Long range capability = shooting oppurtunities and success?

[RMulhern]

What SHOULD BE rather obvious to any hunter is that....for me....I'd prefer all my shots on game to be inside 200 yards....rather than way over yonder on the next ridge over! In other words I don't set myself up 800-1000 yds. from where I expect game to appear however if a fine animal presents itself at long range....if conditions are right...I feel competent that I can make the shot! I learned long range shooting with an 03A3 Springfield using the aperture rear sight and a post front and even back then....if the animal was standing still/broadside....that ole Springfield would tap a mulie easy from 500 yards so with all of the latest technology that exist today with rangefinders and scopes with objective lenses as big as a lard bucket....at times some of these post have me scratching my head wondering.......what's the problem???...when someone ask maybe is an '06 suitable for long range shooting!! Once upon a time I made a post of a photo showing a nice mulie (not on this forum) and someone asked me what the distance was when the shot was made and I replied that it was a little over 600 yards. The 'inquisitive' person replied..."why that's not even ethical...the deer didn't even know where you were!" My reply back was.....that he was correct in one part of his comment; that the buck didn't know where I was and that's the way I preferred it to be then...or in the future! In the final analysis I don't take shots at game to see if I can hit it....rather I test myself, my rifle, and my loads on steel and IMO...that's the way it should be!!

 

[RangerBrad]

I appreciate yals replies, I hope I havn't misled yal in anyway. Let me state that I have killed deer here in Arkansas and have been a hard trapper all my life and a predator hunter for the last 13 years so I do understand animal habitat and travel routes etc... I just do not enjoy sitting in a tree stand waiting for a deer to come by. I much prefer to take an active role in my hunting such as spot and stalk and this country doesn't lend it's self well to that type of hunting. I also don't want to hunt animals at distance just because they are at distance but it made since to me as was stated by some in this thread that the simple fact that if your in open country and have ability to take longer shots you can kill animals you may not normaly be able to take if you or your equipment were limited to 200yd shots. Agin thank's for yals responses. Brad

 

[RMulhern]

I appreciate yals replies, I hope I havn't misled yal in anyway. Let me state that I have killed deer here in Arkansas and have been a hard trapper all my life and a predator hunter for the last 13 years so I do understand animal habitat and travel routes etc... I just do not enjoy sitting in a tree stand waiting for a deer to come by. I much prefer to take an active role in my hunting such as spot and stalk and this country doesn't lend it's self well to that type of hunting. I also don't want to hunt animals at distance just because they are at distance but it made since to me as was stated by some in this thread that the simple fact that if your in open country and have ability to take longer shots you can kill animals you may not normaly be able to take if you or your equipment were limited to 200yd shots. Agin thank's for yals responses. Brad

Brad

If you're betwixt the Louisiana line and Pine Bluff.....I'm WELL ACQUAINTED with all of that region.....mostly thick pine w/hardwood bottoms and thicker than fleas on a dogs back! Probably...if the truth be known....000 buckshot would be the best order of the day! Rifle-wise...a M94 Winchester would be all you'd need!!

 

[RangerBrad]

Sharps man you are correct. My 25-06 does great here. This rifle would be for hunting west and spot and stalk on those found in open pasture. While in Oklahoma recently where I grew up. I saw herds of deer and several coyotes out mousing on ours and surrounding ranches at the 650yd mark and thought that if I had the equipment and skills I could of taken them. Brad

 

[SBruce]

Sharps man you are correct. My 25-06 does great here. This rifle would be for hunting west and spot and stalk on those found in open pasture. While in Oklahoma recently where I grew up. I saw herds of deer and several coyotes out mousing on ours and surrounding ranches at the 650yd mark and thought that if I had the equipment and skills I could of taken them. Brad

Hey Brad,

I've used nothing but 25-06 out here in Wyoming for about 20 years. A few deer every year and a few antelope too over the years. The only times I thought I might be undergunned was if I wanted to shoot beyond 600 yds. I underline wanted because I've never had to shoot game beyond that distance.

In fact, this last fall we were playing with a 338 Edge and purposely looking for longer shots just for something new. Only 1 time did we have to make a long shot (625 if I remember right) but most of the time, we were actually needing to purposely extend the range to shoot that far or further. Truth is, a couple of times we were driving past and within 300 yds of game in order to set up for a longer shot on the same animals......LoL.

There are other areas however that it doesn't work that way. We were in an area where the game see vehicles alot. Other places, antelope see a truck from 600yds away and they're headed for the next county!

 

[RangerBrad]

SBruce, I understand what you are saying. The deer seen in Oklahoma were more than glad to let you watch them but if you went towards them they were moving out. While deer hunting neaqr Canadian Tx. this year the land owner also showed us several deer and antelopes that were just specs in the distance to the naked eye. You could of closed the distance on these animals however at some point they would of decided that somewhere else is where they wanted to be. Brad

 

[beudrowe]

I would like to hear about this also. Thanks for posting the question.

