eldeguello

Not only is it stupid, usually, to sight in a modern HV rifle for a mere 100 yards, it's even dumber to ask someone else to zero it for you! This rarely works very well!

JLmoore1956

I agree you got to sight in your own rifle, but what do you do if you do not have access to over 100 yards. THe ranges near us dont have room for more than that, and even at my land with the woods and all, never get more than a 150 yards if you are lucky?

Todd1700

Amen. In talking to people about rifles and shooting I am consistently amazed at how far off they are on the amount a particular cartridge drops at 300 or 400 hundred yards. And it lets me know instantly that they haven't actually practiced shooting at these ranges or they wouldn't have such huge misconceptions. I also find that most people absolutely suck at judging distance and almost always grossly overestimate it. I hear a lot of people brag about 400 yards shots on deer but I strongly suspect that if truth be known most of these claimed 400 yards kills (if they happened at all) were probably closer to 200 than they were to 400. I'm not hurling that accusation at anyone here just at a lot of people I know. I have a gravel pit on my families land that I do my shooting in. It has room to shoot out to 300 yards. I have had the opportunity to take a few of these self proclaimed 400 yard deerslayers to this gravel pit and watch them try to hit even a 12 inch circle at 300 "ACTUAL" not estimated yards. Listening to them fumble for excuses for their failure to manage this modest feat of marksmanship has provided me with some amusing afternoons.

Hotguns

You and me both...

I've wona bunch offree meals over the yearsby betting someone(deerhunters mostly)that they cant hit a 55 gallon barrel at 500 yards.

That barrel lookspretty big through a scope and looks like it ought to be easy enough to hit. Most people areup for the challenge when I offer to shoot first and hit it.

What they dont know is that the average barrel is 36 inches tall.
The trajectory ofthe typical 150 grain.30 cal deer loads will be anywherefrom 50-60 inches. If you dont hold at least one barrel "high", then you have no chance of hitting the barrel and will be way in the dirt before it. Thats on a calm day.

It looks easy, but in all the years I've been doing it only3 people have ever hit it one the first shot,one was an ex marine sniper,one was a benchrest competitor and the other guy shoots at 1000 yards with me ocassionaly.

JLmoore1956

guess I am gonna have to practice up and get some free meals! Sounds like a good idea!

VT_Hunter1980

I'm another one who could not hit a barn at 300 yards. I like close range guns and close range hunting. Not that I have anything against people who are into long range. For me, however, shots taken past 100 yards are usually a waste of ammo.

As a result, I'm moving away from pointy calibers as I collect more guns. At 50 yards or less, a .44 mag will have the same effect on a deer as a .300 wsm, but with less bloodshot meat.

There's something I like about waiting to see the whites of a deers eyes before firing.

stubblejumper

If youare waiting to see the whites of a deers eyes before firing,you will be waiting a long time.

VT_Hunter1980

I meant that figuratively, of course.

CamoCop

i agree with everyone on here. hunters should not attempt shots further than they have practiced/sighted in for. this year i harvested my biggest buck to date with my weatherby .300 mag. at 350 yards (laser range finder). i felt comfortable with this shot because i do practice long range shots. alot of the stands i hunt offer shots over 250 yards so i spend time on the range practicing. long shots are not for everyone, so if you're going to take one...spend the extra time on the range and prepare for it. there is no sense in wounding an animal and not being able to find it.i don't care if you completely miss your target, i'm not buying your bullets...just don't hunt near me and spook off my deer. just my 2 cents.

James B