Big Z

200yds is pretty easy pickins. A 100 yard shot is even better.

Semisane

Wow. It looks like I'm a little late to this party - three pages in three hours.

My personal rules - (1) never shoot a deer moving faster than a slow walk, (2) never shoot a deer in the butt, (3) never take a shot that I don't know will hit where I'm aiming (it doesn't always do that, but has always been pretty darn close and I've always felt good about taking the shot).

I believe range is a factor of circumstances (i.e. the gun and load I happen to be using, weather conditions, good solid rest or off-hand, etc.). For me, the range has not yet been over about 125 yards with a muzzle loader and 190 yards with a center fire.

Michael396

I was referring to spot lighting or something of that nature. You can derive your ethics however you choose. I personally hate the word "ethics" because of the arguments that it causes on these forums. The only thing I am trying to say is, if you can make the shot, and if your weapon has the required energy to do the job, then do it. If you can't do it, don't try it.

In my opinion there are too many people giving advice on something they can't back up with hard data. There are a lot of Military trained snipers that hunt, and I think a sniper may have a bit longer effective range than the average sportsman. So, in my opinion, ethics and effective range are very different subjects.

lemoyne

Ethics should be a four letter word. It means nothing to a lot of people. Some of us shoot the year round and practice out to 250 yds. Some of us never take the gun out of the safe till hunting season is open. I have seen people that could not hit a gallon jug at 25 yds and no amount of practice makes any difference, what is an ethical shot for them? Others that I shoot with can hit a rabbit silhouette at 250 yds as long as there is good light and very little wind.
With few exception most good hunters do not need to shoot over 50 yds.

Semisane

Well I can't agree with that Lee. That may be the case when hunting in the woods, but doesn't apply in fields or open terrain. I would guess half of the deer I've killed were taken at between 60 and 80 yards, with the remainder pretty evenly divided between "under 60" and "over 80". Certainly, all of those I've killed in the woods, either still hunting or sitting on a climbing stand, were in the "under 60" category.

I know one thing. It would take a lot more nimble person than I to creep within 50 yards of a deer in the three foot high brush and tangle of an open clear-cut pine plantation.

Urban_Redneck

From a good field rest, with up to a 10 mph cross wind, I'm confident to 200 yards. More wind I"ll sneak in closer. In my experience, once you get past 150y, it's all about the wind.

flounder33

HEAD0001
I do not see how you can do a decent job of cleaning your rifle and your trigger if you do not take them out of the stock. I have seen guns that were never taken out of the stock and there has been a line of rust and corrosion along where the barrel and stock meet and also the trigger.
Art

HEAD0001

I take the LRH out of the stock once, maybe twice a year. That is normally before my sighting in for the season.

The fit of my LRH is so tight that nothing gets between the barrel and the stock. You can apply a bit of wax to that fit if you want to keep out the rain. And I actually clean the bore and other parts at the range. I do not even put it back in my case dirty. The barrel on my LRH is not floated. It is tight to the stock. I actually prefer a solid bedded barrel if it is done properly. And it will shoot as well as a floated barrel as long as the wood does not distort. And my LRH is laminated, so I do not think it will distort. My encores shoot better after I solidly bed the entire forearm on the rifle.

I take all my rifles out of the stock once or twice a year(including CF's) for a thorough cleaning. But I do not see a need in taking an MZ out of the stock every time you shoot it. And I do agree with the other fellow that it definitely will change your POI. Especially if you are not careful and set the stock in the same spot, and troque your screws to the same in/lb's of torque.

My MK-85 is as tight to the stock as the Knight LRH is also. But I am not as particular about taking it out of the stock, although I rarely do it. I just make sure I seat it back in the stock the same way and use a FAT wrench to tighten the single screw on the MK-85. I have often thought about putting a touch of bedding in the MK-85 at the lug for the stock screw. But the rifle shoots so well I hate to mess with it. Tom.

Doug100g

Even though I like to shoot year round, I did sight in the Muzzy the day before each gun season (Ohio has 3) for confidence. During the 3 seasons I do not remove the stock. I just oil the barrel. After gun season is over for the year, I then remove everything and clean.

Shooting ground hogs will make a 8" pie plate look like a 747...lol




D

Taureaunoir

For me an ethical shot is not how far I can hit a deer but how close to it I can get to shoot it.
I can shoot most of the time in the 2" to 2.5" at 200 yards on target but mostly try to get to less than 100 yards before taking that shot.
Taureau noir