It has been bugging me…

[daryl_s]

All I'm trying to say is that I choose to hunt a little for my game. Yes you dont always get a shot. Like I said Hunting not Shooting. I have killed coues the past four years with a bow and taken anywhere from 10-20 days to do it. To me its not about getting first glimpse of a buck at 800 yards then sending the lead. I want it to be hard. Everyone obviously is not going to agree with me. But its how I prefer it.

I in no way believe that I understand LR shooting and hunting as much as some of the people on this site. But I have done it. I have a 700 vls in 308 topped with a nightforce 8-32x56. I handload 168 gr Machkings and I have shot multiple Sub 1/4 moa groups with it at 200 yards. As well as shooting it as far as 1000 yards. To me It would be perfectly capable of killing at 750. Under calm conditions, I know that windage is the limiting factor of this gun.

HOWEVER, knowing that it can do it is good enough for me. I would not feel the same pride in killing at a distance immune to the animals senses.

 

 

The only problem I see here is that you are insinuating that anybody who takes a long range shot is not hunting or isn't a hunter. Well, what do you consider long range or not? Does a 300 yard kill make me a hunter and a 400 yard kill make me not worthy to be called a hunter? Where do you draw the line???? Does a 60 yard archery kill make you less of a hunter because you couldn't get to 20? Does taking less than 10-20 days mean you didn't put in the time to be worthy of being called a hunter? Does being done with my hunt at 7:30 am opening morning make my hunt less meaningful? If you saw a 110" buck walk by in front of you on opening morning while you are glassing and stop broadside at 30 yards with no idea you are there, would you shoot it? Wouldn't doing so go against what you have said you believe about hunting?

 

By the way, I have no problem with your style of hunting or how you choose to do it. To me it sounds like you are very dedicated and very good at what you do. It just rubs people the wrong way when you arrogantly suggest that their way is the wrong way, or that you are better than them because you do it differently.

[.270]

2 years ago i shot an elk at 740 yards. on the last day of the season. took me 7 days. not counting all the time i put in before the hunt. walked my butt off. tromped all over the unit. then had to punk it out. does that mean i shot him and didn't hunt? i've also shot bulls at less than 10 with a bow. is that ok? did i get "too" close? there ain't anybody that has hunted more of this state than i have. a few of the shots i've taken were a long ways off. does that mean i ain't a hunter? just a shooter? i'm glad you hunt hard. but so do a lotta other folks. just because they hunt different than you doesn't make em bad or less of a person. at least not in my eyes. but i like all legal hunters. guess i'm wierd. Lark.

[coues hunter]

All I'm trying to say is that I choose to hunt a little for my game. Yes you dont always get a shot. Like I said Hunting not Shooting. I have killed coues the past four years with a bow and taken anywhere from 10-20 days to do it. To me its not about getting first glimpse of a buck at 800 yards then sending the lead. I want it to be hard. Everyone obviously is not going to agree with me. But its how I prefer it.

I in no way believe that I understand LR shooting and hunting as much as some of the people on this site. But I have done it. I have a 700 vls in 308 topped with a nightforce 8-32x56. I handload 168 gr Machkings and I have shot multiple Sub 1/4 moa groups with it at 200 yards. As well as shooting it as far as 1000 yards. To me It would be perfectly capable of killing at 750. Under calm conditions, I know that windage is the limiting factor of this gun.

HOWEVER, knowing that it can do it is good enough for me. I would not feel the same pride in killing at a distance immune to the animals senses.

 

 

The only problem I see here is that you are insinuating that anybody who takes a long range shot is not hunting or isn't a hunter. Well, what do you consider long range or not? Does a 300 yard kill make me a hunter and a 400 yard kill make me not worthy to be called a hunter? Where do you draw the line???? Does a 60 yard archery kill make you less of a hunter because you couldn't get to 20? Does taking less than 10-20 days mean you didn't put in the time to be worthy of being called a hunter? Does being done with my hunt at 7:30 am opening morning make my hunt less meaningful? If you saw a 110" buck walk by in front of you on opening morning while you are glassing and stop broadside at 30 yards with no idea you are there, would you shoot it? Wouldn't doing so go against what you have said you believe about hunting?

 

By the way, I have no problem with your style of hunting or how you choose to do it. To me it sounds like you are very dedicated and very good at what you do. It just rubs people the wrong way when you arrogantly suggest that their way is the wrong way, or that you are better than them because you do it differently.

I do not intend to take away from somebody elses hunt or style of hunting. However, I understand how what I have written thus far can be taken in this manner and apologize.

I just cringe everytime I hear or read someone saying there was no way to get any closer so I had to shoot at 700+ yards. We all know how to close the distance better then that. Just say you're not patient enough to try and get closer or something. I could at least respect the honesty in that.

