I personally don't base my shots on arbitrary distances. I don't say "400 yards max".
I view it as high percentage shots and low percentage shots. I simply don't take low percentage shots.
Weather, terrain, fatigue, etc all come into play. On one day, with the right conditions, and a solid shooting platform, a 600 yard shot is not a problem.
On a day where wind is an issue, and/or a stable shooting platform cannot be attained, a 200 yard shot may be out of the question.
The very vast majority of hunters/shooters I have encountered think that wind is strictly a horizontal issue. That is simply incorrect, especially in the mountains.
Up drafts in the morning, down drafts in late afternoon, as well as switching winds can all have a dramatic effect on a projectile's flight. I have shot enough in the mountains to observe a 2 or 3 minute change in elevation at medium distance shooting (like 600). Watching projectile trace can reveal some previously unseen vertical issues, especially at max ordinate.
The flip side is I have seen short range shots that were low percentage, and should not be taken. Lots of guys will take a 100-150 yard shot at an elk or deer that is running all out, doing 35-40 miles an hour, or worse, going that fast quartering away. The result are often a pretty gruesome horrible and prolonged death for the animal.
Now with all that said, the majority of my shots on elk are 350-450 yards. There will always be the dumb comments about "you need to learn how to hunt or stalk, and I have never taken a shot over XXX "(usually significantly shorter range than what I typically find presented). It is obvious that they want to feel morally superior, implying that a 400 yard shot on an elk is unethical.
It probably is for them..
