Jack O'Connor's definition of long range shooting

[Richard22]

Something that I enjoy when the wife and I hit the antique stores is looking for old books on hunting and the outdoors. One of the things I enjoy most about them is how they give perspectives on hunter viewpoints and opinions from years past.

I found the one in the photo below and can already tell it's well worth the $2.50 that I paid for it. I'm sure most would agree that Jack O'Connor was one of the most respected authors within the hunting and shooting communities. After reading his comment on what defines long-range shooting, I wondered if most would agree with his definition today.

"Just what is a long-range shot at big game? Defined conservatively, it is any shot made beyond the ordinary point-blank range of the rifle in use. And that means any shot in which the bullet will fall more than 4 inches below the line of sight and where allowance for drop is necessary."

 

[brymoore]

I read one of his stories of shooting an elk bull in Wyoming at 600 yards. First shot broke the jaw, second shot was lungs. Jaw shot was more of an angle issue shooting downhill, at least that’s Jack’s excuse. Had the bull not moved his head, the bullet would have hit lungs.

 

[thomas89]

I bought my dad a collection of Jack O’Connor’s stories.

Anytime I go home I read a few more. Guy was an absolute savage with spray and pray shooting.

 

[Forkyfinder]

I bought my dad a collection of Jack O’Connor’s stories.

Anytime I go home I read a few more. Guy was an absolute savage with spray and pray shooting.

Whats old is new

 

[Irrelevant]

I mean TR talks about skipping bullets off the ground and hitting pronghorn. And taking running shots on them

 

[BAKPAKR]

I mean TR talks about skipping bullets off the ground and hitting pronghorn. And taking running shots on them

I cringed when reading TR’s stories from Africa.

 

[Treeshark]

Fred Bear wasn’t afraid to send arrows down range either.

 

[Irrelevant]

Fred Bear wasn’t afraid to send arrows down range either.

Nor Pope and Young.

But we digress.

Killing has never been easy, and while it is the goal, I think I would hate for it to be assured.

 

[brymoore]

Elmer Keith’s shooting stories are epic. He joined the Montana National Guard to be able to participate in shooting events. He talked about shooting at nationals at Camp Perry. I believe it was events with 1903 in 30-06. The man could shoot but then he goes hunting. Shoots a mule deer in the arse with a 30-06. He says it’s not enough caliber for deer because the deer limped away…. He has a few similar stories.

 

[Schaaf]

Ole Jack wasn’t always known for the most ethical shot placement.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Which is why it's funny when people talk about "how Jack O'Connor did it" as if how he set up/zeroed rifles 70 years ago must still be the best practice today.

 

[LopeHunter]

Elmer Keith’s shooting stories are epic. He joined the Montana National Guard to be able to participate in shooting events. He talked about shooting at nationals at Camp Perry. I believe it was events with 1903 in 30-06. The man could shoot but then he goes hunting. Shoots a mule deer in the arse with a 30-06. He says it’s not enough caliber for deer because the deer limped away…. He has a few similar stories.

Kieth was born in 1899 a few miles from my hometown. Same birth year as Ernest Hemingway. Keith was part of the Idaho National Guard and served in WW2 combat.

The .30-06 is a .30 caliber cartridge case revision developed by the U.S. Army then adopted in 1906. The existing .30-03 case was modified which led to altering in the M1903 Springfield .30-03 to accept the .30-06. Winchester launched the first commercial sporting rifle production of the .30-06 in 1908 with the cartridge offered for the Win Model 1895 lever-action rifle.

If I had to pick one and only one rifle caliber to pack around the world then would be the .30-06. A nice selection of bullet weights and types as prepare for the next hunt.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Kieth was born in 1899 a few miles from my hometown. Same birth year as Ernest Hemingway. Keith was part of the Idaho National Guard and served in WW2 combat.

The .30-06 is a .30 caliber cartridge case revision developed by the U.S. Army then adopted in 1906. The existing .30-03 case was modified which led to altering in the M1903 Springfield .30-03 to accept the .30-06. Winchester launched the first commercial sporting rifle production of the .30-06 in 1908 with the cartridge offered for the Win Model 1895 lever-action rifle.

If I had to pick one and only one rifle caliber to pack around the world then would be the .30-06. A nice selection of bullet weights and types as prepare for the next hunt.

I'm pretty sure Keith was an inspector at a rifle mfr plant in UT during ww2. Woulda sucked to be in the shit in your 40s in ww2!

 

[Steiny77]

I'm a big Jack O'Conner fan, have read all of his stuff. Bought a pre-64 Winchester model 70 in .270 and shot a sheep with it in Alaska because that seemed like the proper way to do it.
Many could benefit from unfollowing the long range shooting Youtubes and programs, and learn some of the rifleman fundamentals O'Conner talks about in his writings.

 

[Brad]

I've got that same book on my shelf - I always liked Cactus Jack.

Hunting means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. I'll use an analogy from a different field - my father started flying in the 1940's in an open cockpit tail-dragger. He went on flying through the Korean War, backcountry flying here in Montana, and then was hired by a major airline in 1956. He flew all sort of airplanes from the DC3 through the 747. A lot of his early flying over the Atlantic was in the Lockheed Constellation, a 4 engine prop - 16+ hours at 18,000' over the Atlantic, NYC to London. At the end of his career it was the 747 at 38,000+ and 8 hours NYC to London. He'll tell you that the 747 was a hell of a lot more fun over the Atlantic than the the Constellation. But in the same breath he'll tell you "real airplanes have propellers and shit sticking out all over them," and that the greatest joy flying is in an open cockpit at under 6,000.' He's almost 97 yo and told me this recently.

I can appreciate a state of the art 6.5 PRC with a Nightforce scope, supressor, et al., set up to kill at 900 yards with the latest "alphabet bullet." OTOH, I find the greatest joy in hunting is stalking close to an animal and killing it within talking distance - something that doesn't require much technical sophistciation, but which requires a differnet skill set than LR shooting.

Find what is meaningful to YOU and do that... but that requires a bit of reflection. I like to be prepared for LR, but I'd always rather follow a track and shoot an animal in its bed.

 

[brockel]

Wait I thought long range hunting only just became a problem