6BR kill at 1296 yards...

[lrgoodger]

I think I've maxxed out the 6BR. I went shooting in Wyoming with Ernie Bishop (LongRangeHunting.com author) in mid September and had a great time, making kills at 1059 and 1296 yards with my BAT MB and Bartlein 5R chambered in 6BR (used the Berger 105 hybrid).

I'm working on a .284 Shehane now. That should get me out to a mile for the hunt next May.

Why is this long range game so addicting?

 

[DukeDuke]

WOW!!! That's far! Great shot!

 

[jonbearman]

Unreal,I love the br as it will do way more than people think.Excellent shooting on your part.Keep up the good work.

 

[Terry]

Congratulations!

How many shots?

 

[Geronimo Jim]

Congratulatons! Great shot and great rig.

 

[lrgoodger]

Congratulations!

How many shots?

There are a lot of factors that go into how many shots. Ernie Bishop reiterated the most important, second only to having an accurate gun, and that is to shoot early or late in the day when wind and mirage are at a minimum. We were shooting in the wind and mirage at midday on Tuesday that week and it was very difficult to get close hits, and it was hard to tell the dogs from 'noise' (cow pies, cactus clumps, rocks) because of mirage. We fired over 50 rounds each that day and had a couple of hits that rolled the dogs, but we could not find one to confirm the kill.

The next day I was out very early and was amazed at how clearly I could see the dogs in the scope with no mirage. I nailed the one at 1059 yards on the 4th shot of the day (there was no wind that early, either). It was the next day (early Thursday) when I set up for the 1300 yard range. I started firing early when the first dogs started coming out of the holes, but I could not get one to stay put long enough to get the range and windage zeroed in. Even though they did not know where I was, the sonic boom would still spook them. I fired maybe 20 shots or so at different dogs before I finally got one that stayed put. I fired about ten shots before I hit it, creeping ever closer with each shot. When I got the windage right, I held right on it and the shot was barely high over it's back. I did not adjust hold and fired again. The shot was the same amount low that it had been high on the previous shot. I knew I was zeroed then, and it took two more shots to connect.

 

[birdog]

Tell us about the 284 Shehane you are building.
Did you consider the straight 284?
What is Ernie shooting at one mile?
Did you consider the Dasher over the 6 BR?

 

[Terry]

We tried to make the 1,000 yard club with my .284 Shehane but the dogs would not stay up. Even from 1,000 yards they would go down upon impact. Someone had trained them.

 

[lrgoodger]

Tell us about the 284 Shehane you are building.
Did you consider the straight 284?
What is Ernie shooting at one mile?
Did you consider the Dasher over the 6 BR?

I have a 32" Bartlein 5R 9 twist (just arrived today) that I will chamber for the .284 Shehane. It will screw onto the same switchbarrel rig I used with the 6BR barrel, and that is the BAT MB action in a home-made benchrest stock I pillar bedded. I drilled out the stock and put all the lead in there I could. Jewell trigger, of course.

I did consider a straight .284, but after reading non-stop every article and post I could find on the two, I decided to go for the bit of extra velocity. I will need all the help I can get for the mile shot. I went for the Whidden dies because of the reasonable price and his excellent reputation. I will be ordering the PT&G .284 Shehane reamer after I load up a turned case with the 180 Berger hybrid and confirm that the .313 neck with .225 freebore is going to work. I don't know why it wouldn't, since that is what it was designed for. My 300 Lapua cases and 500 Berger hybrids were delivered today, too. The dies and K&M mandrels are in the mail. I might actually get this thing test fired before it snows here in Michigan.

Ernie made a hit on a dog at 1800+ with his specialty pistol in 6.5-.284. His article "1500 yard prairie dogs" (http://www.longrangehunting.com/articles/1500-yard-prairie-dogs-1.php) is one of the articles that inspired me to try for over 1000 yards.

 

[lrgoodger]

We tried to make the 1,000 yard club with my .284 Shehane but the dogs would not stay up. Even from 1,000 yards they would go down upon impact. Someone had trained them.

LOL

The ranch where I shoot is heavily hunted, so they are trained there, too. The rancher said the PD hunters come and go all summer long. I've seen other PD hunters on his ranch every spring that I was there. Haven't seen any in September, though. Ernie and I had the place (all 10,000 acres) to ourselves last time.