I was reading another thread about long range hunting and a number of people claim they’ve witnessed someone hunting at ranges beyond 300-400 yards. I fully understand the West has distances greater than the East, but can someone explain to me why anyone would want or need to shoot at an uninjured animal much beyond 400 yards? Lots of variables come into play at those ranges, regardless of shooter skill and it would seem to me that the whole point of “hunting” is getting reasonable close.
Long range hunting?
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wankerjake
Member
Everyone has their own definition of what hunting is, and that's usually corresponds to how they hunt. Archery guys do it, still hunters do it, bait sitters do it, long range guys do it, etc etc. "My way takes more skill and your way isn't hunting." 
I prefer to get to 250 or closer but sometimes you just can't without getting busted. Either you practice for a longer shot or let them walk. Or go try and sneak to within 50 yards and get busted or shoot them on the run.
There are plenty of guys who can shoot past 400 yards. If you get set up for it and practice, it's very do-able. Out here there's a lot of open space and sometimes you just can't get closer. That's why people practice for the long shot. It takes legwork to get your rifle dialed in the way you like it. People talk all the time about how "easy" long range shooting must be. Real shooters will out shoot those guys all day, all long.
Odds are if it's something you can't do and other people can because they hunt different animals and different terrain and put in a lot of learning and practice... it takes some skill and you couldn't walk in cold and do it.
I prefer to get to 250 or closer but sometimes you just can't without getting busted. Either you practice for a longer shot or let them walk. Or go try and sneak to within 50 yards and get busted or shoot them on the run.
There are plenty of guys who can shoot past 400 yards. If you get set up for it and practice, it's very do-able. Out here there's a lot of open space and sometimes you just can't get closer. That's why people practice for the long shot. It takes legwork to get your rifle dialed in the way you like it. People talk all the time about how "easy" long range shooting must be. Real shooters will out shoot those guys all day, all long.
Odds are if it's something you can't do and other people can because they hunt different animals and different terrain and put in a lot of learning and practice... it takes some skill and you couldn't walk in cold and do it.
i went elk hunting in october with a good friend who I consider to be one of the top 3 long range shooters on the planet. There were 8 of us on a mountain in SW colorado, heavily forested. He chose a rocky spot on one ridge where he could see two other ridges that were 600+ yards away. The rest of us hunted in small clearings in the woods. The rest of us saw a combined total of 3 elk, all cows during the entire season. He saw over 30 about every day because he was looking over probably 1000 acres where we were looking over 2-3 acres apiece. After 4 days of waiting for a trophy, he finally just shot an average one so the rest of us would have something to eat in camp.
because of the terrain, it took hours to get to it. it would not have been possible for him to get closer. basically, you could shoot it from a few feet away, or 700 yards away. you couldn't see it anywhere in between.
because of the terrain, it took hours to get to it. it would not have been possible for him to get closer. basically, you could shoot it from a few feet away, or 700 yards away. you couldn't see it anywhere in between.
sage5907
Member
taliv is correct in what he says. In fact, a long range precision shooter that taliv knows won a do it yourself elk hunt in eastern Wyoming and took a bull at over 800 yards with a 300 win mag. This guy shot 50th in the national competition. There is a whole group of these young shooters that burn hundreds of rounds practicing long range shooting and they are really good. I haven't seen taliv shoot but he may very well be one of them. On the other hand, these long range shooters scare the hell out of me because I'm afraid one of them with little hunting experience will take aim at an animal on the same hill where I am sitting. I personally haven't taken a deer at over 400 yards because I shoot standard hunting rifles, not long range precision rifles that weigh 20 pounds and sport $3,500 scopes.
If you read over the literature from some western guides they tell you straight up to bring a rifle and the skills to be able to take a 400 yard shot. They will try their best to get you to under 200, but the fact is that often a 400 yard shot is all you might get and 500+ is a real possibility. There are a lot of eastern hunters using blinds over agricultural fields where 500+ yard shots are common too.
Modern bullets, powders, rifles, optics and range finders have made shooting at longer ranges much easier than in the past. Almost anyone can learn to shoot well enough at 300 yards today to make it no challenge at all, and 400 isn't out of the reach of anyone who puts in a little practice. Once you get to 500+ then you need some skills and pretty good equipment. But for those who invest the time and effort it is neither unethical nor unsporting.
