cabelasken
Well-Known Member
When I was working in Alaska about 7 years ago, I sat next to a guy on the plane who filmed long range kills. He said they had tags for two or three animals on this trip and that the video would have a total of ten kills. We discussed components that the shooter used to make the 1000 yd shots. About half way thru the flight, I asked how many attempts were taken to get the 10 one shot kills. He knew what I was getting at and never answered me and in fact we did not speak another word to one another the rest of the flight.
The following year, I was on a guided combination elk and deer hunt in Montana. On the second evening, we found a scattered herd of elk on the far end of the meadow. We made a hurried stalk to a point across from them, but we were still almost 1/4 mile away. The guided said i had 5 minutes of shooting light left. I held for the elevation and not feeling any wind did not adjust for any windage. At the shot, the bull dropped and the guide said great shot. When we got to the animal, I noticed a strong sidewind at that end of the meadow that had drifted the bullet 13 or 14 inches from where I intended to hit the bull. Instead of a behind the shoulder hit, it became a neck shot. At dinner that night, the guide was telling his father of the 1/4 mile neck shot I made but I had to correct him by saying that I actually " missed" that elk by more than a foot.
I've seen some very good range shooters miss or wound game animals in the field at less than 200 yds. Although we try to use everything we can to take out the x-factors, we still owe it to the animal we are persuing to make an ethical shot.
The following year, I was on a guided combination elk and deer hunt in Montana. On the second evening, we found a scattered herd of elk on the far end of the meadow. We made a hurried stalk to a point across from them, but we were still almost 1/4 mile away. The guided said i had 5 minutes of shooting light left. I held for the elevation and not feeling any wind did not adjust for any windage. At the shot, the bull dropped and the guide said great shot. When we got to the animal, I noticed a strong sidewind at that end of the meadow that had drifted the bullet 13 or 14 inches from where I intended to hit the bull. Instead of a behind the shoulder hit, it became a neck shot. At dinner that night, the guide was telling his father of the 1/4 mile neck shot I made but I had to correct him by saying that I actually " missed" that elk by more than a foot.
I've seen some very good range shooters miss or wound game animals in the field at less than 200 yds. Although we try to use everything we can to take out the x-factors, we still owe it to the animal we are persuing to make an ethical shot.
