Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Long range "hunting". What say you?

In 2018, a hunter armed with a .50 caliber rifle shot an antelope from 1,954 yards in Fremont County, and then sent a video of it to Muley Fanatics, trying to prove a point.

The video had the opposite of the intended effect.

“We told him (the hunter) that is not something we endorse,” Josh Coursey told Cowboy State Daily on Friday. He’s the co-founder, president and CEO of Muley Fanatics, a mule deer conservation group.

He declined to identify the hunter who had sent the video. It had been sent with the intent of making the point that an animal could be humanely and ethically killed with a rifle from great distances, Coursey said. He’s also a member of the Wyoming Wildlife Task Force, which met in Casper on Friday.

“Shooting from 1,954 yards isn’t fair chase,” he said.

What Is The Right Distance?

The topic of ethical shooting distances prompted a lively discussion during the task force’s meeting. There was no clear consensus over whether the Legislature or the Wyoming Game and Fish Department should, or even could, establish ethical shooting distance rules.

Modern bows, particularly crossbows, have stretched possible archery kill shots out to 100 yards or more, said some task force members and hunters who commented via Zoom. And rifle technology has evolved to make possible shots hardly dreamed of before.

Shooting at extreme ranges isn’t ethical or necessary, said task force member Sy Gilliland. He’s the president of the Wyoming Outfitter and Guides Association. The use of noise suppressors on rifles, currently legal in Wyoming, makes things even sketchier, he said.

“You can shoot 700 yards at an animal that can’t even hear the shot,” he said. “Yeah, that’s really sporting.”

The capability of hunting weapons has always evolved, making the topic of ethical shooting distances murky, said task force member Pet Dube. He is also a member of the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, which sets Game and Fish policy.

“They started this discussion when they invented rifle scopes,” he said. “What might not seem wrong now might not be wrong 20 years from now.”

Practice Makes For More Humane Hunting

Hunter Fonzy Haskell commented over Zoom that he’s a long-distance shooter and also sometimes uses a suppressor.

“I’m an avid long-range shooter. I’m a competitive long-range shooter and I sometimes utilize that in my hunting,” he said. “I would say ‘ethical’ is dispatching that animal in the quickest and most humane way possible.”

Long-range shooters practice vigorously, he said. That makes them more likely to land precise, quick-killing shots in the field.

He added that suppressors are good for controlling predators, such as coyotes. They allow a hunter to take out multiple coyotes while avoiding detection.

However, even if somebody is skilled enough to shoot extreme distances, it still isn’t ethical because the animals don’t have a reasonable chance of escape, hunter Rob Shaul said over Zoom.

Ethical limits should be roughly 400 yards for rifles and 50 yards for bows, he said.

“Most big game animals can’t detect a hunter more than 400 yards away. That’s out beyond the biological limits of the animal, and that’s not fair chase,” he said. “Hunting is not shooting,” he said. “If you want to shoot 1,000 yards, shoot at iron (targets).”

Improved technology and better equipment can make hunting more humane and ethical, said task force member Lee Livingston. He’s a guide and Park County commissioner.

“People used to hate archery hunters,” because the use of older model bows frequently left animals getting away wounded.

With more modern bows, the hunters that he guides make quick, clean kills, even on large bull elk, Livingston said.

A Matter Of Public Perception

Hunters and guides must be mindful of their reputation with the general public, Gilliland said. Having nation-wide public opinion turn against hunting could spell the end of it.

“The average suburban housewife might not understand much about hunting,” he said. “But she understands that shooting an animal behind a fence isn’t ethical. She understands that shooting an animal from 800 yards away isn’t ethical.”

Hunters should refrain from posting “kill shot” videos on social media, Shaul said. The public will find footage of animals being killed distasteful and turn against hunters.

“Filming and posting big game kill shot videos is political suicide,” he said.

Long range hunting says braggart or idiot to me

It depends on the weapon, and the skill of the shooter. 100 yards is "Long Range" for my .50 caliber Pennsylvania flintlock. With a good rest for my 6.5-06, a 400 yard shot on a deer is not only possible, but pretty routine in certain places I hunt. Probably 80% of the deer I've taken in the past 40 years have been within 75 yards or less- - - -sometimes a lot less.

There will be those who favor it who will refuse to enter into an intelligent discussion of it.
There will be those who oppose it who will refuse to enter into an intelligent discussion of it.

We just had a thread on this in one of the other forums. You know what they say about opinions...

Recently a new long range record was set. 4.4 miles and hit an 8” target. Don’t know if it was a creedmoor or not?!
Only took 69 shots to hit the bullseye.

If you know what you are doing, and are skilled at accuracy at whatever range you hunt, then go for it, if that's the way you roll.

I ain't gonna tell another grown up how to hunt.

When I started hunting in the early 1980's several of my friends were bow hunters, the dirty little secret was the amount of wounded animals that escaped and it was not talked about.
I suspect the same happens when the average Joe buys a Gunwerks super long range blaster "system" and thinks he can buy ability.

Dead is dead. I really don't care how it was accomplished as long as it wasn't a .270 Win. Otherwise, just kill the thing and eat it.

I killed over 90 whitetail in central Georgia, and a bunch of wild hogs. Wooded land, swamps, with a lot of brush. Longest shot I ever had was 80 yards. Not too hard with a Mauser in 30-06 with a scope.
I am not familiar with long range hunting.

Yes but overall there's more room for intelligent discussion on the part of those who favor it. Because many of the ones opposed tend to not really know much about it.

Way too many animals are wounded in the process of so called "long range hunting", as I get older I take greater care to put the animal down as quickly and humanly as possible, don't care about "long range kill" bragging rights, that is for people with something to prove to themselves.

Shoot steel at LR…..with aperture sights and then you can brag about how good you are!

Most hunters aren’t familiar with it!

Hunting and shooting are different endeavors.

I’m a 300 yard max hunter.

I worked my ass off to get within a reasonable distance on a great bull only to have some guys start lobbing shots over my head at the animal from the ridge behind me. As they were shooting I walked right out into the park below the elk and shot 5 rounds into the hill side and threw my hands up in the air looking back at them. They were taking shots at him from every bit of 1000 yds. This was in the early years of the long range hunting “shooting” fad.

I don't have the equipment nor the capabilities to shoot way out there. Never pursued it.

I feel confident out to 400 but the longest I have shot was a lazered 317 on a WY 'lope.

A guy has to know his limits and about 400 is mine.....mostly because I don't have opportunity to shoot beyond that. Most of the ranges around here don't have long range capability.

I'm still on the fence about real long range hunting but lean toward the idea that too much can go wrong. I like better odds.

Pretty sure nobody cares what I think....but....

I figure if you are taking shots that you are less than 95% certain you will make a good hit, you are shooting too far (or with an inadequate rest, or in too poor light, too high wind, etc).

Now, if someone is hunting to avoid going without meat, this changes somewhat.

I suspect very few of us here fall into that category.

I’m not sure shooting an animal from a thousand yards is hunting. Shooting maybe 🤔 but hunting not so sure. I pride myself on being able to get close. As long as you’re proficient at shooting from long range then who’s to say.

To each there own.