I know that my .243 AI pushing 105 Amaxs at 3200 will drop about the same and drift a lot less at 500 yds as a .204 shooting a 32 SBK at 3900. Put some 162 Amaxs in your 7mm-08 and I am pretty sure that you will have less drift than your .204.

Oh, I forgot to add that B.C RULES at long range. My 105s start off at 3200 and the .204 starts off at 4000, yet at about 400 yards my 105s drop the same amount. At 700 I think I am about 9-10 MOA less drop and a lot less wind drift. Thats when I found out that a high B.C absolutely rules at long range.

CH, i've been following some of your postings here and it sounds like u're really getting into long-range varminting. One of the things that helped me a lot when i 1st started into this stuff was studying external ballistics via the ballistics programs. When it comes to downrange wind effects it's probably about as important as experience is, or at least close to it. Oftentimes when guys build a rig up for a specific purpose the 1st thing they usually pick is the bullet, oftentimes more than the case, since it's the bullet that dictates many other aspects of a good custom build, and downrange ballistics is a big part of the system. Here's what i mean. Got a buddy that's shooting a big 7mm cartridge out of an XP-100 handgun (18" barrel). The bullet he picked has such a high BC that it beats the 300 Mag rifle using the 180 Accubond right out the muzzle for windage, going something like 300-400 fps faster than the handgun. Understanding the mechanics behind a ballistic coefficent will go a long ways towards downrange success, especially when it comes to long-range varminting. The best reference there is for that that i know of is Bryan Litz book, Applied Ballistic for Long-Range Shooting, i think it's called. Go to jbm ballistics too. That's another site that'll help. Lot of guys here will help as well. longrangehunting.com is another.

I missed more p.dogs from shooting over and under them than from wind.

Practice with what you have out in the dessert; set up targets at different ranges. You will get a feel for what the wind is doing at certain speeds. Get a scope that has target knobs, they are worth their weight in gold. I learned to dial in for windage before I ever fire a shot. There are little wind gages you can get and ballistic programs for free that will put you on target quickly.

A Remington 700 in 7 Mag loaded with the 162g Amax, loaded with Retumbo at 3100+ is real medicine for those longer range shots with wind. Mine sports a Muzzle break and kicks like a 243.

Dammed amazing shooting u're doing there sir. Here's the anemometers that i have used in the field. U guys may have missed out on the slickest anemometer of all time [beeep]--the Speedtech Weather Watch Pro that's in the middle, with the pop-up anemometer. I have used this device 3x in the field for successful long-range shots in the wind. When i get out of the truck i take a wind measurement and think about how it feels, then i try to gauge it when i need to take a long shot--


I always establish a system for my rigs when i go to field. Even the simple plex reticle can prove beneficial for long-range shooting by applying a system for it. The below photo shows where i had to aim in a 10 mph full value 3 o'clock wind to kill a coyote several years ago with a 17 Mach IV XP-100 handgun-- the x-hair to plex post tip in this 4-12x Burris Mini measured 2.6 MOA @ 12x. And with my load the 300-yd. shot required .6 of that subtension for elevation and 1.25 for windage.

Here's the dope system for this reticle that i use on my 6.5 WSM XP-100--

435-yd. coyote @ 1.5 mil, 0 wind




As far as i can tell this system is the fastest and most efficient system of shooting to intermediate ranges (~400-600 yds.)--

Here's another CH--probably the world record for the longest handgun shot ever made. Buddy Ernie Bishop using a 6-284 XP-100/115 gr. DTAC bullet on the 9th shot in some 2-5 mph variable wind (the secret to shooting in the wind is to use the higher BC bullets that MINIMIZE HORIZONTAL DANGER SPACE). I saw it all happen thru my Big Eyes--

CH if u're into the SP's at long-range u should consider coming out this next year in June to Rich Mertz Thousand-yd. Handgun shoot. It's been going on now for 3 or 4 years and this year there will be a roving field shoot (like a sniper-style comp.). Here's a link to some Rich's shoot--
http://www.moaguns.com/1000ctshoot.html
Mark Hampton's gonna have an article on it in the next issue of American Handgunner mag.

Nice system CH. I also have a VH reticle on a Savage Striker 243 WSSM. I shoot the 117 DTAC out of it @ 2525 mv. I use a system very similar to yours, but with the .6 BC of that bullet the windage is almost 1/2 of all the subtensions. I also calc. turret clicks beyond the reticle's lower post tip, but i just don't feel comfortable (anymore) going beyond 500-600 yds. on a 6" vital-zoned coyote with any of my rigs.

Yes, the shoot is in Sundance, about 1/2 hour east of Gillette--where Ernie lives, BTW.

U know i have also read a lot about the WSSM's. Norm Johnson has done a lot of testing with the WSSM's. When they 1st came out the big push was to run the lighter bullets at the highest vel. possible, and could have something to do with the barrel heating issue. I'm driving the higher-BC'd bullets at low velocities and have no issues at all with it. I have an 18" Broughton on it and it cleans as EASY as anything i've ever used. A lot of guys talk about the overbore problem and i agree that there's a law of diminishing results with it, but the fact remains that it's a relative issue. Whatever u run in the shorter barrels u still lose the same ~25-40 fps/" of barrel length anyway. Besides that this rig is strictly set up for big game and coyotes so it doesn't see a lot of use. I probably have about a thous. rounds through it now and it still delivers about 1/2 to 3/4 MOA with the 117 gr. load. No way i'd ever use it in a prairie dog town.

U think this is overbore u oughtta' see what Ernie's building--a full blown 338 Lapua Mag. XP-100 (i think) with whatever barrel twist will stabilize the 300 gr. SMK. May be overbore but i'll bet dollars to donuts he's gonna' do some things with it WAAAYYY out there.

Here's a wind bucker (6mm 117 DTAC vs. 70 gr Nosler Ball. Tip)--