Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Randy Selby on Long Range hunters

Randy Selby has been one of those guys I've enjoyed reading, and watching his videos as he's clearly very knowledgeable. Most of the time I have no issue with statements he makes, and generally agree with him if not completely, then at least in some part.

His take on long range hunting was a bit surprising due to his notable contributions, and history. I'm a little surprised this opinion hasn't ruffled feathers, and sent many snowflakes to their watery grave.

I find myself agreeing with him again for the most part. Though he does paint in broad strokes.

I am old enough to remember a time when your skill as a hunter was based on how close you could get to your quarry.

In my opinion, I can’t judge people who can do something I can’t. As long as what they do is the legal taking of game, I feel it’s counterproductive to my own privilege to hunt to disparage other hunters.

Me too.



I agree with you too. If you can , and that’s your thing, good for you. My problem with LRS isn’t the guys that can. It’s the guys buying these “1000 yard out of the box” rifles, who can’t shoot 200 yards (and have never practiced at ranges they are taking shots) going hunting with them. And taking shots on game they have no business taking.

Agreed! The concept of long range shooting has become really popular to the point where most manufacturers make some sort of rifle catering to it. Its great that the average shooter can get into LRS for less money, but that also means that it’s become a bargain hunter’s market and the stuff that has a proven track record is often out of the price range.

So long as they are not shooting across a paddock at me or mine I don't really care.

My hunting scopes top out at 10x and my best 5 shot groups on 400 yard targets are about 3 1/2 " shooting off of sandbags. Maybe I could do better with a higher power scope with a thinner reticle, but I have never tried with that sort of equipment.

All of my life I've heard and maybe others have heard if you can shoot all of your bullets standing off-hand into a pie plate your good to go on game. [So] I would have to limit my long range shots on game to about 500 yards in the best of field conditions, assuming I could get perfectly braced off of a tree trunk or something solid. I would take a shot like that on game if my position was holding a steady sight picture, and it was a calm day. If I couldn't completely settle the reticle or it was a windy day, no way I would pull the trigger.

I don't really have a problem with people who know their rifle and loads and experienced practicing at the distances they are shooting at game. Whatever distance can they consistently hit pie plates

I've learned that some loads will shoot real tight at 100 yards and then open up in a large scatter of 10" groups at 300 or 400 yards, that's why I have to test the loads at distance.

I'm not for people shooting long range game if they are just assuming because their load did 1" groups @ 100 that it will do 8" groups @ 800 because it probably won't.

As long as they are proficient and legal, I sure don't have a problem with it.

Probably 1/4 of the hunters out there shouldn't be taking even 100 yard shots.

This. Some want the game at any cost, even if it requires no hunting skill and only shooting skill.

Some would love to be able to do the job with a drone.

There will be hunters and there will be shooters.

He makes some good points in most of his videos but he seems to be a real blow hard

It’s a fad for Instagram selfies. It didn’t matter 25 years ago and doesn’t matter today. The 6.5CM made everyone a 1,000 yd super sniper expert tacticool flatbrim matching camo monkey suit woke ass conservationist

"We have people".......who? Who is building rifles and cutting into his business? Is he shi tting on Gunwerks? Who knows, this homeless looking old codger doesn't have the nuts to say.


I'd listen to Caylen Wojcik before this clown.


He is probably disgusted by people using a scenar bullet to kill [bleep]. Plus the guy seems to be hung up on cold showers...odd. He think 4-500 yes is as far as people should shoot at game? What gives him the right to shoot that far? I think that's way to far for some ol boomer like him to be shooting....let me go make a video b itching about it lol

I made 3:58 sec, the labored breathing, sloth speed thought/speech process tells me i'd fu-king die before he got my rifle built, people put too much thought in the notion ANYONE gives a flying fu-k what they think/know/think they know/believe in, he needs to get on his feet, stfu with the narcissism thoughts overload and get back to work on rifle building.

I agree. Not hunting. Impressive shooting maybe but not hunting. Same could be said of so called primitive weapon systems. Archery meant 30-40 yards was a poke. Muzzleloaders around 100 or so. Times have changed.

I’d love to shoot everything standing broadside at 75 yards like my last deer & first elk. But hunting NW Colorado open country public land shots in our area averaged 300 yards throwing out high & low extremes.

Having to pass on 3 large bulls because of unknown distance & no way to get closer got me more interested in shooting longer. Range & seeing successful hunters with longer range set-ups. I have a deer lung sized rock at my range at home at 490 yards. I don’t own any scoped rifles I can’t hit it with first try. For a thick woods Eastern Hunter it’s hard to relate to 500+ yard shots & for most Western hunters too but precise range readings & dialing scopes that work take the mystery out of longer hunting ranges.

Today’s equipment makes a big difference instead of a maybe 400 yard rangefinder from 15 years ago my Leica easily ranges 1000 yards +. My scope for the 300 Weatherby is a Zeiss 3-15 & the Z800 reticle matches the trajectory out to 800 yards. We practice out to that range shooting off backpacks or other field positions in dodgy wind conditions. So while I still want to shoot them close I know I can hit elk vitals at 600 yards even in challenging field conditions. It isn’t TV show knowledge but real practice.

Most hunters have an effective maximum rage for me it’s 500 yards on Deer & 600 for elk - as long as hunters stick to their own maximums nobody should be upset.

I've watched a handful of his videos in recent years. Some good stuff - but more "holy szchit man, consider joining us in the 21st century".

I assume a grandson or local millennial convinced him that he could monetize these videos while sharing his wealth of knowledge with the world.
The double-edge sword is potentially coming across as entrenched in old-thinking and arrogantly-domineering.

He's accomplished both swimmingly.

Pretty libertarian on these things.
Opinionated as heck, but it's supposed to be a free country. And I don't think there are laws about this.
There are ethical issues, but those are like opinions.

My concerns are animal movement.
Have personally had animals move as the trigger was breaking.
At 80 yards they can't move as much, and finding the exact spot of impact will be easier. (No go pro hero stuff here)


Sure do respect to technical ability of people that can put the first shot
in the vitals at 1000 plus. I can't.

Heck there have been deer killed at 150 that weren't hit where the shot was aimed.

I love the magazine ads showing the prone shooter with a $2000 rifle and a $2000 optic and his trusty spotter prairie-dogging behind him with a $3000 spotting scope. We all hunt like that right?

I am old enough to realize that technology has greatly enhanced ammo, rifles and optics from days of old. I also realize that ballistic calculators and lazer rangefinders are available... and I know how to use them.
I have killed truckloads of game throughout my life and find med-long distance hunting a new challenge and thrill. Of the last fifteen big game animals I have harvested, nine have been over five-hundred yards. All were easily recovered and died within seconds... if not instantly.
I have never wounded and/or lost an animal shot past five hundred yards.

Different strokes for different folks. There’s hunting and there’s shooting, combined to make harvesting.

Some guys consider Road hunting a technique. Others consider sitting in a heated box watching college football sipping hootch a technique.