Bottom line, its just my opinion. If you're comfortable with the way you are hunting and enjoy it then great. You dont need my aproval.

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

All I'm trying to say is that I choose to hunt a little for my game. Yes you dont always get a shot. Like I said Hunting not Shooting. I have killed coues the past four years with a bow and taken anywhere from 10-20 days to do it. To me its not about getting first glimpse of a buck at 800 yards then sending the lead. I want it to be hard. Everyone obviously is not going to agree with me. But its how I prefer it.

I in no way believe that I understand LR shooting and hunting as much as some of the people on this site. But I have done it. I have a 700 vls in 308 topped with a nightforce 8-32x56. I handload 168 gr Machkings and I have shot multiple Sub 1/4 moa groups with it at 200 yards. As well as shooting it as far as 1000 yards. To me It would be perfectly capable of killing at 750. Under calm conditions, I know that windage is the limiting factor of this gun.

HOWEVER, knowing that it can do it is good enough for me. I would not feel the same pride in killing at a distance immune to the animals senses.

 

 

The only problem I see here is that you are insinuating that anybody who takes a long range shot is not hunting or isn't a hunter. Well, what do you consider long range or not? Does a 300 yard kill make me a hunter and a 400 yard kill make me not worthy to be called a hunter? Where do you draw the line???? Does a 60 yard archery kill make you less of a hunter because you couldn't get to 20? Does taking less than 10-20 days mean you didn't put in the time to be worthy of being called a hunter? Does being done with my hunt at 7:30 am opening morning make my hunt less meaningful? If you saw a 110" buck walk by in front of you on opening morning while you are glassing and stop broadside at 30 yards with no idea you are there, would you shoot it? Wouldn't doing so go against what you have said you believe about hunting?

 

By the way, I have no problem with your style of hunting or how you choose to do it. To me it sounds like you are very dedicated and very good at what you do. It just rubs people the wrong way when you arrogantly suggest that their way is the wrong way, or that you are better than them because you do it differently.

I do not intend to take away from somebody elses hunt or style of hunting. However, I understand how what I have written thus far can be taken in this manner and apologize.

I just cringe everytime I hear or read someone saying there was no way to get any closer so I had to shoot at 700+ yards. We all know how to close the distance better then that. Just say you're not patient enough to try and get closer or something. I could at least respect the honesty in that.

Bottom line, its just my opinion. If you're comfortable with the way you are hunting and enjoy it then great. You dont need my aproval.

 

Perfect! If you don't mind... we'd like to disregard all the less than constructive statements you've made pior to this one and move on with the thought provoking meaning of this thread!

 

 

 

[coues hunter]

All I'm trying to say is that I choose to hunt a little for my game. Yes you dont always get a shot. Like I said Hunting not Shooting. I have killed coues the past four years with a bow and taken anywhere from 10-20 days to do it. To me its not about getting first glimpse of a buck at 800 yards then sending the lead. I want it to be hard. Everyone obviously is not going to agree with me. But its how I prefer it.

I in no way believe that I understand LR shooting and hunting as much as some of the people on this site. But I have done it. I have a 700 vls in 308 topped with a nightforce 8-32x56. I handload 168 gr Machkings and I have shot multiple Sub 1/4 moa groups with it at 200 yards. As well as shooting it as far as 1000 yards. To me It would be perfectly capable of killing at 750. Under calm conditions, I know that windage is the limiting factor of this gun.

HOWEVER, knowing that it can do it is good enough for me. I would not feel the same pride in killing at a distance immune to the animals senses.

 

 

The only problem I see here is that you are insinuating that anybody who takes a long range shot is not hunting or isn't a hunter. Well, what do you consider long range or not? Does a 300 yard kill make me a hunter and a 400 yard kill make me not worthy to be called a hunter? Where do you draw the line???? Does a 60 yard archery kill make you less of a hunter because you couldn't get to 20? Does taking less than 10-20 days mean you didn't put in the time to be worthy of being called a hunter? Does being done with my hunt at 7:30 am opening morning make my hunt less meaningful? If you saw a 110" buck walk by in front of you on opening morning while you are glassing and stop broadside at 30 yards with no idea you are there, would you shoot it? Wouldn't doing so go against what you have said you believe about hunting?

 

By the way, I have no problem with your style of hunting or how you choose to do it. To me it sounds like you are very dedicated and very good at what you do. It just rubs people the wrong way when you arrogantly suggest that their way is the wrong way, or that you are better than them because you do it differently.

I do not intend to take away from somebody elses hunt or style of hunting. However, I understand how what I have written thus far can be taken in this manner and apologize.

