Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting 900 yd head shot Video

yep, as far as I know. Can't tell them whether he got a talking to by a game warden or not. But certainly let them know he didn't recover it.

Just curious as to how you worked that into the class, and what you said, because there are so many different ways you could go with that.

IMHO, whether he got a talking to by the game warden or not is almost beside the point, except to show that you can do something that's legal but unethical, and vice versa.

As to this entire issue, I have a question and a few observations:

Did he break the law?

He appeared to shoot across the road.

If he did, that would likely merit a citation.

The rest? Here's my observations. Based upon the broadside position of cow lack of mirage in the video and no discernable wind, I think the guy missed two feet high and slightly left on a 900 yard shot to the vitals. Then when he saw the video, he saw an opportunity to claim a 900-yard headshot to either A. make money; B. Pump up his own ego and cred among long-range shooters on a clear miss. (I think both).

Did he waste the meat by not retrieving the game? Possibly but most states have a very low standard, merely stating that the hunter must make "reasonable effort" to retrieve. We don't know what effort the OP made to retrieve.

Most of us have lost game over the years. Just last year, my hunting partner show a cow with a 444 Marlin at 75 yards. We followed the blood trail for over 2 miles until we finally lost the blood trail. We spent 4 hours after we lost the blood trail making careful circles outside the last blood drop, looking for tracks, blood on a leaf, grass or rock and ultimately we found nothing. It happens. You do your best.

The ethics of a 900 yard headshot? Like I said - I don't think he tried a 900 yard head shot. I think he tried a 900 yard chest shot and accidentally shot off an ear. I've missed at 200 yards before. Which brings us to the question - should anyone attempt a 900 yard shot at the vitals? I wouldn't because I can't make that shot. I could make a 500 yard shot in perfect conditions with my 270wsm if I was shooting off a solid base and the animal was motionless. I tried a 700 yard shot when I was 19 and paid for it with a bloody half-moon on my forehead from getting up on the scope and a resolve to never be that stupid again. After that, 400 yards has been my maximum shot attempt. The shooter has to know his limits.

Personally, I think the OP could probably make a 900 yard shot more times than not in those conditions. The issue is, he went all douche'bag and tried to claim a mistake as prowess.

Time of flight is a rarely discussed topic.

Few hunters give it any thought.

It is as much a consideration as any other variable in the equation.

Since the head moves unpredictably, I think TOF for a head shot at that distance takes on more importance than it normally would, relative to the other variables.

Yeah I bring it up when talking about legal, but unethical stuff and ethical but illegal stuff. Young boys are typically the only ones that are interested in the long range stuff. Women are typically disgusted. I also do some neck shot stuff with Hunter Ed Tools and the vast majority have no idea where the actual spine is or how small the brain is in relation to the rest of the vitals. This has just been a fun addition.

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I like head shots. Just saying.

HE'S BACK........

It's a miracle.

URL signature expired is I get on all three links.

Mr. Cold bore " I missed the body of the elk, clipped her ear, and called it an intentional head shot" is back, in the predator, hunting rifles, and back pack hunting forums.

Sadly now he is involving a child in future "Cold Bore self promotions". Kudos for involving a kid in shooting sports, but I actually showed my young hunter this fiasco last year as an example of what not to do, both in shooting, and posting such nonsense online.

Like I stated earlier in this thread, having worked with a good number of scout snipers and SOTIC trained SF guys, and not one that I know would even think to try a 900 yard "head shot" on a big game animal.

Talk about a terrible example for a young hunter.

That YouTube now comes up as private.

I do know a couple of things...

Rifles are capable of shooting .5 or so MOA best case - but wind, and field shooting make that extremely hard to do.. And the target moves as well.

If you can rationalize saying you can hit a vital zone that matches something like that - it's not skill - it's denial

Again- there is a difference shooting in a war, for hunting... There are plenty "to whom it may concern" shots in a war - throwing one of those at an animal that has to live for a live with the results that you don't... ... Well you'd better hope God, Karma or whatnot doesn't return the favor.

Spotshooter,

I don't understand what you're trying to communicate in your post. Would you elaborate, please?

Pretty simple actually.

Those who don't account for making errors - make errors...

Here's a quote for ya to ponder if that last idea was too deep...

"Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn't even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back.”
- Heraclitus

Just because you can don't mean you should.
I have seen animals suffer untold pain and misery because someone wanted to show off his shooting skills.

I was at a rifle match one time listening to Mid Tompkins talk and he said something to the effect that "nobody can guarantee a first round hit at a 1000+ yards". I figure if he can't do it I probably have no business taking a shot like that.

Sad - I was hoping the State of Utah had a discussion with him.

The video linked to by the OP is now 'Private' and can't be viewed. That said, I don't need to see it to have an opinion about 900 yard head shots on elk.

While I would have no problem with someone taking such a shot at an enemy combatant, I can't think of any reasonable justification for taking one at a game animal. At 900 yards time is on the hunter's side and patience will produce a higher percentage shot opportunity virtually every time.