so a long shot is only ok after you exhaust all other means of getting closer?
If I can shoot 1/2 moa out beyond 1k, and I feel 90% or better confidance that I can make the shot, his chances of survival are very slim to none.
your better off taking a well thought out planned precise shot at 700 yards (if you have the proper equipment and ability) than a close as your gonna get 350 yard shot after a hurried stalk. with my method, I'm comfortable, I'm prone, a rock solid rest I know exactly how far the game is, I know exactly how much drop I have, I've taken a wind reading, adjusted said windage into my scope, I'm watching through the scope for several things, 1 being checking the bullet path for brush or twigs, looking for any changes in the wind along the bullet path, and watching the targeted animals body language to find him in the right position for a vital hit, and that window of time when I know he's not gonna move till the bullet gets there.
now which method is maximizing the chance of a humane kill? I'll take my method every time, not only for the killing shot but recovery is much easier and less chance of the game getting away wounded. I've used both methods a lot and I speak from experience.
and Bc, here deer hunting is a varmint shoot, until 5 years ago ya almost had to push them out of the way to set down.
RR

I'll leave the distance discussion for another day, for some 700yds is a long shot. For others 300yds is long, so that's a matter of semantics.

My question or more actually concern I suppose was shot placement. I personally didn't feel the shooter made a good shot on that buck. He hit it halfway back thru the spine! 2" high & it would've been a miss. 2" lower & it was a gut shot! Sure all the "proper talk" was given with regards to distance, drop & wind age but the bottom line was the shooter did NOT put the bullet thru the vitals but instead "drew blood" & only by blind luck did the bullet strike the spine & render the animal immobile. I personally think the shooter was "in over his head" taking that shot! Simply drawing blood does not a successful shot make.

He was lucky he broke the deer's back. There is a big difference between shooting long in the relatively calm East and shooting long in the windy West. You could hear the wind gusts in the video. He was not shooting a benchrest quality rifle, and he was shooting at a bedded deer. Not a shot I would take on a game animal.

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+1



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OK. I'll play along.

- IF you have a bedded animal or one that is willing to stand still while you range the target and dope out the wind.

And

- IF you have a rock steady shooting platform.

And

- IF you are experienced enough with long range rifle work.

Then I suppose you are justified in shooting long on big game when a stalk is possible. But then how often do all the above factors come together under field conditions?

Anyway, I think RR is just blowing smoke and I'm playing along for my own entertainment.

yeah there was wind noise from the camera's mic but you will have that in the slightest breeze, looking at the grass moving looked to be about a 3-4 mph breeze.
and he did spine the buck, always fatal but not the best hit for video'ing, could have been cause by the elevation change from where he done his loadwork to the mountains for hunting, his BC was higher at higher elevation so looked like he had 1/4 moa to much up.
yes sir Bc I'm just blowing smoke, keep tellin yourself that.
RR

The odds are always much better the closer you can get. No matter what kind of sniper you think you are.

General statement. Not aimed at anybody.

doesn't matter muley, nobody pays any attention to what you say anyhow, we've saw how that goes.
RR

Sounds to me like nobody is listened to you.

Even when I say it's not aimed at you. You have to start crap, and it's always about what a great sniper you are.

I'd love to know how many animals you've wounded. From someone who knows the truth. Not your version.