I just cringe everytime I hear or read someone saying there was no way to get any closer so I had to shoot at 700+ yards. We all know how to close the distance better then that. Just say you're not patient enough to try and get closer or something. I could at least respect the honesty in that.

Bottom line, its just my opinion. If you're comfortable with the way you are hunting and enjoy it then great. You dont need my aproval.

 

Perfect! If you don't mind... we'd like to disregard all the less than constructive statements you've made pior to this one and move on with the thought provoking meaning of this thread!

Great. You have my aproval, I dont mind one bit.

[308Nut]

Coues hunter, this post is in NO way to try and make you change your views or methods. Rather, it is just a post to try and help you understand why I do what I do and why I do it.

 

I have a confession to make to you coues hunter. Many times (I have admitted this in this thread already) I could get closer yet if conditions are right and the range is within my comfort zone, I will take the shot from where I am at. A sure thing is a sure thing. To wait or change the circumstances in my opinion can lead to missing out on what was a perfect opprotunity. A critter on the ground is worth 10 blown stalks. Granted, having stalked and harvested game at 20 yards and ambushed game with my bow at close range is definately something special and gratifying I wont argue that. It just happens to be my style. I love to shoot and do so very often. That is my strength, that is what I take advantage of. Like I said, it just happens to be my style of hunting.

 

Now this one should make you fall down and have convolutions, I promised myself I would get my first 4 digit yardage kill this year if it meant hiking in the opposite direction as the critter till the yardage was right. Why? Becaise I can and just plain want to. I have prided myself with close up harvests and I desire to pride myself of a very far away harvest. I have never even attempted a 1K harvest in the past because I didnt have the equipment or the profficiency to feel comfortable with that range. Now I have both. Granted, I never had an opprotunity this year that was even workable to try and get something at 1K. The dall ram I passed on was 200 yards or nothing due to the terrain. No I did'nt pass him due to the short range he just was not what I was looking for and the moose hunt was either 20-50 yards or 3000 yards. No middle ground. Since I dont own a 50 BMG and dont know how to shoot 3000 yards if I had one, I was stuck with 20-50 yards. I ended up harvesting my bull at 20 yards with a 1K yard gun. Kind of anti clamactic but I had to put meat in the freezer.

 

Call me crazey, but having a close up and a far away just 'does it' for me. I guess I just sleep better knowing I can do either.

 

No disrespect meant here, just being 'honest'. Like I said, I am not trying to change your views. Just trying to help you understand why I do things the way I do them. We each have our own why of finding success and gratification from a hunt or hunting in general. In a sense, we are both looking for the same thing, just using different, even opposite approaches to get there.

 

M

[billrquimby]

boys, boys, settle down. a hunter should at least support all forms of legal hunting. even if they don't like some kind of hunting, for whatever reason. stick together guys. for a lotta years i was primarily a bow hunter. at least for most stuff. spent a lotta time running hounds too. usually just used a pistola then. now that i'm old and wore out and have a phony right shoulder, bad knees and bad back, it's all rifle hunting anymore. and i do have a rifle that i can shoot a long way with and i can do it. even if it does have a skinny barrel. been thinking about a crossbow tho. anybody hate crossbow hunters? have a william tell fobia? but remember, while we're fighting with each other, the anti's are sneakin' up on us with a big bag o' $h!t and are gonna smack us all with it if we ain't careful. the way to fight "divide and conquer" is to close ranks and don't let em outflank ya. i'm sorta shocked by the anymosity that there seems to be against the long rangers. never thought there were that many folks who felt that way about it. we may not be on kissin' terms with each other, but we're all still in the same foxhole. like it or not. i'll suport anybody that hunts legally, and frankly, can't understand why that is controversial. and fishes legal too. trust me, they are after anglers too. here is a scenario to think about. the nra supports any kind of shooting. any kind of firearm. ANY kind. rifles, pistols, shotguns, muzzleloaders, "black" guns, machine guns, anything that burns powder. there are a lot of folks, even shooters, that don't know why anyone would need an "assault" rifle, or high cap mags, or a machine gun, or night vision, etc. and that is a good question that i've asked myself. and it brings the nra all kindsa grief. but they still support it, even tho it would make life easier on em, for awhile. they support all forms of shooting, because if they give up on one group, everyone loses. that group is gone. plus they're gonna be pissed because they got abandoned. and the number of guys that are left is smaller, making it easier for antis to attack them. so they support everyone that shoots. everyone. they stick together. they fight hard for each other. heck, they put W in office when he ran against gore. if you don't know how i'll explain it later. as hunters in general, and Az hunters in particular, we need to all be in the same foxhole and be willing to put up with the smell of everyone else. stick together, no matter what. Lark.

