- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
In the context of North American Big Game Hunting, if we define a good shot as an individual able to shoot up to his rifle, how many hunters qualify, and under what conditions do they qualify?.
North America is a very big place, and local conditions can result in some very challenging shooting problems. The whitetail deer hunter often fires at close range, but the shot must often be made quickly, and snap shooting does not lend itself to pin point accuracy. Antelope hunting on the western plains can present many of the problems associated with long range shooting such as range estimation, wind and mirage problems. Along coasts, rivers, and lake shores game such as moose and bear are taken from the bow of a pitching boat. Game typically encountered in the mountains - elk, sheep, or goats may present an opportunity, only if the hunter can work out the problems associated with a high angle shot, assuming that is, that he can get his breathing and heart rate to a point that any shot is possible after that hard climb.
The ubiquitous advise is that you should be able to hit a pie plate sized target with your first shot, and when you can no longer do so - you have exceeded your maximum range. While this does not appear difficult at first, upon examination we see that it means that your first shot must never land more than 4" from where you intend - regardless of range, wind, light, weather, or how you hold your tongue. The problems of range estimation and trajectory may become complex, but we can accommodate ranging difficulties by sighting our rifles so that the bullet does not rise above or fall below this 8" circle out to a maximum range determined by the trajectory of our bullet. Thus sighted, a .30-06 will print approximately 2" high at 100 yards, zero at 250, and 8" low at 300. Cartridges of lower velocity will have less reach, while cartridges of higher velocity may reach slightly further. While game can and has been taken at longer range, 300 yards is a reasonable limit for the hunter without specialized equipment.
If our typical hunter gets a shot at 300 yards, how well is he likely to do? First, let’s give our hero the benefit of the doubt, and agree that his rifle-scope- ammo combination is accurate to 1 MOA. Further let's say that he is a competent shot, and is able to shoot up to his rifle’s 1 MOA from prone, 4 MOA off hand, and 2 MOA from supported field positions. And lets plunk our guy in Northern Quebec with caribou as the quarry. Typical for fall in that country, the weather is hovering just above freezing, most of the snow from the night before has melted, rain squalls pushed by a 10 MPH wind move through, and although the day has the occasional sunny break, fog banks move in, although they are often short lived. The terrain is treeless and low rolling hills provide the opportunity to see great distances. Difficult walking is experienced in the wet tundra which separates the hills. Our hunter is comfortable while walking, but when he stops to glass, it isn’t long before he starts to shiver slightly, unless the sun peeks out to warm him.
Sure enough he spots a small herd in the distance, just as the fog closes in once again, but he reasons that if he can get to the next hill top he might be within 200 yards. He races to the next hill top, and is out of breath from the exertion when he flops down to look over the crest. The caribou were feeding, but moved away, and now there appears to be about 300 yards separating them. There is a nice bull in the group, and he wants to try for it. He gets himself into a sitting position so he can see over some boulders, which he discovered prevents him from shooting from prone. He knows that his bullet will drop, but it shouldn’t drop more than a hand span. He discounts the quartering wind, which he reasons will - if anything - move the bullet from the shoulder to the lung. He holds on the shoulder half way up the body of the broadside bull and fights to control his breathing and steady the wobbling cross hairs. Fog begins to swirl in his field of view, it’s now or never, and just as he presses the trigger, he begins to shiver . . . “BOOM!”
How does he do? Let’s examine that. We know that the rifle will shoot 1 MOA, and that our hunter can hold 2 MOA from a rested position, however, he starts to shiver at the shot, and this may or may-not influence the shot. The full value wind at 10 MPH will move the bullet 2 MOA, and a quartering wind will move the bullet 1.75 MOA, but our hunter has not allowed for that. If we add up the variables, we see that the bullet should land within a 4.75 minute (14.25") circle - or within roughly within 7" of his point of aim. If his range calculation is plus or minus 10% that could change the outcome dramatically. If the actual range was only 270 yards, the bullet drop would be 5", so his aiming a little high would put the bullet impact on a horizontal plane right where he wanted it. However, if the range was actually 330 yards the bullet would drop a foot, and his hold would probably result in a wound or a miss. The wind could shift his bullet as much as 5 inches, and his shivering is a wild card - only he knows his sight picture as the trigger broke.
