Accuracy and long range hunting

[Biggerhammer]

It's all math, the whole world is math. Fairly simple if one can count.

[bobcat]

The title of this thread is wrong. It should be "Accuracy and long range shooting."

It's not hunting if you're shooting your game 1/2 mile away.   

[coachcw]

Is that like fishing with a down rigger ?

[Biggerhammer]

Is that like fishing with a down rigger ?

Ha! Exactly or walking instead of driving.

[deadlift]

One of the easiest things to do is learn the math on shooting a 22rf at 300 yds and practice that in field conditions (wind, rain anything crappy) . It will stress the best shooters and let you learn your weakness before you wound big game. Then when you are comfortable at 300 with the rimfire, move to a centerfire and run to 500-600yds. Really focus on your form and trigger control, make it muscle memory and the rest will fall into place. The thing that will kick your butt in any shooting is the wind, watch it all the way out and above you. That bullet may be 15' higher than the line of sight... The other thing that will be the best advise you can get is just go shoot, then when your happy, shoot some of these field matches. The time limits will be the hardest part but it does mimic game as nothing really stands still so think of it as a time limit and when its up the critters gone.
Most of all have fun and if you want to start field shooting ask the match director to squad you w a few experienced shooter and you will learn more in 2 days than 3 years plinking.
Have fun!! Nothing better than pulling down on a target and whacking it hard at 1000 yds. 
Chris
Benhcmark

[follow maggie]

I'm getting into long range shooting this year. I'm setting up my 300 with a Timney trigger and muzzle brake. Going to start reloading so I can afford the ammo.  For hunting, though, my limit is 200. Never shot anything past 100, though

[coachcw]

I'm getting into long range shooting this year. I'm setting up my 300 with a Timney trigger and muzzle brake. Going to start reloading so I can afford the ammo.  For hunting, though, my limit is 200. Never shot anything past 100, though

I hope you have a blast . remember never to give up accuracy to gain fps. if you need a load for a Winnie I have a good one to start with .

[JackOfAllTrades]

Most of all have fun and if you want to start field shooting ask the match director to squad you w a few experienced shooter and you will learn more in 2 days than 3 years plinking.

Chris
Benhcmark

I'll second that!  While I don't compete at long range shooting, I do 'when time allows' compete at one handed Bullseye/Standard pistol Rimfire (2pound trigger), CenterFire/45acp (3 1/2pound trigger), at 50yds for slow fire and 25yds for timed/rapid fire. For most people, this is long range shooting with a 'pistol'. When I started some 14 years ago, I learned more in two matches and then the state championships, from the veteran competitors than I ever would have on my own. Most of them will talk your ear off and you'll be challenged to take all of it in and make sense of it. Take notes! Now I share information.   

I will say, other than the dope, other than your optic, other than your cartridge characteristics, Learning trigger control is the first step to good shooting.

-Steve

[Rich_S]

How about a heart shot at 375 yards on a Muley at a dead run from a standing position?

(The rest of the story)
One of the members of our hunting party made a gut shot and the deer took off running. All tolled, thirteen of us (men, wimmen and kids) searched the sagebrush all morning. We were all gathered on a hill, deciding what to do next, when the deer broke out of the brush on the flat below us, running for a posted "No Hunting or Trespassing" fence line.

My buddy sat down and missed two shots with his 7mm mag. He went empty. I stood next to him with three rounds in my Model 88 Win .284 Win. w/open sights. I fired a round which hit ten feet behind it. The next round was five feet back (I could clearly see the puffs in the dust). The third round scored and the deer went face first sliding. Stopped about a hundred feet short of the fence. Had no choice but to try it. Got lots of witnesses to my pure dumb luck combined with a generous portion of clean living! 

[coachcw]

How about a heart shot at 375 yards on a Muley at a dead run from a standing position?

(The rest of the story)
One of the members of our hunting party made a gut shot and the deer took off running. All tolled, thirteen of us (men, wimmen and kids) searched the sagebrush all morning. We were all gathered on a hill, deciding what to do next, when the deer broke out of the brush on the flat below us, running for a posted "No Hunting or Trespassing" fence line.

My buddy sat down and missed two shots with his 7mm mag. He went empty. I stood next to him with three rounds in my Model 88 Win .284 Win. w/open sights. I fired a round which hit ten feet behind it. The next round was five feet back (I could clearly see the puffs in the dust). The third round scored and the deer went face first sliding. Stopped about a hundred feet short of the fence. Had no choice but to try     it. Got lots of witnesses to my pure dumb luck combined with a generous portion of clean living! 

eyes oped or closed , that's luck not precision.  It could be your just that good though , there's  not many of us. 

[kbrowne14]

Where I hunt deer and elk there are a lot of hunters.  The reason I said that there are a lot of hunters is, sometimes in the area that I hunt, once I spot a shooter elk or deer, the hardest part is getting a shot off first.  Having the equipment and the ability to shoot further is a huge advantage.

