Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting .308 sniper rifle for deer/elk/bear.

This post has gotten way off from what the original topic was about.

But again "for the record". You can rationalize it however you want, but hunting is about killing animals that are basically minding their own business.

Personally, I see nothing wrong with that, because it's getting down to what has allowed any creature to survive.

Any way you cut it, you have to kill to eat and you have to kill anything that threatens to kill you, either directly (i.e. a hungary bear) or by eating up what you need to eat to survive.

That's it in a nutshell. If you can't see that, then please explain to me what I am missing!

I don't shoot prairie dogs, because they offer me nothing in the way of food or threat. But if you get a sense of satisfaction out of the technical and practical aspects of shooting them, far be it from me to criticize.

As far as antelope, deer, and elk, I've shot my share, but I'm not that crazy about the meat and unless it is really a fine animal, I will let them go.

As stated earlier, I stopped bird hunting because I got tired of killing quail, pheasants, and ducks with old wounds. Still if that is what you enjoy, I don't judge, because killing and suffering is as much a part of life as sex and happiness.

For my part, I enjoy hunting dangerous game where there is real danger. I try to get within spitting distance and depending on whether I'm looking at a world class trophy or an average animal (not to mention what it will cost if I wound it and lose it), I take my shot.

There are very few animals I would deliberately wound. The Cape Buffalo is at the top of the list. Why? Because I have more respect for that animal then any animal in the world.

When it comes to courage, tenacity, and a will to kill you the buff reigns supreme. Shooting a buff to hurt him but not physically impair him for the short run, is a sign of respect not meaness or pettiness. Giving him a chance to "even the score", IMHO is one of the greatest compliments to the animal and one of the most thrilling episodes in all of the world of hunting.

I've seen guys pop prairie dogs with .22s and laugh as the critters turned somersaults and dove into their holes.

I don't consider that sporting or worthy of a top predator, but that's just my opinon.

If you spend your life rationalizing and sugar-coating why you hunt, I consider that dishonest. The "kill thrill" is what has given every predator the edge to risk its life to take another.

That is the real essence of the hunt, at least for me. I make no apologies, but if you look deep down in your heart, maybe you will recognize some truth in what I write.

But if the best you can come up with is 'WTF" than you aren't thinking too hard about why people and animals that really love to hunt, really love to hunt.

Like they say "Somedays you eat the bear, and somedays the bear eats you." That's how I live my life.

No offense to anyone (excepting to thor, which never has answered a direct question), but you hunt your way and I'll hunt mine, but I honestly do believe that me and the buff have a perfect understanding of the situation. If I kill him and live, I win. If he kills me and he lives, he wins. If we both die, then at least we broke even.

Good hunting (to the hunters) and in 2 days I will begin my "long range" bear hunt. For this hunt I want to make a one shot kill at 300+ yards with a .308 sniper rifle, just to see how it works. I've scouted hard and have already found an area where a bear is feeding. The prints don't look particularly large, so I'm guessing it is a yearling or sow. I will probably not shoot that bear (unless it is one hell of a interesting color phase), because I want a bigger one.

Again thanks to the "experienced" long-range hunters for their hints and advice and I will post my results (good or bad) providing some of you don't get your wishes and I get recycled into bear [bleep]. Personally, I don't have a problem with that, but if it is all possible, I will come back and haunt the posters who have criticized me. BTW I am not kidding and I might just be strong-willed enough to pull it off.