While some like to claim that those who shoot long range are just shooters, not hunters. The fact is very few of us really hunt anymore. Most sit in an elevated blind and simply shoot the animal that shows up. Often over bait. Even though they may be shooting at 50 yards I think the guy who walks miles into the wilderness and stalks within 700 yards of a specific animal is more of a hunter.
Modern bullets, powders, rifles, optics and range finders have made shooting at longer ranges much easier than in the past. Almost anyone can learn to shoot well enough at 300 yards today to make it no challenge at all, and 400 isn't out of the reach of anyone who puts in a little practice. Once you get to 500+ then you need some skills and pretty good equipment. But for those who invest the time and effort it is neither unethical nor unsporting.
While some like to claim that those who shoot long range are just shooters, not hunters. The fact is very few of us really hunt anymore. Most sit in an elevated blind and simply shoot the animal that shows up. Often over bait. Even though they may be shooting at 50 yards I think the guy who walks miles into the wilderness and stalks within 700 yards of a specific animal is more of a hunter.
I was watching a heard of 81 elk over Thanksgiving and would definitely have shot one if I could have got within 600 yards of them. I had my AI AW in .308 Win with some excellent Federal Trophy Copper ammunition that shoots under .5 moa from that rifle, so a 600 yard shot would have been no problem at all. In the end I "settled" for a nice mule deer buck at 341 yards. That shot was ridiculously easy with that rifle and Nightforce scope. With my AI AWM in .338 Lapua Mag I would consider a shot on a trophy bull elk in the 1,000 to 1,200 yard range under "perfect" conditions. A few weeks prior to Thanksgiving we were watching a number of really nice bull elk at sunrise that were 1,000 to 1,700 yards from us. I was thinking that it would be better to shoot one and then spend the rest of the day getting to him and packing him out rather than spend half a day trying to get closer in really tough country with a good chance of spooking them. It was a week before opening day so the thoughts in my head were purely academic. It won't just be academic from now until mid February though.
splattergun
Member
Don't knock it 'til you try it.
Imagine you're in Idaho looking up a hill from a 2-track at the bottom. In a clearing near the top you see a real nice 4 point mule deer, after days of seeing nothing but does. Now, between you and that buck is a woods of mountain maple, aspen and dense underbrush of kinikinik and chaparral. This nice buck is looking at you and your friends. There is no way you will be able to get to him without him seeing you, unless you hike down around to the back side of the hill, then up and over the top. After that 2 hour hike, he probably will not be there. If he is still there, you probably won't be able to see him without moving to a rock outcrop to the left, where he will also be able to see you again.
What do you do?
I judged the range, with the aid of the stepped crosshair in my scope, to be 450 yards. There was a soft breeze, less than 5 mph moving left to right. I leaned over a rock with a coat for padding, the crosshair in the middle of hs left antler ( remember he was looking at us) to obtain both elevation and windage (I hear that's the way the did in Ol' Kentucky). I squeezed the trigger and the 150 grain 30-06 bullet found it's mark and destroyed his left lung, his liver, and exited through the last rib on his right side. He took only a couple steps before he tipped over.
It was just a 15 minute hike up to fetch him, but we scared out another buck on the way up, which neither of my partners had any opportunity to shoot.. There is no way I would have been able to put the sneak on this guy. I ate the last roast from him last week. The following year I had bought a range finder, so we lasered that shot at 462 yards.
Of course, it takes practice. But there's nothing unethical about shooting beyond 300 yards if you have the skill and confidence in your gear, and if you know your limitations.
Try it, you might like it.
Imagine you're in Idaho looking up a hill from a 2-track at the bottom. In a clearing near the top you see a real nice 4 point mule deer, after days of seeing nothing but does. Now, between you and that buck is a woods of mountain maple, aspen and dense underbrush of kinikinik and chaparral. This nice buck is looking at you and your friends. There is no way you will be able to get to him without him seeing you, unless you hike down around to the back side of the hill, then up and over the top. After that 2 hour hike, he probably will not be there. If he is still there, you probably won't be able to see him without moving to a rock outcrop to the left, where he will also be able to see you again.
What do you do?
I judged the range, with the aid of the stepped crosshair in my scope, to be 450 yards. There was a soft breeze, less than 5 mph moving left to right. I leaned over a rock with a coat for padding, the crosshair in the middle of hs left antler ( remember he was looking at us) to obtain both elevation and windage (I hear that's the way the did in Ol' Kentucky). I squeezed the trigger and the 150 grain 30-06 bullet found it's mark and destroyed his left lung, his liver, and exited through the last rib on his right side. He took only a couple steps before he tipped over.
