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Yesterday, Outdoor Channel (I think). The show was marketing "Huskemaw" scopes: Ostensibly allowing "even the average guy" to simply tweak the dials on his Huskemaw scope mounted on "any rifle shooting 1 MOA or better", and delivering reliable kill shots on moose and elk to 800-900 yards.

Their sales pitch claims that they will take your good-shooting gun of appropriate caliber (they like the 7mm Rem), keep it for two weeks, and deliver it back with a scope "specifically equipped with a BDC matched to your supplied cartridges", and allow you to make shots just like they showed on the show: Elk at 725yds, Moose at 800-plus. Fleetingly, they mention some practice involved.

I do not oppose someone trying to make a buck, but this show flies in the face of everything I have come to learn about hunting and shooting (especially where large game that one respects is concerned). I am certain that at this moment their product/service is flying off the shelves to hunters with more money than sense, and they have convinced a large number of "average guys" that these sort of shots are not only acceptable, but readily and often attainable.

Of course, they did not show ANY failures. Somehow they claim that their scope allows for all atmospheric conditions, wind drift, etc., etc., etc., ad nauseum. They also do not mention that even though the wind may be blowing at say, 10mph at the shooter's location, it could be doing anything and everything during the bullet's flight at such ranges, resulting in (hopefully, and praise whatever higher power you worship: hairy thunderer or cosmic muffin) a clean miss, or much worse: a wounded animal.

Younger (or less experienced) hunters will latch on to this readily, and this is the sort of thinking that does more to damage the image of good hunters than any number of other poor practices.

Extreme long-range shots can be made. They can be made repeatedly and reliably: with extensive practice applied along with good equipment: on gongs, paper, and other targets deserving of no respect and care. To attempt such on a large, durable and noble animal is nothing short of concious, attempted abuse.

I will qualify this with no "just my $.02", or "IMHO". However, I did manage to find an icon that is applicable.
 
I think the cable tv shows are just like the gun rags, advertising presented as information.

A bdc scope is a nice piece of equipment, I have two of them and they work well. They well not allow the average shooter to make 800-900 yard shoots without a lot of practice. A shooter with that skill set does not need a bdc scope anyway.

I really can't think of any reason a hunter needs to take a shoot of over 300 yards, get closer.
 
Once again, Madcrate and I meet eye-to-eye. (Including our interest in a certain 99 Savage.)

I did not mean to say all BDC scopes are useless. Madcrate encapsulated my entire point of view toward them in a much more digestible form. Not hard to do for a long-winded dude like myself.

The 300 yard self-imposed limit is precisely where I stand as well: especially with big game. I cannot say I've never exceeded it, but only under absolutely ideal conditions, with a hard rest and a gun I have practiced with extensively. This practice allows me to access my own built-in and durable "BDC" that God equipped me with in my brain. If I know the range, and have accomplished that shot repeatedly on targets with the gun I have in the field, my biological BDC works rather well, and is instant.

It also does not have protruding dials that will not survive a hard hunt under extreme conditions.

As an example, I spent nearly an entire year shooting only one gun: A M700 BDL Stainless in .270. This was done in preparation for a Dall Sheep hunt in Alaska. I repeatedly tested the Leupold VXIII 4.5-14x scope with its range-finding feature (a simplified "bracketing the animal, adjusting the power" process that I found to be very reliable during multiple blind tests). I practiced shots to 400 yards, and put 500-700 rounds through that gun directed at paper and a plywood "sheep" I had constructed for the purpose.

Presented with a fine Dall Ram that was dozing, I watched him for nearly an hour through the scope, ranging, checking, ranging again, utilizing lesser sheep standing next to him. Also during that hour, I was able to solidify my day-pack rest from the prone position. When he finally stood, at 375 yards, the 130 grain Ballistic Tip went exactly where I knew it would.

The only good thing I have to say about the program I watched was that they did not try to disguise their motive. The entire show was directed toward selling their gadget to an unsuspecting, uninformed public. It was easily recognized basically as an "infomercial" (which is more than I can say for most hunting shows and gun magazines).
 
Those outdoor channels leave alot to be desired I was watching one episode of Guns and Ammo TV where the 2 presenters continualy swept each other with loaded ARs
Disgusting lack of gun savvy from those experts
 
Unfortunately, that's the nature of the industry. Writers and producers need new equipment to drive commercials and other ad. revenue. The thing that I don't like is the constant glowing reviews for every new product. The last bad review of a new products (that I can remember) was for the new Remington Spartan shotguns. All the reviews were positive, saying that it was a great gun, that the lines were good, and that the wood fit was excellent. I found one review stating that it looked like it had been cobbled together by the village blacksmith and the local firewood guy. I was looking for an inexpensive double at the time, and when I finally found one in a store, I was very disappointed in the overall quality.

New product reviews on TV and in magazines should be carefully considered, because the companies making these new products are the same ones that are paying for ad. space in commercials or magazine ads.

As far as long range shooting, I think that equipment is important, but it will never replace practice, but the same can be said for any rifle/scope combination. I bought my first centerfire hunting rifle and scope about four years ago, and before I ever carried it during a season I put probably 300 rounds through it at ranges up to 300 yards. Personally, that's the upper end of my range limit. Not because I don't think I'm able to shoot that far, but because I haven't practiced at longer distances.

I'm a younger guy, and most of the guys that I know are really into long rang shooting (600-700 yards), but they spend hours out on the range practicing.
 
Im with you spitpatch.

I have a 300 rule for myself as well. I do have rifle capable of going further, I will not do that with game.
I know my .340WBY has no issues hitting a MOA Gong at 600 yrd, just not worth injuring an animal, and at that distance, it's going to be long gone by the time you catch up to where it was hit to even start the tracking...


I have never used BDC scopes. Assumed they were like tasco's or lower end Bushnell.



I have never seen the any of these shows, hate TV. This is just another reminder as to why I do not like TV.
 
Im with you spitpatch.

I have a 300 rule for myself as well. I do have rifle capable of going further, I will not do that with game.
I know my .340WBY has no issues hitting a MOA Gong at 600 yrd, just not worth injuring an animal, and at that distance, it's going to be long gone by the time you catch up to where it was hit to even start the tracking...


I have never used BDC scopes. Assumed they were like tasco's or lower end Bushnell.



I have never seen the any of these shows, hate TV. This is just another reminder as to why I do not like TV.

Spitpatch is right on.
Although I can - and mostly do - shoot big metal gongs at 600~800 yards with my Tikka T3 [338WM] and 6-24x56 scope from a bench, shooting anything alive at that range is a big "ain't happening" in my personal way of doing things. I must get within 200 ~ 250 yards to make an Elk kill. The accuracy I personally need to make a precise heart shot demands I be no more than 250 yards. I'm not that anxious to track an injured animal only to have to take a follow up shot. Humanely taking down a freezer full of meat is dramatically different from hitting a static target.
 

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