Good point. “Long range” has changed from maybe 300-500 yards decades ago to 800-1000 yards of late. The right gear, understanding the system, and practice make it possible. However, I wonder how many critters suffer a serious and eventually fatal hit but get away before their end. Oh that fickle wind that that can blow in opposite directions on opposite sides of a canyon.
I would think it’s a relatively small subset of hunters who are skilled enough to do it regularly.
My long range endpoint was 500 yards under very good conditions and 500 yds. was the actual distance of my longest shot and kill. I never had the opportunity to practice and shoot out further. Thus I didn’t need the extra necessary gear. That it would be more fun than golf is without a doubt however.
When I started hunting elk in the late ‘80’s we didn’t have Uber BC bullets with throats that allowed the proper seating in their cartridge, and the fast-twist barrels to stabilize those long, sleek bullets, so many hunters went to relative high speed cartridges (magnums) to get that bullet with the BC of an ashtray out to 400 or 500 without dropping to the ground.
