Well I just had the misfortune of coming across a show called Best of the West. Now I am not a gun hunter, but not against it either. This show however, is a disgrace. The object of the show appears to be to shoot animals at as long a distance as possible. The episode I just saw they were shooting antelope at 500 to 600 yards, on a windy day. Then, when they got one, they whooped it up, saying, "What a hunt!". HUNT?? Shooting an animal at 600 yards is NOT a hunt. It goes against everything I understand hunting to be, which is to get as close as possible to be able to make the most ethical kill possible. Sorry for the rant, but this show made me feel like joining PETA.
They are promoting long range gun products. They take the shots because they can make the shots. Should I not take a long shot with my 7 pin sight out to 90 because someone else doesn't have that effective range? Our gun towers have Rcbs turrets in them. We practice out to 600 yards and have 4x14 scopes with cds systems. You range the distance, dope the scope and dial in the turret. Done deal. If I am 99% confident I can make the 450 yard shot why not? Many have less chance on a 120 yard shot with a gun they have not shot since last gun season offhand. I find baiting unethical but if it's legal and blows your skirt up so be it.
Just how close do you think you can sneak up on a pressured antelope? Heck, I'd be happy with a standing 500 yard shot right about now. There's a reason I'm carrying a 300 win mag for the nervous little buggers.
I hope you make a PERFECT shot Christine or your gonna have nothing left. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
PSE, If you can make a 600 yard shot, or a 90 yard bow shot, that makes you a good shot, not a good hunter. No, and please tell me you are joking, you should not take a 90 yard bow shot, or a 600 yard gun shot, at any animal. Those kind of shots are what they make targets for.
Yes and Yes. I have a 7 pin sight and they all work just fine. It would be a better world if guys invested some time and knew their own effective range. Here's a rcbs turret in a heated gun stand last week. I have made 600 yard shots out of this stand. Some guys only fly fish barbless dry flys. I like spinfishing with really big barbs. In your perfect "ethical" world what is the max range for all types of bow (stick bow. xbow,compound), and rifle?
My only issue with the show is it may get a guy that has no seat time behind his weapon to try a shot he cant handle. A buddy of mine took a shot at a doe opening morning this year at a doe at about 500 yards. He said his rifle was sighted in for 200 and he would "hold just a little high". I got on him pretty good for that choice of shot. The guys on that show spend A LOT of time behind the trigger and know the science and physics of a shot like that. Not everyone knows there limitations however and thats where it is a slippery slope with a show like that in my opinion.
I've shot a deer at 525 yards with my rifle and an antelope at 74 yards with my bow. Guess I'm a terrible hunter. Until you have stepped out of your whitetail woods and have spent time out west hunting you can not grasp the concept that a 500 yard shot with a rifle is really not that far. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
With a compound anything outside 30yds gets risky. Inside 30 they can drop, but you can compensate for it by aiming low on the deer's body. Beyond 30 there is time for them to not only drop, but to also move horizontally, risking a gut shot or even a total miss. As for guys who brag about launching 50yd+ shots, regardless how tight a group they can shoot, targets don't move, deer do. I just have no respect for it. I don't gun hunt or shoot rifles, so cannot give an educated opinion on a consistently effective range, but I can't see how anyone can be proud of a deer shot at 600 yards. Proud of the shot maybe, but proud of the hunt? Not so much.
just to add one more thing. Getting up close and personal to an animal is a hunting skill....so is making a clean ethical one shot kill from 300-1000 yards. Both have there own challenges and can be done by a well prepared and skilled hunter. Different strokes for different folks.
We use shotguns here and run dogs. I have rifle hunted a few times and its not my cup of tea. I am not experienced with shooting scoped guns so i practice and i will not take a shot longer than 150-200 with my .300 mag., it has the capability of shooting 3 times as far as i would try. The people that can make those long shots, i tip my hat to them and respect the skills they have. We get some people that hunt with our club as guest, or members sometimes, when we run dogs and they will take shots that are etirely too far and may wound a deer. They dont pattern or shoot their guns enough to know how they perform with buckshot, it was their dads hunting shotgun, or the gun was given to them by their uncle, etc. Then some will say a deer was too far they didnt feel it was a good shot at 40 yards I shoot my gun, i have bought numerous chokes to find the pattern i like... So if they dont feel comfortable at 40 yards with a deer running full throttle does that mean i shouldnt? If its a clean shot i have no problem shooting up to 60 yards with the set up i practice. I have seen many deer dropped in their tracks at 60 yards and a few that were stepped off at 70+. You take the shots you are comfortable with using any form of weapon end of story.
There are at least 50 goats in this picture. If you get less than 500 yards from them.. it's because they let you...not because they didn't see you. Does shooting one from a blind over a waterhole somehow make it a whole bunch more sporting?? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
Not attacking by any means, maybe you should look into quiteing down your bow and/or finding a way tonpick up some speed if theynare jumping ur shot past 30 yards so much the killzone is out of question.... And i dont shoot much past 30 becuase I am not comfortable YET with a shot at the 35-40+ ranges, so i will contunentonshoot more and practice
