Originally Posted by spaniel

A consistent observation of mine is that people tend to think it's unethical or unwise to shoot more than 50 yds or so further than they personally are proficient at shooting. Don't you think it's a little biased to extrapolate your skills and comfort zone onto another shooter and judge them with no knowledge of their history or abilities? While I certainly don't advocate people shooting beyond their abilities I don't think it's appropriate to project one's own skill set onto another person and judge them without full knowledge of them.

Let me also point out that some of the responses along these lines came from the East and reference deer while this guy was talking about Colorado elk during rifle season. I won't get long-winded about it but let me say if you have never been elk hunting in mountain country it is simplistic to say "close the distance" or "pass and wait". Closing 250 yds may require 3/4 mile travel and much more time than the elk will hang around. Elk are also migratory herd animals and passing a shot on one herd may mean you passed on the only elk that will use that drainage (much less present a shot) for a week. These aren't deer that hang in the same small home range all season.

The guy wants to give up carrying a gun with a theoretical range of around 800 yds (don't know how much of that he currently uses) to carry a smokepole that maxes at 250 yds during RIFLE season. I say WELCOME!

While I would love to take a ML elk I travel 2000 miles to elk hunt so I have not brought myself to leave the 300WM home yet.