Originally Posted by
super_hunt54
The major problem I have with it, as you well know RR, is that 99% of the people TRYING those long range shots attempt them WITHOUT the knowledge or skill actually required for long range shooting. They think because they have a "magic magnum" or some high dollar custom rifle that they can automatically extend their range to 700+ yards. Another major problem is TIME. As you well know, it takes time from the trigger break to that bullet reaching 700 yards and in that small amount of time a whitetail or elk can take a step, even if totally relaxed and feeding, and turn a perfectly set up shot into a gut shot. You know you've seen it RR. You know you have experienced it whether you admit it here or not. No one claiming the amount of deer taken as you claim at long range could have NOT experienced that. In my mind just, one gut shot animal that is left to go off and suffer because you didn't want to get closer to a reasonable shot distance is too many. How many people have ranges to practice at for those yardages in today's world? Not many. I personally have the skills as well as the ranges to practice to be taking those 1000 yards shots but I don't because I have more respect for the animal than that. Movement in that TIME is one factor you can NOT adjust for no matter how well you can read the animal. It's as simple as that.
good answer! however I beg to differ on your comment about you can't tell by watching an animals body language when you have the 1/2 to 3/4 second window for TOF, you never shoot an animal with their head down, or head up ears erect, only when they have they're head up ears down and chewing.
another thing, if you ever witnessed a bad hit at long range you would know, they do not blast off on a blind run like they do when you subject them to an in their face muzzle blast at less than 300 yards, they make a few jumps and lay down, way more injured deer get away at 50 yards than they do at 750, that's a fact, I've saw it a few times, the only deer that sprint off when hit at long range are lung shot deer that immediately smell and taste blood and it spooks them.
RR