How Many Are True "LR" Shooters?

Over time, it seems I am reading more and more posts from members who have never shot true LR, and for the purposes of this discussion, I will refer to "rough" NRA standards of SR (0-300yd) MR (400-600yd) and LR (800-1,000), but some of us use the 1/4 mile rule of SR: 0-440, MR: 441-880 and LR: 881-1320 yards. Yes, there are gaps between those NRA, so lets say 601-1,000yds is LR.

With that said, I read a fair amount of posts were the shooter claims to never shoot beyond 300yd, 400yds or 500yds, and from time to time, I read posts of shooters/hunters that are critical of others for shooting beyond "their" self determined limits.

So, since this is a LR/ELR hunting and shooting forum, I am just curious how many actually shoot LR (601-1,000yds) and then how many actually shoot game or even varmints at same?

I practice at different positions out to 1500yds. My longest shot on big game is a Muley at 707yds. Practice, practice and more practice

For me I currently fall into the short range to mid range . I can only shoot to 300 at my local range and if I want to shoot to 500 I have to shoot a few matches . Time is my biggest problem . I work 12 hours a day during the week and 10/ 11 on the weekends . So as my gear has gotten better my time has gotten scarce. Farthest shot on game 458 yds with my 300 wm and a leupold vx3. My 7-08 is running barns copper so given that it's a 600 yd gun to maintain enough speed for expansion. I did have a 280AI built to run longer 175 class bullets and I'm still working up loads . The 300rum is in need of some surgery to open the mag box to get me closer to the lands . The wyatts box is on order and I've already modified the bolt stop. Then there's the heat here in Arizona it's already . So my shooting will taper off till it cools down some . Once it does and I get loads worked up for the 280ai and the 300rum I'm planning a desert trip . Hopefully I can take the rum out to the 1300 yds my buddy has shot his to.

My last bull was 589 yards off a tripod. If the animal is closer, better overall because less chances of a miss with wind calls etc. But if it's out there no problem. Practice practice practice

I shoot to 600 yards quite frequently at our local range and out to 1300 in the hills when time and weather permits. I have taken game to 851 yards but like to hold myself to 600 mark or less as I know at 600 if I do my part that there is a very high likelihood of a lethal kill. I would like to say I am 100% confident at those ranges but things can go wrong that are beyond my control and unfortunately sometimes **** just happens. I have taken lots of deer and antelope between 600-700 yards. Some larger bodied animals around the 500 mark. I lost an animal at 916 yards in South Africa a few years back and it literally made me ill. I love the long range practice and feeling confident in my ability to hit the mark when I need to but rocks don't move and targets don't lay in the field and bleed to death if you miss the mark. I can tell you shooting an animal and losing it will definitely make you reassess your thinking and you abilities, at least it should, it sure did for me.

Regularly(2 times per month is alittle on the slow side but that's what I've been able to work in) shooting out to 1024 at the new range. Old range went to 1710. Loved it. Miss shooting passed 1024.

bsnyder said:

Regularly(2 times per month is alittle on the slow side but that's what I've been able to work in) shooting out to 1024 at the new range. Old range went to 1710. Loved it. Miss shooting passed 1024.

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Which range in CO were you shooting 1,710? I've shot 2,000 at one southern CO range and at the Grand Junction/Palisades range. Locally, we have a 1,000yd and I take my gongs out to the BLM/NF lands and shoot 1,000yd - 1 mile.

Mid range guy here- can shoot out to 600 if I drive a cple hrs but only get there 1-2/mo when the weather is good.

I like the definition that LR is different for everyone based on their abilities. I feel like that's largely true in the context of this site

I like 1/4mi brackets myself (I can shoot out to 1320 at my place, but rarely do).

To build a ballistic profile, I'll shoot drops at 440 and true velocity, then 880 and true the BC in my ballistic calculator. Don't really consider myself a 'Long Range' shooter, but many in my community do

Hitting small gongs cold bore gives me more of a thrill than walking onto a big one. In my mind anything over about 10" seems of little practical value, but to each their own!

I remember a few of these discussion over on the ELR subforum, and there it seemed like 500+ was considered 'LR' and 1000+ was 'ELR', but with technological improvements I understand these definitions may be changing a bit.

I recently rejoined my local gun club to at least have a place to shoot out to 600. I shot 600 a lot before I left the club originally and I missed it a lot after I left. That was the only thing I missed.

A friend of mine has a place I can go to now and then where you could probably wring out a mile. My best yet is around 1,080. I don't get to shoot past 600 as much as I'd like.

Hand Skills said:

I like the definition that LR is different for everyone based on their abilities. I feel like that's largely true in the context of this site

I like 1/4mi brackets myself (I can shoot out to 1320 at my place, but rarely do).

To build a ballistic profile, I'll shoot drops at 440 and true velocity, then 880 and true the BC in my ballistic calculator. Don't really consider myself a 'Long Range' shooter, but many in my community do

Hitting small gongs cold bore gives me more of a thrill than walking onto a big one. In my mind anything over about 10" seems of little practical value, but to each their own!

I remember a few of these discussion over on the ELR subforum, and there it seemed like 500+ was considered 'LR' and 1000+ was 'ELR', but with technological improvements I understand these definitions may be changing a bit.

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As an old NRA and other comp shooter, I became accustom to the formal definitions of SR, MR and LR at those ranges, and then came the ELR/ULR with us 50 cal boys. Then, things began to change with VLD bullets and smaller cals than the 50's as they began to take over.

Hey, I got on this forum to learn and become a better shooter. My farthest shot at anything was at WY-Shoot 2023 using one of Ernie's bolt action pistols, 1264 yds, hit it on the second shot. Ernie was giving me the wind calls, just missed on the first shot. On game animals two caribou both just over 500 yds, they were both wounded by someone else. So bottom line I'm working on becoming a long range shooter, but I'll still stalk to get the closest shot I can. I get upset if I lose a game bird, I've only lost one big game animal. It was a caribou, I was hunting with a native Alaskan, his boat, basically his rules. He said leave it for the wolves and bears, that was over 30 years ago and it still bugs me.
Take Care

Well, I think Long Range Target shooting and Long Range Hunting should be measured differently.

I've shot over 1000 yards at paper and steel, but not hunting.

I think of long range target shooting as something like 1000 yards. But probably anything 800+

I'd bring that in quite a bit to something like 600yards if I were to think about long range hunting.

Ricky C said:

Hey, I got on this forum to learn and become a better shooter. My farthest shot at anything was at WY-Shoot 2023 using one of Ernie's bolt action pistols, 1264 yds, hit it on the second shot. Ernie was giving me the wind calls, just missed on the first shot. On game animals two caribou both just over 500 yds, they were both wounded by someone else. So bottom line I'm working on becoming a long range shooter, but I'll still stalk to get the closest shot I can. I get upset if I lose a game bird, I've only lost one big game animal. It was a caribou, I was hunting with a native Alaskan, his boat, basically his rules. He said leave it for the wolves and bears, that was over 30 years ago and it still bugs me.
Take Care

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Its just kinda' a survey question - No judgements being made.

As for losing game, so far, knock on wood, I have never lost a game animal at LR with any caliber I've used, but I cannot say the same for a couple I hit at much, much shorter range and when younger. The old 30-06 lost a couple - one at about 175yds and another under 100yds. Both were "knocked down" but recovered only to leave the county as they say.