I think you're misunderstanding what I'm getting at. I'm not sure if you've ever attempted shooting, either at a target or an animal, at a range over 500 yards. As RR said, the majority of the guesswork can be eliminated with proper equipment and some fairly simple math.
HOWEVER....deer don't always show up on shooting ranges...shots can be on an unknown angle, the direction and speed of the wind at the shooters location can be quite different, or constantly changing, from such at the location of the target. These aren't things a shooter has any control over. From an average "long" hunting distance of 100-300 yards, these facts don't deliver as much of an effect as they do further downrange.
So, derived from that logic, it seems to be irresponsible to target an animal at such an extreme distance. I'm in no way challenging RR's abilities as a shooter, I can tell from how he speaks here that he's more than knowledgable. It's just my opinion that taking game at the distance isn't hunting in the classical sense, and the ethics of it are debatable.
Exactly what I am saying. Well said.
I know that it takes a lot more skill, determination, patience, equipment, etc... to hit an animal over 500 yards then it does to plant a food plot and set up a tree stand.
So who is the "better" hunter??
I have never seen any description of hunting that included intentionally backing off to the maximum range possible just to see if you could still make the shot. In fact intentionally moving away from the animal is the exact opposite of hunting it. You ask who the better hunter is? Stalking to within 50 yards of an animal is a nice feat of hunting. Lobbing lead at it from 700 yards can only be refered to as a good shot. If you make it.
I have absolutely no doubt that RR knows a lot about long range shooting and is better equiped and practiced at it than me. But I am far from a novice.You reach a point where the distance is so great under field conditionsthat the variables become hard to detect and therefore near impossible to properly compensate for on your first shot. Shooting at targets on a flat range lined with wind socks is one thing. Shooting at a live potentially moving animal on uneven terrain with variable swirling winds that you have no definative means to gauge over the course of the 700 plus yard shot is another. If RR can truely land a bullet squarely in the vitals at over 700 yards, first shot, every time, under such hard to percieve, and variable conditions then he is wasting his vaulable time shooting does and debating us goobers on the internet. He needs to be competing on our nations Palma team.