Limiting factor in max range for any load?

[Wheres-Waldo]

What is usualy concidered the major limiting factor in how far out you can push any load? I know if you zero for something rediculous like 800 yards with a 40 MOA base you can lobb rounds way out there....but with a moest zero like 200 yards?

Transonic barier?

Lack of elivation in your scope?

 

[memilanuk]

Re: Limiting factor in max range for any load?

Both.

If you can't aim at it, you will certainly have tough time hitting your target. Indirect fire is best left to things with exploding shells and/or large ammo hoppers

You can 'stretch' things a bit by holding off via the reticle or otherwise, though.

The usual mindset is that once a bullet goes transonic it starts going wild. Some bullets (S168MK is a classic example) certainly do. Others... might not, but the general consensus is that by that point the bullet is dropping so fast that getting the range *exactly* right so as to give reasonable hope of a hit starts becoming more and more difficult.

And if you intend to use your load for something besides paper and/or steel, the consideration of how much oomph it needs to retain on target comes into play. I've seen numbers such as 800 & 1000ft-lbs bandied about for deer and elk respectively, for example, as absolute *minimum* energy numbers. Then again by those numbers, my Palma/F-TR 155gr load is good for 900-950 on Bambi - not sure I would trust that, though.

YMMV,

Monte