MER (Maximum Effective Range) another tool in the complete hunters tool box

[406precision]

It seems like we see a thread a day on ethics and extended range shots in the hunting world and if your looking for a hot topic for discussion just post up a thread about the subject.

There is no denying that technology and the current availability of top end equipment has made extending ones effective distance on game more possible than ever before.. unfortunately what gets missed by main stream advertising and retailers is that hunters still need to be educated on the use of these products and how to effectively practice with them to take advantage of their uses and establish their own (MER) maximum effective range and become a more effective and successful hunter.

Now when people hear the word maximum they initially envision shots of 1000 yards and beyond...but this is not the case at all. Maximum effective range is simply the maximum range that each of us as hunters needs to establish and use as a bench mark in our hunting adventures.

For some this may be 200 yards for others it may be 1000 there are a ton of things that go into developing and utilizing MER in our shooting and they include but are certainly not limited to the following...

Education (necessary in understanding your equipment and skill level)

Equipment ( knowing your equipment its' limitations and how it actually works)

Practice ( not only shooting but shooting in filed conditions and at targets that mimic the vital zone of the animals you plan on hunting at the distances you plan on hunting)

Self evaluation (this is where a lot of people fail...you need to be man or woman enough to understand what your limitations are based on the above items and then have the backbone to stick to it in the field. Just because you choose to shoot a caliber capable of taking game at extended ranges doesn't mean you have the skills or knowledge to do so!!

The importance of establishing a realistic and confident MER is immeasurable...a hunter that understands what his or her limitations in the field are is a hunter that is setting themselves up for success and greatly reducing the chance of unfavorable results based on poor decision making and or lack of knowledge about either their skill set or equipment.

MER is very personal and cannot be established by others and for others it needs to be done by the hunter themselves.

Understanding your MER is just another tool in a complete hunters tool box that they can rely on when it comes to making sound decisions in the field and being successful. Its not a question of how far can I shoot? its a question of how far can I effectively harvest game...in field conditions and being able to incorporate that distance for use in the field.

What do you think???
Jordan@406

 

[Korhil78]

Sounds good.

I establish my MER by practicing out to different ranges. Based on how consistent I am at those ranges, is what I base my MER off of. That is what you have stated above.

I then further limit my MER based on the weather (I.E. wind). I have shot at different distances in different winds and know that I am very comfortable in a 10-15 mph wind at 800 yards on 1st round shots. I have not shot enough out past that in those kind of winds or strong winds to shoot at game in those conditions so I would not do it.

Understanding your limits and then understanding how weather negatively affects your limits is one of the key components of taking game responsibly.

 

[406precision]

I agree 100%
No better way to establish your MER than actually shooting rounds down range in all kinds of conditions in order to understand the limitations Ole mother nature can send your way.

Jordan@406

 

[WildRose]

It seems like we see a thread a day on ethics and extended range shots in the hunting world and if your looking for a hot topic for discussion just post up a thread about the subject.

There is no denying that technology and the current availability of top end equipment has made extending ones effective distance on game more possible than ever before.. unfortunately what gets missed by main stream advertising and retailers is that hunters still need to be educated on the use of these products and how to effectively practice with them to take advantage of their uses and establish their own (MER) maximum effective range and become a more effective and successful hunter.

Now when people hear the word maximum they initially envision shots of 1000 yards and beyond...but this is not the case at all. Maximum effective range is simply the maximum range that each of us as hunters needs to establish and use as a bench mark in our hunting adventures.

For some this may be 200 yards for others it may be 1000 there are a ton of things that go into developing and utilizing MER in our shooting and they include but are certainly not limited to the following...

Education (necessary in understanding your equipment and skill level)

Equipment ( knowing your equipment its' limitations and how it actually works)

Practice ( not only shooting but shooting in filed conditions and at targets that mimic the vital zone of the animals you plan on hunting at the distances you plan on hunting)

Self evaluation (this is where a lot of people fail...you need to be man or woman enough to understand what your limitations are based on the above items and then have the backbone to stick to it in the field. Just because you choose to shoot a caliber capable of taking game at extended ranges doesn't mean you have the skills or knowledge to do so!!

The importance of establishing a realistic and confident MER is immeasurable...a hunter that understands what his or her limitations in the field are is a hunter that is setting themselves up for success and greatly reducing the chance of unfavorable results based on poor decision making and or lack of knowledge about either their skill set or equipment.

MER is very personal and cannot be established by others and for others it needs to be done by the hunter themselves.

Understanding your MER is just another tool in a complete hunters tool box that they can rely on when it comes to making sound decisions in the field and being successful. Its not a question of how far can I shoot? its a question of how far can I effectively harvest game...in field conditions and being able to incorporate that distance for use in the field.

What do you think???
Jordan@406

I think you're spot on. I mentioned the same thing in a thread a few months ago.

MER is a term all of us who served in the military are familiar with, you are just including the shooter's ability along with the capability of the weapon.

