Wondering if it's for me

[BigNate]

Wondering if it\'s for me

I have become curious about long range hunting and would like to get some input from people involved directly. I have only been shooting mid-range( I think) for varmints and have always tried for close, one shot kills on big game. Most shots for me have been 350 and less. Deer and Elk have all been close. My question is about the thrill of it. I get my thrill (so far) from trying to get close and am wondering if you people get excited by a long range shot or is it the challenge of the distance that stirs you? I have shot out to 1000 in the military but worry about wounding animals. In the service a wounded human is usually better than a dead one as a wounded man attracts more targets. Could some of you discuss the thrill, challenge, and wounding issues? I haven't lost an animal yet but I also realize from reading some of the posts that there is more equipment involved and placing the shot actually may be no different than match shooting. How do you feel? I'm not trying to ruffle feathers but more trying to decide if this suits me before spending $$$$$.

 

[Dave King]

Re: Wondering if it\'s for me

BigNate

Welcome to LRH.


I can only speak for myself but feel that many longrange shooters would be the same.

Successful longrange hunting requires better than average marksmanship skills. Most of the good tactical and longrange shooters I know and have shot with have developed the abilty to shut out everything when it's time for the shot. At the actual moment of the shot they are calm, unflustered and high attuned to the mechanics of the shot. When I shoot at a target or an animal I'm only thinking shooting and hitting the target, there is no further thought of the excitement, just the ritualistic preparation and shot. If my breathing rate and heart rate are increased due to rapid relocation to a new firing position I think calming and become more attuned to marksmanship concerns. I'm only concerned with the shot when it's the actual moment to shoot.

As to the hunting and locating or having the game arrive. I hunt many hundreds of hours each year, varmints & big game. I don't get excited unless it's a really big trophy. I generally EXPECT to see several to many animals of varying sizes, if an exceptional example shows up it's a pleasant suprise.

To sum this up:

No matter the distance or the excitement, I think and feel markmanship when it's time to shoot and that immediately greatly reduces any thought of the excitement.

 

[Darryl Cassel]

Re: Wondering if it\'s for me

Hello

To me, it's the challenge of dropping an animal at extreme distance----the further the better.

I don't kill does (deer) or cows (elk) but know of one LR hunter that would rather kill a doe at 1500 yards (or further) then a huge trophy at 100 to 1000 yards.

With the epuipment we have, I am confident we can make CLEAN kills on the elk or deer we go after and have proven that time after time. That's what this LR game is all about, quick kills.

As for excitement, if it's a trophy we are after, there's a sense of excitement in our two or three person group but, only slightly. I credit that to the years we have been doing this. For the most part and not always, only a new to the sport of extreme longrange hunting/shooting will get REAL excited and then we have to say something to him or her, in a calming way.

When we do pick up an animal we want in our "bigeyes", it's ALL business till he drops. All Bigeye glasses are locked onto the animal, a range is taken as to his distance from us, and the person who spotted him, goes to the rifle and puts the required amount of clicks on. A spotter round is taken 100 to 200 yards in front or behind the animal to correct for windage or elevation (if need be) and the following shot is into the animal. The spotter shot will not spook him either at the distance we fire. The animal never even heard it.

I believe for me I could sum up extreme longrange hunting as being a challenge more so then when I walk in the woods and hunt, which I still do from time to time.

Placing a shot that far downrange and killing an unsuspecting animal as fast as the experianced LR hunter can, still amazes the hell out of me.

The rifle in the pic (if it makes it)is the 338/416 Rigby Imp, has a 37" K&P barrel, Hall "G" action, Bausch and Lomb Balvar 6X to 24X scope with Kuhasky rear base and mount with the cross hair etched on the glass, Rifle built by Bruce Baer many years ago (his first 338/416 for a customer), has killed several elk at extreme range and one at 2100 yards. Took several mule deer at extreme range and one buck in his bed, at 1500 yards (that was a bit of a smaller target). His legs were still curled up under him when I got to him. He never made a move.
The rifle is still shooting unbelievable repeatable shots at extreme range. One clover leaf 10 shot hole at 100 yards as it always has.

For added info, We have NEVER lost an animal we hit either.
The second photo is of one of my hunting partners and our setup in PA a couple weeks ago during buck season.
Have a fine Holiday season to all.
Darryl Cassel

[ 12-24-2001: Message edited by: Darryl Cassel ]

[ 12-24-2001: Message edited by: Darryl Cassel ]

 

[Len Backus]

Re: Wondering if it\'s for me

Darryl

In your first picture above, how many strong men and women does it take to move the pool table into position in the hunting field?

 

[Darryl Cassel]

Re: Wondering if it\'s for me

Len and Dan.

Len
The pool table isn't needed with the chain drive shooting table we use. It is a thought though.

Dan
My hunting buddy in this Picture is Jim Berfield, the one who makes the tables.Sorry I didn't mention his name. I have in other posts concerning the tables though. If you were refering to John Smith my old buddy, he has been with us in the past but, not this time.
We plan on building a house on this spot in Cameron County, PA.
My wife (Carol) likes a view, she would have one here. Wouldn't have to leave the deck, just leave everything set up.
It's all private with 3000 yards of shooting onto State Forrest land as you see in the pic.
We were looking at two decent bucks at 1450 yards here. We held waiting for a bigger one and his brother to show up----it didn't happen though. We put a limit of 8 points (or nothing) on our shooting that day.
It's a bitch to be so picky but, that's our style. Those bucks will be bigger next year.

Later
Darryl Cassel

[ 12-24-2001: Message edited by: Darryl Cassel ]

 

[Dave King]

Re: Wondering if it\'s for me

There's a significant difference between the way the majority of the ULR shooter's hunt and my particular method(s). The ULR range guys nearly always fire spotter rounds to help remove the variables, The ULR guys shoot much further than I do and generally always have a spotter.
I shoot generally in the 500 to 800 yard range, I shoot for a first round hit. There are times when I don't have a spotter for the shorter distances. I carry a heavy target/tactical style rifle and shoot from the prone position. In don't have the equipment, spotter support or practice area for ULR shooting.

I didn't directly reply to your question about wounding and also about LRHunting being like shooting a match.

First the similarity to shooting a match. When I'm shooting a match I'm forced to comply with the time contraints and therefore the need to shoot in less than optimal conditions. During a match I may end up shooting in heavy winds and rain, etc.
When long range hunting I control the conditions and there's no time limit. If it's too windy or the other factors aren't acceptable I don't shoot, I can always come back another time.

With the above differences between match and hunting shooting perhaps you can see why there is so very little chance of wounding. I take the shot when I decide it acceptable, I'm not rushed or shooting in difficult conditions.

The most excitement I experience now is when I'm training a new shooter and/or spotting. This is completely different than being the shooter and it's very exciting.

 

[Dan Conzo]

Re: Wondering if it\'s for me

Darryl

I know who the guy is on the glasses, even if it isn't mentioned and with his back turned. His initials are J.S.

Dan