| For many years competition shooters and military | | | | held high to compensate for drop, and actual |
| marksman/snipers have been shooting long range. | | | | ballistics were unknown by the shooter. He could |
| In recent years there has been an explosion | | | | have just as easily injured the buck or missed |
| interest in the sport. There are commonly | | | | completely, although he'd likely continue shooting |
| television shows depicting hunters taking game | | | | no matter how many times he missed. |
| out to and beyond 1000yds. Military competitions | | | | Although I too question the ethics of some "long |
| have been televised, along with a host of | | | | range hunters" the fact is that long distance |
| informational programs highlighting the rifles and | | | | accuracy is possible. With the right information, |
| equipment used. On the web there are plenty of | | | | equipment, experience, and moral fortitude, it is |
| long range shooting and "sniper" forums. There | | | | very possible to be successful. If one does not |
| are almost endless amounts of videos on You | | | | know when to pass on a shot due to conditions |
| Tube showing shooters engaging targets at | | | | that are beyond the shooter's ability to |
| ranges as far as a mile. With resources so readily | | | | compensate for, it is very likely he would also |
| available many enthusiasts are looking to shoot | | | | make poor ethical judgments when shooting |
| farther themselves. | | | | game at close range. Unfortunately barring these |
| There is still a large community of hunters who | | | | individuals from at shooting game is not possible. |
| believe that shooting game beyond 200 or | | | | These few, are likely the reason long range |
| 300yds is simply unethical. They believe that | | | | hunting is viewed in a negative light by so many. |
| human error is simply too great to shoot such | | | | The business end of long distance shooting has |
| distances with consistency. They believe that | | | | come to conflict with the ethics of it. There is a |
| there is not enough energy available, and that | | | | problem with some television shows and |
| bullets do not work properly at long range. There | | | | advertisements showing an experienced long |
| is some merit to their argument. When visiting a | | | | range marksman take an animal at 1000yds, turn |
| local shooting range recently, I would have to say | | | | to the camera and say something to the effect, |
| the average 100yd group was about 5". It is not | | | | "with such and such a product... it is just that |
| hard to see why many would consider shooting | | | | easy". Perhaps what should be said is, "with |
| game beyond 300yds out of the question. Best | | | | dedication, research, testing in a multitude of |
| case scenario, that group would be over 2 feet at | | | | conditions, thousands of rounds of practice, and |
| 500yds! Even more amazing was than no one | | | | such and such a product, it can be this easy". |
| seemed particularly upset with these results. I | | | | Sounds ridiculous and it is not going to sell |
| would hope none of these "marksman" were | | | | products, but it is the truth. Worse yet when an |
| planning to shoot game beyond 100yds. Some | | | | inexperienced shooter takes a similar shot while |
| popular controlled expansion hunting bullets require | | | | someone else, dials the scope and gives the wind |
| higher velocity for proper expansion. If some of | | | | correction. Clearly this person has no business |
| these bullets are used at long range they will | | | | shooting at such distances. If he was to miss, |
| simply retain form and punch a small hole through | | | | who would be to blame? |
| game not causing sufficient damage for an ethical | | | | These same shows will talk about ethics one |
| kill. There are more than a few examples of long | | | | minute and tell you how easy it is the next. This |
| range hunting done the wrong way. | | | | type of programming and advertising does not |
| My good friend and shooting partner was recently | | | | encourage ethics in any way, and you can not |
| hunting the eastern part of Washington. He wasn't | | | | really blame them... they are simply trying to |
| seeing bucks so he decided to drop into the trees | | | | make a profit, not educate hunters how to make |
| and see if he could push one up the meadow | | | | ethical shots on game. A show that would really |
| ahead. He's an accomplished long range marksman | | | | educate would not be nearly as entertaining, no |
| with field and competition experience, he has all | | | | one would want to sponsor or advertise on such |
| the proper equipment, so he was prepared to | | | | a program so it would simply be impossible to |
| shoot game at long range if need be. Sure enough | | | | produce. |
| his planned worked, he pushed a nice buck into | | | | Fortunately, there is hope for improved long |
| the meadow, but before he got a chance to see | | | | distance hunting ethics. I believe this to be an |
| it, he heard shooting ahead, three shots. An older | | | | issue with a minority of long range hunters. With |
| gentleman had shot and killed the buck. At some | | | | so many educational web sites, and more getting |
| point the man mentions he'd shot from 700yds to | | | | involved, it is very likely that through field practice, |
| 800yds, he wasn't sure since his rangefinder was | | | | many will begin understand the potential |
| not working. Jesse ranged the rocks where the | | | | complications and variables to consider when |
| man claimed to have made the shot from, and it | | | | shooting long range at game animals. More would |
| was in fact about 500yds away. My buddy helped | | | | then be available to pass the information on, and |
| de-bone the meat and it looked as if the one shot | | | | in conjunction with the good information already |
| that hit of three was high missing the "vitals" | | | | available an even higher percentage of long range |
| completely, although the buck dropped not far | | | | hunters would value experience and practice |
| from where it stood. A lucky shot for sure, since | | | | before products and hype. |
| the range was unknown, the cross hairs were | | | | |