Idaho Investigating Technology Limitations for Rifles

Man, I'm always trying to guess ranges and then checking with a range finder and I'm absolutely not good and neither is anyone that's ever been with me. I'd say 3-400 with a flat shooting cartridge zeroed at 300 like old school but man, that would be the absolute limit and I'd definitely have to practice more in different areas. Would be interesting to hear others attempts in different areas as maybe I just really suck. Habits from old archery days I guess is why I do it

Rick Richard said:

Some other states have already begun the process (brainwashing) of hunter restrictions. They have planted the seed with first focusing on muzzleloaders. So, I am not surprised it is branching out to other categories of hunting. It is just beginning.

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Can't remember which one but I read somewhere that some states have outlawed game cameras!

BrentM said:

I put in an application to be on the committee. Speculation vs reality. There are limits already on a lot of the weapons used to hunt game. It is not a surprise to see some discussion pertaining to the long range game. I am friends with a few officers who deal with the general public and the long range hunter wannabe is exactly what you think it is. It's a sh!t show of people who have no business hunting at the distances they do. So, pulling back on the reins of conspiracies etc I appreciate the fact the department is willing to hear folks out and make decisions for the future on hunting in Idaho vs just using their own opinion. I have a feeling, speculation, that the focus will be more on the fully integrated systems vs the range, dial, and shoot most on here understand. The modern lazy long range guy wants to hit an easy button and turn hunting into a video game. Literally put the cross hair on the target and let the auto trigger send the round.

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Totally agree with your sentiment. These days during rifle season, it seems like everyone thinks they're a long range sniper. Add that to the apparent mentality of not possibly being able to see an elk without shooting at it....

Travis Mowery said:

without electronics my personal limitation would be greatly reduced, without a rangefinder I couldn't consistently tell you the difference between 3 and 4 hundred yards, for me, that 100 yd difference could be the difference in kill or miss or worse end up with a wounded animal,
when the door gets opened and politicians are involved, unfortunately there is not telling where it will end,
prime example: Iowa, changed from shotgun/Muzzle loader to allow straight walls and other cartridges, whet the lawmakers rewrote allows anyone to use a 375 RUM now instead of a shotgun, but cant use a 270 or 30-06, not sure that is what their initial intension was when they did it but here we are. I won't say what I used or will be using there lol

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The people passing these laws have no experience and don't know what the hell they're talking about. That is another big part of the problem. I believe if you're going to create legislation, you must study up on the issue at hand.

338 dude said:

Can't remember which one but I read somewhere that some states have outlawed game cameras!

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Another law in place due to the 5%. It's not the family that has a few cameras up to get some cool wildlife pics, it's the outfitters running so many cameras that animals can't water in the desert without disturbance.

nealm66 said:

Man, I'm always trying to guess ranges and then checking with a range finder and I'm absolutely not good and neither is anyone that's ever been with me. I'd say 3-400 with a flat shooting cartridge zeroed at 300 like old school but man, that would be the absolute limit and I'd definitely have to practice more in different areas. Would be interesting to hear others attempts in different areas as maybe I just really suck. Habits from old archery days I guess is why I do it

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OK, I lied, I can't restrain from comments!


I still use the 300 yrd. zero and feel as though I can "guestimate" pretty fair out to 400……where the range finder is quintessential!

I'm not as I once was on range estimation as I used to have a job that required a lot of walking, covering a lot of terrain. When doing this walking, I would pick out an object and guestimate it's distance. Then count the steps, not a range finder but done on a regular basis gives a fairly good estimate of distance. It was also made more difficult, by having objects of various sizes during these walks.

After a few misses many years ago, I have a rule to "NEVER" hold over without range finder assurance. Several times, especially in a twilight scenario, the distance appeared to me to be farther away…..I held over and missed. After several such events, never again will I hold over. I will always "hold on hair"! This should work for all of my big game, antelope and larger……not so much on coyotes, foxes, ect. If I feel the need for hold over…..the range finder will be used.

Others may disagree with my approach……but, it seems to work for me. memtb

Fish & feathers & others think hi-tech weaponry is sort of like using monofilament gill nets to catch trouts in rivers that are small.

Its crazy how hard it is to guess ranges in different environments. We get used to a vegetation or some clue and like a fish out of water if those clues are gone. Wind is the same way for me. It really puts a reality slap just going to different places and testing.

The real question is why is this even a topic of conversation? Are harvest numbers going up to the point that game animal populations are decreasing due to hunter success? No. Anywhere numbers have diminished has been because of reintroduction and poor control of apex predators, human encroachment and land development, and disease. Furthermore, why sell tags, which give people permission to hunt and harvest an animal, and not expect 100% of them to put in their best effort to try?

338 dude said:

Can't remember which one but I read somewhere that some states have outlawed game cameras!

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Arizona?

SemperFi said:

The 375 Rum is still a bottle neck cartridge,[not allowed]. They also have a length restriction on the case, if I remember correctly. Around .850-1.8".

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SemperFi,
here is the excerpt from the hunting regulations, there is no bottleneck restriction in Iowa any longer, I do not know when they introduced it but I know this was the case last year, that my first year hunting in Iowa

It's that dang smokeless powder that ruined everything.....it's been downhill ever since....

Barrelnut said:

The only restriction, I've see, Idaho has that would somewhat affect long range capability was rifle weight. A hunting rifle has to be under 16 LB. That's been in effect for a several years now.

""In Idaho, it's illegal to use a firearm that weighs more than 16 pounds, including the weight of any attachments, sling, or scope, when hunting big game animals. This restriction applies to all hunts, including any-weapon seasons. ""

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Yikes I'd not want to carry a 16 lb rifle up and down the mountain

338 dude said:

Can't remember which one but I read somewhere that some states have outlawed game cameras!

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Arizona. It's was the 1% buying pallets of the cell cams, placing them in numerous states and selling trophy info to guides. All the while the seller never used the info for his own hunting.
Sad but true.