Deer at 500 Yards?

[HMFIC]

I would venture to say that I am a lot more accurate and consistent at 500 that you are using a bow at 35 or 40 yards! It is like any thing you do. Practice makes perfect!

You can not tell me if you seen the biggest deer of your life time and you knew you could make the shot, you would not take it! I say Bull ****!

I think your first comment was for Ridge anyway, but I've never bowhunted ever so ya you got me there fo sho.

At 500 yards, I'm not sure I'd even know if it was the biggest deer of my lifetime. Hell, when I'm hunting they ALL look like the biggest deer of my lifetime when my heart gets racing!

That said, I would not take the shot even though I am well versed in long range shooting. I would rather that big guy get's the opportunity to go out and impregnate a few more does with his incredible superbuck genes than to take a significant chance on him dying a senseless death my wounding and the coyotes eating him alive.

 

[MLR]

In my opinion there is a difference between hunting and just shooting or harvesting. I have no problem with the latter but I do take issues when it is called hunting.
Last year I bought a hog to butcher from a local farmer. I went out to the pen where the hog had been fed regularly for the last year and put a bullet in its head. To my this was harvesting.
I have friends who feed deer and hogs all year then go out where the animals have been fed all year and put a bullet in their head. They call it hunting.

Matter of semantics I suppose.

Michael

 

[Rooster1971]

I agree. We shot 500 yards regularly at the range. I have no problem with that distance as long as I have a good rest and the conditions are right. Now on the other hand, if you have never shot that distance and you are totally relying on luck, you should not take the shot.

You need to know your guns capabilities as well as your own. I have a 15 Year old son that can make that shot 10 out of 10 times under the right conditions. However, you need to practice it. The more you shot the more comfortable you are going to be with the shot. Period, End of story…

Damn! 500 yards! How do you even find all these deer you shot if they run at all at these distances. I lung shot one last weekend that ran off like nothing happened. It was a 30 yard shot and he ran 150 yards. Thought I missed, but finally found blood and found him in the thick stuff.

 

[tran]

Damn! 500 yards! How do you even find all these deer you shot if they run at all at these distances. I lung shot one last weekend that ran off like nothing happened. It was a 30 yard shot and he ran 150 yards. Thought I missed, but finally found blood and found him in the thick stuff.

Some of the issues with Rifles like the 7mm win mag is the projectile it traveling so fast that it never has a chance to fully open up at close range. It was made for distance shooting. JMO!

 

[imhntn]

I have done a lot of prairie dog shooting and have lots of experience at long range shooting. The farthest deer I have ever killed was 475 and it was one shot. I also will not do it unless the conditions are right and I have not done it that much but I have been effective when I have tried. I love shooting deer at long range. Seems easy to shoot them up close with a rifle. That is why I have gone to the recurve bow. I like a challenge.

 

[Rooster1971]

I'm not taking an ethical stand point on this one way or another. I hunt N.W part of state and have had the opportunities. I shoot a tack driving model 70 30-06 but don't totally trust my abilities and judgement of conditions at this distance. In my case the animal deserves more than I might be able to deliver.

 

[Schuster]

If you have the ability to make that shot then I say take it. You are the only one that should make the determination of whether a shot was skill or just shooting and praying.

 

[dennishoddy]

I would venture to say that I am a lot more accurate and consistent at 500 that you are using a bow at 35 or 40 yards! It is like any thing you do. Practice makes perfect!

You can not tell me if you seen the biggest deer of your life time and you knew you could make the shot, you would not take it! I say Bull ****!

Not so. I saw the biggest 8 point I've ever seen in my life, that would probably score in the 160's on the opening day of MZ season.

(Savage Smokeless, 250 grain SST Hornady chrono'd at 2350fps.)
300+ yds. I had the dope from the Iphone in front of my eyes.

Could have taken the shot, but didn't.
Was the decision an ethical one, or did the shooter decide to hold off.
Shooter did not take the shot.
Why?
Long distance shooters need to consider what the bullet they are using willl provide the dynamics the bullet will provide.
A heavy jacketed bullet won't get it at long range. A light jacketed bullet may fly apart if they are tried at longer ranges.

Its the hunter/shooter that has to do the homework to make the decision to take the long range shot.

All of you long range folks already know this.

 

[Buzzgun]

Some of the issues with Rifles like the 7mm win mag is the projectile it traveling so fast that it never has a chance to fully open up at close range. It was made for distance shooting. JMO!

What??

REALLY???

That's the biggest load of nonsense I've seen posted here in a LONG time!!

 

[30BulletHoles]

These conversations always turn into a big pissing contest. The way I see it just hunt and don't be judgemental of others who are out there in the field hunting. Who is anyone on this board to judge someone elses ethics or what ethical hunting is? As far as 500 yard shots go, since that seems to be the distance of choice for the OP, Hunt out here in the prarie where there arent trees everywhere and its 500 yards from one end of a wheat field to the other. I guarantee you that if you can see your quarry at that distance they can see you and if you let them they will be gone long before you get a shot, been there done that. So saying that if you take a long shot within the limits of your skill and equipment in that situation isn't hunting or ethical is completely assinine. I don't take only long range shots or prefer long range shots but if its in my comfort zone and its the only shot I have then I'm gonna take it and the only difference between me and those that believe that its unethical or not hunting is that I'll have a filled tag while they are sitting around camp emptyhanded and judgemental. I've been hunting and shooting for years and the only person that can decide if the shot is ethical in any given situation is the man behind the rifle. If its not within your comfort zone then don't do it but don't demonize people that do.