All the good ELR guys I know shoot at the range and hunt with the same rifles often-big cartridges with big bullets and brakes .
I have never used a brake either at the range or hunting. At the range because the disciplines I pursue do not allow them, and in hunting situations because I shoot rifles that do not require a brake.
My maximum range is limited because of my cartridge choice But I hold no truck with those that do use them as long as they are actually capable of using their rigs at long distances, of which neither the 308 nor the 6.5 Creedmoor would be my choice .
Cat
we agree on a lot, most things actually, I don't like brakes anywhere but at least tolerable somewhat with ears on, they are insulting to yourself and more so to anyone with you if hunting, and with today's ballistics choices there's no reason to brake anything to save your shoulder and or try and stay better in the game for faster follow ups, the animals aren't armour plated and everything including elrh for the few can be done without a brake, I used to run gear and have much longer acceptable range also, now I limit myself to a much shorter range and shoot a cartridge that doesn't have any fat within it, I can shoot lots more cartridge very well, just don't see the point, having way more fun now and shoot more too, all good things,
also agree to never judge where an individual will take his own skills and prep required to take as much advantage of his rifles potential as possible, I don't judge that, I used to do that and put in the time and had a heyday with anyone trying to judge me for it, what you come to find out is the point of diminishing returns isn't worth the squeeze, the OTHER variables that naturally come into play in a nice convergence that limit the majority to field proficiency in the 0-600 yard realms...regardless of how much work they do on steel further or what they shoot, you're stuck in true field accuracy windows ~2 moa, you're stuck in abilities to call wind most reliable for most guys inside 20" of drift being able to still land in a kill zone margin of error as part of your wind call, which is as example 400 yards and 20-30 kmh one day or 600 and 7-10 kmh the next (I didn't run actual math on that but it's for the point), then the animal factor layered on those two points, they move, so to 450 the .5 second tof (like a 50 yard archery shot) is where most game will be taken most reliably by those who set up to shoot beyond mpbr, then a moderate amount will put the work in to be proficient on game to the .75 second tof range or 600 (70 yard archery)...but so few can rock it out consistently from there as to be a massive waste of time considering how likely you'll be consistent out there, if you live breath year round shooting elr etc. and have no other hobbies then great, do the work, no judgement from me, the point is to understand 'why' these natural limits exist, it's not just the nut behind the wheel and the rifle/cartridge set up he chooses, it's natural field accuracy limits in hunting situations, natural wind limits of acceptability in reading ability, and the animals are alive and moving or can step at any point natural limits there as well, as personal recommendation for anyone who wants to be proficient at elrh, spend your winters chasing coyotes, will do you better than prs or steel work, you'll figure out quick just how far you're a consistent killer, then you can apply a size ratio from there to deer and appropriate distance ratio to match...you don't hear of too many guys who can consistently kill coyotes past 500 let alone 400, add 1/3rd to whatever that is for big game, voila, I'm sure we see it similar, so how many of those braked elr guys consistent killers in actual elr shooting? very few of them and they already start with a very small number, lotsa wannabes, always is, they all find out the above in application afield, they are natural laws, can't get around them without doing hugely proportionate amount of extra time and work
you make it sound like there's a lot of them consistent elr killers out there, there's not, shooters sure..killers no, and most who do prs, or set up for elr shooting, when polled will say they don't take it past 600 on game even when they shoot regularly to 1000+ and prs compete etc. it's funny when you do those polls, they can't often recite the reasons why those natural limits exist, yet they can 'feel' that's where acceptable risk of getting into kill zones dies off beyond that point...
so pretty sure we aren't arguing much right now, ask 'all' those elr shooters you know how far they are consistently killing coyotes and big game, majority will fall in the natural limits outlined above, so few of them will actually regularly kill beyond that so not really worth talking about or arguing about unless in a specialty elr forum for those micro few who actually walk the walk, not just play range star and think they will be studs past 600 on animals, but hey, it's great do give it a shot and find out for yourself, it's a partially free world so giver, fun journey