It is a fair point to discuss and to point out. We are each responsible for what happens when we pull the trigger and if we exceed your MER bad things are going to happen.

Buying a turnkey LR rig ad custom ammo from the custom shop does not make you a long range shooter. It just makes you a guy carrying a rifle capable of performing at long range.

Whether it does or not is completely dependent upon they guy/gal who is pulling the trigger.

 

[Capt. D]

As I eluded to in a post several days ago, determining your own maximum effective range is an essential part in the taking of game animals no matter which discipline you choose to use ie. rifle, muzzle loader, archery, or if you think you can run em down and stab em with a knife.

Lets now collectively expound on determining your maximum effective range. Would it be based on cold bore shots at distance, your load developement and ballistic calculations, the farthest distance you have shot to, etc.? Hours of trigger time shooting to 600yds does not make your maximum effective range 1000yds until you have proven yourself proficient at 1000yds. Hold my beer and watch this s#!t don't cut it.

At the point in my hunting carreer, when I wouldn't shoot anything but a bow, I had targets placed out to 100yds. Often before an afternoon hunt I would shoot, starting at 50yds, three arrows into the vitals on a 3D target and move out 10yds and shoot 3 more and so on. At the first distance I could not keep 3 arrows in the vital zone, the previous distance was my maximum effective range for the day. Rarely did that exceed 80yds. Often in the mornings I would let a few go at 20yds under artificial light, flash light or head lights, just to get that warm fuzzy so to speak and feel how my form was that day. Now with that being said, the vast majority of my stand set-ups did not present a shot beyond 40yds.

The area I shoot my rifles I can only shoot out to 800yds and do so with regularity. I also intentionally shoot in the wind here in South Texas and that, often times, will bring me back to reality. But I know my limitations. So under the right conditions 800yds is my maximum effective range.

I know it is not practical to shoot your rifle before each hunt nor would you really want to,(don't want to put evrey animal in the country on alert) but what I'm getting at is that your maximum effective range will change from time to time wheter it be weather induced or by physical challenges or...There is a myriad of reasons.

Your maximum effective range does not have to be proven to anyone but yourself and your ethics are your own. Just remember that character is what you do when nobody is looking and ethics plays a big roll in character.

 

[bigngreen]

Looking good, I think this is a concept we've all been working under but until recently we as a community have pretty much kept it to ourselves as it could be seen as an ethical decision, I think it's wise of us to move of that position and get engaged in education and the public on this.

 

[MMERSS]

Jordan, you and the previous posts are right on the money. Four years ago one winter day a hunting companion shot at an elk at extended range and missed. He asked me for assistance as to why he missed. After a series of questions it became apparent this hunter did not understand or know how to determine an individual maximum hunting range based off his precision potential and environmental and ballistics uncertainties. Bryan Litz articulates this well in his introduction to the book Accuracy and Precision For Long Range Shooting, "In order to get better at hitting targets, we must understand what causes us to miss targets…The intent of this book is to explore the uncertainties and inaccuracies of real world shooting so rifleman can make well informed decisions about how to improve their hit percentage." Furthermore, Applied Ballistics has developed software options for shooters to conduct customized hit percentage based on their own parameters. https://store.appliedballisticsllc.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=DL2001

MER falls in line with high hit probability. Is discussing and referencing hit probability ethics? I don't believe so. What a person does with those numbers and the probability is ethics. As such, I fully agree with bigngreen. Discussing and informing MER is a necessity. What one does with those numbers is a personal ethical decision. We can refrain from the second but should not from the first.

I believe we can set the example. I can start and hopefully others will join in.

I used Applied Ballistics WEZ tables adjusted to standard atmosphere to estimate my Maximum Effective Range while elk hunting this season's opening day. A group of elk were spotted just shy of 800 yards and another at 1500 yards. I was comfortable with my shooting position and the rifle was just over ½ MOA proven field precision capable. Velocity SD is single digit. Wind uncertainty was slight estimated to no more than 1MPH full value. Range to both herds was confirmed with a Terrapin. Corresponding hit percentage for a 10" circle were 44% at 1500 yards and 100% at 800 yards. My decision was obvious to harvest an elk from the near 800 yard herd. Here is the result with shot placement. Stating range without uncertainties and shot percentage estimate is rather meaningless as percentage and placement have more meaning with education and confidence limits……Harvest within personal MER.

 

[Unofficial Gun Addict (UGA)]

Heya... I had wrItten a pretty lengthy response to this thread last night when my safari browser locked up...and I lost it all. Short on time... But I wanted to say that MER is a great idea, however, one thing should be added to the equation in my estimation... and that would be terminal performance of the bullet. (Sectional density, expansion and at what velocity). I Think it's not enough to know how accurately I can shoot a particular load, but at what range is my load capable of consistently doing its job on my intended game. Definitely think it would be smart If hunters had this number in their head when they hit the field as it would sure help in quickly determining how best to handle a particular issue... Like an elk at 624 yards, at a 26* incline. If you had your MER already... You'd know if you needed to stalk to close distance... Or setup for a shot without having to give it much thought. And if you decided to take the shot based on MER, you wouldn't have to guess about whether you could make the shot or whether the bullet was up to the task.

