Quote:
Originally posted by quigleysharps4570
Curious myself. Most these days seem to want a rifle that they can take a 500 yard or longer shot with. Average Joe don't have access to a range to practice those shots...so it's a "Hail Mary" come hunting season.
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I think that 99 percent of the time, I would agree with you. However, in certain areas, that 500 yard shot just might be the one opportunity you get. A prime example is here in Eastern Arizona, my favorite elk hunting area is dotted with some very wide open meadows. Probably a park would be a better term. Once the shooting starts, the elk head out into these "parks" and bed down for the day way out in the middle. Try sneaking up on a herd of elk bedded down in an area maybe two miles wide and 5 or 6 miles long, all wide open with no cover.
Three years ago, I got lucky and was able to belly crawl to the last available cover, a very scrawny bush. My laser range finder said the closest cow elk was 530 yards out. (I had a cow tag.) I wa certainly wishing I had a bull tag about then, because the herd bull was well over 400 class.
Anyway, my rifle was a Winchester M70 in .300 Win. Mag., I'd been practicing two days a week from field positions for a bit over three months and I knew exactly where to hold over at that distance. Shooting from a sitting position, I dropped the elk with one shot. I never heard the report of the rifle, nor did I feel the recoil, although I knew both were there.
I am fortunate in that I have a range where I can shoot to 1,000 yards should I choose to do so. However, I do most of my shooting from field positions on the silhouette range out to 500 meters. Off hand to 100 yards and sitting and kneeling from 200 to 500 meters.
I did not draw my favorite deer and elk areas this year, so when the weather clears up some, (we've had one hell of a rainy season) I'll be getting out to scout the new (to me anyway) areas. Then, I'll decide what to take and what shooting regimen I'll need to work on.
Paul B.