What did it for you?

[Tikkamike]

I am wondering what event got you guys into Long Range? And what is your ultimate Long Range goal? For me it was meeting a guy at a range in Rawlins that shoots benchrest 1000 yard matches and getting to shoot his little AR 223 at 1000 yards. ever since then I have been hooked.
My Goal is I want to kill an elk at 1000+ with my 338 and id like to shoot a mile. I need a different set up before I can do that because I found out that I dont have the adjustment range I thought I had and have only been able to shoot steel at 1700 yards.. So I am still 60 yards short of that goal...

SO what about you guys?

 

[WyoElk2Hunt]

I have been reloading for over 30 years and liked tinkering with loads to get the best preformance out of my rifles. I don't shoot competition and my reloading is all for hunting (whatever is availablle that I can afford to hunt).
My longest shot is a cow elk at 640 yards with a 300 Weatherby. Then this site found me while looking for more info on reloading for my 25-06. I saw I was just a novice in long range hunting as I see a lot of better shooters than me shooting at a 1000 yards. Now I am working my way up to that mark not a mile yet. Starting into Long Range at 62 years Young. My next goal is an Elk, Deer or Antelope at 1000 yards.

 

[Greyfox]

I had been shooting and hunting for over 40 years. I got inspired several years ago by reading a biography on Carlos Hathcock, the Viet Nam era sniper. Finding myself getting a little bored with the more traditional approaches , I decided to try and apply some of the same skills and tactics to hunt game at long range. Quickly found that there was a whole shooting subculture dedicated to long range shooting and hunting. I joined in and have been hooked ever since.

 

[Tikkamike]

thats really neat keep them coming i like hearing these stories

 

[mthunter86]

Several years ago i was antelope hunting with a good friend of mine. I thought myself a fairly competent shooter, but was outgunned that day. My buddy and i spotted the biggest antelope buck id ever seen. We spent 3 hours stocking to the only vantage point anywhere near the buck. I ranged the antelope at 690 yards and about cried! I had practiced with my .257 weatherby/ vx III combo a ton and new 500 yards to be the limit of my equipment. My buddy had me range the buck about ten times while he pulled a rear bag and dope book out of his pack. he dialed in his nightforce, and squeezed off a round. The antelope flopped over like it had been shot at ten feet... My buddy got to spend 500$ getting that buck mounted. I got to spend a ton more getting myself up to speed! Since then i have spent allot of time trying to get to hone my skills to match my equipment.

As far as an ultimate long range hunting goal id like to have a 1 shot kill at 1500 yards.

 

[Camshaft]

Well, it started for me when i took my m700 300rum to a local smith because i wanted a muzzle break installed. He is an avid 600yard benchrest competitor and builds br rifles. The more i spoke with him the more i convinced myself i wanted to be able to shoot that far. So as soon as my rifle was ready to go with a muzzle break and new stock, i took it out to the local range, applied some knowledge i learned here and from my gunsmith and wham! smacked steel @550yards on my 3rd shot. Its been all downhill from there, lol.

 

[MachV]

I blame those dang prairie dogs....They keep getting farther away the more you shoot

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

The Military

 

[Buffalobob]

As was just mentioned "The military".

 

[Russ Hatch]

Make that three for the military.

 

[HARPERC]

I was born with a love for things that fly! Started with chucking rocks, then to sling shots, bows, potato cannons, guns of any kind, I nearly took my head off with a boomerang a few times as a kid. The joy of actually hitting anything was more slowly acquired. Nasa had a lot to do with it, the Mercury program was awesome. Taking the fuel tanks out of a satellite, or hitting Jupiter has to rank up there with the greatest shots. One Antelope trip in Nevada the high point of the trip was watching the amateur rocket guys on the Black Rock Desert launch. Way cool, they've even put one in space. So I've grown to love the precision of all of it. As far as shooting critters I prefer slamming a big animal up close with a heavy caliber over taking one long, but try to be ready for both.
Goals? If they still let us retire down the road, my retirement project will either be a homemade rocket, or trying to set the world record for a Pumpkin Gun.

 

[LouBoyd]

The Military

"Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter." Ernest Hemingway

My interest in LRH is for discussions of ballistics, firearms, and potentially useful survival skills. I haven't killed anything with a firearm in over 40 years. I enjoy long range target shooting but haven't considered killing a sport since spending a year in southeast Asia in the US Army.