The Mis-Conceptions

[scotsgun]

very nice rifle, I can hit steel at 500 yds. but not about to shoot at a deer at that range

You sir are a man i respect. You know your limitations and abide by them. Im disgusted by the idiots who recklessly wound deer beyond their capability. They have no respect for the animal nor the skill required.

Only recently I had the unpleasant experience of dealing with an idiot who attempted to shoot a deer well beyond his capabilities. He freely admitted that he didnt expect to kill the deer cleanly nor was he likely to even hit it. He regularly shot out to about 200yds yet felt the need to try at about 500yds. he could have stalked nearer but instead thought he'd try. The result was a gut shot deer and a lengthy trail of a deer obviously in agony.

 

[Deleted member 71114]

This is a topic that normally gets trashed.
I do not have a problem with the advancment in technology with todays equipment having advantages over the equipment we used 30 years ago.

The underlying problem is how we all interpit our limits and respect if any and how those skills compare to others.

For many years hunting on public land as well as some private land and easily having the ability to shoot a good distance if the opportunity is right I have witnessed folks shooting at deer for an example in the tall marsh grass or at times even 150 - 250 yards away and if the animal did not drop on the spot they did not bother to look to see if there was a hit.
That is the laziness of folks today because they really don't care so much about eating meat they just want to shoot at something until they see a for sure drop.

This is more so the common problem versus folks who are not capable of shooting any type of distance. Some folks who want to be part of the sport and learn just don't have the ideal opportunities of a nice practice range with some good distance that many of us take for granted.

If one was to try to improve what we have as suggested ( teaching hunter safety and others) I would suggest spending a little time with the folks that had taken the basics in safety and do a little suggestive coaching to pass along a few tips to improve their skills. many folks that do want to learn to shoot better are somewhat embarrassed about asking a more skilled shooter for help. So spin things around a take a minute to pass on a few suggestions and you may open the opportunity to help one shoot beyond what he thought could be.

There is no perfect answer to what the limits of a shooter and his equipment should be, each shot, animal, terrain and conditions are different.


Cheers