Does anyone think that shooting paper or steel at 600 to a thousand yards will make you a better hunter at 1-300 yards? I would say that for varmits maybe. For elk I'm not so sure. I find myself more confident in my shooting if I have spent some time out long but I think I also get slow, I'm not concerned with follow up shots and I get too used to 1 or 2 positions if I spend too much time shooting at long range.

the man who can get his rifle up and put a round in a 4" circle at 100 yards 9 times out of ten from a variety of field positions and rests in around 2-3 seconds is the man who will bring the most venison.

The rest is gilding the lilly somewhat and field craft counts for more in any event.

While I am not a proponent of long range hunting, 600 yards plus, knowing ones limitations, both their personal abilities and any limitaions with their equipment out to 500 yards can't hurt.

There are situations where a closer stalk is simply not possible. Knowing what you can do confidently with your equipment at 400 to 500 yards can mean success of failure on any given hunt.

Makes you a better shot. If you want to be a better hunter take up bow hunting.

The comment about bow hunting is very subjective. Any time you can increase your proficiency with a rifle you make yourself a better hunter. That way you can increase your area of purvey and make a better shot in more challenging circumstances. In another words increase your odds of success. By being able to make a longer shot for example you may be able to from a hill a game trail or trails that being the case when the quarry shows itself in a very small opening you can then be prepared to make the shot when it appears further down the trail where there is another small opening. Been there done that one.

This has also helped me immensely in being able to control feral hogs and dogs! When I know where Mr. Piggy or Mr. Doggie is headed makes it easier to set up and get more than one!

quote:

Originally posted by mikem0553:
Does anyone think that shooting paper or steel at 600 to a thousand yards will make you a better hunter at 1-300 yards? I would say that for varmits maybe. For elk I'm not so sure. I find myself more confident in my shooting if I have spent some time out long but I think I also get slow, I'm not concerned with follow up shots and I get too used to 1 or 2 positions if I spend too much time shooting at long range.

Have you ever seen a picture of any animal posted by a long range shooter that was worthy of mounting?

Have any of the shooters who posted long range shots on game done it while hunting with a guide who would end their hunt if they merely wounded the animal? Easy to shoot antelope does at 700 yards when no one is looking; a lot harder to do knowing if you wound it your hunt is done.

I practice to 750 yards and sometimes 850. But I am firmly convinced that a guy who can shoot sitting with a sling and hit a pie plate under windy conditions out to 500 yards will have a more impressive trophy room than a guy lugging a 15 lb rifle fired from the prone position at animals over 700 yards.

quote:

Originally posted by mikem0553:
Does anyone think that shooting paper or steel at 600 to a thousand yards will make you a better hunter at 1-300 yards?

Perhaps I'm splitting hairs, but here goes.
If the operative word in question is "hunter". I'd say no.

I don't shoot long range. I do bowhunt. I'd say taking a whitetail buck at 15 yds. with a bow is much more a test of my hunting skills, "as I define them" than popping an animal at 250, 500, or 1,000 yds.

I can be sitting in a elevated blind or on the side of a hill. At 300 yds I can be listening to a book on tape, and smoking a cigar and have been in 100 degree heat without bathing for four days. As long as the wind is in my favor, they ain't got a clue I'm there.
Now whether long range practice "shooting makes you a better shot, that might be up for argument also. A typical year finds me shooting at least twice a month, sometimes weekly. I know within a 1/2" where my bullet will strike with the rifle in question as long as I don't pull the shot. At that point, it's not hunting, but shooting.

GWB

Perhaps I'm splitting hairs, but here goes.
If the operative word in question is "hunter". I'd say no.

I don't shoot long range. I do bowhunt. I'd say taking a whitetail buck at 15 yds. with a bow is much more a test of my hunting skills, "as I define them" than popping an animal at 250, 500, or 1,000 yds.

I can be sitting in a elevated blind or on the side of a hill. At 300 yds I can be listening to a book on tape, and smoking a cigar and have been in 100 degree heat without bathing for four days. As long as the wind is in my favor, they ain't got a clue I'm there.
Now whether long range practice "shooting makes you a better shot, that might be up for argument also. A typical year finds me shooting at least twice a month, sometimes weekly. I know within a 1/2" where my bullet will strike with the rifle in question as long as I don't pull the shot. At that point, it's not hunting, but shooting.

GWB[/QUOTE]

I'd say that pretty well sums it up. I know that sometimes if I'm targeting an individual deer its easy to set up at 250yrds and shoot it in field or on a logging road. Compare that to trying to set up and kill that same animal at 20yrds and a whole nother set of skills com in to play.

Practicing with my bow at 40 makes those 20s a lot easier.