It was just a 15 minute hike up to fetch him, but we scared out another buck on the way up, which neither of my partners had any opportunity to shoot.. There is no way I would have been able to put the sneak on this guy. I ate the last roast from him last week. The following year I had bought a range finder, so we lasered that shot at 462 yards.
Of course, it takes practice. But there's nothing unethical about shooting beyond 300 yards if you have the skill and confidence in your gear, and if you know your limitations.
Try it, you might like it.
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gamestalker
member
Out here, the guides do indeed inform clients that they need the skill and the equipment capable to shoot 400+ yds.. It's wide open country, getting close for a shot at a trophy buck, elk, antelope in this neck of the woods is far more luck, and pretty much not gonna happen.
I just finished another hunt, and the closest shot taken was by me, at 200 and some change, the longest was 466 yds. by my DIL, and the average for the group was 355 yards. My 200 and change shot, is only the second time in my life I've had a shot at under 350 yds.. My Az. antelope was over 600, and most deer have been 400+. I've been on countless hunts, in which the shots were in excess of 500, it's just the way we usually have to do it out here, which also might explain why we have such a low success ratio compared to other more thick forested environments. Heck, it's not even legal out here to use feeder's and food plots, we are left to do it the hard way, or go without a kill.
The want and need is justified by the desire to harvest it, and often driven by the quality of the animal, and in knowing that there is just no other option on the table.
GS
I just finished another hunt, and the closest shot taken was by me, at 200 and some change, the longest was 466 yds. by my DIL, and the average for the group was 355 yards. My 200 and change shot, is only the second time in my life I've had a shot at under 350 yds.. My Az. antelope was over 600, and most deer have been 400+. I've been on countless hunts, in which the shots were in excess of 500, it's just the way we usually have to do it out here, which also might explain why we have such a low success ratio compared to other more thick forested environments. Heck, it's not even legal out here to use feeder's and food plots, we are left to do it the hard way, or go without a kill.
The want and need is justified by the desire to harvest it, and often driven by the quality of the animal, and in knowing that there is just no other option on the table.
GS
Liberty1776
Member
I have generally been completely against long shots, only having hunted Midwestern whitetail. This Oct. in Wyoming, I took my two antelope at a lasered 300 and 348 yards. Compared to my life experience it was very exciting and easier than I thought with my Wby sub-MOA 7mm Rem Mag. I still don't think the extreme shooting (700 yds and up) are for most folks.
We did used to shoot NRA Hi-Power 600 yards with iron sights on M1s though...
We did used to shoot NRA Hi-Power 600 yards with iron sights on M1s though...
Please don't take anything in my post as an endorsement for long range hunting. I was just trying to answer your question. I think I've been pretty clear in dozens of threads in the past that I think it's not right in most conditions.
Probably the most important condition is that you have an extremely wide field of view so that if you wound the animal, and he runs a bit, you can still get another shot on him when he stops.
I'll bet money I can hit a piece of steel a pretty long way away, but I would not shoot at an elk-sized animal much past 500 unless I was really really sure I could make a quick correction and put another round in him. e.g. on the plains, or looking at the whole side of a mountain? probably. somewhere he could hide in rocks or trees? nope
Probably the most important condition is that you have an extremely wide field of view so that if you wound the animal, and he runs a bit, you can still get another shot on him when he stops.
I'll bet money I can hit a piece of steel a pretty long way away, but I would not shoot at an elk-sized animal much past 500 unless I was really really sure I could make a quick correction and put another round in him. e.g. on the plains, or looking at the whole side of a mountain? probably. somewhere he could hide in rocks or trees? nope
sixgunner455
Member
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2006
- Messages
- 3,052
My Coues Whitetail this year was the farthest shot I've ever made on a live animal: 290 lasered yards.
It was yet another ~300 yard shot for me with that rifle, though. It wasn't actually a challenging shot because I've done it so many times on targets - I wouldn't want to say someone who regularly shoots at 800 yards shouldn't take shots on stationary game with the same kind of familiarity with their rig that I have with mine.
It was yet another ~300 yard shot for me with that rifle, though. It wasn't actually a challenging shot because I've done it so many times on targets - I wouldn't want to say someone who regularly shoots at 800 yards shouldn't take shots on stationary game with the same kind of familiarity with their rig that I have with mine.
gamestalker
member
And I agree with that analogy Taliv, but there is more to it than just field of view.
