How Many Are True "LR" Shooters?

[Greyfox]

I may be “odd man out” I’m not as religious on shot distance as many that have posted on this thread. I have, and will continue to execute “certain” shots on game at long range. Of 60+ whitetail, antelope, and mule deer harvested between 500 and 1200 yards most have been taken between 500 and 700 yards. Over this 15 year period I have successfully taken about 10 animals beyond 700 yards, the furthest 1188 yards, and, my first LR shot, a 998 yard whitetail. The balance was taken between 700 and 1000 yards. I will say that over this period well over few dozen animals at long range have been passed up, or a closer stalk/shot attempted….Due to conditions and the uncertainty of a clean kill.
Prior to taking up LR hunting I competed in various forms of “long range” rifle sports/competition. When began the quest to hunt game at long range it became immediately apparent that the two forms of LR shooting, had little resemblance. First shot/cold bore performance is critical. An investment of countless hours of training/practice and understanding conditions, AND, a complete understanding of the rifle/load performance was imperative. Most all my LR shots on game have been taken with the same rifle(except scope), the same barrel, and the same load. With the exception of initial load testing and sighting-in work, all practice has been cold/warm bore at LR. The balance of the 1150 total shots on the barrel have been LR shots in game or varmints….Less the 10% of total shots fired.
While there are surely disproportionate demands in shots taken at the longer ranges, equipment, experience, practice, and confidence are what, IMO, separates each of us in determining the distances we will take a LR shot on game
I can remember a time long ago when a 300 yard shot on game was considered as miraculous as a thousand yard shot is today!

 

[Mickp7]

I have target stands at 165 yds and 420 yds right outside my reloading room. This is convenient for load development.
Once a load is established, I drive about 2 hours to a friends recreation property in PA to verify at longer ranges. He doesn't hunt or shoot, but loves to share his getaway place and allowed me to build targets. They are at 420 (coincidentally), 600, 800, and 1000 from his cabin. We can also take our mats up the hill behind his cabin to extend to 1200 and 1400 yard shots.
These are open hill, cross valley shots, oftentimes with stiff winds. Early morning and end of day are usually best for verifying dope. Mid-day is good for wind practice. We shoot from dawn to dusk and the day still isn't long enough!
I've taken several elk in the 400 or so range, with my longest at 560. These shots are usually off quick-deploy shooting sticks which are obviously less than ideal. I still look forward to the day when I have a nice comfortable prone shot on an animal, but as others have said, environmentals often make hunting shots more difficult than where we practice.

 

[RockyRandy]

I'm very blessed to have a range out to 1355 yards on my farm. I can work up a load and walk 100 yards and sit down on a cement bench and shoot paper target at 100 yards and then move to steel target starting at 400 yards on out to 1355. I feel really confident out to the 715 yard steel coyote that I have but never seem to amaze me how things seem to change when I start shooting the 835,900,1020,1200,1355.
I couldn't agree more with the comments of practice, practice, practice.
My longest shot is 80 yards with a bow! I only hunt with a bow. I've killed 4 bull elk, 55,70,70,80.
I'm 66 years old and the day is come that I won't be able to hunt with a Bow and then I'll go back to a rifle and when that happens I would think I only want to shot with my rifle out to 600 yards. If I can get to less then 80 yards with a Bow I believe I can get within 600 with a rifle.
Just my thought. Keep practicing.

 

[BrentM]

I've done a little of everything. PRS, long range practical, BR. Most targets in PRS and LRP are sub 1400. For a short time I was really into the mile plus shooting. I discovered I was not really at that level yet to be consistent or proficient, so I backed off to 1200 and less. Most of my shooting occurs from 500-1000 and my training rifle is a fast twist 223 running 88 eldm's. For hunting my longest hit on a yote was 1475, wolf is 980. I've killed a pile of yotes, wolves, and a few cats, from 400-800. This is more of a comfort thing for typical winter conditions during predator season. A kill zone on a wolf is about 8" on the max side. They are easy to kill if you get a good hit but I did actually lose one this winter at 537. I would have bet my house that was a dead wolf but, in the end, I had a rough day tracking and lost it.

