Oryx at 700 yards with .17 Rem?

This guy was chatting up a clerk at the store about using a .17 at 700 yards and that seemed like a stretch unless there's something else out there.

My friend has a .17 Rem that he used on coyotes many years ago but no more than 200 yards. Seems like too light a bullet to me. Who knows maybe he did, just didn't sound right to me. Not only that he was holding up the line! I was about to say something when he stopped talking and moved off and I could get my purchase done. Anyhoo just venting.

 

As long as he put it in an eye, 30° off full frontal of course. I mean, after all, it has to have a path to the brain. Right?
I only have a 19 myself but I'm sure with proper loading technique, I could do it "all day long" as long as Idmpart. Heh heh

 

Years ago there was scuttlebut a "hunter" killed a cape buffalo with a .22 Hornet. I killed a 125 lb. warthog with a .17 Fireball at approximately 75 yards with a bullet in the eye socket. An oryx at that distance? Got to raise the flag on that one.

 

Years ago Jeff Mottern shot a 17 cal. can't remember what case, but he shot an 8" ten shot group at 1000 yards at Williamsport!
So yes it can be done.

Joe Salt

 

I witnessed a Badger soak up several, as in more than two, 30's from a 17-224 WBY. at 660 yds.
Not sure it was dead. Just got tired of dodging debris.

 

Ran this through AB. 17 Fireball, 25 Berger @ 3800, 700 meters, 39 moa, mv 770, 33 ft. lbs. of energy, TOF 1.6 seconds.

 

Oryx at 200+ yards, 200 gr. .40 cal. SST, 2480 mv. entry and no exit, just a bump on the other side under the hide. I figure a .17 pill would just about bounce off the hide at 700 yards.

 

That's a beautiful animal!

 

Hogpatrol
I do believe your referring to my post
Buffalo 200 yds 22 hornet shoulder shot through - through dropped like a rock !!
I amended that post, I knew I couldn't get away with stretching the truth
It was actually only 150yds !
Gotta love the hornet !
Did I ever tell you about my 17 wsm samba rifle
I know it's a touch light, so I keep my shots under 400yds

 

My 460 Lott Improved Hornet is all over that! I don't even shoot 700 yards off hand. I use the old creedmore lay down and use my leg and toes approach. Yeah, that's the ticket....

TOTAL BULL CHIT

 

Lol, I have heard a lot of crap in gun shops.

What was the story about the Eskimo and the polar bear with the 222. Fellow asked him where do shot them?
Any where you want too.......in the eye.

I find many gun shops to have at least one sniper or professional hunter in the house at all times,lol.

What’s the old sayin first liar doesn’t have a chance.

 

Those are the type, you want to get a life size target of and put it out at 700 yrds and ask him to even hit it.

By the way Hog.. since you and some others hunted over there in recent years, is something like a 17 cal even allowed or legal ?

 

This wasn't even a gun shop! It was a big box store and this guy started telling the girl about the ammo, MV, ft lbs (wish I remembered what numbers he threw out) and he even had her take out her pen and said "See .17 cal is smaller than the end of the pen, yada yada, .308, yada yada.

 

What was the story about the Eskimo and the polar bear with the 222. Fellow asked him where do shot them?
Any where you want too.......in the eye.

If you read some stories about the life of the Inuit people in the far north, they did in fact shoot most of the game they hunted, seal/walrus and bear with the 222 Remington. It was a very favorite cartridge for them, but they shot close and did place their shots very well for kills.

 

It depends on the country you hunt but IIRC 6mm/.243 is the legal minimum for small and .270 for large plains game in South Africa with .375 the minimum for dangerous game. On game farms with the owner's permission, you can pretty much use what you want. I've taken a .17 Fireball when I've hunted there and killed more with it than everything else combined, mostly small animals but a couple springbok too.

 

That 17 shot was nothing. In 1979, my Shlitz Malt Liquor range finding adapter told me that it was a 500 yard shot on a tremendous once in a life time Antelope Trophy, plenty close enough for my 25/06. I pulled the trigger, saw the bullet hit way out in front of the antelope, but the antelope fell over. Got him on first bounce! 800 meandering steps from the truck!

 

Gotta luv 2506 !!

 

Oryx are pretty tough animals. I hunted them in RSA in 2010. Two shots with a 300 WM with Barnes bullets, the first at about 200yds. He twitched and the first shot went high on the shoulder. Just nicked the spine, and he went down like a rock. We are walking up, and he jumps up and runs. He fell down about 200yds farther out, and I hit him right (low on the shoulder) with a second Barnes factory 180(?) and he stayed down. Every bit as big, and tough as a mature bull elk.

I just wish I had been standing there to hear that story.

 

At 700 it wont even breake the skin on a oryx