It has come to my attention that someone on our beloved forum has tossed our pearls before the swine of another anti-longrange forum. For that, they should be terminated from LRH. The reason I joined this forum was so I didn't have to explain myself or my hunting tactics to others so they could be torn apart by the anti-long rangers (less learned).
The forum in question is accuratereloading.com.
On this site, they have taken my thread out of context and called me every name in the book for my "unethical" shot.
While that is fine with me what those boneheads say, I felt some more explaining to our members was in order.
My elk hunt was not a luck or chance hunt. I am a precision long range shooter and have been for some time. I shoot targets that are 1/100 the size of elk at longer distances than 820 yards all summer long. I knew my equipment and skills down to the letter. I had chronoed my load the day before the outing, and sighted it in at long range (1000 yards) several times before the hunt. I had my angle tool, laser rangefinder, spotting scope with witnesses, drop chart, thermometer, and my own optimistic attitude at my descretion. The elk were not spooked, and offered a great target. There was absolutely no wind as the fog was settling in all around us. Even if the wind would have been blowing, I am familiar enough with reading mirage to account for drift at that range and adjust accordingly. I was absolutely certain of my abilities that day, and the thought of this shot being unethical never once crossed my mind. I KNEW I COULD MAKE THIS SHOT BEFORE I EVER SET FOOT ON THE MOUNTAIN!!
Many of you on this forum (LRH) could and have routinely made shots like this or farther, and I say that I am proud to know you! We are a select bunch, and we know that with the proper equipment and practice, almost anything is possible.
In an earlier post, I make mention of a sheep kill I made 2 years ago. I should have elaborated on this more, but my intention was to show how game animals can move out of the way of the bullet at long range so one must be patient and careful not to shoot too soon. I did not even think about how this might sound to someone reading it out of text.
The full story on that was:
It was my last day of a once-in-a-lifetime hunt, and after spending thousands of dollars and countless hours in the desert, my friend found the ram (the only ram worth taking in the whole unit) across a canyon, and in full alertness looking for ewes. Any motion or noise would have alerted the ram to our presence.
He was on a big slope which gave me a big area (about 1 mile) to watch him after the shot in case we needed to finish him. Under the circumstances, I knew I could make the shot, and indeed, I think those shots are more challenging, thus making it more fun.
Again, I had several spotters on spotting scopes to help me, and I had my drop charts, rangefinder, and a Varmint Rest. Once I put my gun in this rest, I felt absolutely comfortable with the shot. I KNEW I COULD DO IT. A ram is a lot bigger target than the rockchucks and prairie dogs I had been shooting for 6 months prior.
My first shot all but severed the leg, and my second shot plain missed because I hurried it a little (once in a lifetime hunts can get the adrenaline flowing) but the third shot hit home and it was lights out. The whole event took about 1 minute. So yes, the ram may have felt pain for one minute, but it is NO WORSE than an arrow through the lungs, or being dragged down by a cougar. That is life. Pain is inevitable in life. My shots were still more efficient at killing the ram than either the arrow or cougar could ever be. That being said, I believe in bow hunting, and in a kitty getting a meal once in awhile. If how an animal checks out bothers you, don't hunt, and don't watch the discovery channel.
Anyway, the ram is being mounted, and his meat is in my freezer, and anything said in hindsight against the matter is nothing but afterthought.
OK, now I have a few words to those reading this thread from LRH to Accuratereloading by the link provided you by our traitor. I want to re emphasize to our LRH readers that what I say from now on is directed to the bone head naysayers at Accuratereloading.com.
First of all, I read all the responses in your site on my hunt, and there were a few of you who were optimistic and said nice things. You kept an open mind, and are to be congratulated for that. Please bear in mind that the *** ripping that follows is not directed to you!
Nay sayers: (I will mention names. Canuck, savage99, anotherazwriter,duckster, rickt300, hikerbum, jstevens,chucknelson,kutenay,fredj338)
You have passed premature judgment on me and a whole forum of long range enthusiasts, and for that, my opinion of you is quite low. You are almost as bad as members of PETA. You're excuses for not educating yourselves are almost identical to the pathetic excuses PETA uses to ridicule anything they don't agree with. SHAME ON YOU! The worst thing hunters can do is seperate in views. We should stick together, not drive wedges between us. THAT IS WHAT ANTI-HUNTERS WANT US TO DO!!
I can not help it if I have taken shooting to a level that you're not familiar with, you should have and could have kept up! Instead, you belittle and snivel in our shadows. Sorry, It does not mean belly-button lint to me if you're mindset has not kept up with technology. My ancestors in the late 1880's were killing buffalo and elk on the great plains at 1000 meters with black powder guns and open sights! So why is it such a great fallacy to hunt the same way they did, only with much deadlier weapons! They would have loved to use the guns you have access to everyday to shoot those buffalo, and you limit them to 200 yards! WHY!?!? Get out there and learn the trade before you belittle it. YOU MIGHT JUST SURPRISE YOURSELF AT WHAT YOU CAN DO!
On the subject of killing range, many of you have mentioned how you are lethal at 300 yards or better. Now I will take the view of a radical on your side, and ask you why you don't get any closer? What if I were to tell you that you're un-ethical for taking that 300 yard shot when you should have got on your hands and knees and crawled to within what I feel is an ethical range of 35 yards? what would be your response?
I bet you'd say, "Well, I knew I could take that 300 yard shot, and I have practiced it, and my equipment was zeroed for that range so I shot". SOUND FAMILIAR?? That is what guys tell YOU who have shot farther than you've ever dreamed.
I am willing to bet that long range hunters/shooters shoot on average 50 times the amount of ammo you do annually! They practice more than just once before the deer hunt. They on average spend more money on their equipment too, which is an indirect indicator of how much more serious they are than you!
I tried to get a longer shot on my elk, but it didn't work out that way, so I settled for an 820 yard shot. Too me, the hunt is the challenge, and the challenge is the hunt, so I try to make it fun for myself and the friends I bring along. I DO NOT HAVE AS MUCH FUN shooting an elk at 200 yards with an overpowered, scoped, modern rifle. THERE IS NO CHALLENGE IN THAT FOR ME!!!!
My elk was dead in her sleep, and that is about as good as dying can get. Like Ted Nugent says,"you have to kill it before you can grill it!" I did not wound any other elk on my hunt, and I hit the elk that I was aiming at. There was no flock shooting!! I also did not post this picture to brag, of course, you would have known that if you had the balls to register at LRH. I posted the picture to show how the Nosler Accubond works well at long range. It was taken out of text on your pathetic site.
Oh, and for the guy that said I've lost it for bringing a posterboard and a sharpie on my hunt, I will tell you that the so called "poster board" is actually the back of my drop chart, and yes, I do bring my sharpie along because I have gotten used to doing that for the Varmint Hunters Association. I was not the first one to think of this!
OK. I've spoken my peace for now. I will make sure that I shoot some more long range animals at even longer ranges so I can post them on your site to **** you naysayers off some more.
Thanks.