 

As usual, I yield to Lark's superior wisdom. I can only say that the threat against what we do is real and that you will face in your lifetime ballot issues that will decide if hunting continues. The outcome will depend upon what you do now to promote our tradition and get more people to go hunting. As I said in another thread, hunters now are only about 4.5% percent of the U.S. population. That percentage has fallen to nearly one half of what it was just a decade ago!

 

Bill Quimby

 

[coues hunter]

308nut I respect your response and your desires. Knowing you're complete understanding and commitment to the action is why I can do this.

 

You just also need to except that when you post your 1000 yd kill. Someone will see it then watch a savage commercial shooting steel 1000+ yards and a trip to the sporting goods store later they'll be throwing lead a Coues 'n' Sheeps elk next year from 1000 yards.

I will continue to hunt hard and strive for my personal goals. Everyone else please do the same. Just understand your success will be imitated.

 

Lastly, if the point of this thread is to provoke thought. Then has it not been successfull. What is a long range shot? What defines a hunter? What decides the meaningfullness of a hunt?

[.270]

to me, using a compound bow instead of a recurve or longbow is comparable to using a long range rifle instead of an iron sighted '06 or some other "old style" rifle. as technology improves, so will hunting equipment, and folks are gonna use it. Lark.

[johnnie blaze]

Does free tickets to join the NRA, keep the #'s strong for legal hunting, or should we just keep a blind eye to "ethical/responsible" hunting so as just to keep our sport legal? HMMMMMMMMMMM

[CEI]

We are on this website because we live a certain way of life & we obviously value that way of life, so don't forget about that way of life. Others don't value our way of life, others don't like us & they don't want our way of life to exist!

 

These debates will always be a part of the hunting world, but please don't lose sight of the fact that we are ALL hunters! I think jealousy & ignorance are the main factors when it comes to these hunting issues. I have been guilty of both....

[dieselroe]

CNS,

 

I think you have more to blame then bad technique. You have to understand that the marketting departments at all the hunting corporations prey on our God given manly DNA. They know we think LR shooting is cool and prey on it to make money. They glorify it. It's not us. Its people using it to promote the latest fad. A lot of these companies are even owned by hunting groups, and families. They know they need to continue to move with our culture and make money to sustain themselves. Therefore you see the hunting world change according to its largest influencers and our human competetiveness.

 

Blame the dvd producers, corporations, and sniper glorifying humans of this world.

 

Things like this are just a reflection of the reality that we call humanity and culture.

 

Gun shops will always up sell you to the longrange(more costly) gun, and optics, and gear, and whatever else you want.

 

Sad and true.

 

 

 

 

[bobbyo]

Now this one should make you fall down and have convolutions, I promised myself I would get my first 4 digit yardage kill this year if it meant hiking in the opposite direction as the critter till the yardage was right. Why? Becaise I can and just plain want to. I have prided myself with close up harvests and I desire to pride myself of a very far away harvest. I have never even attempted a 1K harvest in the past because I didnt have the equipment or the profficiency to feel comfortable with that range. Now I have both.

M

I will up the ante I figure a 1000 yard rifle shot is equal to a 135 yard bow shot. Anyway the bubble on the bottom of my sight hits 135 yards and the degree angle i must cant my bow up is probably close to the cant of 1000 yard rifle shot. Close to a fair relationship. I just hope I will not be detected by my prey when I'm backing up for the shot. 135 yard bow shot! Why not?

Bob

[coues hunter]

Now this one should make you fall down and have convolutions, I promised myself I would get my first 4 digit yardage kill this year if it meant hiking in the opposite direction as the critter till the yardage was right. Why? Becaise I can and just plain want to. I have prided myself with close up harvests and I desire to pride myself of a very far away harvest. I have never even attempted a 1K harvest in the past because I didnt have the equipment or the profficiency to feel comfortable with that range. Now I have both.

M

I will up the ante I figure a 1000 yard rifle shot is equal to a 135 yard bow shot. Anyway the bubble on the bottom of my sight hits 135 yards and the degree angle i must cant my bow up is probably close to the cant of 1000 yard rifle shot. Close to a fair relationship. I just hope I will not be detected by my prey when I'm backing up for the shot. 135 yard bow shot! Why not?

Bob

 

Sadly enough, its already been done. I heard of a 151 yard coues buck bow kill and this past year a 160 yard Antelope bow kill. Not sure about any details but I would assume these guys lose their share of arrows.

[bobbyo]

Sadly enough, its already been done. I heard of a 151 yard coues buck bow kill and this past year a 160 yard Antelope bow kill. Not sure about any details but I would assume these guys lose their share of arrows.

 

I guess your saying I need a new bow? My site is real close to broadhead/fletching contact now at 135 yards. I guess I could instinctually shoot 150 yards.

 

Fredrico Ursa