12-YEAR-OLD MAKES STUNNING 1,376-YARD SHOT ON BIG BULL ELK

[Pegasus]

All I can say is that I was way more excited than that kid when I shot my first elk and it was a cow

The kid probably thinks he is playing video at that distance. No stalk, no sneak, no up close and personal. Just a speck in the dirt on the opposite hill. He was probably surprised when he did not see a score increase in his scope for hitting a target.

thats a pretty bold and frankly absurd comment. Maybe he's just a shy kid  I've mentored a lot of youth hunters over the years and every one of them reacted to death differently. This particular kid was high up in the wyoming mountains. He's high stepping up and down drainage and your you're busting his chops about video games? Poor form sir.


Also, you are a grown man insulting a child on the internet. Let that sink in for a bit    

Sorry Karl but you will never convince me that shooting an elk at that distance is an ethical thing to be doing either for kids or adults. Too many factors involved to consider it ethical behavior. Sorry if pointing out reality bothers you. Steel targets.. heck ya. Knock yourself out shooting at distant steel targets. Real animals, heck no. If he had gimped the elk like he almost did on the first shot how long to get over there and find the animal to put it out of its misery? How many animals are actually wounded by this method that the shooters never even bother to search for blood? I have seen that happen more than once. Videos like this just encourage bad behavior. Let that sink in.

[h20hunter]

For you, it is not ethical.  Ok , no problem.  The problem with your ethics, or mine, or anyone's only becomes an issue when you project yours on others.

[Karl Blanchard]

Where did I ever say that it was acceptable behavior? I sure didn't and you sure won't ever see me support shots like that. Your comment was directly pointed at his lack of excitement. You quoted elkracks comment about lack of excitement then took some jabs at the kid about not realizing reality wasn't a video game. Theow heat at his old man but to internet bully a 12 year old is just cowardly.

[Magnum_Willys]

Ethical means ?  What percentage likelihood of quick harvest?    Wheres the cutoff?
70% 90%  99%

If you are a muzzy, bow hunter or 1000 yd shooter you can’t pick a number over 90% by definition.  Or maybe 70%

 

[Dan-o]

Where did I ever say that it was acceptable behavior? I sure didn't and you sure won't ever see me support shots like that. Your comment was directly pointed at his lack of excitement. You quoted elkracks comment about lack of excitement then took some jabs at the kid about not realizing reality wasn't a video game. Theow heat at his old man but to internet bully a 12 year old is just cowardly.

The young man "looked" cool as a cucumber.
I suspect he was as excited as the rest of us - but his ability to focus and concentrate is impressive, and he has clearly trained with that rifle to know and trust his capability.   

Personally, I have to hand it to him for handling the pressure.
Heck, I've shot a few elk out to 400 yards with a few different forum members watching.
I'm willing to admit that I felt some extra pressure.
I suspect having cameras rolling and multiple spotters has to up the pressure.

I'm not a fan of shooting at that distance, but I can appreciate the acquired skill.

[Pegasus]

Where did I ever say that it was acceptable behavior? I sure didn't and you sure won't ever see me support shots like that. Your comment was directly pointed at his lack of excitement. You quoted elkracks comment about lack of excitement then took some jabs at the kid about not realizing reality wasn't a video game. Theow heat at his old man but to internet bully a 12 year old is just cowardly.

Haha. Nice try Karl. It is an old video and the kid did not post it here. I am not posting with the kid and "bullying" him. Maybe if he does see the post someday he might realize something that evidently his dad did not teach him about ethics. Videos like that should be removed from the internet because they promote bad behavior.  The kid might make a great sniper someday but we are talking about hunting game animals and not humans. You don't think promoting a video like that encourages more bad behavior by others now that you have stated you don't support shots like that?

[b23]

No way of proving this but I'd put my money on betting more animals are wounded on shots taken from 0-600 yards than on shots taken at 1000+ yards.

[Jonathan_S]

Where did I ever say that it was acceptable behavior? I sure didn't and you sure won't ever see me support shots like that. Your comment was directly pointed at his lack of excitement. You quoted elkracks comment about lack of excitement then took some jabs at the kid about not realizing reality wasn't a video game. Theow heat at his old man but to internet bully a 12 year old is just cowardly.

Haha. Nice try Karl. It is an old video and the kid did not post it here. I am not posting with the kid and "bullying" him. Maybe if he does see the post someday he might realize something that evidently his dad did not teach him about ethics. Videos like that should be removed from the internet because they promote bad behavior.  The kid might make a great sniper someday but we are talking about hunting game animals and not humans. You don't think promoting a video like that encourages more bad behavior by others now that you have stated you don't support shots like that?

No need to cancel the video since the internet has folks like you willing to donate their time and ethics to fact check it.

[hunter399]

Some can preach ethical,some can preach stunts to sell rifles.Dont all you guys that agree with it ,want to buy a rifle from them? A high price rifle that's no better than a tikka or howa with a high price scope attached.Then they give you load data, that is the same for every rifle and customer combo.

