That's a very precise and detailed methodology used to determine if a long range shot is taken. Coupled with your 2 years of weekly practice to build up that level of skill, I could see why you feel comfortable in taking such a shot and that it is an ethical shot (reasonable chance of hitting the animal and killing it).
Now compare your training regimen with a lot of hunters who probably shoot less than a box full of rounds per year out of their favorite deer rifle. Big difference. Many outfitters state their clients needs to shoot a few "sight-in" shots before going on a guided hunt. It does verify that the scope is properly sighted in but it also enables the outfitter/guide to determine how well that hunter can shoot or not. I don't have any statistics one way or another (not sure you could develop accurate ones anyway) but I'd guess that most guides/outfitters have found over the years that most of their clients probably shouldn't shoot past 200 yards if that to have a reasonable chance of hitting and killing their animal. Seeing so many hunters that haven't practiced their shooting skills for longer ranges would certain color a guide's/outfitter's perception of the average hunter's ability to shoot game at long range as not being advisable.
That's a fair enough determination for any outfitter/guide to make regarding the average client hunter. Obviously, they would make adjustments if the client proves they can shoot well at longer distances. In short, hunting distance limitations should be limited by the individual hunter's capabilities at distance shooting.
Now if you want to argue from a philosophical standpoint about how shooting an animal at 500 or 700 yards is somehow not hunting because of your own personal viewpoint/preference, that would be different as it would only be your personal opinion and you're entitled to that.
Such a personal preference is kind of like the numerous high fence hunting discussions we've had before where you run into logic and common sense after a while. Nobody thinks shooting an animal in a pen or small enclosure is hunting--it's not. But defining whether hunting inside a high fence operation is hunting or not is harder to do as the enclosed area increases in size.
100 acres, not really hunting. 1,000 acres, maybe or not. 10,000 acres is over 15 square miles and is a lot harder to say it isn't hunting. Some ranches (they usually have low fences) are over 100,000 acres (156+ square miles) and several national forests (they're not generally fenced at all) contain millions of acres (100's of square miles or more). At some point, that fence (either high or low) becomes irrelevant as it's not going to have any effect upon the hunt at all.
So I would expect people are gonna disagree about hunting distance limitations. Frankly, most of us do not have the opportunity to shoot on a weekly, let alone daily, basis. Some people only have access to a rifle range for longer distances and those ranges limit the dates/times they can shoot at longer distances. Those hunters/shooters simply aren't going to get enough practice to reach RidgeRunner's ability or even that of noMercy448 who has a ranch/farm and plenty of coyotes to shoot at longer distances. Even an outfitter or guide isn't going to have the time or schedule to shoot that often as both jobs are one heck of a lot of work. I didn't mention Jeepkid since I don't know how frequently he shoots and didn't want to mess up my stump speech while I was on a roll.
