This is a very common occurrence in the profession, (every profession, in fact.)

1) Party 1 (usually a ranking officer or supervisor) *think* they have expertise, *think* they know something about something, and when they ask for an opinion they *think* they already know the answer;

2) Party 2 gives them a professional opinion;

3) Party 1 doesn't like what he hears, because he *thinks* he has expertise and knows something about something;

4) Party 1 (and his friends) get all haired up over what they hear and then start attacking Party 2;

5) Party 1 makes the call because he is the ranking officer or supervisor;

6) That decision results in horrible, FUBAR consequences, and the whole operation becomes a CF.

7) The unit ends up doing what Party 2 suggested in the first place, and that whole evolution is never spoken of again.

Yep! This seems VERY familiar...

Listen son, game animals are not paper targets that exist for your amusement. You should have a strongly held ethical commitment to making near instantly fatal hits on target. Deer do not live so you can wound them at 800-yards. A 140-gr. bullet has the same energy at 800-1000 yards as a 9mm pistol does at the muzzle. There is a VERY GOOD reason why the 9mm is not a legal round to harvest big game nearly everywhere.

Big game (as I've already said) and especially large-antlered big game do not stand still like paper targets. They are usually on the move, in bullet deflecting brush. Also, when you are hunting, you're never shooting off a bench, you're never sandbagged in, your heartbeat is never steady and calm, etc, etc, etc.

You're going to do what you're going to do. But when you blow the leg of a really good deer at 800-yards because you saw, Quigley Down Under and wanted to be like him and you're stumbling around looking for a blood trail and you're crying and feeling like a dirtbag and a criminal, YOU, YOURSELF will be solely to blame. Or maybe you won't cry, or feel like a dirtbag, or criminal, but then, what will THAT say about you?

Stick to 600-yard shots and under: you will safely enjoy both worlds that way. I've killed twelve (12) 160" B&C bucks or better and the longest shot was 302-yards, and the vast majority have been under 120-yards. The longest shot I've ever taken on a big game animal was 407-yards by the laser on a B&C caribou on Adak. When you think about it, if you can't consistently get within a quarter mile (440-yards) of the game that you are hunting maybe you shouldn't be in the woods.

All my Best,

Bronc