I almost got to use my load at 800 yds yesterday.

[m14dan]

I have developed a load for my sniper type m-14 using a 168 barnes x bullet and I have had really great results way out to 1000 yards and I am not even getting close to dangerous pressures or anything. Yesterday I was laying down prone on the edge of a feild getting the scope dialed in on a 800 yard big old buck and sure as luck would have it another hunter steeped right in my line of fire about 300 yards from the deer. I thought he was gonna shoot it himself as he was scoping the area where the deer was and it wasn't exactly hiding either. They both stood there for more than ten minutes then the deer moved and the other hunter started flinging bullets in that direction off hand. Yeah right I was laughing to myself. It looked like he had a rem woodsmaster in his hands. The cartrige was sure capable but darn sure not the gun. I came so close to pulling the trigger and lobbing one directly over his head to kill the deer but I thought it would be much safer and more fun to hear his stories back when we got to camp and have a good laugh over the one that got away.
Turned out the other hunter was a poacher probably since nobody else admitted to the deed of missing 5 times in a row. Would you guys have taken the shot if you knew without a doubt you would hit the target? From a safety point of view?

[Len Backus]

No

moral issues, no.

[meichele]

It sounds like you made the right choice. Most of us would do the same. Including myself. I know it would be tempting! But I would have to pass

If I knew someone was there, even if I couldnt see him in the scope, even if he were in the general direction, I would still pass.

Hunting isnt like being in a hastoge situation where the shooter might have to shoot an inch away from a hostages head to incipasitate his target.

In this day and age activists are looking for any angle to smear hunters like us and even some hunters dont generaly like long range hunters as most of them think we are not responible. Even though we know we are because of the intense practice and knowledge we aquire that our practice and research leeds us to. I belive a true long range hunter can take game more cleanly more often at 600 yards and beyond than a typical hunter can at 200 yards. That hunter may out hunt us any day of the year, but he will never out shoot us. Most typical hunters do not understand this though and most would be pissed off if we pulled a stunt like that

That is just my opinion.

Keep up the good ethics!

[m14dan]

Oh he was in my scope. I was real careful to keep the crosshairs well clear but he was in it. I was just talking to my hunting partners again and they are pretty mad about the guy that got in my way. Poachers aren't looked upon very well here in texas. I was invited on this hunt because of my ability to hit far off critters. Nobody has been able to get any deer yet. They are a little upset at me too because I had no less than 16 deer I think in my crosshairs that day. I didn't shoot any though. I kept seeing all the does and figured a big buck just had to be around somewhere. I saw a couple smaller ones earlier but not getting to shoot the big one has us all kinda ticked really. We are meat hunters more than anything and I really should have taken a couple doe but just couldn't bring myself to it. I hope I am not getting old. I just turned 35. My grandad went hunting all the time and just watched the deer too. I think he enjoyed being out of the house more than anything. Last night on the way home I tried to tell them why they never get any deer. They pay no attention to the wind whatsoever and romping around in the open fields all day sure doesn't help much either. I snuk into a field where one of my freinds was in a stand and watched two doe go through about 50 yards from him and a whole load of turkey. He must have been sleeping. He never saw me and neither did the deer or turkeys. Later on the other freind walked by loud enough to wake the dead and I just stayed quiet hoping maybe he would scare something out down the fence line. He never saw me either. The truck sure got quiet when I explained all this to them. Were still freinds though.

[Dave King]

One thing I'm very careful about is how I'm perceived by others in the field (hunting field, outdoors, walking around field).

Max ordinate would probably have been WAY MORE than enough to actually put the fella in no danger BUT you may be putting yourself in danger by taking the shot... If the fella had some experience and heard the "crack", turned around and saw you he may be inclined to take the action as hostile... could turn into a bad situation... from his end it may look like deliberate fire on his position!!


I've been "scoped" by quite a few hunters (mostly out west) and many of these seemed intent on studying my person to great lengths even with me obviously glassing them through binos... From my end the situation looks like this... I'm a big "hunter orange" blob in clear view being carefully examined by a person with a rifle (rather odd feeling by the way), several long seconds to perhaps nearly a minute later this activity ends. I clearly indicate that I'm actually "alive" and watching the events by acknowledging with an "arm wave". If that fella fires a round at me what am I to do??? Take it as a deliberate hostile action seems to be the obvious option.


As a side note... I have hunted in parties that during the course of events have fired over one anothers position(s)... this is with an understanding of the likelyhood of the event before this same event happens. We agree on this option and it's acceptable to all concerned (we trust one another).

[skidlyman]

absolutely not