Just how hard is it to shoot long range?

elks96 · Apr 25, 2019

No need to discus the practice, ethics, etc. As someone who has a factory gun and shooting mostly factory ammo, I have never felt the need to stretch past the 700 to 800 yard range? With my Tikka I can usually do alright at those distances...

In one hand you hear guys claiming to be some super freak human by shooting a 1000 yards, gun manufacturers industry types are saying it is not that hard just buy our set up. I have seen the gunwerks guys hand a rifle to 12 year old kid and that kid shot over a 1000 despite handling the gun worse than my 10 year old daughter...

Friends I know who shoot long range say once your set a few easy adjustments for conditions and done, but I also have others say it is near impossible?

I have heard that there are phone apps now that you set up, then all you do is enter in range elevation angle and wind speed and the phone tells you your adjustments...

So what do you think? I feel it is someplace in the middle... Granted I have never shot a 1000 yards. Local range only gets me to 700. Shot a few coyotes at 800 (mostly just by an educated guess).

Muleman1 · Apr 25, 2019

Hard dial everything in on an app and pull the trigger ?

257Tony · Apr 25, 2019

The hard part is in knowing what data to put into your ballistic app, to get the proper dial and wind hold. Actually pulling the trigger, at least in a controlled, un-timed situation, is the easier part.

On a game animal, you don't get a few shots to figure out the wind, you have to get it right the first time, and that is difficult.

elkassassin · Apr 25, 2019

Yup!

Throw that dreaded WIND in to the Equation!

I'll be Glad when the New 'Wind Compensating' Bullets Show up!

I know so many people in so many places
They make allot of money but they got sad faces

It Ain't Easy being Me!

eelgrass · Apr 25, 2019

I imagine the time between when you send the bullet and the time the bullet travels 1000 yards, is priceless.

BuzzH · Apr 25, 2019

It takes some work to get your equipment set up to shoot well at longer ranges.

Wind will humble anyone.

The toughest part of shooting, any range, but even more so with anything fairly long, is knowing when you should pull the trigger and when you shouldn't. That takes experience, discipline, and self control...most don't get that part real well as evidenced by the various LR videos, what you see in the field, the stories you hear, etc.

People have selective memories...remembering the days when everything was going well, but tend to forget the days when things weren't.

elks96 · Apr 25, 2019

>It takes some work to get
>your equipment set up to
>shoot well at longer ranges.
>
>
>Wind will humble anyone.
>
>The toughest part of shooting, any
>range, but even more so
>with anything fairly long, is
>knowing when you should pull
>the trigger and when you
>shouldn't. That takes experience, discipline,
>and self control...most don't get
>that part real well as
>evidenced by the various LR
>videos, what you see in
>the field, the stories you
>hear, etc.
>
>People have selective memories...remembering the days
>when everything was going well,
>but tend to forget the
>days when things weren't.
>
>
>
>
Your ending phrase reminds me of when I played golf... Golf for me was 17 holes of anger and frustration around one hole pure bliss. With a few beers and friends.

I have a good friend who used to film for an unnamed long range show. He was a good camera man but quit after one season because the ethics. They only show the clean kills on TV but he said for every clean kill there were multiple messy situations.

txhunter58 · Apr 25, 2019

There is always a need to discuss the ethics. Young shooters read threads and think: ? I can do that?. When the reality is yes, long range shots are ethical........but only for those that take the time to LEARN and constantly PRACTICE those skills. That is probably 1 out of 100 shooters.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

Towelie · Apr 25, 2019

Long range shooting is easy as pie. Nobody ever misses or wounds and loses game ever. Just ask them.

BigChiefJ · Apr 25, 2019

It seems like a lot of folks on hunting forums could have been snipers in the Military.

Zeke · Apr 25, 2019

I'll echo what others have said by telling a little story:

About 6 weeks or so ago, I was on a fine aoudad ram at a mere 140 yards and had a rest in a bush but I never pressed the trigger.
Why? you might ask, it was the damn wind and my crosshairs wouldn't settle on the spot long enough for a clean shot FOR MY ETHICS.

I shoot every week at 100, 300, 600 and 900 yards with a variety of cartridges so I'd call that shooting quite regularly. I can show near countless fantastic groups at 900 yards! So why won't I always shoot at something when it's that close? The damn wind and not feeling comfortable with the shot.