There is the right way, and the wrong way.
First off is fundamentals, we spend an enormous amount of time working up loads, practicing long range, and use only quality equipment. When we get someone coming into this that isn't properly prepared, we turn them down, this is something we manage without exceptions. There have been a few hurt feelings as a result, but hey, we prefer to spend good hunting time, hunting, rather than tracking. And although things do happen, we do everything we can to minimize these risks, and it has worked incredibly well for us.
Second, we never allow anyone to take these kind of shots without someone on a tripod spotting the shot, never. We watch everything prior to, during, and following the shot. and often times from more than one position.
Third, we record the event when ever possible. The shooter is usually wearing a "Go Pro", and someone on glass is usually set up with a recording device also. Recording gives us something to review, so that if for some reason the animal doesn't go down, we can replay the shot to see if it was in fact a hit, and where it was hit.
Forth, before committing to the shot, closing the distance is always considered. Why take a long shot, if it's not necessary, this is just plain foolish. Our team plots every shot to make sure the proposed shot is the only opportunity on the table.
Fifth, we use good quality field rests and shooting sticks / systems. Caldwell makes a fine one, and although it is rather bulky and heavy, it is rock solid for this purpose. We guided a 10 yr. old on his first ever hunt last year, he shot his mule deer off my Caldwell at almost 400 yds., and he shot it right in the ol pump station on the first shot, DRT.
While we were glassing last year, we spotted a lone hunter taking a shot at a realy decent mule deer. He had bumped it up and attempted a shot while on the run at about, and certainly no more than 150 yds. He blew a chunk of bone out just above the back hoof. We saw everything, it went down, then got up, and then managed to hobble away. We caught up with this guy, who BTW didn't even attempt to track it. Right off the bat he tried to convince us he had spent over an hour looking for it. Really, you looked for it already, and at that point my DIL lit him up. She called him out on his lie, and informed him we had been watching and recording everything. Once the color came back to his face, and after she had apparently broken his will to further separate himself from the responsibility, she then offered, well more like insisted we help him check to make sure his rifle was sighted in properly. He made an obvious attempt to decline her offer / order, but at this point in time, I think he knew better than to try and sell her the sugar coated BS he was trying to feed her. The result, at 100 yds. windage was almost 2' off center, and elevation was low about as much. We had to use the turrets to calculate how far off it was, cause it wasn't even on the 16" cardboard box. Like a fool, he once again tried to offer up another pointless excuse by stating, "I knew the idiot at the LGS didn't get it properly bore sighted". Big, big, big mistake, my DIL lit him up again. This time she just told him to stop the whole blame game thing, you know you didn't sight in that rifle before taking it hunting, nor did you adequately practice with it to become improve your proficiency. You can walk away right now, and I'll turn this video over to game and fish along with the piece of bone, or, you can let us help you, it's your call. But she is also very committed to this awesome sport, thus driven to help others, so before leaving him to lick his own wounds, she showed him how effective using the right tools can be, and at that she glassed up some doe's that were about 1500 yds. away with her tripod mounted 15x56's, then she let him try to find them glassing off hand with both, her glasses, and his 10x's, to which he was unable to find them. Once she made her point, she reached into her pack and gave him one of her nice shooting sticks, which she referred to as damage control.
Long shots aside, there's an absolute right way, and a absolute wrong way to engage in this awesome sport. The sad truth though, a large percentage of hunters don't even know what, or if they're doing it wrong, and some simply don't care, they just hope to get lucky.
Something that I've preached for about 30 years to those who have enlisted mine and my families expertise, and that was taught to me by a very good guide / friend, is that hunting consists of about 99.9% skill, and the remaining .1% accounts for time and chance, or luck as it were. Ask 10 hunters this same question, and I can just about promise you, that the over all consensus is that hunting consists of about 99% pure luck, with skill accounting for the remaining 1%. And the real arrogant one's that have killed dozens of deer from blinds at distances close enough to hit them with a rock will usually blurt out something to the effect " if I can find them, I can hit them at any distance, and I don't need to use some stinking rest. Rests and tripods are for the inexperienced. And if Arizona had deer, I would gladly demonstrate how it's done, son. But the truth is, until they came to Arizona, many of these folks think deer hunting is something you do while sipping on a cup of coffee in a warm toasty blind, that's 50 - 100 yds. from the food plot or feeder. And this is fine, I have no issue with how it's done in those states that offer canned hunt.
