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This is exactly what I am saying, but the only way to learn this stuff is to get out and shoot your gun, learn it.

I have lots of rifles, they all shoot different. I reload all my own rounds, when I build a round for a gun the first time, I will build it in five diff, grain loads, and shoot for grouping, when I find the round I like, I take it out sight the rifle in at 100yrds, then shoot 200,300,400,500, and learn the drop rate at each distance. this is the responsible thing to do. now if I do this with my win 270 blackbeauty, she will shoot way different trajectories than my marlin 30-30, or my win 30-06, or my rem 7mm mag, or even my rem 300 win mag. Each rifle has its own drop rate, some shoot flatter than others, each has a purpose in my hunting life, but most important is that each shoots no less than 200rounds a year. NOw can I grab a 375h&h and fire it accuratly, sure, but not till I have shot it a couple times and learnt it, I would never hunt with it before testing it out and learning it, even though I may be close the first couple shots, close is not good enough for me.

Not to be negative, but shooting a shotgun is a different ball of wax.. my sister can let rip on any shot gun and be some what accurate... look down the barrel, pull the trigger, and be within 8 inches..

THe guys I take out hunting, all of them have time, and money, or they would not be there, my job is to get them opportuinity, which I do.. What most of them don't have is practice, and time logged acctually pointing the gun at something breathing. I had a guy argue with me for a couple min, about wheather the bull moose I was trying to get him to shoot was a cow or not.. I asked him how many moose have you seen in your life.. to which he replied just the one yesterday, I then said How many do you think I have seen... NOw shoot the F"n moose.lol

the fellow that shot that big bull with the 243.. I would follow that man anywhere with that gun.. he can shoot a wart off a ticks ass at a 100yrds with that gun.. why, because he knows it, and he knows the bullet that is coming out of it.

Don't get me wrong , when I take a guy out on a guided moose hunt, and he asks me what size of gun he should bring, I always ask what the biggest you got...


Taking a 340 wby and pounding a hole through a bone to try and hit vitals is not a priority, it's a lack of responsibilty. If an animals is threatening you sure, send lead till it's dead.. but if a moose does not give you a good clean kill shot, consider him the winner of that game, and move on to the next, I feel that we have a responsibilty to the animal to ensure that we kill it, not hope to kill it.
I know it's easy to say when your not looking down the barrel at a moster..lol
I know we should practice what we preach, but I too am guilty of pounding one or two holes to get the kill, and fortunatly to this point have been lucky. I just don't want to recomend to people that have no experince that that is the best way to hunt.

I share your ideals about not having to harvest to be succesfull, getting to the position where you know that you have him if you want, is the game to me. I am all about the stalk.
Please don't be offended with my post, just opinions.. feel free to reply with yours.
How can you tell it's late, I'm rambling again..