ORIGINAL: RugerM77.270
I agree it is always good to be prepared. Yeah a lot of people can make a 100 yd shot off hand in practice. The question is can you do it with buck fever. Better safe then sorry and better a dead buck then a wounded one.
JUST IN CASE.
180 yard free hand shot. Bang flop! Took out both shoulders. So it can be done. I've years of practice though. I shoot regularly and most of the time I shoot from field positions rather than from the bench. I would say that my personal limit on free hand shots is 200 yards.
I agree that if a rest is available that you should always use it. But sometimes you just don't have a choice. Hunters should take the time to learn the proper techniques to shooting. Get a proper sling and learn that its a shooting aid not a way to hang the gun on your shoulder. with a properly adjusted sling and some basic shooting skills a free handed shooter can easily group shots within 4 inches at 100 yds.