Semisane, we must use the same play book. I could not agree with you more there.

I used to be pretty good off hand, but now I do not trust myself. I use shooting sticks, trees, or I will drop to a knee when ever possible. I have never considered any of my muzzleloaders 200 yard rifles, although I think they could do it if I practice. I just don't have a 200 yard range where I now live. And where I hunt, 200 yards would be field only.

I was shooting 150 yards one afternoon with my Thompson Center Black Diamond XR at a friend's farm. I was shooting 110 grains of Goex and a 250 grain Shockwave. After I found where to hold, even off the shooting sticks, I could slip all the shots into a 9" paper plate and the actual group was smaller then that. But I still would not want to shoot that far.

In my younger days I used to shoot a couple center firerifles and made some long distance shots that my friendstill talk/kid meabout. I look back on those shots and now, would not even consider trying them. We used to practice offa bench rest in a farmer's field where we would shoot across his fields and practice out to 400 yards and further. One season, adoe in particular was over 500 yards away standing out in the field looking at us up in the woods on a hillside. I guessed her much closer though. As a joke I called my shot. Since she was looking at me I told the three other guys with me (we were spotting fields), I'd shoot her in the head. That way if I missed I missed. Using my Ruger 7mm Mag with a 3-9x40mm Tasco scope I touched off and she folded right there. The bullet (150 gr Remington corelock) hit her perfect centered, right under the chin in the throat. Took out the jugler and broke her neck.

With my eye sight now,(corrected even) and no scope, I limit my shots to 100 yards, maybe a little further if the lighting is right. Light plays tricks on my focus for some reason. With a scope I would stretch that to 125 yards. For me that is a far fling from what I would do with my center rifle rifles.

I have a friend that swears the 25-06 is the best deer rifle he has ever owned. Never shot one myself. I always wanted the 7mm mag or 30-06.