GS
There is the right way, and the wrong way.
First off is fundamentals, we spend an enormous amount of time working up loads, practicing long range, and use only quality equipment. When we get someone coming into this that isn't properly prepared, we turn them down, this is something we manage without exceptions. There have been a few hurt feelings as a result, but hey, we prefer to spend good hunting time, hunting, rather than tracking. And although things do happen, we do everything we can to minimize these risks, and it has worked incredibly well for us.
Second, we never allow anyone to take these kind of shots without someone on a tripod spotting the shot, never. We watch everything prior to, during, and following the shot. and often times from more than one position.
Third, we record the event when ever possible. The shooter is usually wearing a "Go Pro", and someone on glass is usually set up with a recording device also. Recording gives us something to review, so that if for some reason the animal doesn't go down, we can replay the shot to see if it was in fact a hit, and where it was hit.
Forth, before committing to the shot, closing the distance is always considered. Why take a long shot, if it's not necessary, this is just plain foolish. Our team plots every shot to make sure the proposed shot is the only opportunity on the table.
Fifth, we use good quality field rests and shooting sticks / systems. Caldwell makes a fine one, and although it is rather bulky and heavy, it is rock solid for this purpose. We guided a 10 yr. old on his first ever hunt last year, he shot his mule deer off my Caldwell at almost 400 yds., and he shot it right in the ol pump station on the first shot, DRT.
While we were glassing last year, we spotted a lone hunter taking a shot at a realy decent mule deer. He had bumped it up and attempted a shot while on the run at about, and certainly no more than 150 yds. He blew a chunk of bone out just above the back hoof. We saw everything, it went down, then got up, and then managed to hobble away. We caught up with this guy, who BTW didn't even attempt to track it. Right off the bat he tried to convince us he had spent over an hour looking for it. Really, you looked for it already, and at that point my DIL lit him up. She called him out on his lie, and informed him we had been watching and recording everything. Once the color came back to his face, and after she had apparently broken his will to further separate himself from the responsibility, she then offered, well more like insisted we help him check to make sure his rifle was sighted in properly. He made an obvious attempt to decline her offer / order, but at this point in time, I think he knew better than to try and sell her the sugar coated BS he was trying to feed her. The result, at 100 yds. windage was almost 2' off center, and elevation was low about as much. We had to use the turrets to calculate how far off it was, cause it wasn't even on the 16" cardboard box. Like a fool, he once again tried to offer up another pointless excuse by stating, "I knew the idiot at the LGS didn't get it properly bore sighted". Big, big, big mistake, my DIL lit him up again. This time she just told him to stop the whole blame game thing, you know you didn't sight in that rifle before taking it hunting, nor did you adequately practice with it to become improve your proficiency. You can walk away right now, and I'll turn this video over to game and fish along with the piece of bone, or, you can let us help you, it's your call. But she is also very committed to this awesome sport, thus driven to help others, so before leaving him to lick his own wounds, she showed him how effective using the right tools can be, and at that she glassed up some doe's that were about 1500 yds. away with her tripod mounted 15x56's, then she let him try to find them glassing off hand with both, her glasses, and his 10x's, to which he was unable to find them. Once she made her point, she reached into her pack and gave him one of her nice shooting sticks, which she referred to as damage control.
Long shots aside, there's an absolute right way, and a absolute wrong way to engage in this awesome sport. The sad truth though, a large percentage of hunters don't even know what, or if they're doing it wrong, and some simply don't care, they just hope to get lucky.
Something that I've preached for about 30 years to those who have enlisted mine and my families expertise, and that was taught to me by a very good guide / friend, is that hunting consists of about 99.9% skill, and the remaining .1% accounts for time and chance, or luck as it were. Ask 10 hunters this same question, and I can just about promise you, that the over all consensus is that hunting consists of about 99% pure luck, with skill accounting for the remaining 1%. And the real arrogant one's that have killed dozens of deer from blinds at distances close enough to hit them with a rock will usually blurt out something to the effect " if I can find them, I can hit them at any distance, and I don't need to use some stinking rest. Rests and tripods are for the inexperienced. And if Arizona had deer, I would gladly demonstrate how it's done, son. But the truth is, until they came to Arizona, many of these folks think deer hunting is something you do while sipping on a cup of coffee in a warm toasty blind, that's 50 - 100 yds. from the food plot or feeder. And this is fine, I have no issue with how it's done in those states that offer canned hunt.
