Good article. There are a few writers out there, such as John Barsness and Ross Seyfried who deplore the long range sniping trends that are being foisted on the public by marketing today, but more need to join the chorus.
I have 2 .300 WM's. One is a hunting rifle and one is a "tactical" rifle that is used for targets only. I have a personal maximum range for every weapon that I use for hunting, whether it is my recurve, or the .300. This maximum is based upon my own abilities, knowledge of which is gained through extensive shooting in competition and on the target range. After seeing what the wind can do at the 600 yd range in highpower competition, I will not consider a shot longer than 300 yds. at a game animal with any rifle regardless of "banjo string" trajectory. The guiding principle should be, get as close as you can possibly get, then 20 yds. closer.
I hunt primarily in FL and GA, but I have hunted in NV, CO and MT for elk and mule deer. In some locales you could get long shots, but after witnessing a fellow shoot an elk four times at extreme range before finally bringing it down, I swore I would never be guilty of that. Wounding an animal due to uncontrollable actions such as animal movement or deteriorating wx conditions is one thing, but to deliberately attempt to shoot an animal where even perfect conditions make it a difficult shot is, to my mind, an ethically criminal act. But, we see how much ethics are revered in our society these days. thanks for the article, it is on point.
I have 2 .300 WM's. One is a hunting rifle and one is a "tactical" rifle that is used for targets only. I have a personal maximum range for every weapon that I use for hunting, whether it is my recurve, or the .300. This maximum is based upon my own abilities, knowledge of which is gained through extensive shooting in competition and on the target range. After seeing what the wind can do at the 600 yd range in highpower competition, I will not consider a shot longer than 300 yds. at a game animal with any rifle regardless of "banjo string" trajectory. The guiding principle should be, get as close as you can possibly get, then 20 yds. closer.
I hunt primarily in FL and GA, but I have hunted in NV, CO and MT for elk and mule deer. In some locales you could get long shots, but after witnessing a fellow shoot an elk four times at extreme range before finally bringing it down, I swore I would never be guilty of that. Wounding an animal due to uncontrollable actions such as animal movement or deteriorating wx conditions is one thing, but to deliberately attempt to shoot an animal where even perfect conditions make it a difficult shot is, to my mind, an ethically criminal act. But, we see how much ethics are revered in our society these days. thanks for the article, it is on point.
