"Good to a thousand" mentality??

[ForkHorn]

There is a small group of people that can shoot long distances, but there are very few instances when and where you can't get closer.

 

Is it laziness? I'm not sure. If you see a buck at 800 yards and look me straight in the eyes and tell me you can't get any closer I'd probably laugh at you. 99% of the time there is a better and closer shot with no risk of spooking the animal.

[Hoss50]

I agree Fork.

 

I closed on my elk last year from about 800 to 550 yards basically 100% out in the open. There was 1 bush between us and I made sure to keep that bush as much between us as possible, but I closed at least 200-250 yards in the dead open country before I was able to get into a depression out of sight and make up more ground. I closed to about 260 yards. From there I was completely out of cover and couldn't risk getting closer.

 

I wasn't crawling to make that first 200 yards either. I was standing up, moving slowly, wearing a homemade camo poncho that helped break up my outline.

[FancyRedneck]

My personal favorite that I watched last year was a guy shoot over 600 to get the buck to move to a better position. Thing is it still took him another 6 shots after that to tag the buck. I feel as if people that have the money go out buy top of the line gadgets and rifle and then they are automatically a 800+ yard shooter. Just because you see someone on a hunting show do it doesn't mean that you are capable of what they are. I had to re-sight in my scope from last year because it got bumped. I haven't really practiced further than 200 yards and thats all I am comfortable with so I don't shoot much more than that because I haven't practiced it. Is the gun capable of 500 or more yards yes , maybe with time and practice I will be to. Its the responsibility of all hunters to take ethical shots and make a quick kill.

[lancetkenyon]

I have several rifles that are "good to 1000", and a couple of them are "good for more than 1000".

 

I think I am "good for 1000" with those rifles too. I routinely practice from field positions from 350 to 1771 yards. Literally, 1000+ rounds a year, on top of all the 100-200 yard bench rounds.

 

With all of that being said, with the exception of some coyotes, my furthest shot on big game is 488 yards on a mule deer. I think every other shot on big game over the years has been between 3-180 yards. Closest has always been better for me.

 

I also think Taylor, my 14 year old daughter, is "good to 1000" if the need ever presented itself. She shoots almost as much as I do, and I bet 50+ times more than most hunters do throughout the year. Her big game shot distances have been: 18, 75, 160 yards. All one shot quick humane kills. I would rather attempt to get closer and possibly blow a stalk than take an iffy shot and wound game. That would weigh heavy on my mind.

[cjl2010]

Had the same situation this weekend. Wife practiced with me a bunch this summer. 200-700 yards on steel. Had her set up at 570 on a mule deer and she didn't like it. Took an extra hour(she is 4 months pregnant) to get to 290 yards and she felt much better and it all ended in success. Practicing at longer ranges sure makes the closer shots seem much easier.

[Tac]

I had two successful shots this year 535 on a cow elk and 579 on a whitetail buck. Both one shot kills and double lung. I had perfect rests and great conditions(no wind). I closed up to distance on the deer from 793 to 579 and it was a cross canyon shot from prone position on my normal shooting bipod.

the elk was from my backpack as a rest on a large rock for a stable platform. I practiced alot this year and learned if my rest is questionable dont take the shot.

Am I good to a thousand NO.

[trphyhntr]

one time i thought i could shoot 850 so i tried it for no reason really and missed a giant buck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

but im good to a thousand now.

[Hatchet Jack]

There is nothing worse than hitting an animal and not finding it. Nothing. It has happened to me once, it was a good hit at less than 400 yds but I was alone and wasn't able to call my shot. Looked for two full days for that deer, I knew he was dead, never did find him. At that point and I vowed to myself to do anything in my power to never have that happen again. That meant passing up 2 good bucks this year because they were 600 yds out. I would rather never even chamber a round on a hunt than wound/lose an animal. That sick feeling i had will stick in my mind forever. Does that mean I'm immune to losing an animal in the future? No way. I just wish the "shoot first then worry about what happens later" attitude I see a lot would go away.

[COA]

You cant shoot a 130 buck at 300 yds. If your shooting 90 inchers at a thousand.