GS
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High Plains Drifter
Member
Yeah It Ain't That Easy
Well said, and as a former guns shop owner, I wish more folks that came in to buy hunting gear would have listened and bought quality gear, and then read, practice, practice, practice, and go with someone experienced.
East Coast Libs I used to work with thought all you had to do was get out of the truck, fire the rifle, pick up dead Bambi and go home. That was an actual response I got when asking why they were against hunting, ... because it was so darn easy and not sporting! So as you just outlined it takes much more thought, preparation, and skill than most realize. And that my friends is why there will be a lot of starving folks if the crap ever hits the fan, cause they just don't have the skills!
Then those long Western US shots aren't out of line.
Well said, and as a former guns shop owner, I wish more folks that came in to buy hunting gear would have listened and bought quality gear, and then read, practice, practice, practice, and go with someone experienced.
East Coast Libs I used to work with thought all you had to do was get out of the truck, fire the rifle, pick up dead Bambi and go home. That was an actual response I got when asking why they were against hunting, ... because it was so darn easy and not sporting! So as you just outlined it takes much more thought, preparation, and skill than most realize. And that my friends is why there will be a lot of starving folks if the crap ever hits the fan, cause they just don't have the skills!
Then those long Western US shots aren't out of line.
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gamestalker
member
How true HPD, they will starve, mean while, those of us (Conservative) who possess the skills will be eating the leanest and healthiest meat on the planet. And then they'll turn to us to feed them.
GS
GS
DeepSouth
Random Guy
I don't squirrel hunt with a pistol because I'd miss a lot. I also don't question the intentions, rational, or ability of others that do squirrel hunt with a pistol.
Same thing is true with "long range" hunting.
The answer to the want question is simple, different strokes for different folks. Simply put, they enjoy it.
The need question is dependent on the situation. Most of the time it's not needed, like most hunting done in the U.S.
Same thing is true with "long range" hunting.
The answer to the want question is simple, different strokes for different folks. Simply put, they enjoy it.
The need question is dependent on the situation. Most of the time it's not needed, like most hunting done in the U.S.
41 Mag
Member
On a regular basis in the areas I hunt sometimes 50yds is a long shot, however moving to another spot a few hundred yards away is wide open flat pasture which can easily take up to a 4-600yd area or more if I am at my friends. In fact looking out the end of his barn is a flat cotton field which stretches out at just over a mile and a half to his back fence.
He had feral hogs something terrible tearing up an 800 acre cotton field not to mention the coastal pastures surrounding it he grazed his cows on. This is flat wide open with no way to put the sneak on anything. We both had rifle built and worked up the loads to reach out accurately easily beyond 800yds, but the longest shot we ever made on the hogs was just shy of 700.
Even so we practiced every weekend from 500 to 800 just to keep things on track. It wasn't something we just walked out the end of the barn one day and did. In fact we shot out to 1K on a sudo regular basis. This wasn't so we could shoot game that far but to better ourselves for the ranges we DID shoot and to know what the rifles and we were actually capable of.
To date I have shot a couple of deer at just over 400yds, plenty of coyotes and hogs between there and 500, but I would much rather make a 50-75yd shot on any of them if given the chance. But like mentioned above, when the ranges start to stretch out we were always together working as a team, one on the rifle and the other watching everything. When we started this we both agreed that deer were off the table at anything over 500yds and even with that it would have to be a heck of a buck to even consider it, and with no other way to get closer.
He had feral hogs something terrible tearing up an 800 acre cotton field not to mention the coastal pastures surrounding it he grazed his cows on. This is flat wide open with no way to put the sneak on anything. We both had rifle built and worked up the loads to reach out accurately easily beyond 800yds, but the longest shot we ever made on the hogs was just shy of 700.
Even so we practiced every weekend from 500 to 800 just to keep things on track. It wasn't something we just walked out the end of the barn one day and did. In fact we shot out to 1K on a sudo regular basis. This wasn't so we could shoot game that far but to better ourselves for the ranges we DID shoot and to know what the rifles and we were actually capable of.
