264wm
"Most people don't understand how far 1000 yards is let alone 1300 yards."
I have many shooters that come to my range each year some of which just wish to sight in their deer rifles and others that wish to learn LR shooting. I have asked many to stand on my 300 yard line and look at a 20"x20" steel plate and tell me at what distance it is and more than 60% will tell me...."Why that's at least 500 yards!"Some tell me 600 yards so when you hear some guy make a comment "I killed my buck at 600 yards"....you can basically count on it being absolutely BS of the highest order! On occasion I've asked some of these 'Carlos Hathcocks' about how their rifles are equipped....and it's mighty hard to listen to the responses given without laughing because many tell me that they've got their rifles sighted in dead on at 25 yards and when I ask them how they 'held' on that deer they shot from 600 yards....well...most say that they held the crosswire right at the top of the back!! "Nuff said!"
As for shooting LR and making good hits, yes...many people don't or can't visualize 1000 yards! But shooting at that distance or even 1500 yards is not an impossible thing to do! It's all a matter of HOW YOUR MIND IS GEARED!! The rifle doesn't know whether it's shooting 50 ft. or 1000 or more yards; the shooters mind does so it's a psychological problem or a 'mental block' that the shooter has to overcome! The high degree of precision with which our rifles are built today and the fantastic components with which we have to work....all are capable of delivering fantastic accuracy way out beyond all heretobefore distances that were thought of as Long Range! But....not in the hands of a novice! It takes lots of attention to detail concerning the Iron Clad Rules of Marksmanship which are unyielding in their nature and a steep learning curve on wind reading! It is not learned over night!!
HOLD HARD & STAY CENTER!!
Very well put. Shooting LR has a few issues.. first the equipment has to be good enough.
Then the shooter has to be good enough.
And the brain has to be right.
Often all 3 fight each other and it takes a lot to figure out what to devote to what to solve the issues...
Once you sort them out though... you 'll know that you can go into that sub conscious state of mind in that you become really calm, tunnel visioned and the world leaves you... you can fire a shot almost in like in a vacuum...
But it takes a lot to get there.
Distance judging is so far off by most, me included, that I simply won't take a shot without a rangefinder... for starters.
When I used to guide.. we had one guide and hunter shot a blackbuck at over 800 yards... when they told me where... I laughed and said you can't see past 300 yards..... BS they says... so another hunter and I took off.. found the jeep tracks... found his empty 257 Wtby mag case from the shooting spot, found the blood of the blackbuck where he fell, and it was a nice shot for sure... around 275 ish yards by my rangefinder IIRC... I know it was under 300 anyway by a bit...
I've shot enough at 1000 and am constantly amazed that you can do ok there.... I've shot a big gun enough from 1300 to 1500 to be amazed too. And amazed at what a minor condition change is worth. But to also realize if the gun is capable, the shot isn't that bad if the conditions are readable.
Trust me I"m not saying that 1500 is a cake walk.. because 200 yards is not a cakewalk at times... but longer shots are workable.
I'll say this much too... not dissing anyone but when folks have their own ranges... it tells me a lot more too..... I never shot at home much past 600 due to a lay of the land issue and because I have a lot of deer on the back end... but shot a lot from 300 on in.. and plenty at 600 for load testing/practice... I have the ability to shoot at the 984 mark IIRC the distance correct but it would take more tree trimming that I can do without a bucket truck too....
Anyway those that have private ranges and can shoot distances a lot more.... than those that don't or have to drive to a range to do it... those folks tend to end up being better shooters in the end....