[Zeke-BE]

400 yards is now easy to me. Practicing at a 1000 has been helping. Just this last weekend my brother hunt, they were shooting at a rabbit at 500 yards. They don't shoot long range and since they got "close" to it they thinks its pretty easy. I got into a big debate with them about it how its stupid to shoot that far when they have no practice or set other then a good idea to hold over. My brother said " i disagree"!!!! What!!!!! I started telling him all the physics of a bullets path and windage issues and you cant just take a guess ( maybe on a coyote sure). Later that day I got them on a deer (from the raido) 200 yards and he missed twice! Well he goes over the hill after it and finds another buck (now out of my view) and his buddy shoots at it 650 yards. They come back and say they barley shot over its back, and after a few more question on their shot they told me it landed over its back buy his butt side. Really! If you landed that shot you would of hit it on the hind leg, would of ran off and probably suffer to death. That's the last time Im helping them out!

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

For years I had tried to be prepared to +/- 600 yds and we never lost a Critter. This year I was blessed with an opportunity to become a Shop Shooter for Inner Mountain Rifle Stocks... They build custom guns and stocks. With a brand new 6.5x.284 Norma arriving I figured I was GOLDEN now! I pulled it out of the Box, checked the zero at 200 and lofted a 5 shot (3/4 MOA) group out to 966 yds the first day! What I realized next was how much I still had to learn! Eric, the owner, taught me about load data for this new gun, how to use the equipment that I had to it's potential... and coupling that with the things I had learned over the years we have taken 5 antelope, with 3 different shooters, in 2 different states with it so far this year... at ranges from 280-736 yds! All one shot kills all with spotters, calling ranges, calling wind, and calling shots. It takes more than a shooter, it takes the best equipment, it takes a bit of help also... and it takes being able to pull out before the shot and say, "Nope... not gonna happen." There is a lotta work that goes into each shot over 400-500 yds... the conditions have to be equally as good as the gun and the shooter. I am heading to a shooting school with the Guys from IMRS next summer and can't wait to keep up the hard work... but the more I learn the more humbling it becomes, and the more I realize that in the past we had some really "Lucky" days...LOL.

 

I wish that all hunters were able to enjoy the option of success at close range and at long range.... both take a lotta work.

 

Good Hunting!

[Pine Donkey]

The gun may be good to 1000, but is the shooter, the load, the set-up, the scope, the weather, the lighting, the rest???

 

We shoot guns that are good to 1000 on every hunt. We shoot year around, we practice, we develop our loads. We shoot early, we shoot late, we shoot in bright sun and low light. With all this, every shot we have taken is under 800, most under 300. Shooting a long distance is a tool at the bottom of the tool box, it is never the first tool we grab.

 

Reading some of the comments a few thoughts come to mind. 1st: setting up for a long distant shot takes time. This is not something that you can do by jumping out of a vehicle and firing off a few rounds. 2nd: how far will that deer walk, trot or run while the bullet is in flight?...it doesn't matter, if the animal is on the move, it is not a candidate for a long range shot. If the animal is not totally relaxed, i.e. Feeding or bedded, don't take a long shot at it. Even then, they may take a random step. 3rd: if you are practicing to shoot game at a long distance, do not shoot at a 36 inch gong. Get proficient at hitting small targets. We use 8 inch gongs and 12" x 14" plates. Also, paint your target before shooting so you know exactly where you are hitting. 4th: optics, optics, optics. I ran into an old acquaintance this past weekend. He had a beautiful, custom rifle...with a $150 scope wtf!

 

I have no problem with people taking a long shot with rifle or bow, as long as they are truly skilled and practiced at that range and do so in the right conditions. Anything short of that is akin to a random fan being selected at halftime of a basketball game to attempt making a half court shot. Sure sometime the lucky fool might rattle one in, but that is the exception. Even the best shooter on the team knows better than to attempt that shot!

[Eagle mountain ranch]

Good topic ... I blame it on all the t.v. hunting shows etc. not to mention all the talk about it. Shooting steel with no pressure and shooting an animal are two complete different things. It's all about input/output yes this equipment can do it all day long, but the input from the shooter is the variable ! Not to mention do they even go check for blood after pulling the trigger if the animal just doesn't fall right over? I bet not which is not fair to the animals we pursue.

[Adicted]

It took me 2 years and alot of shooting by my house at all different angles, distances, etc. I tried several different batches of rounds to find out what my rifle liked. Now i practice by shooting at rocks at all differnent distances. My rifle is 6 for 6 now since being built. Last 3 coues were 6-700....If the wind is CALM, 800 or less hes in big trouble with all confidence. For some reason that 900-1000 is kicking my a$$ so i just wont take the shot. If its windy at all, I wont shoot over 500.

 

I am not in the " good to1000" club but I realize it. But i'm in the "Good to 800 club" ...hahaha.

[5guyshunting]

With my sig sauer kilo 2000, I gotta be good to 3000 since it ranges that far.