Hi Lrt307,
I got the following from eastmans.com:
"He asked me, "Do you know the difference between hunters and snipers?"
I had a pretty good idea where he was going with it but asked him to explain more.
He continued, "Hunters have to be more accurate than snipers. As a sniper I only have to hit a target and he's out of the battle, as a hunter I must cleanly kill with each and every round." When you sit back and think about that, it makes total sense.
The
Boone and Crockett Club recently released a position statement on the issue of long-range shooting and it states,
"Regardless of these capabilities, sportsmen have historically held themselves to an ethical standard of not taking excessively long or risky shots at the big game animals they pursue. New shooting technologies now being developed and promoted for use in hunting are encouraging hunters to shoot at substantially increased distances. These new technologies, while not illegal, are tempting hunters into taking longer and longer shots, which is raising significant ethical questions, including those of fair chase and intent."
The club goes on to further explain that. "
…long-range shooting takes unfair advantage of the game animal, effectively eliminates the natural capacity of an animal to use its senses and instincts to detect danger, and demeans the hunter/prey relationship in a way that diminishes the importance and relevance of the animal and the hunt
… If the intent of the individual is to test equipment and determine how far one can shoot to hit a live target and if there is no motivation to risk engagement with the animal being hunted, this practice is not hunting and should not be accorded the same status as hunting."
Source: Long Range Shooting- What's Your Intent? | Eastmans' Official Blog | Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk Hunting and Bowhunting Magazine | Eastmans' Hunting Journals
Safari Club International's long range hunting position:
Safari Club International has announced that long range shooting at game animals is unsportsmanlike because it deprives the animal of its survival instincts by sight, scent and hearing.What do you think? | Field & Stream
From the NRA:
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2013/12/12/long-range-shooting/
Lrt307, I'm sure that you're an ethical hunter who wouldn't take a shot unless you know it will quickly and humanely kill your game. It's "hunters" who buy long range hunting equipment and think that that equipment makes them long range hunters that might ruin your ability to enjoy your time afield as you choose.
As hunters, we must support one another. If hunters who don't like long range hunters take a stand against them resulting in a law proscribing long range hunting, who'll become the next target of whack job environmentalists who are anything but environmentalists? Will they target use of dogs for bear hunting? That's already happened in CA. Whack jobs have destroyed hunting in CA, which is why I refuse to even apply for a CA hunting license. I'd rather give my money and support local economies of Rocky Mountain states.
Long range hunters would be making a very serious miscalculation by ignoring Boone & Crockett, Safari Club International, and the NRA's position on long range hunting. While I don't know how a law proscribing long range hunting could be enforced, it's reasonable to predict that whack jobs will cite B&C, SCI, & the NRA's positions against long range hunting as basis for enacting a law that will ostensibly target long range hunters yet will assuredly affect all hunters. That's the primary agenda of whack jobs: outlaw all hunting. Believe me, I live in the tarnished Golden State. Whack jobs here believe that wildlife should be managed emotionally as opposed to scientifically.
Lrt307, as hunters, we ought to emphasize our commonalities and agree to disagree with due respect. For instance, we both agree on the excellent characteristics of .284 caliber bullets. You like heavier ones and I like medium weight ones. But we both like .284 caliber bullets. I respect your decision to use bullets that work for you. Conversely, knowing my hunting conditions and environment, 400 yards is a far shot and my maximum shooting range under perfect conditions. At altitude in the Rockies, that darn Murphy is always lingering, waiting do lay down his law.
Best of luck to you, Lrt307.