To date I have shot a couple of deer at just over 400yds, plenty of coyotes and hogs between there and 500, but I would much rather make a 50-75yd shot on any of them if given the chance. But like mentioned above, when the ranges start to stretch out we were always together working as a team, one on the rifle and the other watching everything. When we started this we both agreed that deer were off the table at anything over 500yds and even with that it would have to be a heck of a buck to even consider it, and with no other way to get closer.
eastbank
Member
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2009
- Messages
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with a good range finder, top of the line optic,s, solid rest and a good rifle with the right load you will be good to go long range hunting after pratice ++++++. my own long range(600yrds) hunting rifle is a 7mm mag with a leupold 6.5x20 target scope with marks on the turrets for range and wind. the bullet i shoot still has 2000fps at 600 yrds. eastbank.
Different people have different skill levels, and different terrain presents different opportunities for stalking. AS a hunter, MY responsibility is to cleanly harvest the game I'm pursuing. My comfortable range for doing so depends on the rifle I have at the time, but regardlss of my equipment's potential, I personally have no business attempting a shot on game at beyond 400 yards. That said, I've taken a number of animals at around 300 yards, and some likely a bit further. I won't take a shot I'm not confident in, but in the areas I hunt, a 300 yard shot isn't remotely uncommon, and sometimes the terrain, or lackl there of, make such shots a necessity. Truth be told, with today's optics and rifles, 400 yards isn't even considered "long range" to many shooters, and a good many can produce accurate hits at 400 and well beyond.. I'm not interested in trying unless I improve my skill set considerably, but I know people who have killed deer at 600, even 800 yards, not with a lucky shot, but with regularity. Its all about the amount of time, effort, practice, and in some cases, finances you are willing to invest in order to make the "impossible" possible.
gamestalker
member
I want to take a moment to thank the OP for questioning "Long Range Hunting???". This is a great opportunity for those of us that understand the proper concept, to educate those who don't fully realize that irresponsible hunting, is also associated with irresponsible firearm conduct. Below are a couple of examples of someone that doesn't get it, and will probably never understand proper firearm and hunting conduct.
My son just turned down a hunter / sort of friend who asked to join him this week for an elk hunt. The first time he joined us on a hunt, was when we took his son javelina hunting last year. He insisted that his son carry the rifle with the bolt open, and the magazine empty. This is someone who has not the slightest clue, lost in the ozone, as it were. It got worse too, after we had spent a lot of time at the range preparing his son for the hunt, and on opening day, he shows up with a rifle that hadn't been sighted in, nor had this young man ever shot this rifle. We didn't realize this until my son had glassed an animal up for his son, and when he tried chambering a cartridge, none of them would chamber, which was also when we realized that the ammo he purchased from a local commercial reloader was FMJ, which is illegal to hunt with in Arizona. Obviously, we had to call it right there, we had no other option. The expression of disappointment on his boys face was almost too much for me to bare, his 10 yr. old son had tears streaming down his face. This was the first and last time we allowed this man / father to hunt with us.
This year we saw a hunter walking down the road just as the sun was setting, so we asked him if he needed a ride back to his camp or vehicle, he gladly accepted. Before he got in, he appeared to be clearing his rifle, which impressed me, that is until I realized what he was doing. He opened the bolt, removed the cartridge, then dropped that cartridge back in the chamber, then he set left the bolt partially open, and then checked to make sure the safety was OFF. I stopped him right there, and asked him what he was doing? His response was, "well, if I see a deer, I don''t have to rack a round in the chamber, all I have to do is close the bolt on it, it's ok, I do this all the time". Nope, not in this truck, either completely clear your firearm, or walk back to your vehicle.
Not only does this type of firearm conduct constitute a safety issue, it's also illegal to have a round in the chamber while in the vehicle during a big game hunt. This constitutes road hunting in Arizona, which is straight up illegal.
IME, and opinion, I think it's pretty safe to say, that a person who irresponsibly shoots at game, is usually also plagued with multiple other, and far worse issues of conduct involving firearms.
GS
My son just turned down a hunter / sort of friend who asked to join him this week for an elk hunt. The first time he joined us on a hunt, was when we took his son javelina hunting last year. He insisted that his son carry the rifle with the bolt open, and the magazine empty. This is someone who has not the slightest clue, lost in the ozone, as it were. It got worse too, after we had spent a lot of time at the range preparing his son for the hunt, and on opening day, he shows up with a rifle that hadn't been sighted in, nor had this young man ever shot this rifle. We didn't realize this until my son had glassed an animal up for his son, and when he tried chambering a cartridge, none of them would chamber, which was also when we realized that the ammo he purchased from a local commercial reloader was FMJ, which is illegal to hunt with in Arizona. Obviously, we had to call it right there, we had no other option. The expression of disappointment on his boys face was almost too much for me to bare, his 10 yr. old son had tears streaming down his face. This was the first and last time we allowed this man / father to hunt with us.
