Not sure where you hunt but were we do in Ontario a long shot is 50 yards for deer, and I mean long. For my deer gun I make sure I am good at 100 yards and under knowing where they go at 25 (where most deer are shot) and 50 yards. I will shoot out to 200 and sometimes 300 to see where the gun shoots. Some guys won't site in old 30-30, 38-55, 25-35, etc. past 50 yards because they know they will never shoot that far. Plus the barrel might be a little shot out and they were never meant as long range cartridge. If its a target gun or a hunting firearm I am shooting out to 300 yards I will spend the time shooting that far.
Good enough!
- Thread starter tkleedehn
- Start date
I had one of my Military instructors pull the old line that "Good Enough, isn't".
He got a little knotted up, when I asked if that meant that no matter how well we did, it would never be good enough, and if so, why would we bother to put effort into it?
Good enough, is. Otherwise, it would not be "Good Enough".
It begins to remind me of the Monty Python sketch where the boys are sitting around one-upping each other on how tough they had it as kids.
I would say that of all the deer I have shot, over 80 percent were well inside 50 yards, my closest (with a bow) was more like under 10, and I doubt I have ever even bothered to take a shot over 200 yards, as it's just as easy to get closer.
That about covers my experience, ranging from bald-ass Southern Sk, Northern Boreal in Ab, and fir and fields country here in BC.
local here too and i ve seen some guys having a group of cardboard plate and that was enough as the heart of a moose or a bison is big enough ...
are you talking about carcross or the ibex valley range as the one for WRPC you can shoot at any distances up to 550 meters without disturbing any others ...
i ve seen people not having even able to shoot at the target ... i ve sighted rifles for people as they were scared to shoot their heavy guns ...
are you talking about carcross or the ibex valley range as the one for WRPC you can shoot at any distances up to 550 meters without disturbing any others ...
i ve seen people not having even able to shoot at the target ... i ve sighted rifles for people as they were scared to shoot their heavy guns ...
Guys get into trouble is when hitting the paper is good enough at 200 yards and they are on the 10th day of a long hunt. All of a sudden an animal walks out at 3-400 yards. In my experience 50% of all the game ive shot was beyond 200 yards and only twice did I have it beyond 400. I have different rilfes for different purposes. Generally every hunting rifle I have I make sure it shoots true at 400 yards.
Hit an 8.5X11" paper at 100 yards is definitely good enough... "IF" you limit your shots to 20 yards.
I often hear the old adage that if you can hit a pie plate at a given distance you are good for hunting at that distance. IMO that is pure hogwash... your actual accuracy in the field is closer to half your range accuracy, given the unknown and uncontrollable factors involved, not the least of which is heightened emotional condition and stress-impared judgment. In outfitting and guiding you see it all the time to a higher degree than most of the hunting public. When guiding, a big part of my job is mentally and emotionally preparing clients to perform at their best during the "moment of truth," and to assist them, sometimes gently and some times forcefully, to make good judgement calls in the field... many times coaching on restraint when a target animal is at a range beyond their capability or when the animals body posture is wrong for a shot... but sometimes it goes the other way and we give the thumbs up or the approval to "shoot." All of this is based on the individuals personal abilities and equipment they have chosen to employ, sometimes based on what we have witnessed, but sometimes based on what they report when we question on range and accuracy and level of comfort... most of the time, they are completely forthcoming because they want to be successful and know that this information will help us, help them.
I often hear the old adage that if you can hit a pie plate at a given distance you are good for hunting at that distance. IMO that is pure hogwash... your actual accuracy in the field is closer to half your range accuracy, given the unknown and uncontrollable factors involved, not the least of which is heightened emotional condition and stress-impared judgment. In outfitting and guiding you see it all the time to a higher degree than most of the hunting public. When guiding, a big part of my job is mentally and emotionally preparing clients to perform at their best during the "moment of truth," and to assist them, sometimes gently and some times forcefully, to make good judgement calls in the field... many times coaching on restraint when a target animal is at a range beyond their capability or when the animals body posture is wrong for a shot... but sometimes it goes the other way and we give the thumbs up or the approval to "shoot." All of this is based on the individuals personal abilities and equipment they have chosen to employ, sometimes based on what we have witnessed, but sometimes based on what they report when we question on range and accuracy and level of comfort... most of the time, they are completely forthcoming because they want to be successful and know that this information will help us, help them.
20 yards? Horse poo, Hoyt!
At 50 yards, that's hitting an area the size of your fist, 4.25 X 5.5 inches, and at half that again, 25 yards, 2 and 1/8 X 2 and 3/4.
You must have some doozy experiences with buck fevered, under skilled, and over panicked clients.
At 50 yards, that's hitting an area the size of your fist, 4.25 X 5.5 inches, and at half that again, 25 yards, 2 and 1/8 X 2 and 3/4.
You must have some doozy experiences with buck fevered, under skilled, and over panicked clients.
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pete dobinson
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Courtenay BC.
trevj, if most of Hoyt's client show up with scoped bolt rifles, Hoyt is right! If alls a hunter can do is hit the paper at 100 yards I wouldn't trust him at any range. He's capable of missing or worse, wounding an animal.
Gods alive, I wouldn't last a day trying to bite off my lips, if that's the state of the clientele in the Outfitting biz.
But if I managed to keep my lips intact enough to talk, I could make good money shooting game for the clients on the quiet, I bet!
pete dobinson
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Courtenay BC.
Ha ha ha, my god I would hope not. I would think most clientele are able to shoot. Just hitting the paper at 100 yards is ridiculous. Most modern bolt rifles are capable of moa. There's always the odd one though.
blasted_saber
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- A blue part of Ontario
I shoot all of my hunting rifles off a bench at least once a year within a month of hunting season to verify the sights, or to test a new ammo type. My favourite guns get shot a lot more because I like shooting.
I shoot a considerable amount from various field positions. In the field I like the sitting position the best. I dont like the kneeling position whatsoever.
I shoot a considerable amount from various field positions. In the field I like the sitting position the best. I dont like the kneeling position whatsoever.
Yeah, I shoot year round, around the farm for predator and pest control. Not my hunting rifle, most of the time, but the hand/eye skills carry over pretty well. Gophers South of Moose Jaw made for some great practice, as well as getting me access to some really nice land to hunt.
Even there, though, I figure the longest shot I took wasn't much past 130 or so yards, on a deer.
From up here too and I’ve hear lots of good enough at the range, not that I’m a sharp shooter and to be honest I don’t shoot nearly enough anymore(use to shoot lots back in the days) but all my rifles are sighted in properly and I can consistently do 1.5”@100 or better and I hope to get that even better than that after a bit of reloading that I will be starting soon(just waiting for the gear to show up!)
TKleedehn, I know your dad form when I was a handler for Brian McDougal and when I use to hang out with Tomas and Hans he would probably not remember me though...
TKleedehn, I know your dad form when I was a handler for Brian McDougal and when I use to hang out with Tomas and Hans he would probably not remember me though...
Oy frikken VEY!
Like I said earlier, I wouldn't last a full day if I was dealing with those kinds of clients on any basis.
It's not just clients. I was at the range a few years ago and a guy was about 4 spots over shooting a 300 wm. after a few shots about 5 or I guess he said that is good enough.I looked through my spotting scope and saw one hole dead centre. I asked whee the others were and he replied It only takes one to kill them. Try arguing with that logic. He was a southern Alberta resident.