With a rifle I like to shoot longer distances to test my skill, but any trigger time is good. I think the biggest thing for me was learning to accurately judge distances between about 225yrds and 350. Range finders have made that quite a bit easier.

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:

quote:

Originally posted by mikem0553:
Does anyone think that shooting paper or steel at 600 to a thousand yards will make you a better hunter at 1-300 yards? I would say that for varmits maybe. For elk I'm not so sure. I find myself more confident in my shooting if I have spent some time out long but I think I also get slow, I'm not concerned with follow up shots and I get too used to 1 or 2 positions if I spend too much time shooting at long range.

Have you ever seen a picture of any animal posted by a long range shooter that was worthy of mounting?

Have any of the shooters who posted long range shots on game done it while hunting with a guide who would end their hunt if they merely wounded the animal? Easy to shoot antelope does at 700 yards when no one is looking; a lot harder to do knowing if you wound it your hunt is done.

I practice to 750 yards and sometimes 850. But I am firmly convinced that a guy who can shoot sitting with a sling and hit a pie plate under windy conditions out to 500 yards will have a more impressive trophy room than a guy lugging a 15 lb rifle fired from the prone position at animals over 700 yards.

Good points you have made and to answer your question no. I do not consider feral hogs and feral dogs worthy to mount but I do have a couple of deer shot at almost 500 and 700 respectively. Too many feral hogs to count to be quite honest with the longest being a little over 900 with the 338 Lapua Slowpoke. I compete in the score category at 1K and my biggest accomplishment was a State Championship (49 of of 50 score) with a front that came through that night with a 6 to 7 o’clock wind between 15 and 25 mph. I saved that target and during that relay I was the last one to finish shooting because I was waiting for condition.

Some people myself included know their limitations and for example would not have tried the shot at 1K if it was in the field at any other animal than a feral hog or dog. The biggest take away from this is to practice and know what your limitations are. Too many people just think that they can stick the ole 270 out the window and crank in or hold over several feet for a rifle sighted in at 100 yards and bang away.

These were all shot at between 500 and 800 yards--the only one mounted was the last one.

Rover bought it eh?

Tough break for a Labrador fallen on hard times....

On the topic of the OP's post, I took it to mean does shooting at long range help with hunting at short range.

To mind the answer is pretty much no, once you've learned to keep the rounds on target with a rifle fieldcraft counts for more in those circumstances.

Thanks for the input. I have a lot less expierence than most of you folks. Thats why I asked the question. I have found that shooting 600-1000 yds. has certainly made me a better shot. No question on that. I think it's the crutches a person uses at those long distances that have me wondering if I need to be doing somthing different. By crutches, I mean the bi-pods, benchs, sand bags etc. I have a little over a month before Pronghorn season and then right into Elk. For the next month I think I should work on my field shooting positions and see about that paper plate at 100-500 yds.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ghubert:
Rover bought it eh?

Tough break for a Labrador fallen on hard times....

QUOTE]

I don't like shooting dogs any more than anyone else but they chase my babies around. Have been watching them do this for many years and it is getting worse so when we see them no matter what they do not make it home. As population expands people do not keep their pets on their own property. Very few of the ones I have shot were well kept but both our Federal and State Biologist have told us to shoot any dog on "site" because dogs just kill to kill. I can tell you that in the last 10 years let’s say that 98% of the time I pull the trigger it is a “non game animal” or “exotic”.

The dog above had 2 buddies with him and the other (3rd I missed 3 times – running at 800 to 1100 yards is tough even for Quigley himself) was a mix of some kind of pit bull because of the stripes but when my 3 doe and last year they only had 1 fawn suddenly took after looking behind them I knew what was going on. When they first started to show as I was looking down a hill at them the white one had his nose to the ground Right where the girls had come from.

Fair enough Hoss, as a livestock man you are absolutely right to shoot dogs worrying your stock.

As you say though, no-one likes doing it.

Best,

A

It makes you a better shooter. A skill that sadly many "hunters" lack, just as many shooters lack the skill of hunting, and even worse in my state there is a whole bunch of people who think that owning a rifle and having a hunting license, makes them both. If you want to become a better hunter spend your time in the country/forest watching the animals. Studying the animal and the way it interacts with the land around it will make you a better hunter.

Any trigger time at any distance will make you a better shooter and the more trigger time the better. If you really want a challenge and improve on different shooting positions find a club that shoots 4 position 22 rimfire at 50ft and join. That will really help your shooting. I find when I practice at ranges 600 yards or more the closer shots are easier to make. The question about if your hunt would end or not on a wounded animal with a guide, You either know if you can make the shot or not no matter who is watching and if you have doubts you should not take the shot period.