Safe Shooting Distance

[Intruder]

Below is an email response to a buddy in our discussion regarding long range shooting.  Hopefully the point that I'm making is logical and sensible....   

"It's a dicey question.  I've thought about it quite abit in many different forms.  To me first and foremost it has to be:
1. Within the law
2. Humane  (You can argue a bunch a fat duffers spending a ton on a gun they can't shoot isn't humane.  Most dudes that do this though are really into it and are very good shots)
3.Biologically sound (I'm not aware of any scientific evidence that this is an issue)

If if meets those 3 criteria then I'm not going to judge.  There are just too many cases today where you can argue the point of too much technology.... compound bows, range finders, sabots, expanding broadheads, heck even scopes themselves.  I'm less concerned with the few guys who are actually proficient at this than I am of outside forces interfering in the hunting arena.  I will say that I'm concerned with guys thinking they can simply buy these guns and that suddenly makes them capable of making these shots.  These are likely the same guys that gut shoot animals at 100 yards.  70% of the guys out there should never attempt a shot over 250-300 yards.  They simply don't have the sufficient time in practicing at longer ranges nor the real understanding of ballistics.  Firing a half dozen shots from a bench at a 3x3 piece steel at 300 meters and hittin it 4 or 5 times doesn't suddenly make a hunter qualified to take those shots in the field. 
 
I guess what I'm getting at is it's a can of worms if you really try to legislate it.  Suddenly everything will come under scrutiny and you'll have a bunch of pinhead lawyers and bleeding heart bunny huggers dictating hunting.  For example, (this is completely anecdotal, but I believe there's a fair chance it's accurate) I've heard that nation wide as many as 1/2 of the animals killed during bow season are ones that are actually lost/wounded animals.  In other words if there are 800 animals taken this year in WA w/ a bow there may be another 800 wounded that will die.  Even if its only 20-30%, that information spun the wrong way would be disastrous for bow hunting even if it has 0 biological impact on herds, etc.   
 
To your point though... as hunters we need to do a better job policing ourselves and making sure we are all representing the (+) of the sport while trying to change the (-) behaviors.  I think the whole topic of where do you draw the line is an excellent debate that should be discussed more by hunters.  I'd much rather see hunters making & setting these limits than someone from behind a desk."

[BlackTail]

That was very well said.

[Lets Hunt]

i agree this is a dicey subject at best and lets hope it stays a ethical question and never becomes a legal one.

[actionshooter]

If it ever becomes a legal question we are going to be in big trouble! 

[Coasthunterjay]

There are guys in wyoming that are shooting 1000+ yards from a bench at antalope and hardly ever miss

they are called snipers...not hunters.

There still bringing the meat home for dinner. "Are they not?"

[jackelope]

There still bringing the meat home for dinner. "Are they not?"

if that's what it's all about for you, then that's gonna be ok with you. that ain't what it's about for me. you might as well finish the story about how they're driving down the road, hop out of the truck, set up their shooting bench so they have a rest,......then take the thousand yard shot.

thats not hunting, thats shooting. you can go to the range if thats what you want to do.

[Intruder]

thats not hunting, thats shooting

2 points:
- I can't speak for everyone that shoots "long range" but the particular individual that I know who does it is an exceptional hunter.  He's killed elk with a recurve bow as well as a muzzle loader.  The vast majority of the animals he harvests are miles from the nearest road and he uses nothing other than a Harris Bipod as a rest.  I've hunted with him on occasion and the places he treks are often down right scary.
 
- Other than relying on a hunter's ethics and good judgement how can we determine what the distance is that represents too far?  There are literally dozens of variables(hunter's ability, equipment, environmental conditions, terrain, etc) that go into determining an ethical killing range in any given situation.  I'm just not sure how it's possible to say what is too far.     

[jackelope]

i guess all's i was saying is that the guys shooting pronghorns off  of shooting benches are not exactly what I would call hunters.
thats my opinion, i don't expect everybody to agree with it. i didn't mean to make anyone else sound like less of a "hunter"
if one can shoot long distances, do it, and be proud of yourself that you have achieved that level of skill...just don't do it off of shooting benches out of the back of your truck at animals and call it "hunting"
again, my .02.
not everyone's gonna agree, and i'm cool with that.

[Intruder]

I would agree that the antelope scenario like you described is far more shooting than it is hunting. Not illegal.... not how I'd describe hunting though.