All things considered, this should create peace of mind which invariably should improve ones performance in the field.

 

[Wyodog]

Establishing an MER is very important for the hunter, in my opinion. I have one that i impose upon myself every time i am in the field. My MER changes depending on which rifle i have with me. But for max means max. If there are circumstances that change my ability for a very high percentage shot i will shorten my MER.

Guess that it is predictable that there is an increase in the number of clients i get, that call themselves long range shooters. Only a few years ago long range shooters were very few and far between and the one i met were very good at their craft. Now i get 2 or 3 sometimes more every year. The sad part is most of them dont have the skills required for the job. I wish my hunters would take the time to establish an MER.

 

[WildRose]

Jordan, you and the previous posts are right on the money. Four years ago one winter day a hunting companion shot at an elk at extended range and missed. He asked me for assistance as to why he missed. After a series of questions it became apparent this hunter did not understand or know how to determine an individual maximum hunting range based off his precision potential and environmental and ballistics uncertainties. Bryan Litz articulates this well in his introduction to the book Accuracy and Precision For Long Range Shooting, "In order to get better at hitting targets, we must understand what causes us to miss targets…The intent of this book is to explore the uncertainties and inaccuracies of real world shooting so rifleman can make well informed decisions about how to improve their hit percentage." Furthermore, Applied Ballistics has developed software options for shooters to conduct customized hit percentage based on their own parameters. https://store.appliedballisticsllc.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=DL2001

MER falls in line with high hit probability. Is discussing and referencing hit probability ethics? I don't believe so. What a person does with those numbers and the probability is ethics. As such, I fully agree with bigngreen. Discussing and informing MER is a necessity. What one does with those numbers is a personal ethical decision. We can refrain from the second but should not from the first.

I believe we can set the example. I can start and hopefully others will join in.

I used Applied Ballistics WEZ tables adjusted to standard atmosphere to estimate my Maximum Effective Range while elk hunting this season's opening day. A group of elk were spotted just shy of 800 yards and another at 1500 yards. I was comfortable with my shooting position and the rifle was just over ½ MOA proven field precision capable. Velocity SD is single digit. Wind uncertainty was slight estimated to no more than 1MPH full value. Range to both herds was confirmed with a Terrapin. Corresponding hit percentage for a 10" circle were 44% at 1500 yards and 100% at 800 yards. My decision was obvious to harvest an elk from the near 800 yard herd. Here is the result with shot placement. Stating range without uncertainties and shot percentage estimate is rather meaningless as percentage and placement have more meaning with education and confidence limits……Harvest within personal MER.
View attachment 40390

Well said.

From the humor side of things though I gotta say, no place but here will you see "near" and "800 yard heard" in the same sentence. gun)

 

[MMERSS]

From the humor side of things though I gotta say, no place but here will you see "near" and "800 yard heard" in the same sentence. gun)

indeed!

 

[Jaxdialation]

My MER varies by position and conditions. This, I feel is the right way to approach ethical hunting. My prone, no wind MER is 800 yards cold bore. Make me shoot offhand in a howling wind and I will decline a 200 yard shot.

 

[Unofficial Gun Addict (UGA)]

My MER varies by position and conditions. This, I feel is the right way to approach ethical hunting. My prone, no wind MER is 800 yards cold bore. Make me shoot offhand in a howling wind and I will decline a 200 yard shot.

I absolutely concur... One needs to know his/her own limits with regards to field conditions. My offhand skills aren't what I would consider terrific, the reason I always have a good bipod and shooting stick when out.

 

[WildRose]

My MER varies by position and conditions. This, I feel is the right way to approach ethical hunting. My prone, no wind MER is 800 yards cold bore. Make me shoot offhand in a howling wind and I will decline a 200 yard shot.

Yep. It's up to each of us to be honest as to the capability of our weapon and our own ability with that weapon in the conditions present.

There are a hell of a lot of "average hunters" out there who can't hit a pie plate six out of ten times with a cold bore shot at 100yds yet they are convinced they are "ethical hunters".

We here as a group seem to understand to a man/woman that our experimenting is done on non living targets and it is on those targets we prove to ourselves what our limits are.

I won't tolerate for a minute others who do not have the most fundamental understanding of what we do to dictate those limits to me, or to us as a group.

Someone else said it but your MER is the range at which you look dumbfounded and have no idea "what went wrong" when you pull the trigger and miss.

If you are saying to yourself "I think I can do it" don't.

Just be honest with yourself and put in enough range time with each of your rifles to know where that limit falls under the conditions present.

If there's one thing more than any other that makes me say "No, not this time" it's the wind and I don't mind for a minute admitting it.