up some 375 H&H for my Ruger No.1 with 80.0 grains of H4350 and a 300gr. Sierra and this Bestill rifle has more bullet and powder weight!

I would be honored to have this video as a sticky to help others learn and understand long range shooting.

Per load.
Alot of things very different in a muzzleloader than centerfire rifle in reference to powder selection and bullet and chamber pressures and performance.

The load i am shooting is absolutely safe in this rifle and creates rite at 55,000 chamber pressure .

This is a very heavy high pressure built rifle specifically for this load.

My reaction to the 94 grains of smokeless was just my amazement and being ignorant to smokeless muzzleloaders. I had no idea such an engine existed in the greater ML'er world. I have no doubt that the rig can handle it, I'm just blown away. I just got in from shooting a whopping 85gr. Swiss 2F and a .530" round ball. Haha

 

[reelamin]

That was a great video. Every point needing covered was mentioned. Seen quite a few and this one literally covered all the topics enough to make them known to be factored in. This is with using a "modern firearm" with a "modern" bullet ballistically speaking. Throw in a standard muzzle loader and bullet to this and everything gets even more complicated and difficult.

 

[Dougs136Schwartz]

Excellent video Jeff ! Can not say enough for your honesty .

 

[themoose]

Jeff, I join the others in appreciation for you sharing your experience and providing great detail. One can make whatever value judgment they are inclined to make on taking a long range shot at an animal. Before you continue to beat yourself up, let me offer something from my own personal experience that perhaps could have happened...it was not a rifle and not long range, it was in southern Indiana in bow season... Almost 40 years ago I was perched high in a tree stand for an evening bow hunt, hunting a creek bottom which acted as a funnel. I heard them before I saw them, four doe were running and getting nearer...at about thirty yards they stopped in front of me, in a clear shooting lane... I took my time and the arrow arced perfectly into my point of aim(lighted nocks were not available back them, but I had fluorescent pink maribou feathers wrapped around the shaft near the nock). My immediate joy was shattered when the deer hobbled off in the wrong direction she was headed, the arrow put cleanly into her back leg where it joins the abdomen. It looked like a two headed deer, with the other deer running in the other direction...somehow I had screwed up, there were actually five deer... two apparently standing side-by-side facing in opposite directions... whether it's head was down, or I was just anxious I made the mistake on making the shot...I did recover the deer easily as I watched her go only about 20 yds and lay down and died within a couple of minutes... so perhaps your shot placement was right on as in the first shot... if you were shooting at near dark is is a possibility that she had another yearling with her, that unfortunately didn't see... I'm not sure how clearly you could see at 740 yards near dusk, but it could be the same as I experienced at a mere fraction of that... I would never knowingly take a shot with two deer in the line of fire and I'm quite sure that you wouldn't either...

Thanks for sharing a very difficult situation with us... I doubt that most hunters would have the initiative and concern to share their mistakes as openly as you did so that others could learn from them.

I congratulate you Jeff. (Perhaps it's part of being a Hoosier)... I was a Hoosier by birth, then a Hoosier by choice, but now a resident of Pa to be near family. I do return to Indiana for deer season... I do love those woods.

Kindest regards,

TheMoose