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Years ago I shot a nice 4 pointer Mulie that was so close I had to sight along the barrel since all I could see in the scope was fur. When he got shot he flipped and fell (slid) down the slope (steep) about a 250 yards. It took me about half and hour to pull him back up the slope, hand over hand with the rope (30 footer para cord) while I anchored myself behind trees progressing up the slope. Once on the logging road it was less than five minutes back to the truck. I think my longest shot has been 100 or way less. And that is in fairly open woods, stalking is the name of game for me.

BTDT - Alsea unit. Went down a gully almost to the bottom. Sat on a stump for a few minutes and out of the woods into the clear cut comes a doe, maybe 20' from me - she kept looking behind her and moved further into the open. I just sat there still and quiet and out comes a buck sniffing after her paying no attention to me - so I shot him. Partner calls down and says "you better not have shot a deer because I am not helping you haul it out of there!" - I called back "too late".

He did help me - we halved the buck and pulled each half up, one hand on the rope and another on the deer. It took us until midnight to get it all out and up to the road.

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2 sides to that coin. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should ;)

Hunting: The legal pursuit of game animals.

As a hunter, I don't hassle other hunters who lawfully pursue their chosen game. We can't afford to be fragmented, or we won't be able to hunt at all someday. I don't blame all archers for the animals some lose (especially elk), I don't lump all rifle hunters with the idiot who buys a Wal-Mart Combo and doesn't sight it in before driving around and looking for the first legal deer that still hasn't lost its spots.

I guarantee that dedicated long range hunters are far more lethal and take more ethical shots than the vast majority of other hunters.
 
Having the ability to get as close as possible is a good tool to have and being able to make a longer shot when getting closer is not possible is another good tool to have. I like having a toolbox full of tools. ;)
 
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Good hunters dont need to take long shots just to see if they can hit it. Be a better hunter and kill the animal, dont say, Well I think I hit one.

You mean like the average idiot with his box of core-lokts that he's been rocking for 10 years and still has enough for a full magazine box?

We won't even talk about the rotten elk I've found with arrows stuck in their guts.
 
Ive talked to too many people who think its good enough to sight in on a tin can at 100 steps. The should part has more to do with the person than the distance.
 
Nice, always like it when I can get up close. Several years ago I bought a xbolt long range model in 6.5 CM and put swaro glass on it as the breaks country I hunt in Montana sometimes warrants some longer shots. I dialed my load in with high bc bullets that would expand properly at longer range and practiced all summer out to 750 or so. That fall I shot a mule deer at 90 yds or so, the next fall I shot one in his bed at 50 yds. I will take those ranges all day long. This last fall I did have to stretch the creed out a bit and took a decent mulie at 515 yds. I never hope or plan to shoot longer but I do practice for it if the need arises.
Missouri Breaks....yeah....
 
The vast majority of hunting shots are under 100yds. My closest elk was probably only 25 yds, last year I filled my tag at 100yds.
Long range hunting is not a sin, I do practice yearly out to 300yds and would like to improve even further. I passed up an elk once that was roughly 4-500yds... was my only chance that year, I just could not ethically take any shot at an animal at a distance I had not practiced at.
My version of "long range" is probably 400 yards. I've shot at that distance and have done ok. "Ok" enough that if I had a good rest, good weather and a clear shot on a non moving elk that I'd probably take the shot. I sight my rifle in a shade high at 100 yards and it's on the money at 200.
Last year my shot was at 15 yards.:D
 
I reported my own thread .... trying to get it closed/deleted now. my intention was a friendly discussion about LR hunting.

The issue is plenty of people reject the very premise that people can hunt ethically at ranges beyond what was once the norm. Equipment advancement, knowledge, and facilities/practice areas have allowed people to become excellent long range shooters. However, when the subject comes up, so does the peanut gallery and ethics police.

Congrats on your elk kill, btw. Sometimes we go through all the effort and expenditure to put ourselves in the best position to accomplish the goal, only to have it end up like yours. On my first elk hunt, I bought all this cool stuff and scouted all summer, only to have a bull walk up behind me while I was looking for a place to crap. Shot him at about 25 yards, backed the truck right up to him. ALWAYS have your rifle!
 

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