Hunting at 1000 yards

[ArcticFox]

Interesting article on hunting at extreme ranges, the technology involved, the accuracy achieved, and it raises a number of questions...

1. "Keith Balford, director of marketing for the Missoula, Mont.-based Boone and Crockett Club, said the organization that compiles record books for trophy animals has no regulations against taking animals at long ranges.

But he worries long-range hunting could hurt the sport."

2. "We just didn't consider it to be a reasonable sporting proposition to shoot at that range. You can shoot a deer at 150 yards and spend a whole lot of time to find where it dropped. If you add two ridge tops between it makes it a lot more difficult."

The 1,000-yard shot

 

[Aussie44]

That's has been going on for years.
Here is one from 2007.More on the menu on right.
YouTube - 1000 Yards Antelope Hunting - Long Range Shooting

Ken

 

[Plumbata]

Done a lot of hunting. longest shot I ever took was right at 300 yds on a caribou. Hated to do it too, but I had been trying to close with the SOB for two days.

How in the hell can you even determine if you WANT to shoot the animal at 1K yards? You cannot tell me that you can evaluate the animal at that distance with any certainty.

 

[windjammer]

I don't have a late model rangefinder but I supect they would be accurate at 1000 yds.

I took a whitetail at just over 400 yds with a M70 Winchester 30-06. Thru the lungs with no problem.

 

[norad45]

Regarding long shots, I agree with the late Jeff Cooper who said, and I am paraphrasing: "I've made a few long shots in my life but I don't brag about them. On the contrary, I apologize for them."

 

[gizamo]

I rarely agree with Jeff Cooper...but he's right on this one. If I am not sure of a killing shot, I pull off.

Much as I hate Coyotes...I won't pull unless I'm sure. It's twisted logic to think you know where your bullet's gonna strike at 1000 yards.

I'm going to prolly take some heat for this...

But luck has it's limits in killing game...and pushing that to it's limits is both beyond reason and based on pure Ego...


giz

 

[n4zov]

It is good to see that I am not the only one who thinks this is really bad idea!

 

[dpmac83]

Same here n4zov. I am an avid hunter, and love shooting! But if i ever try a 1000 yard shot it will be with the absolute certainty that there is nothing breathing anywhere near my target. Even the slightest variation in wind can chance the trajectory of your round, What good is a dead target if you cant find it???

 

[Jst1mr]

Save the long range stuff for the range! Even if you are sure you can make the shot, an animal can easily move enough during "flight time" to turn a kill into a cripple. Iron plates don't move...prove your skill with them and don't trust to luck.

 

[kleinkaliber]

Save the long range stuff for the range! Even if you are sure you can make the shot, an animal can easily move enough during "flight time" to turn a kill into a cripple. Iron plates don't move...prove your skill with them and don't trust to luck.

Amen.

I think out past 300 yards there is just to much that can happen.

 

[jkc]

Here in Arizona, it's fairly common to take long shots, particularly at Coues whitetails, which typically occupy fairly open, but also very steep and convoluted country, making them easy to spot at long range, but sometimes very difficult to stalk. With very good optics, you can assess antlers at extreme ranges, and with the right conditions and rifle, make humane long-range kills. I've taken two Coues whitetails with one-shot kills at a little over 750 yards, under perfect shooting conditions. Unethical? I think it probably is, if conditions (wind, etc.) are not perfect, and if the rifle and rifleman aren't up to the task. I also think that sticking arrows into big animals like elk by inept archers is unethical, but I'm not advocating eliminating archery elk hunting.

Aldo Leopold pretty well summed up this long-standing conundrum:

"...there is value in any experience that exercises those ethical constraints collectively called 'sportsmanship.' Our tools for the pursuit of wildlife improve faster than we do, and sportsmanship is a voluntary limitation in the use of these armaments. It is aimed to augment the role of skill and shrink the role of gadgets in the pursuit of wild things."

 

[SWID]

I'm with most everybody else here. I owe any animal I shoot at a one shot instant kill. (I don't say this publicly, but I'm not impressed by bow hunters or muzzle loaders.)

I like the challenge of long ranges shots, and I have large paper targets to do it with.