After looking over that thread, and having monitored this site for a bit, my situation and some of my experience may be relavent.
I have never taken what would qualify to most of you as a long range shot. I have stretched my abilites to kill game at what I considered long range:
Elk - 450 yds. 30-06. Shot across a canyon. I was sitting in 10" of heavy snow and had a log as a rest. I estimated the range at 450 - 500 yards and held slightly over his back. I DID NOT compensate for the crosswind in the canyon, and the shot I intended to drop into his spine. heart / lung vertical area drifted slightly and I hit him in the neck. He went down immediatly, but I got lucky.
Antelope - 650 yds. 25-06. After a day of frustration watching antelope disappear over the crest of a hill, I had two does line up on a hillside. I estimated the distance as being way the hell out there. Wind was in my face. I had a solid rest and held high on the top doe. The bottom doe fell with a bullet clipping the bottom of her heart.
Prairie dogs out to 400 yards. I grew up shooting prairie dogs with everything from 22, muzzleloaders, shotguns, to practicing with my 30-06 on prairie dogs.
Many hunters who know me consider me to be a pretty good shot, because of the kills I have made, but I think it is a matter of what you practice and what you can effectively accomplish with your equipment.
I do not consider myselft to be in the same league as a true long range hunter, but with the right equipment, guidance and desire maybe I could. Does that make you wrong for effectively killing at 1500 yards - no, just different, and maybe a bit more dedicated to the shooting side of hunting.
Am I a good shot? Well, probably, but I think I am just well practiced. I certainly know others who are better, some just as good and even more who have the potential to be better with impressive eye-hand coordination and reflexes. I really think it is a matter of what you are used to.
I went to a local 100 yard shooting range a couple days ago to try some new loads I had worked up for my 25-06. The range was crowded as it always is this time of year with people getting ready for to hunt at the last minute, and it really amazed me to see what people were using and call "good enough". I could give some humorous examples, but my point is that maybe "Nimrod" has some valid points. I believe most of the people out there have absolutly NO business taking a shot past point blank range, and even that could be suspect. I also believe there is nothing wrong with ultra long range hunting if you know EXACTLY what you are doing.
Do I plan on taking a shot past 500 yards? Not in the the near future, but thanks to what I am learning here, I know it is not impossible and maybe one day I will have the equipment and knowledge needed to try... at the range first.
Regards,
QH