I was looking to put together a shooting system, that was very accurate up 800 yards, the gun chosen was the savage long range hunter in 6.5 284 norma. Shooting 140 berger vld hunting bullets on hornady brass over 49.1 grains of h4350 or a person could work up a comparable with reloader 17. regaurdless it is shooting a .372 5 shot group at 100 and and 500 yards it was shooting 4.7 inches. it is shooting at 4875 fps at 5000 elevation at 60 degrees. so the load work out of the way
the scope, the glass is pretty good, not quite leupold, but on par or better then my nikkon. It is a big scope, but it is on a big rifle. ranging is awesome. i went to a remington sponsered shoot two weeks before my hunt and it was right there with the lika and vortex range finders, I would say no more the 1 yard +-
So i took it elk hunting, first bonus, not needing to pack binos, range finder, and gun..1 less thing at 11000 feet is a bonus. I got to camp checked my zero right on, set up a target at 500 yards shooting 2 inches high, so adjusted the ballistic profile. 3 shot group 2.5 inches. feeling good set up soda cans at odd ranges out to 770 yards. shooting at a sharp down hill angle, first can shot ranged 285 dead x. next can 465 dead x next can missed to side but had a wind gust, next shot dead x So for my final shoot 770 1 shot dead ex. perfect I even ranged a antelope over 850 I was floored.
so time for the elk hunt, opening morning get my buddy in elk. 476 very steep and rocky cliffs, decide to hold off, becuase good chance of ruining meat or getting hurt getting it out.
next group ranged at 660, holding on the heart, but light failing fast didn't want to loose a animal.
go back to work for a few days, back to the hunt next week end, warmer then before find a spike facing me at 285 yards, decided this rig is so consistant going to take a head shot to not damage any meat and for a faster kill, ranged his left eye, dead x, bullet exited back of skull and took out almost all the grey stuff. animal did not even flinch instant dead, the scope and gun combo is amazing. let a friend try shooting later in the hunt, same results perfect scope and gun combo
