How Many Are True "LR" Shooters?

"Best" rifle kill, Trans Pecos mule deer from shooting rail in high rack truck, 548 yds (verified with lazer range finder), Win Model 70 in 270 with Leupold 2-7 scope. Hold over. Happened in about 2005 or so. I had been shooting that rifle since I was a kid, many many round down range at targets and game learning the exact hold overs.
Best "modern" rifle kill was NM antelope at 440 yds, custom 7 Sherman Short/NF NXS 5.5-22 off tripod with arca rail. Happened last year. Almost seemed too easy.
I regularly shoot steel to 700 yds with my hunting rifles, but also have two dedicated range rifles in 260 and 308. Bang a lot of steel at all yardages out to 700 (private range) and always practice dialing/shooting off the reticle as well as the turrets.

I used to shoot out to a mile and was in that mindset that I wanted to shoot something over 1000 yards so bad. I never did and realized that I was good with that because as others have stated, it gets pretty dicey (for me anyways). What made me decide not to attempt any shots at 1000 or more was actually the practicing at extreme ranges. It's just so easy for anything to be calculated wrong or slight movement of the shooter during the shot. It's all amplified exponentially at those ranges.

I'll take 700 yard shots for sure. If the wind is really calm, I'll push it to 800. All my shots are always prone as well out that far. But that is as far as I'll shoot on game. Just my personal limit. I don't bash others who do take shots on game out at 1000 and beyond. If they can get it done, more power to them.

Practice to 1000+ yards. I like going out to a couple of fields I know of and just shooting at rocks way out there. Pick one and fire!!!
Coyotes shoot at any range that I can at them... even offhand at 800+ yards I cut lose. Have hits to 750.
Elk just a hair under 500 yards.
First antelope was with a muzzleloader at 260 yards in very high winds.
Moose about 400, but it was my very first one.
Whitetail relatively close but mule deer at roughly 550.
Been with friends who shoot game at long distance but I find that I can either walk/sneak/drive and cut the distance down. Prepared to hunt moose in farm land at 800 yards (thinking shoot across a quarter section with my 30-378) and shot a moose at 30 yards.

Huntnful said:

Looking at the "sighters" in F class, tells a different story than just the groups. Those are their first educated guesses at the wind, and they don't land in the middle too often.

The guns and bullets certainly have the capability to put bullets into small kill zones sized groups at extreme ranges.

It's placing the bullet in a kill zone with the first shot that brings a challenge. And obviously environmentals play a huge roll to how comfortable I am shooting on any given day and yardage. Dead calm, 700 even feels
Like a slam dunk.

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The sighters are sight setting from the last time you shot the range, of not you use a buddies to start, not even trying to dial in before the first sighter!

bigngreen said:

The sighters are sight setting from the last time you shot the range, of not you use a buddies to start, not even trying to dial in before the first sighter!

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Appreciate the info! So they aren't even really "trying" with the sighters. Just needing to see where they hit, so they can make the correction and then proceed with the next 20?

Huntnful said:

Appreciate the info! So they aren't even really "trying" with the sighters. Just needing to see where they hit, so they can make the correction and then proceed with the next 20?

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Depends on the guy what level of try you'll see but there are more important things to worry about than a coldbore shot, you have a time period to do your sighters so depending on discipline you'll have different sighter period strategies.

I don't typically shoot/hunt long range. I only came over here after the specialty handgun forum shut down, since there is a sub-forum here for that. I do shoot out to 300 yards with a handgun, but I guess you guys don't consider that long range....whatever.


Tony

@TonyRumore

300 yards with a handgun is impressive. I never was good with my handguns even when I was shooting IPSC back in the early 90s. What are you shooting?

Friend and I were all set to buy consecutive numbered 454 casulls from Freedom Arms to grizzly hunting in Alaska. Then we figured out what the guided hunt was going to cost. The handgun purchase was peanuts in comparison.

In shooting sighters at 1000 yd BR, my closest cold bore, first shot was within about 6" of initial aim point. Worst - a good 8 feet in straight line measurement. Elevation is always closer than windage.

Where do I sign up for medium range hunting.com? I'm not worthy of being here yet. I suspect there are others in my group. ….as well as short range, but want to hunt long and I don't shoot, but I can tell you what you are doing wrong..

nksmfamjp said:

Where do I sign up for medium range hunting.com? I'm not worthy of being here yet. I suspect there are others in my group. ….as well as short range, but want to hunt long and I don't shoot, but I can tell you what you are doing wrong..

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I'm beneath you my friend among these guys.

del2les said:

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?

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I think this forums culture has changed so much it's almost unrecognizable, a LOT of experience has left or passed away, there are a lot of guys that are missed!
I believe at one time 600 was kinda our bench mark for Long Range and 1000 was the mark for ELR.
I do shoot long range, I can shoot from zero to any number I can range from my porch, I move my range around a couple times a year but I have a 3-400 yard target, 6-800 yards then 1600-2000 yards at all times and once the fire danger goes down 3900 yard target will go back up.
Soon I'll start shooting at life size targets, I started this quite a few years ago and then have my kids practice the same, really seems to hone you in vs a gong or paper target.
I've shot game all over the range board but only saw one condition where I was able to confidently shoot an elk at 1780 yards with 28 Nosler, most technical shot I've taken was just over 1300 yards on an antelope with a 308 and 215 Berger, I actually waited till I had just a hint of mariage before taking that shot so I had more to watch.
I've lost count how many between 600 and 1000 yards but it's a large number, I probably averaged 800 yards on all kills for about 6 years then I started taking my daughter out so mostly concentrated on being a spotter as she's been the trigger puller, now she's a freaking assassin so I'm putting the time in again to put a mile condition back in the tool box if presented.

I hike back into areas I hunt through the year to shoot and watch the wind in those areas, time the thermals. I'll go to an area and roll rocks up on game trails or feeding areas to practice on, all my shooting is honing my wind calls for hunting season. I don't just roll in cold and throw a 1000 yard plus shot out, those are reserved for shots I've taken before and conditions I've mapped. At 6-800 yards if they give me time the shot will happen if the conditions are right and I can visualize the wind flow.

bigngreen said:

I think this forums culture has changed so much it's almost unrecognizable, a LOT of experience has left or passed away, there are a lot of guys that are missed!

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Yes it has! Yes they are!

bigngreen said:

I probably averaged 800 yards on all kills for about 6 years then I started taking my daughter out so mostly concentrated on being a spotter as she's been the trigger puller, now she's a freaking assassin so I'm putting the time in again to put a mile condition back in the tool box if presented.

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Good times! I remember seeing pictures when she started, barely bench high.

wasskeet said:

I'm beneath you my friend among these guys.

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Not at all, sir. We are all in this to develop together.