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

[Magnum_Willys]

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?

Shooting long range one learns that the wind controls whether to shoot or not.    In mountains and across valleys any wind is so variable that each 1 mph starts knocking about 100 yards off my confidence range.   

And then bullet energy is a concern - if you want 1500 ft lbs on Elk then that limits his apparent equipment to about 1200 yards at 8000 ft elevation but 900 yards at sea level.

And then accuracy - if you look at precision rifle blog study you see that hit percentage on a 20" circle at 1000 yards runs 75% for a .5 moa rifle calling wind +/- 2 mph.

So 90% confidence on the first shot is really tough at 1000 yards.   But given two shots the 90% range could go out even further. 

I'll bet he was 90% confident he would get it in the first two shots. 

[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?

Shooting long range one learns that the wind controls whether to shoot or not.    In mountains and across valleys any wind is so variable that each 1 mph starts knocking about 100 yards off my confidence range.   

And then bullet energy is a concern - if you want 1500 ft lbs on Elk then that limits his apparent equipment to about 1200 yards at 8000 ft elevation but 900 yards at sea level.

And then accuracy - if you look at precision rifle blog study you see that hit percentage on a 20" circle at 1000 yards runs 75% for a .5 moa rifle calling wind +/- 2 mph.

So 90% confidence on the first shot is really tough at 1000 yards.   But given two shots the 90% range could go out even further. 

I'll bet he was 90% confident he would get it in the first two shots.

You keep quoting energy but dont have any way to possibly know that info... obviously in this case he did have the required energy to effectively kill that elk.

Do you have any real evidence or proof that it takes 1500 to kill elk? I see that number thrown around all the time and nobody can answer why.

[Stein]

It's all what the hunter is comfortable with.  Less energy obviously give less room for error.  A bullet going too slow to open can still be lethal, but less room for error.  Nobody is going to run a research project where they run all the bullets and calibers through enough elk to come up with a number, but we do know that 1500 ft lbs gives very good results under a wide variety of conditions.  I think it also assumes a modern hunting bullet in the .30 cal range as stuff like smoke poles and arrows kill with far less.

[fishngamereaper]

Lots of different perspectives from different experiences so there is no real right or wrong answer..

My personal rule - super high confidence level at half my practice distance.  So for rifle, with a lot of trigger time at 1200-1500 and some at 2k and beyond my real world scenario zone is 600-700 yds for high percentage kill shot regardless what I'm shooting at...Beyond that is doable but the kill shot percentage drops..

Also as I've aged I'm less likely to take iffy shots. I'm content on passing on animal's if the shot is not nearly 100 percent. I don't need the meat bad enough to chance loosing an animal. 

[fishngamereaper]

Also wdfw thinks shooting at animals at 1k and farther is unethical for what it's worth.

[KFhunter]

Also wdfw thinks shooting at animals at 1k and farther is unethical for what it's worth.

Not much, unless it's law (and enforceable)

[Magnum_Willys]

You keep quoting energy but dont have any way to possibly know that info...

Normally that would be the case but they tell the caliber and their their biz is built around that specific caliber with a specific rifle and load so the only variable is elevation.  Since they were in Wyoming use 8000 ft and punch numbers into a ballistic app and gotta be pretty close.

[elksnout]

I've been hunting a longgggg time. Mostly a timber hunter with the occasional clearcut hunt throw in. My rifles were sighted in and practice sessions were 200 yards tops. I've let too many bucks and bulls walk out of my life that I felt were out of my range and comfort level.  With an upcoming hunt planned for Colorado this past November it was time to grow a set and learn how to extend my range. I took a long range shooting course last summer and learned a lot and walked away with added confidence in my shooting along with more practice sessions.

I actually learned my rifles true muzzle velocity with the bullet I've chosen. Learned how to set paralax on my scope and to "dope my scope" for the current conditions. Body/spine alignment with the rifles bore, etc.  And many other tips to make me a more confident shooter. I shot my buck at 370 yards across a draw while he was bedded in an aspen thicket. Had a clear shot at his vitals and the buck never knew what hit him. I don't think that I've concentrated more to take any shot at a live animal than I did that day. I knew that I only had one good shot. Miss or worse getting a follow up shot that far away in the cover he was in would have been difficult at best.

Had I not taken the shooting class and practiced I never would have shot. Having said that I will also say that I'm still not a long range hunter. 400, possibly 450 yards with perfect conditions....maybe. I still feel that too many things can go wrong which could make putting down that animal quickly difficult if not impossible. But that's me who I know very well.

I'll keep my thoughts to myself on that kid with the 1,376 yard shot to myself.

Elksnout

[idaho guy]

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 

 

How far in yards is a “ways” away 

[BULLBLASTER]

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 

 

How far in yards is a “ways” away 

 

[coachcw]

good shooting with the right equipment.

[ballpark]

I wish I had the time, experience and equipment it took to make that shot.  We all know or should know the work it took before hand to have the confidence and ability to make that shot.   

[snake]

Dumb to take that long of a shot.

[fishngamereaper]

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 

 

How far in yards is a “ways” away 

 

Did you get thrown under the bus...

[Mr Mykiss]

What about the guy who shoots a box of ammo a year and another half box at running deer at 200 yards? I agree we should stick to our limitations but that crap occurs at all skill levels

But what if I hit him with my last shot...will that make me instafamous?