Long Range Hunting
- Thread starter DK27
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VikingsGuy
Well-known member
This is not an issue I feel compelled to take a side on, but just passing on a perspective I have heard a few times - is it "fair chase" hunting if you are shooting from a distance where the animal's senses give it no real chance to know it is a target and to evade? At some point is it "shooting" and not "hunting"? I am not sure where the line is, but I think undoubtably there is one.
I've killed some animals with a rifle at bow range. They could have evaded me. I've killed some at ranges I won't disclose. They could have evaded me too. mtmuley
Mica Man
Well-known member
I've killed them close and I've killed them far with both bow and rifle where I felt confident in my ability and the conditions. There have also been shots I have not taken, every situation is different. Pretty damn easy to cast stones however...
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Old man bob
Well-known member
I never beleived in long range till this year at 63 years old. Farthest shot I ever took was a one shot kill on a trophy Elk here in Az. 4 years ago at 416 yards.. Never thought I would shoot past that. Then 4 months ago a Buddy was helping me on a Coues hunt in southern Az. and brought his gun. We found a good buck late afternoon and He showed me how to use his long range rifle . 650 yards dead Coues and made me a beleiver. If Yo have the equipment and $ to buy it now I am not opposed anymore. Bout 10 years ago in New Mexico if I had that set up I would have Harvested a 390+ Bull before dark across a canyon that I didn't have time to cross before dark. Everyone thinks different and it changed My outlook. If its legal, I'm OK with it...............BOB!
Doublecluck
Well-known member
Hypothesis = Far more animals are wounded at 200-500 yards than 500-infinity. This hypothesis is based on the fundamental principles of modern rifle ballistics, ie, the statistical probability of hitting any size target (especially a live potentially moving one) decreases with distance and time due to the effects of external ballistics. For instance, a 7 rm drops only 16” between 200-400, that’s a 200 yard bracket where a bullet is within the range of hitting the animal, that same 7 rm drops over 20” between 800 and 840 whereas the bullet is only in that same 20” bracket for a distance of 40 yards. The actual bracket at which most game is wounded is likely between 300-500 yards because many more hunters believe that is a ethical shot (in many cases because the internet says so) and those same hunters are less likely to hit a animal at all beyond 500 yards by a margin that increases with distance.
jmveverka
Active member
The only geese I killed this year I took laying on the gravel bar. Spotted them from the road driving by, parked, made a nice stalk - sure they saw me, but instead of flying they laid their heads down on the gravel to try to hide. Put the bead on them like a gobbler and took em without them leaving the spot. Gonna try turkey hunting with a rifle this year too - what is a good long range on a turkey? 200 yards? From the Roost?
Shooting and hunting ethics is what you make of it. If it is a legal method of take, there is no inherent danger (skyline, BBs skipping on water, etc), and you are confident and comfortable with what you are doing then have at it.
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Addicting
Well-known member
What if you were close, blew the stalk, but then shot and killed it at “long range”. Is that more more ethical seeing you let it evade you the first time?
I think I've hit more with my truck than I've actually harvested in the field... glad I can't say the same for deer.
D
Deleted member 38069
Guest
This is a big determining factor for me, I want clean meat! Plain and simple. I don't want to have to track a whole lot or leave it to die overnight and worry about spoilage. Also, I absolutely never want to clean another gut shot animal. After all, this is about procuring meat and killing humanely!
Muley_Stalker
Well-known member
Do you mean he sucked at getting close, so he took the easy way out instead of trying to get close again?
jmveverka
Active member
How about your on an elk at first light and it gets blown by other hunters. Get on them again but again they are pressured and no shot is offered. Finally catch them crossing the canyon and they are on the other side - about to be completely inaccessible. Yes I take that long range shot (640 yards) and do not feel as though I did not hunt that animal.
Muley_Stalker
Well-known member
You're free to shoot any distance you want. However, i'd suggest you find a better place to hunt. You need solitude to get close.
D
Deleted member 38069
Guest
Muley_Stalker
Well-known member
What's the easy way out? mtmuley
Muley_Stalker
Well-known member
I assume the method he failed at was harder than the method he didn't fail at.
I know you want to tell me how hard it is to take long shots. So, go ahead and knock yourself out. However, just know I do both. I have a buddy who has a huge ranch. I keep the coyotes off it for him. I take long shots doing it but I never considered it hunting. It's just killing.
rjthehunter
Well-known member
Snipers make consistent shots at long range. I've had a deer duck my arrow at less than 20 yards. So time of flight for an arrow at 20 yards with an average of lets say 280fps... 20*3 = 60 60/280 = .21 seconds of flight time. According to my ballistics for my .338 WM Time of Flight for my 200gr SST bullet at 200 yards is .21... So if you're worried about making a bad shot, you shouldn't be shooting at more than 200 yards because that's the same Time of Flight that a bow shoots at for only 20 yards. It's not a science lab and you're never going to make perfect shots on everything. All you can do is practice and learn to read the animals. And even then it's not guaranteed. That's part of hunting! So learn to shoot and you can shoot to 1000 yards without issues under the right circumstances. IMO it's still hunting. You can't define hunting based on a distance. Is bow hunting more hunting than rifle hunting? Not really making sense... Sure it's more challenging to bow hunt, but rifle hunting is still hunting. I bow hunt and rifle hunt, but wouldn't call one hunting and one shooting.
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MO Betta
Well-known member
The caveat on that is that a rifle shot travels faster than the speed of sound, and will reach the target faster than the noise. Not the case with a bow. You also have movement from releasing the arrow that the animal may be reacting to.
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