What made you interested in long range shooting?

[popeye]

I read elsewhere in a thread about the division and the lack of manners for one another we have these days. It made me think about why I came to this thread or any others. We all have a story about what made us interested in shooting distance, share your story if you are inclined. We have a common interest but how we each arrived there could make for some interesting stories.

I have hunted since I was a boy, starting out with my dad's Ruger .44 pistol or my 30-30 Marlin. Like many on here I spent some time in the military as a young man and was exposed to that plastic M16A1. Growing up and hunting in the Ozarks, I had never taken a shot over 125 yards. The fact that I could routinely hit a silhouette from 50 to 300 meters with that little bullet out of my plastic rifle was pretty cool for this hillbilly. I would have to say that is where I first became interested in shooting distance. Share your story if your inclined

 

[Reelamin]

I wanted the challenge of proving my abilities to myself. When I can show myself I can accomplish a challenge then I feel I am able to share it with others to help them. It is probably not a healthy way to be I grew up only knowing and living every moment....YOU CAN DO BETTER...when it comes to learning a skill.

 

[badthirtyone]

Great topic, and should be a great thread! We need more of this here.

Looking forward to reading this and contributing when I have time.

 

[Recon$$]

Read Charles Henderson's marine sniper: 93 confirmed kills at 13 years old. That led to a few things.

 

[badthirtyone]

Read Charles Henderson's marine sniper: 93 confirmed kills at 13 years old. That led to a few things.

^^^ This. But I think I was 16, lol

 

[AZHTR]

In AZ, I put in for most trophy hunting units and hunting is few and far between so I took-up shooting in 2015 with a goal of being proficient at 500 yards.

NOW, 3 rifles into it and thousands of dollars, too many hours, logbooks documenting everything and scrounging for reloading supplies, as many of you already know, 500 yards at steel is a chip shot.

It is seriously a disease without cure. Reloading scales in 3 decimal places, seating bullets to .001 tolerances..........it's ridiculous.

I had no idea what I was getting into............

There's no way out now!!

 

[Barrelnut]

Used to bow hunt a lot for several years mostly due to the woods getting a little crowded during gun season. Dozen or so years ago was setting watching some other bow hunters on the other side of the canyon (6 or 7 hundred yards away). There was a nice heard of elk with a good bull about 200 yards below them, but they obviously had no idea the elk were there. Watched it all for a half hour or so until the elk finally wandered off into the woods and the two hunters were never the wiser. Watching all of this I thought it would be cool to be able to shoot that far cause I had a great view of those elk for quite a while.
So I checked into it. I was amazed when I found out that it was possible. I also found out that long range hunting was frowned upon by what seemed like everybody I talked too. Including 600 yards target shooters!
Started gearing up and finally found my home here on the LRH forum! I am glad that LRH has become more mainstream with all the new gear and such. I'm not so shy about discussing it with anyone now and love to practice long range shooting. Good therapy!

 

[jakeSCH]

I got into LRH because i wanted to get more accurate at close range on game. 30k later I have gotten much better LOL

 

[brcfo_outdoors]

To me it was always progressive. My local ranges were capped at 100 yards so when I was able to get out to some BLM land with friends or on my own and make those incremental advances it was always exciting. 300 was some great distance and then it wasn't so far. 550 was just one step further. 750 felt like I was pushing the limits. Then seeing the spall splash in the dirt in front of my steel target at just over 1000 was elating. I still remember that feeling with my good old Winchester M70 Stealth in .308. Then I built a custom gun and 1000 yards got boring so now I need to see what 1400 looks like .

 

[257 STW]

I have been hunting since I was about 10 (58 now) In the mid 90s I was doing a lot of coyote hunting in the winter on the deserts, and rimrocks of S Idaho and kept seeing lots of dogs that were just way out of range from the rims and no way to get closer or call them in.. So I thought why not build a rifle that would let me reach out to them! After reading Ross Seyfreid`s article on the 22-6mm IMP I had one built with a 28" Shilen Select 8 twist match barrel to shoot the 80 gr Bergers. I put a NF BR 8-32x56 on it with Baer 20 moa bases, and Baer rings. And started on my LR journey with no guidance, or instruction. The first time I took a dog at 800 I thought WOW! I just killed a dog at nearly 3/4 of a mile. I was hooked! My longest shot on a yote to date is 1120, cold bore first round hit. As you can imagine, it only got worse! Many rifles down the road and spending enough money to buy a house (seems like it anyway) I`m shooting regularly out to a mile, and have taken Elk, Deer, and goats out past 1000. As technology, and precision rifles, optics, and reloading progresses I only see my problem getting worse.

 

[popeye]

I have been hunting since I was about 10 (58 now) In the mid 90s I was doing a lot of coyote hunting in the winter on the deserts, and rimrocks of S Idaho and kept seeing lots of dogs that were just way out of range from the rims and no way to get closer or call them in.. So I thought why not build a rifle that would let me reach out to them! After reading Ross Seyfreid`s article on the 22-6mm IMP I had one built with a 28" Shilen Select 8 twist match barrel to shoot the 80 gr Bergers. I put a NF BR 8-32x56 on it with Baer 20 moa bases, and Baer rings. And started on my LR journey with no guidance, or instruction. The first time I took a dog at 800 I thought WOW! I just killed a dog at nearly 3/4 of a mile. I was hooked! My longest shot on a yote to date is 1120, cold bore first round hit. As you can imagine, it only got worse! Many rifles down the road and spending enough money to buy a house (seems like it anyway) I`m shooting regularly out to a mile, and have taken Elk, Deer, and goats out past 1000. As technology, and precision rifles, optics, and reloading progresses I see my problem getting worse.

Man I am envious! I have a buddy that only lives a few miles from me, he has a range out to 600 yards. Shooting much past that has not happened for me yet, I'm still waiting to shoot 1000 yards......someday man, someday.

 

[Old Rooster]

I got tired of just watching game beyond 300 yards.300 yards was my self imposed limit at first and decided to start practicing at 500 yards and got proficient after 2 years of trying and wanted more than 500 yards and started getting out to 700 yards.Had some health problems but got to where I could hit targets at 700 yards but not all the time so I backed down to 600 yards a couple of years later I got better,killed 3 Muley's at a bit over 600 yards 3 years in a row and now I'm back trying to hit consistently at 700 and will slowly work up to 1000 one day.

 

[jpd676]

I've always had a fascination with guys like Carlos Hathcock. Then, I moved to WY, went on a hunt with a friend and saw some MONSTER mulies at 1050 yards. I started reading everything I could about the crazy people that claim they could shoot and kill game at that range. It has been a great adventure but now I'm an addict!

 

[Recon$$]

I've always had a fascination with guys like Carlos Hathcock. Then, I moved to WY, went on a hunt with a friend and saw some MONSTER mulies at 1050 yards. I started reading everything I could about the crazy people that claim they could shoot and kill game at that range. It has been a great adventure but now I'm an addict!

I will say judging mules at that distance can be difficult. I got alot of grief judging them long range from a member of my hunting group. Then I shot a nice but not what I thought mulie haha. Takes some experience for sure BUT this past year I got one back.