My personal opinion is that I have zero issue with some one hunting 400-600 and considering it LR. It's definitely enough to have to consider environmental conditions and shooting positional can make a 500 yard shot dang near impossible if you don't know what you are doing.

 

[cabelasken]

I try to limit my game shots to 500 yds to ensure a good hit location and minimal loss of meat. Practice gongs at our range go out to a mile and up to 750 yds, there are multiple ones of various sizes. At the ranch we hunt, shots on game are typically under 450 yds so we don't normally take "long range" shots which is good since some folks in our group are challenged to make a 250 yd shot in the field. I am not a fan of chasing wounded animals over hill and dale, so I've stopped several wounded elk from escaping from marginal shot hit locations from others in our party. One animal I took down the next day was struck in a good location but the factory bullet used by a friend did not do it's job. I know premium loaded ammo is expensive, but even if a box is $80, it's small in relation to the cost of the trip.

 

[RichCoyle]

I was that way with coyotes. With my .454 I could hit jack rabbits out over 100 yards. Let a coyote stand up in the sage at twenty-five yards and I would shake so bad there was zero chance of hitting it.

 

[sp6x6]

Ive shot bow since a kid, use to do the local 3D stuff,I would hang in top 10 or better.Lots guys shoot bow better, but im good when it comes to making shot on game.80 yard bow shot about like 1000 yard rifle or probably further for me.I did arrow a steinbok at 62 yrds,there 8'' at brisket

 

[nealm66]

Something else to consider is they way vegetation and trees act in the wind at different elevations and areas. I was recently helping a buddy scout a higher elevation unit he drew with some potential lr shots and it was really tough to get a wind call with the trees and vegetation there as it barely moved compared to our west side lower elevations. This was a steep drainage unit and no access to gather more data other than looking over the edge. Maybe some day they’ll have some sort of camera that can put a visual on the swirling wind

 

[nealm66]

I guess what I’m trying to say is you’re 1000yard practice in Montana/Wyoming may not work on the lowland coast and visa versa

 

[Sealesniper]

I don't shoot anywhere close to as much as I used to. I still stretch it out a few times a year to 700-900 yards, but my current shooting bench at the farm is limited to 900 yards after the hurricanes dropped too many big trees to move. I guess if I still had the passion I would have gotten them moved, but the turkey, quail and bears like the brambles so I have just let them lay there.

With that said, long range is subjective. I still like to push the limits of smaller rounds. I will shoot .22 LR and .17 HMR to 200 and 300 yards respectfully for groups, and I shoot squirrels after bear season that are coming to the corn and peanuts. That will not be as active this year as I just sold my 22-250 AI that was my "go to" hammer out to 600 plus yards on them. I did not put the bear barrels further away that that so that is my the distance was limited. I also like to mess with my Raven cross bow to 140-150 yards and some small caliber pistols to 100 plus yards. As for true LR, I sold my .338 Snipetac that was my mile plus laser. I miss that gun when I get the bug to smash things out to 2000 yards.

 

[FireFlyFishing]

I was shooting at 840 yards with my .308 on Saturday.

 

[marksman1941]

Local range only goes to 340, with 600 every other Sunday. I try to make it out every weekend but that’s not feasible anymore. However, lately I’ve been able to do cold bore shots to 600 on the 10, 6, and 4 inch plates with my 6.5cm which has felt gratifying.

I took my .308 to a range about 4 hours away for more distance than we have here. I kept up with the pack shooting steel from 200-1000, but 1050 and beyond my .308 fell flat on its face and went from holding 1moa to about 10moa. I’m guessing bullets were tumbling when they went transonic. My buddy was able to hang on to the mile target with his 6.5, which sold me on getting one for myself

 

[cabelasken]

At our range there is a 14" X 14" square gong at one mile. I witnessed the fellow next to me ring it on his second try with a 6.5 swede. His first shot did not miss by much!!!!

 

[bonie]

I shoot short range best rest. 200-400 on deer at times . have a place to shoot to 528 but don't get there often. 1,000 yard range is and hour away any range time is not cheap, but still would like to stretch my legs there and see how well I fair.