Ridge Runner

I don't know some may call it a rant, here goes

I post some about killing deer at long range, its legal, I enjoy it, I do have a pretty good grasp on what I'm doing, took me over 20 years to become comfortable doing it, spent a lot of money, and countless hours preparing, learning, getting efficient at it.
for years I sat on the same rock and killed way more deer at 2 to 80 yards than most folks can comprehend. Why do folks scorn it?
why am I an unethical slob because I know exactly where my bullet will hit 8 football fields away if the conditions are to my liking?
I once started a thread about a kill beyond 1K, I was constantly explaining over and over why I took the shot what I went through as far as variables to make sure I was right, yet still 23 pages of its not ethical, too many variables. I had the thread deleted because those who know the least about what I do think they know the most.
so why is LR hunting not ethical?
If I can get a legitimate reason I will respond, but the typical reasons which most talk about I will not address such as
you don't know the wind (yes I do I measure it)
you don't know the wind over there (yes I do I measure it here and compare it to there)
the deer don't know your there (if they knew you were there at 50 yards would you get a shot?)
so have at it
RR

kidoggy

my thoughts are , different strokes for different folks.I am not one to seek others approval.

for me it all comes down to knowing what you and your weapon are capable of. and if folks don't like it ,they can go pound sand.
if you are making those shots, who cares what anyone else thinks?that said if you are wounding animals all over the mountain(which I UNDERSTAND YOU ARE NOT DOING)I would advise against it.

I generally pass on long shots (generally 400 yds or so is as far as I will go). I am confident I can make the long shots, I just prefer to get close. just more fun (in my mind) and I like the challenge of stalking close. like I said different strokes.


I had to laugh at the , deer don't know your there, thing. I figure if the deer don't know I am there ,I did it correctly.

Champlain Islander

I think it is a topic worthy of discussion. I remember seeing some similar subjects go out of control and threads frozen. My hope is that we can all post and learn about this subject without seeing the thread go down the crapper. For the record... I am not in favor of hunters taking unethical low percentage shots. My own personal limits are right around 225 yds since that is the longest of all the kills I have had in my long hunting life and the limit I have practiced at the range. I mostly shoot 30-06, know the ballistics and feel that with a proper rest and wind conditions I can hit vitals at that yardage every time. I see nothing wrong with someone more skilled in shooting with better equipment to extend that range out to whatever is their 100% shot. The flip side of the argument is some hunters feel that their own goal is to close the gap and get as close to their quarry as possible. Both sides of the discussion require skill and planning to accomplish the job. I can respect both points of view. I feel at least in my case I would have an easier time getting close and have used that standard in my hunting life.

Bocajnala

I know lots of guys (not most guys on this website, but lots of hunters that do it this way) that shoot their rifle 3 times on Thanksgiving day to make sure it's "on" and then go out and shoot at deer. I'd take RR's method over most other ppl anytime.
-Jake

Ridge Runner

I have a lot invested in what I do, 3 grand for a rifle, 2 more in a scope and rangefinder, several hundred in bullets, powder and such, but I spend days in the field testing, looking for places where such shots are likely, and I get to shoot a lot. Its fun, its almost foolproof, if not for the wind its all simple math, I do not take a shot past 500 with winds over 10 mph. when its calm anyone can put the "X" on a deer at 600 yards and make it count if they know how much up is needed, you find that out by shooting a lot. once you have your drop chart tweaked to your actual trajectory its a no brainer, breathe and squeeze. I have taken 10 year old kids hunting, put them behind the rifle and they whack'em at 500 yards, the hardest part is calming them down prior to the shot.
RR

super_hunt54

The major problem I have with it, as you well know RR, is that 99% of the people TRYING those long range shots attempt them WITHOUT the knowledge or skill actually required for long range shooting. They think because they have a "magic magnum" or some high dollar custom rifle that they can automatically extend their range to 700+ yards. Another major problem is TIME. As you well know, it takes time from the trigger break to that bullet reaching 700 yards and in that small amount of time a whitetail or elk can take a step, even if totally relaxed and feeding, and turn a perfectly set up shot into a gut shot. You know you've seen it RR. You know you have experienced it whether you admit it here or not. No one claiming the amount of deer taken as you claim at long range could have NOT experienced that. In my mind just, one gut shot animal that is left to go off and suffer because you didn't want to get closer to a reasonable shot distance is too many. How many people have ranges to practice at for those yardages in today's world? Not many. I personally have the skills as well as the ranges to practice to be taking those 1000 yards shots but I don't because I have more respect for the animal than that. Movement in that TIME is one factor you can NOT adjust for no matter how well you can read the animal. It's as simple as that.

Ridge Runner

good answer! however I beg to differ on your comment about you can't tell by watching an animals body language when you have the 1/2 to 3/4 second window for TOF, you never shoot an animal with their head down, or head up ears erect, only when they have they're head up ears down and chewing.

another thing, if you ever witnessed a bad hit at long range you would know, they do not blast off on a blind run like they do when you subject them to an in their face muzzle blast at less than 300 yards, they make a few jumps and lay down, way more injured deer get away at 50 yards than they do at 750, that's a fact, I've saw it a few times, the only deer that sprint off when hit at long range are lung shot deer that immediately smell and taste blood and it spooks them.
RR

sconnyhunter

I have heard that the ethical man knows its wrong to do something. The moral man just doesn't do it.

That being said.
We all have different morals and ethics to live with. If a person can make the shot cleanly. I have no problem with it. Sure a deer can move in the split second it takes to travel 758 yrds.
But my 7mm Magnum covers that distance in less than a second. The bullet has hit the deer before the deer hears the shot.
The deer isn't going to move enough to affect shot placement.

Like super hunt said, most people don't have the time or space to practice these shots. There just aren't that many long range ranges to shoot at. That kind of space costs a lot of money. They have no business attempting shots like that.
I know my rifle after 20yrs of shooting it. But i know that i have no business trying past 200 yrds. That is my comfort zone.

DJfan

Nothing wrong with any type of hunting if the person learns it, practices it and is dedicated to it.

I wish I could shoot like that.

jeepkid

I've seen more gut shot animals under 200 yards then over 500. The difference like you say is "TIME". People aren't patient when they see an animal at close range, they see it's legal and start blasting away...gut shots, legs get blown off, jaws get blown off, they get shot in the arse, all bad shots. Yet, at "long range" people have "TIME" to relax, look at the animal, get the scope adjusted, read the wind, relax, take a pee, decide if the shot is doable, relax again, then touch off the trigger...