This year we saw a hunter walking down the road just as the sun was setting, so we asked him if he needed a ride back to his camp or vehicle, he gladly accepted. Before he got in, he appeared to be clearing his rifle, which impressed me, that is until I realized what he was doing. He opened the bolt, removed the cartridge, then dropped that cartridge back in the chamber, then he set left the bolt partially open, and then checked to make sure the safety was OFF. I stopped him right there, and asked him what he was doing? His response was, "well, if I see a deer, I don''t have to rack a round in the chamber, all I have to do is close the bolt on it, it's ok, I do this all the time". Nope, not in this truck, either completely clear your firearm, or walk back to your vehicle.
Not only does this type of firearm conduct constitute a safety issue, it's also illegal to have a round in the chamber while in the vehicle during a big game hunt. This constitutes road hunting in Arizona, which is straight up illegal.
IME, and opinion, I think it's pretty safe to say, that a person who irresponsibly shoots at game, is usually also plagued with multiple other, and far worse issues of conduct involving firearms.
GS
Zeke/PA
Member
IMHO, most hunters are incapable of the skill required to take a 250 yard plus shot.
Many are only casual shooters whose range experience amounts to zero.
Many , take for granted that their rifle is "sighted in" and have NEVER shot the piece on paper.
Worst case scenario is a crippled animal, the best, being a clean miss.
Many are only casual shooters whose range experience amounts to zero.
Many , take for granted that their rifle is "sighted in" and have NEVER shot the piece on paper.
Worst case scenario is a crippled animal, the best, being a clean miss.
Clark
Member
I have focussed a good deal of my life's energy on improving my long range hunting.
I killed a lot of deer at 500 yards before I knew what I was doing.
Many deer were missed or went off wounded.
I would sight in at 100 yards and then use hold over from some chart. I would range with a Leica.
I have tried to up my game by practicing at long range and only shooting at animals I knew I could get.
Stuff to get:
A) scope with an elevation turret
B) bi pod
C) boat tailed bullets
d) range finder
e) rear bag tied to sling
f) cheek rest
g) binoculars
e) knee pads for pin cushion cactus
g) spotting scope
h) splatter burst target
I killed a lot of deer at 500 yards before I knew what I was doing.
Many deer were missed or went off wounded.
I would sight in at 100 yards and then use hold over from some chart. I would range with a Leica.
I have tried to up my game by practicing at long range and only shooting at animals I knew I could get.
Stuff to get:
A) scope with an elevation turret
B) bi pod
C) boat tailed bullets
d) range finder
e) rear bag tied to sling
f) cheek rest
g) binoculars
e) knee pads for pin cushion cactus
g) spotting scope
h) splatter burst target
MCgunner
Member
It's all the rage in some circles, Big scopes, range finders, ballistics calculators, mil dots, yadda, yadda. I always limited myself to 400 yards even with my 7 mag due to variables and it had to be perfect conditions. But, some folks have the range to practice on. All I ever had was 300 yards max.
Now days, I've gone retro. I moved to the woods, not much possible over 100 yards here, so I have taken deer with my black powder. But, the rut occurs here usually during bow season and is mostly over by gun season. So, I've gone crossbow. 40 yards is a long shot for me with the crossbow and I prefer to keep it 30 and in.
Now days, I've gone retro. I moved to the woods, not much possible over 100 yards here, so I have taken deer with my black powder. But, the rut occurs here usually during bow season and is mostly over by gun season. So, I've gone crossbow. 40 yards is a long shot for me with the crossbow and I prefer to keep it 30 and in.
jim in Anchorage
Member
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2009
- Messages
- 2,849
I don't get it. Maybe 2 months ago a buddy of mine asked me what a good 800 yard deer gun whoild be. So I presented the question here. I was greeted by posts such as "why would anyone want to maim deer" and" tell him to be a better hunter and get closer."
So now long shots are OK?
So now long shots are OK?
Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
Long shots are not okay for the average shooter. Long shots CAN be okay for a skilled, practiced shooter with proper gear. Even then, judgment is needed for dealing with the wind. E.g., I found that I needed to hold some two feet off center at 500 yards with my '06, in what seemed like "just a breeze".
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