I am a hunter, and try to keep my shots within my skill level. I have never taken a shot at game beyond 300 yards. However, I will, this fall, be exposed to shots at bull moose out to 400 to 600 yards. Thus, I must, to seriously train to see where my limitations are.
That includes my rifle tuning as well. As my readers know, I will be hunting with my new Browning X-Bolt 26 inch/9.5 twist barrel with Nosler 168g AccuBonds Long Range.
Perhaps one of the most important “unknown” variables for long range hunting is wind speed and direction. At 90º to your shot direction, wind will blow your bullet off the center of your target at its worst. But wind blowing at you or toward your animal, the sideways force of the wind on your bullet is at its minimum, thus it should be true. The big question is, what is the wind speed? And what is the drift at 90º?
Drift Table 90º for 7mm Rem Mag 168g Nosler ABLR wit muzzle vel. 2960fps
Distance 10mph 15mph 20mph Angle
200 2in 3in 4in 90
300 4in 6in 8in 90
400 8in 11in 15in 90
500 12in 18 in 24in 90
600 18in 27in 36in 90
At 400 yards at 10mph the bullet will drift 8 inches across a 12 inch circle on a moose chest, thus you will have to aim right or left of your point-of-aim by 8 inches. This is doable if your wind speed is accurate. At 500 yards you need to move 12 inches on a 90º drift. The big question is how do you determine wind direction and speed at long range? You not only need a laser rangefinder, you also need a wind meter for an accurate shot.
I have a cheap one but maybe get a better one. There are dozens on the market. Best meters are made by Kestrel. My son has the ballistics model Kestrel 5700 and he loves it. Retails around $449.00. On a $7000 dollar hunt for my Newfoundland Bog moose where distances are easily at the edge of rifle and hunter capabilities. This is an item to strongly consider. See this article below for options.
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/best-kestrel-shooting-hunting/
Good Hunting!