I have been a hunters safety instructor and a bowhunting instructor.
I dealt with the same crap that you long rangers are dealing with now.
I have absolutely no problem with the long rangers who are capable and are practiced in their arts, I do have problems with the wannabies who think LR is easy and take shots they are not able to make everytime all the time.
A couple days ago my daughter and I were watching a supposed LR shooter hunting whatever and in the offtime of his big game hunt decided to go out and hunt coyotes.
The scene was a man and his LR capable rifle sat in ambush while a coyote was called in. The shooter procedes to take a shot he couldn't make and shot the muzzle off a coyote and then continued filming the wounded dog while the shooter could not hit the dog again.
This is not the picture that any shooters want to see.
I understand that the target was only a lowly coyote, but, I also have strong feelings that a life not suffer because of my shortcomings.
I can assure the real LRs are seen as the man who shot the coyote.
The real LRs must inform the general public that what you do is not what was shown in the coyote scene.
Yes, the LRs are the black sheep of the hunting scene and it is due to the truth that the standard shooter does not understand the how or why the LRs do what they do.
I think the LRs should look back on the mid 70's and 80's and how the bowhunters gained public support due to the training and proof that bowhunting is quick and clean WHEN DONE RIGHT.
Good luck with your endevors and I will be here to support the LRs when the "Fudds" aren't with you.
I will support you with facts and figures.
Totally agree!
I see part of the problem right here on LRH. A newby comes in with practically no experience, except maybe with rimfires, and wants to become a LR shooter, and asks for some advice on what Rifle to get to move up into the field. Someone or multiple someones will make usually pretty good rifle suggestions and in the next line tell the newby that what they need is the latest version of whatever scope is popular this week in 6-24 x 56 power when the newby hasn't in most cases, even learned the basics yet!
I liken this to taking someone out of a go-kart and dropping him into a Formula 1 race car and telling him to go win the race! I have yet to see someone tell the newby to take the rifle out to the range and learn the rifle. After they have put a couple hundred rds downrange and can hold at least 2 -3 MOA with iron sights at 200 - 300 yds, then move up to a scope. They haven't really learned either the weapon or the basics of shooting let alone LR, or even what round to use, yet go out and maim game all over the place, and the real LR shooters take the hit.
Most of the people here that are good at LRH have several thousand rounds, if not more, downrange and can tell you all the idiosyncrasies of their individual rifles and can pick up another LR rifle and within 5-20 rounds be pretty well comfortable with it and at least hit the target. But, they have the basics down.
I was down at the range the other day, breaking in a Remington 700. Not trying to zero, just pointing it onto the target and pulling the trigger, then cleaning it after it cooled. Kid next to me was getting frustrated because he didn't seem to be able to get the round even close to the center. Shot were all over the place, mostly off the target. During a lull, while everyone else went down to pull or replace their targets casually asked him what he was shooting. He was shooting a .338, had a huge scope on it, I don't know what kind, didn't ask, but later while cooling down my rifle, watched him. Just before firing, he closed his eyes, jerked the trigger and visibly flinched for every round. I tried to help him with the basics, but he had all the answers, just didn't know the questions. He got irritated when I suggested an NRA course and that he might be more comfortable with a smaller caliber so I just packed up and left. Way over rifled and scared of it, but often too typical.
Our next generation of hunter! Never learned the basics, but going out after deer.elk or whatever he could pull a tag for.
I learned to shoot in the military and 30-06, 7.62 x 51 and .556 rounds were all furnished. Must have fired over 10,000 rods before I ever fired a factory load and want to thank all you taxpayers for the experience, and thank a couple of Sgt's that took the time to teach it well.
Packrat