Clearly it is better to be lucky than good, but the question for CGN’s is - Was the shot prudent?
North America is a very big place, and local conditions can result in some very challenging shooting problems. The whitetail deer hunter often fires at close range, but the shot must often be made quickly, and snap shooting does not lend itself to pin point accuracy. Antelope hunting on the western plains can present many of the problems associated with long range shooting such as range estimation, wind and mirage problems. Along coasts, rivers, and lake shores game such as moose and bear are taken from the bow of a pitching boat. Game typically encountered in the mountains - elk, sheep, or goats may present an opportunity, only if the hunter can work out the problems associated with a high angle shot, assuming that is, that he can get his breathing and heart rate to a point that any shot is possible after that hard climb.
The ubiquitous advise is that you should be able to hit a pie plate sized target with your first shot, and when you can no longer do so - you have exceeded your maximum range. While this does not appear difficult at first, upon examination we see that it means that your first shot must never land more than 4" from where you intend - regardless of range, wind, light, weather, or how you hold your tongue. The problems of range estimation and trajectory may become complex, but we can accommodate ranging difficulties by sighting our rifles so that the bullet does not rise above or fall below this 8" circle out to a maximum range determined by the trajectory of our bullet. Thus sighted, a .30-06 will print approximately 2" high at 100 yards, zero at 250, and 8" low at 300. Cartridges of lower velocity will have less reach, while cartridges of higher velocity may reach slightly further. While game can and has been taken at longer range, 300 yards is a reasonable limit for the hunter without specialized equipment.
If our typical hunter gets a shot at 300 yards, how well is he likely to do? First, let’s give our hero the benefit of the doubt, and agree that his rifle-scope- ammo combination is accurate to 1 MOA. Further let's say that he is a competent shot, and is able to shoot up to his rifle’s 1 MOA from prone, 4 MOA off hand, and 2 MOA from supported field positions. And lets plunk our guy in Northern Quebec with caribou as the quarry. Typical for fall in that country, the weather is hovering just above freezing, most of the snow from the night before has melted, rain squalls pushed by a 10 MPH wind move through, and although the day has the occasional sunny break, fog banks move in, although they are often short lived. The terrain is treeless and low rolling hills provide the opportunity to see great distances. Difficult walking is experienced in the wet tundra which separates the hills. Our hunter is comfortable while walking, but when he stops to glass, it isn’t long before he starts to shiver slightly, unless the sun peeks out to warm him.
Sure enough he spots a small herd in the distance, just as the fog closes in once again, but he reasons that if he can get to the next hill top he might be within 200 yards. He races to the next hill top, and is out of breath from the exertion when he flops down to look over the crest. The caribou were feeding, but moved away, and now there appears to be about 300 yards separating them. There is a nice bull in the group, and he wants to try for it. He gets himself into a sitting position so he can see over some boulders, which he discovered prevents him from shooting from prone. He knows that his bullet will drop, but it shouldn’t drop more than a hand span. He discounts the quartering wind, which he reasons will - if anything - move the bullet from the shoulder to the lung. He holds on the shoulder half way up the body of the broadside bull and fights to control his breathing and steady the wobbling cross hairs. Fog begins to swirl in his field of view, it’s now or never, and just as he presses the trigger, he begins to shiver . . . “BOOM!”
How does he do? Let’s examine that. We know that the rifle will shoot 1 MOA, and that our hunter can hold 2 MOA from a rested position, however, he starts to shiver at the shot, and this may or may-not influence the shot. The full value wind at 10 MPH will move the bullet 2 MOA, and a quartering wind will move the bullet 1.75 MOA, but our hunter has not allowed for that. If we add up the variables, we see that the bullet should land within a 4.75 minute (14.25") circle - or within roughly within 7" of his point of aim. If his range calculation is plus or minus 10% that could change the outcome dramatically. If the actual range was only 270 yards, the bullet drop would be 5", so his aiming a little high would put the bullet impact on a horizontal plane right where he wanted it. However, if the range was actually 330 yards the bullet would drop a foot, and his hold would probably result in a wound or a miss. The wind could shift his bullet as much as 5 inches, and his shivering is a wild card - only he knows his sight picture as the trigger broke.
Clearly it is better to be lucky than good, but the question for CGN’s is - Was the shot prudent?
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