There's nothing better or worse about LR hunting except that some people lose their ethics and shoot no matter what. My personal approach is vastly different. (also it's not simply a dial and kill proposition. Way, way more than that)

Targets, I'll shoot no matter what the conditions just for practice and to remind myself why we don't take some shots.

Animals, I'll only shoot when I honestly think I have a 100% chance at making the RIGHT shot even if that means passing on a great ram at only 140 yards.

I did manage to find and down, with one shot, a smaller ram a couple days later and loved every minute of the hunt!!!!

Zeke

#livelikezac

buckhorn · Apr 25, 2019

Good post Zeke I agree. Also practicing off a bench with shooting bags early in the morning with no wind and no heat we can all get pretty decent groups from 600 or more yards. But try laying your backpack down and shooting off of that at 600 or 700 yards and you will see that it is much more difficult. Add in some wind and a little buck fever and that bullet could fly way off target very easily.

grizzly · Apr 25, 2019

It's amazingly easy with a few practice shots. I have an OTC Model 70 in 7mm that will shoot inside my hand at 1 mile with only a Vortex HSLR scope. Nothing fancy or expensive, just hand loads, a cell phone app, and sandbags.

People underestimate real world effects of atmosphere over those distances, ie the Earth spins your target up or down over 40" from East to West as opposed to shooting West to East. Temperature and barometric pressure affect flight at those ranges, the spin of the bullet comes into play, the latitude affects the relative speed of the rotation of the Earth, not to mention wind at the muzzle, the target, and everywhere in between.

It's a fun hobby, however, I am ardently against hunting under any conditions considered "long range" as, by definition, it's a long range.

If you want to have fun and practice, shoot steel; but when a live animal is your target... Get closer or don't shoot.

Grizzly

DW · Apr 25, 2019

I'll stack zeke's advice against all others. Those that claim its easy, have shot nothing more than paper on clear calm days, the rest are just pretenders. But what do I know the government only classified me as sharpshooter. I mean it's on YouTube right?! How hard can it be?!?

#livelikezac

DW · Apr 25, 2019

For those with lack of ability to comprehend my last, what I'm saying is my military is hiring right now. If you want to be a sniper take one step forward and sign up! Otherwise save the nonsense for the paper and show some respect for the animals we all love to chase.

#livelikezac

Cahunter805 · Apr 25, 2019

I agree with Zeke and will add that while practicing does help it needs to be the right kind of practice also. Work on reading the wind and if you misjudged figure out by how much and why. Work on things like body position, trigger control, recoil control and others. Also shoot from multiple field positions.
I've had many newer LR shooters get behind a rifle that's all dialed and setup and hit targets at long ranges but would never let them shoot that far at an animal.

Buckhunter1955 · Apr 26, 2019

I believe shooting beyond 400yds is just "shooting" not hunting. If you want to shoot long range join the Marine Corps and shoot something that it doesn't matter if you just wound it.

llamapacker · Apr 26, 2019

Shooting at long range is incredibly easy. Just pull the trigger. Now hitting what you aimed at, not so much....

I watched a kid (early 20's) last fall on a guided coues deer hunt make an incredible 791 yard shot on a javelina. He had a brand new "long range" savage rifle, with a scope sporting custom turrets setup with the data on his factory 6.5 creedmoor ammo box. He had sighted in the gun at 100 yards the week before the hunt, when he took delivery of his new magic rifle.

He held on the tiny black dot in his scope, as he rested the bipod on his pack and sat beside the road. He couldn't tell which way the hog was even facing, but "knew" he was on, and proceeded to let loose a shot. The javelin dropped dead from a head shot, to whoops of delight and "accomplishment". We teased him about the head shot later, when he said he was holding for a lung / heart shot, but he never even got the joke.

No question, the shot was effective, and an hour+ later he had retrieved his trophy and had half a dozen witnesses to verify his tale of shooting prowess.

The poor kid has no idea how his good luck will come back to haunt him. It was clear, he now held a death ray capable of hitting anything within 1000+ yards, first shot, every time. (Remember, one shot makes it a rule.)

I feel very sorry for the young man, who will most certainly be disappointed to find repeating this feat will be near impossible. Whether it be a trophy class coues he misses or wounds in the future, or many other game animals I do not know, but the ranks of "proven" long range hunters went up by one this past February.

Bill