Thread: Long Range Hunting and F-Class Target Shooting.

Greetings to you all,
A post about a long range shoot in the Clubs Forum reinforced my recent thinking about the close links between longer range hunting (over 300 metres) and F-Class target shooting. It is likely that not that many read that Forum so a post here seemed to be a good idea so here goes.
I had always been interested in hunting and the outdoors since a trip to Makino Hut in 1963. I finally joined NZDA about 1980. The Hastings Deerstalkers Club was located next door to the now defunct Roy's Hill Rifle Range and had a full calendar of shoots with four 4P rifle shoots plus Running Boar shoots each year. Attendance was in the 20 to 40 shooters range to each event including Ladies and Juniors. There were also about three full bore rifle clubs using the Roy's Hill Range shooting out to 900 yards using .308 rifles. These had aperture sights and slings and were shot without rests.
Over time the attendance at club shoots dwindled and the last shoot was held in September 2019 with only 3 shooters attending. The interest in 4P (four position) shooting nationally also seems to have dwindled. This is no doubt due to to most hunters shooting longer ranges with a bipod.
So what is next? So on the one hand we have an increasing number of hunters shooting Deer at longer ranges with a shortage of longer legal rifle ranges for the testing and zeroing required for accurate shooting. On the other hand we have excellent rifle ranges, out to 1,000 yards, complete with some fabulous kit for marking shots and reading down range velocity and legal. Many of the shooters using these latter ranges are often in the senior age groups. It appears that the Club in the post I referred to earlier is making an attempt to bridge this gap as others also have done.
So what is Grandpamac droning on about? If you are in the long range hunting crowd and struggling to find a legal range to test on, have a chat to your local NRA club. They might be just what you need.
Regards Grandpamac.

300 yard mound. Mini bench rest is mine.
GPM.

The same can be said for small bore a fraction of the schools put forwards teams now compared to the past.
Full bore ranges might have more appeal if there were some more test & practice days to serve as a melting pot between F-Class shooting and prospective members.

hard case the bully beef just resting under line of fire!!!

A list of NRANZ affiliated clubs can be found on the NRANZ website https://www.nranz.org.nz/association.../member-clubs/

It will be prone shooting (or benchrest) on most NRANZ certified ranges.

Clubs will work with shooters needing a zero or to get onto a target.

Contact a club for their programme and advice about visiting their range or joining their club.
There will be a class for you to shoot or compete in.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

hard case the bully beef just resting under line of fire!!!

Greetings,
I didn't mean to post that one but failed to delete it properly. Anyhow you can rest assured that no animals were harmed as they are a long way below the cone of fire and actually sauntered in and parked up while we were shooting.
My apologies for an inadvertent posting.
Grandpamac.

nah no need to apolagize...its real life and just shows the stock are NOT traumatised by loud bangs LOL.

Unofficial F class with my 6.5-06 at Clevedon 25(28?) years ago is what really accelerated my long range hunting.

There is nothing like being handed your arse by a bunch of pensioners with iron sights on their 308's to inspire an improvement in wind calls.

Originally Posted by Ross Nolan

Unofficial F class with my 6.5-06 at Clevedon 25(28?) years ago is what really accelerated my long range hunting.

There is nothing like being handed your arse by a bunch of pensioners with iron sights on their 308's to inspire an improvement in wind calls.

I shot fullbore .308 and belonged to the Clevedon club in 1994-95. Had a Tikka actioned heavy barrel.
Wind calls are a fine skill that I don't believe anyone actually masters (esp at Trentham...although Mike Collings just may have come close).

Originally Posted by Ross Nolan

Unofficial F class with my 6.5-06 at Clevedon 25(28?) years ago is what really accelerated my long range hunting.

There is nothing like being handed your arse by a bunch of pensioners with iron sights on their 308's to inspire an improvement in wind calls.

Greetings,
Things have changed. Pensioners still rule but some of them use scopes now.
GPM.

Dead right GPM

As for stock safety, our 300yds is actually far more interesting. I was shooting it one day and had to stop shooting a few times as a horny young bull was riding some others which put him virtually in the line of fire. There is a small knob on the intermediate hill about 120yds from the targets.

This weekend, we have the long range expo and a little competition at 1000 yrd at the whatawhata range near Hamilton.

We are bring the LR Challenge and Expo back for Saturday 2 March 2024.
Expo from 10am. LR Challenge from 1pm.
Long Range Challenge:
To enter please email; events.hwrc@gmail.com
Please advise:
1. Names of both team members
2. Email addresses for both members
Payment: $40 per shooter ($80/team) to be paid on the day at the club house.
Entries are limited; we will place applicants on a waiting list if not successful.
Long Range Challenge Conditions:
- this is a fun competition shot from 1000 yards at eTargets and Reactive Polymer targets
- all competitors must have a current FAL
- to be shot as a Two-Person team
- all will be shot from adjacent positions on our 1000yd mound
- all stages to be shot prone off a bipod
- all rifles must have a zeroed and proven ballistic elevation for 1000 yards / 914m. To ensure safe bullet capture and COF compliance this will be confirmed on the first 3 shots fired on Stage 1 otherwise you will not be able to progress further.
- max 30cal. Max 5130 J muzzle energy
- round count: approx. 29 per shooter (bring extra though)
- all shooters must abide by RO instructions
- shooters briefing at 12:30pm (all shooters must be present)
- muzzle brakes …. Accepted but out our preference is no muzzle brakes
Stages [ per shooter shot count]
1. ICFRA 1000 YD [1 Sighter, 5 Count]
2. IBS 1000 YD BR [5 Count]
3. Stag [3 Count]
4. Hostage [5 Count]
5. Two Ports [5 Count]
6. Pig [5 Count]

https://www.facebook.com/HamiltonWhatawhataRifleClub/

yeah looked at my local NRA club (MTN) and they have published lots of pics with shooters first and last names clearly visible

A dealbreaker for me

In the risk of taking this off-topic, I'd like to add that 'long range hunting/shooting' is hardly new.

In fact, we almost certainly have a lower percentage of people who are learned in the art of rifle shooting compared to the last two centuries.

The Buffalo hunters and Native Americans were quick to take advantage of the 'long rifles' coming out of Kentucky and Pennsylvania, similar rifles (although usually more ornate but less refined in quality) are still found across parts of Asia and Africa.







To think that many hundreds of spectators used to turn out in person to watch multi-day international rifle matches!

(The Creedmoor name was hijacked by some cartridge manufacturer! )

At one point in time, rifles were an essential tool for anyone living off the land or in a remote area.

A great commodity which has now turned into one of largely recreational use outside of the military.

Need to keep in mind that everyone who shot a rifle back then, essentially 'reloaded' their own ammo. We now have the convenience of purchasing ammunition/cartridges which will work in a wide range of firearms manufactured in that chambering.

Would be cool if it was possible to work out period costs for a well-made 'long rifle' and accoutrements (powder, measure, lead and casting equipment) back in the 1800's vs. what it costs to buy a new Tikka/Bergara and scope along with 500 rounds of ammunition now.

What is clear, it's become a lot harder to earn a living with a rifle in present time vs. a few decades or centuries ago.