Thread: Are hunters taking longer shots these days?

Recovery of the animal (once successfully dispatched) is another ethical issue.

Even in "the old days" 10-15 years ago it was common to either see guys shoot unrecoverable Tahr, or find them on the hill. Many is the time I've passed up shots of 300-350M because the animal is unretrievable and the further away the animal is the harder it is to judge if you can reach it, will it fall into an unretreivable spot, or just be impossible to find.

Just because animals are plentiful just now is no excuse for waste (deliberate culling an exception).

And i thought 'sneaking in' was the fun part

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Having done both open country long shots out to a 1000m on animals to literally point blank in the tight stuff for a fair few years now I personally feel the most satisfying and respectful way of hunting for me now, is to beat a cunning animal in their natural habitat with things in their favor.
Literally up close and personal bush hunting is where it's at for a real rewarding challenge.
I feel in the right conditions taking an animal at range with high powered rifles and range finders blah blah is fairly easy stuff nowadays and most people can accomplish it, getting a bloody good stag out of public land bush is definitely a long challenging process and can be bloody frustrating at times.
I still do plenty of long range atm and enjoy it so I'm not knocking it all the same

I definately take longer shots now...out to 300-350ish yards with the .270 is doable as Ive got my shit together and sighted in properly,that said the last 2 were at under 50 yards....

Great post @Pongo12

I am a terrible bush stalker but have the utmost respect for those that are good at it !!

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I started hunting 25 years ago, fixed 4x scope and average distance was about 60y in the first decade. bought a 3-9 in the next decade and average went to estimated 150y with 350 being the longest. last 5 years with a range finder and high powered scope and a couple extra rifles with longer barrels my avarage is probably around 200y, but I have to admit partly that is due to having more farm access rather than bush hunting which was all I did in first decade. still enjoy the odd bush hunt and are in awe of some of you dedicated bush hunters and how effective you are in the thick stuff. last two deer i shot were at 675 and 525, not because i wanted to but because the first one ran from nearby and stopped at 675, and the other was in a tiny clear shelf that I had no show of stalking into. Meat damage on the long shots means if I can get closer I will every time.

Originally Posted by kukuwai

Great post @Pongo12

I am a terrible bush stalker but have the utmost respect for those that are good at it !!

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Cheers, I think bush hunting is the most frustrating yet most rewarding hunting you can do. You come across some interesting stuff in the bush while wandering around also

Originally Posted by kukuwai

And i thought 'sneaking in' was the fun part

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Yep and I bet there will be a whole host of deer out there now that everyone is long range shooting that won’t know what a human even looks like

Now tongue removed from cheek. I think more people are give LRH a go. But you still need the skills of stalking in close. IMO it’s more fun too.

for me I started off hunting bush and have continued to do so to this day. My mates that have got into hunting later have had the money and splashed out with new modern technology and straight into long range without even stepping foot in the bush. Sad reality now is with some practice they will be able to shoot but not ‘hunt’ IMO . With the amount of deer about now and in open more accessible places is the art of bush hunting slowly dieing ?

Yes….

Never believe anyone until you find out what brand rangefinder they have

Or the guy who tells you that he shoots deer at 600 yrds. When asked what rangefinder he is using. The answer is None !!!

By the way what do you call an ethical shot?
I can understand that taking a shot a deer at long distance with minimum training in the past, just a range finder and an app on your phone in breezy conditions is highly unethical.
But when all the hard work is done before , the reloaded ammo adjusted for peak accuracy, all the drop chart downloaded …etc and the bullet still does a gut shot. Is that not also an unethical shot as well?

An ethical shot to me is knowing within the limits of your marksmanship skill (at distance, in real world conditions) and gear (rifle, optics and ammo combo) that will make a clean killing shot without unnecessary suffering of the game animal, and be able to recover the animal (unless it's pure pest control).

And have the good judgement to pass if the shot, if the criteria is not met. Taking "guess" shots at any distance is not an ethical shot especially as you get towards 300m+ where bullet drop is significant enough to cause wounding, or a bad gut shot.

I don't have an issue in general with long range hunting IF the shooter is capable and the gear is capable of making a clean shot. The issue is sometimes the old saying "All the gear, no eff'ing idea!" if they don't know their ranges, drops and wind compensation for their setup.

Ethical shot... well I'm terrible at moving shots and consider any moving shot for me personally unethical. however a 500y shot with low or now wind is a shoe-in. so me taking 40y moving shot in unethical, while a 500y stationary shot is fine. I read some articles that put a distance measurement on ethics for shooting, that's way over simplified imo. As for moving shots, some guys like my old Uncle (God rest his soul) moving shots we his bread and butter, he made it look so simple. I wish he was still around to show this guy some skills.

To answer the question yes people are due to the advances in technology etc etc.

I see LR hunting as another tool in you're belt.
It's a useful skill to have along with the nuts and screws(rifle etc) to do it.

Bush stalking or hunting the bush and edges with clearings are also equally different skill sets and tools to have.


My thinking is if the technology is there why not use it ?

I must admit the biggest rush I get is seeing deer within 100y, the rush of adrenaline off seeing them at 30y or so is just something I live for.

Anyway rant over

Originally Posted by Friwi

Or the guy who tells you that he shoots deer at 600 yrds. When asked what rangefinder he is using. The answer is None !!!

By the way what do you call an ethical shot?
I can understand that taking a shot a deer at long distance with minimum training in the past, just a range finder and an app on your phone in breezy conditions is highly unethical.
But when all the hard work is done before , the reloaded ammo adjusted for peak accuracy, all the drop chart downloaded …etc and the bullet still does a gut shot. Is that not also an unethical shot as well?

see,dinner plate challenge...... or put up a 3ltr plastic milk jug....whatever range you can CONSISTANTLY hit it..is to me my ethical limit...