With any kind of TV show there is always some fast editing ,it's hard to say how many shots are taken before an animal hits the ground. EVERY time one shot drop every time ,does that really happen.Most guide will put you on animals at a reasonable distance ,we got to back it up so we can sell a few more rifles ,is that what we call ethics.
These rifles are so great,even a kid can do it. A kid that has had more practice behind the trigger than most people will have in a life time.
Selling rifles or ethics you be the judge.
With that said I'm not totally against it.If you are capable and have enough energy behind your bullet to do the job.
So it was a great shot.

[Stein]

No way of proving this but I'd put my money on betting more animals are wounded on shots taken from 0-600 yards than on shots taken at 1000+ yards.

Very true.  Also more car accidents on I-5 in LA than on the Alcan highway.  Not too many people launching them at 1400 yards, fewer still that are good enough to even hit it at all.  Ironically, at that distance you have to be a very good shot with a great rifle to wound one it if it's a lone animal.  Unfortunately, nobody on the planet is making high percentage first round kills at that distance either, so the blade cuts both ways.

[idaho guy]

Where did I ever say that it was acceptable behavior? I sure didn't and you sure won't ever see me support shots like that. Your comment was directly pointed at his lack of excitement. You quoted elkracks comment about lack of excitement then took some jabs at the kid about not realizing reality wasn't a video game. Theow heat at his old man but to internet bully a 12 year old is just cowardly.

The young man "looked" cool as a cucumber.
I suspect he was as excited as the rest of us - but his ability to focus and concentrate is impressive, and he has clearly trained with that rifle to know and trust his capability.   

Personally, I have to hand it to him for handling the pressure.
Heck, I've shot a few elk out to 400 yards with a few different forum members watching.
I'm willing to admit that I felt some extra pressure.
I suspect having cameras rolling and multiple spotters has to up the pressure.

I'm not a fan of shooting at that distance, but I can appreciate the acquired skill.

   

  I was impressed with how he handled pressure also. I have felt the extra nerves with just a few buddies watching and was filmed one time. Its reality that being on film seriously ups the nerves and potentially complicates a lot of things leading up to and even taking the shot. I would not take that shot  but can appreciate that kids ability . I dont personally understand the debate of hunting being only if I stalk in close vs I shoot long range. I guess its because I really enjoy both ways of hunting both completely different but just as satisfying to me. Maybe because i do both every year and wouldnt ever want to give up either method. I don't really qualify as a long range hunter in todays world but feel good if I stretch out to 700 yards max with most of my "long range" shots in the 400-600 range. Feels good after growing up with a 30-30 and then "graduating" to a 30-06 anything over 200 was extreme long range to us back then  If i can get closer with a rifle I always do but its nice just to shoot cross canyon when you realize there is no high percentage way to close the gap.       

[Bob33]

I have a question for the experts in long-range shooting. My standard on big game is to only take shots in which I believe I have at least a 90% chance that the first shot will hit vitals and result in a clean, quick kill.

With equipment like this 12 year old has, and the right training and practice at what distance would my 90% standard become unattainable?

[BULLBLASTER]

I have a question for the experts in long-range shooting. My standard on big game is to only take shots in which I believe I have at least a 90% chance that the first shot will hit vitals and result in a clean, quick kill.

With equipment like this 12 year old has, and the right training and practice at what distance would my 90% standard become unattainable?

I dont know if there could ever be a number to answer thar question. It would all depend on the specifics at each opportunity. Shooting position, atmospheric conditions, to some extent terrain, would all come into play.

Equipment wise, that gun is very capable i am sure. A 1/2 moa rifle with a very consistent and stable ammunition will put the bullets on a small spot way out there, but conditions and the booger hook operator can make it seem much worse.

[Stein]

I have a question for the experts in long-range shooting. My standard on big game is to only take shots in which I believe I have at least a 90% chance that the first shot will hit vitals and result in a clean, quick kill.

With equipment like this 12 year old has, and the right training and practice at what distance would my 90% standard become unattainable?

Assuming a good gun (well sub 1/2 MOA) and a shooter, the 800 pound gorilla in the room is the wind call.  It's the reason nobody will get a 90% first hit rate at 1400 yards unless you are on the surface of the moon.  It's simply something that can't be calculated or figured with the level of precision required to stay in a 24x24" target unless it is dead calm, which pretty much never happens.

Hard to say what distance that happens, wind is a variable and you can't calculate out the distance because you never know how far you are off until you send one.  With normal bullet spread, if you have a .5 MOA rifle you can calculate how far before you go more than 12" from point of aim, but with wind you can't.

For sure, the more wind, the smaller the number would be, but at that distance even 1-2 mph off on the speed or angle on your guess is going to do really bad things.

Nobody talks about the 800 pound gorilla though, Achilles heal for sure.

[Jonathan_S]

I'm sure the spotters talked about the wind quite a bit.

This year in the mountains, @BULLBLASTER spent about 45 minutes watching the 800lb gorilla(wind).. Call was accurate and the deer was super dead. In that situation the hunters could have either been a "ways" away or about 28 feet for a shot.

Dead calm happens too, its the only reason I've taken a handful of shots