Originally Posted by
hunters_life
...whereas in the western states, again most of them, a 200 yard shot is the normal distance....
While many of us westerners may pride ourselves on statements such as that one, I've yet to take a shot at a big game animal over 175 yards away, despite having hunted exclusively in "western states" for nigh on 40 years. Pronghorns, Whitetails, Muleys, and Elk.
Sometimes, that's just the way the land lays out in front of you. I can't remember ever finding an "elk meadow" that was over 200 yards across. And while it's not uncommon to spot animals on the next ridge, the practical arguments against taking a shot are very obvious. Unless you drop an animal in its tracks, you're going to be in for a very unpleasant tracking job once you finally cross the canyon to the point you think you may have hit him. Out in sagebrush country, one bush looks like the next. Good luck finding a blood trail.
Flat-shooting rifles often make for some ethically questionable shots out here when wielded by someone who watches too many youtube videos or thinks that the blank space on the living room wall speaks to them in their dreams.