However, I really don't like the term "Long Range Hunter."  I prefer the term Precision Hunter.  I am going to approach each shot regardless of distance in the same precise manor, and I am going to feel just as confident at 1000 yards as I do at 100 yards.  If I don't feel that confidence I won't take the shot, I have shot a deer at 700 yards, and an hour previous I passed on a deer at 250 because I didn't feel comfortable with the shot.

I think people get too hung up on the distance.  Most people are not set up properly to take an animal passed 500 yards.  It really does take more than a BDC reticle, a range finder, and a "tack driver" that shoots a sub moa 3 shot group 1 time with a box of core-lokts.  I have a 30-06 that is very accurate, more accurate than I can shoot it, and my longest shot I will take with it is 400 yards because it isn't set up to shoot further.  If you have trained to shoot at distances and you have the knowledge, ability, and equipment to take a precision shot at longer distances, you are just as ethical as anybody out there. 

[savagehunter]

This last season I ran into a couple of precision hunters. They shot a nice buck at 800 yards over the top of me and my son. Spoke with them at length 45000 dollars worth of equipment they said second but in 3 days . Missed a five point at a thousand they said. Swarovski spotters geovid range finding binoculars angle compensation included. Custom rifles in awsome wildcat configurations. Awhile later. After they had left and me and my son and this old timer camped there were cleaning up all the trash they had left in the high country. Who carries red Bull five miles in? The old man tells me and my son that these two yahoo's who shoot thousands of rounds at a thousand yards. That took a thousand yard shot at a 5x5 mule deer. Thought they had scored a hit the old man sat with the spotter while the other guy went up canyon. He called back on the radio that he found blood. He even spent a whole hour looking for that buck. Now I may not have the fancy crap or the custom crap or the most expensive crap. But plenty of old timers took thos we shots with iron I saw my old man one shot one kill a deer at 600 yards with the 8 mm Mauser his grandpa took off a dead German in the black forest. I also spent 12 hours in the creek bottom in the pucker brush tracking a wounded deer he shot at less then a hundred. I'll be the judge of my ethics and just keep picking up trash of the guys who can spend 45000 dollars to kill deer thank you very much.

[coachcw]

This last season I ran into a couple of precision hunters. They shot a nice buck at 800 yards over the top of me and my son. Spoke with them at length 45000 dollars worth of equipment they said second but in 3 days . Missed a five point at a thousand they said. Swarovski spotters geovid range finding binoculars angle compensation included. Custom rifles in awsome wildcat configurations. Awhile later. After they had left and me and my son and this old timer camped there were cleaning up all the trash they had left in the high country. Who carries red Bull five miles in? The old man tells me and my son that these two yahoo's who shoot thousands of rounds at a thousand yards. That took a thousand yard shot at a 5x5 mule deer. Thought they had scored a hit the old man sat with the spotter while the other guy went up canyon. He called back on the radio that he found blood. He even spent a whole hour looking for that buck. Now I may not have the fancy crap or the custom crap or the most expensive crap. But plenty of old timers took thos we shots with iron I saw my old man one shot one kill a deer at 600 yards with the 8 mm Mauser his grandpa took off a dead German in the black forest. I also spent 12 hours in the creek bottom in the pucker brush tracking a wounded deer he shot at less then a hundred. I'll be the judge of my ethics and just keep picking up trash of the guys who can spend 45000 dollars to kill deer thank you very much.

Wow that a huge generalization pal. first of all it's not the 45 k worth of gear that makes the slob. it's the prick carrying it so please don't generalize, my bet is theres plenty more guys carrying box guns hucking beer cans out the window than guys with nice gear leaving trash, second the ethical distance to shoot is way more than the distance of the shot , good equipment , conditions  , practice , condition of the hunter , and the movement of the game play a huge roll . there is times when even with the best equiptment that fourty yards could be too far. in my book 5-600 yards can be ethical with good equiptment and practice but is never ethical with a guy that shoots three shots before hunting season or shots a weapon that he doesn't know inside and out the ballistics of  . no disrespect for you grandpa intended but shooting six hundred yards with a 8mm mauser and box ammo with what was most likely a old 4x weaver scope seem way more about greed vrs ethics . and i'm not kicking the old 8mm I still have my first one wich I killed my first deer with (at 75 yards). I'm sorry but I respect and love all hunting from archery to muzzy and long range rifle when the proper preparation is put into it. I love archery but have a lot of respect for the pression required to shoot long distance .

[grundy53]

the equipment doesn't make the slob, the slob does.

[savagehunter]

My post was not about littering . It was not my grandfather shooting it was my dad. It was his grandfather's rifle. He was shooting with the German iron sights. Did you even read my post? Ethics meaning not having my son and me in their line of fire. I actually didn't mind them taking long shots. The point is the got a hit at 1000 yards and one guy spent one hour looking for that deer. The point is if you take that shot be prepared to do the right thing don't go back to glassing. Get your butt into the brush both of them should not have come off that mountain til they had made an ethical attempt to track that buck. We all have our opinions that's mine and I stand by it . The equipment doesn't make it ethical the man does.