 

[squirrelduster]

The deer I have hunted have what appears to be a range they think they are safe, normally somewhere around 400 yards depending on the buck.
By being a good shooter at 400 to 600 yards or even farther you can normally get a shot. The long range shots are always at standing animals that are unaware of our presence.
Coyotes are not threatened at these ranges either. Sometimes comes as quite the shock to their system. Long range coyote hunting is a blast. No calls, no camo, just blast them.
I have a 6br that I shoot ground squirrels with and always shoot off a bipod so the experience relates to real hunting. Try a bunch of ground squirrels, prairie dogs, or what ever varmints you have access to and hunt them like you would big game. No shooting bench, big front rest, or other special equipment. You will be surprised how much easier a deer is to hit after spending the summer chasing little tiny targets at 400 plus yards.

 

[mntnflyr4fun]

I live and hunt elk in Western Or. and for Coast range Roosevelt elk, these days close shots seem average to be 500 yds today, with many shooting opportortunities at 800+. For years I have kept my rifle sighted in for a 300 yd. zero and now I am in the process of building a 300 win specifically to shoot up to 800+ as we are finding many more bulls tucked away into places they can be seen but feel safe as the average shooter isn't set up for beyond 500 yds.

Hunting on public ground, we have seen the elk habits change over the last 15-20 years and are gearing up for getting the most shots possible within the confines of being able to reasonably expect to put a killing shot on the animal.

One thing I believe in, is that as we stretch the boundaries of hunting range, we need to be much more cognizant of our ability to actually kill the game we shoot at, not just hit/wound it and not recover it. Where I hunt, not anchoring your game means that it may end up in the bottom of a canyon covered in brush so thick its above your head and yet we still have to recover the game, so the right calibers and bullet designs are essential.

Deer? I'm not so sure about even finding/seeing them at those kinds of ranges, let alone being able to put a bullet on one as they are so small, but for elk, I'm not only all for it, its a blast. (no pun intended)

 

[royinidaho]

For those of you who hunt in open country, have you found that having the equipment and ability to shoot out to 800-1000yds has greatly increased your shot oppurtunities

To be blunt: Hell yes!

and have led to sucess that you would not of had if you only had the ability to shoot to 250-300 yds?

To be blunt: Hell no! As I only do the LR ambush style, something as been very successful in working against me. That is, I seem to always have the tag for the elk gender opposite to the gender that wonder into my shooting area. Ranges in one specific ambush area are from 650 to 2000 yds with the prime range is between 650 and 1150.

Thank's Brad

Differing from you, I prefer to take the 'less active' role in hunting in the mountains. Wait until you are 68 and see what your thinking is.

And as bigngreen said, shooting long distances can result in some very difficult extractions.

Deer, that's another story. I put my miles in. Unless I'm after more of a trophy buck. As these fellas are up much higher its back to ambush.

 

[straitshooter57]

There have been some really good answers and I feel it is important to add one more.

LR shots are wonderful and the memories will never leave you.

However, if you are not fully capable of making such a shot (you are not securely in position with rests and no wobble when looking through your scope, know the actual distance and know the conditions and the wind) then you are unethical to take such a shot. Wounding a prize animal isn't what we are after. Be ethical to yourself and to others who can make such a shot to harvest a quality animal.

The greatest way to be ethical is to practice and then do more practice from high and low, get the right equipment and have the confidence and experience -- to "git 'er done!"

 

[rscott5028]

straitshooter57,

I try only to wound the inferior specimens. ;-)

Seriously though...

You make some good points. But, I beleive ethics, politics, religion are off limits in this forum.

Thanks!
Richard

 

[elkaholic]

Howdy Folks, Just getting very interested in long range hunting.
The thought of hunting public lands in the west for mule deer and elk really appeal to me.
For those of you who hunt in open country, have you found that having the equipment and ability to shoot out to 800-1000yds has greatly increased your shot oppurtunities and have led to sucess that you would not of had if you only had the ability to shoot to 250-300 yds? Thank's Brad

There is absolutely NO doubt about it! Also, it is a heck of a lot more fun IMO. People often talk about the availability in the open country out west, but there is a completely different reason here in North Idaho where I live. We have a lot of very steep and brushy country where 50-100 yard shots on the ground are about all you can get. For years I sat 90' up in a tree and shot elk at 500-600 yards but have now moved to "cross canyon" shooting. The brush fields that you can't see 25 yards into on the ground can be easily hunted when looking across a 60% slope into the brush. The elk feel perfectly safe and move around freely often later into the day and earlier in the evening. I have killed elk in excess of 1000 yards using this method where any other type of hunting is nearly impossible.......Rich

 

[RangerBrad]

Thank's for all your responses, this seems to have been an informative, enjoyable and interesting thread. Thank's agin, Brad