Ethics of taking a "Long Shot"

260_Rifleman

260_Rifleman

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So what are your views on taking a long shot at an animal while varmint hunting or predator hunting?

What do you consider a long shot?

Do you follow the same standards for varmints or predators as you would for a game animal such as a deer or elk?

Even if you feel confident of taking, and cleanly making a long range shot, does that fall within the ethics of fair chase and hunting?
 
I wont pull up until any game is within 200 yds way to many variables at 400 why spook or wound them with a wind gust.
 
I treat all shots the same. If it is a known distance and I know what the firearm/ammo combo is capable of and then compare that to my level of competency at the given range (practicing in real world conditions) then I make the decision on taking the shot or not. No running shots for me. I however do not take shots past 350 yards on anything. I only practice to that distance and therefore do not take shots beyond that for varmints. I have never shot a deer past 50 yards.
 
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So what are your views on taking a long shot at an animal while varmint hunting or predator hunting?


Any shot that you have practiced and feel comfortable taking in the conditions that exist can and should be taken. To some that means under 100 yards. To some that is 700 yards.
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Do you follow the same standards as you would for a game animal such as a deer or elk?
Even if you feel confident of taking, and cleanly making, a shot at 400+ yards, does that fall within the ethics of fair chase and hunting?


I believe that all standards used for big game in ethics still apply for varmit and predator hunting. Most state laws reflect this also. As far as taking and cleanly making a 400+ yard shot, that is up to the indivual shooter. Some shooters shouldn't shoot at 100 yards while other shooters are capable of 10 times that. If you are capable of a 400 yards shot and can make the shot cleanly and humanely is this fair chase. I've faced this delemma personally.

I have been trained to shoot out past 1000 yards and feel proficient at 10" targets at 1000 yards. Wind doping is educated guessing after long hours and many thousands of rounds doing this. Is this something I would do when an animal life is at stake? No..., no shot at 1000 yards is ethical. There is no hunting involved there. Just shooting. If you want to do this, shoot at paper. This delemma caused me to put down my rifles for almost 10 years.

I have recently picked them back up with a personal understanding. I try to close the distance of any game to a range that an above-average shooter would be able to take game. (under 250 yards) This way if the games senses were alert they should be able to pick me up. I then feel comfortable taking game without remorse also knowing that there will be a clean humane kill.

Don't get me wrong either...everyone has to determine what is ethical for themselves. To some that means taking game at 700 yards....with under powered rifles that will not make a clean kill. That is something they have to live with.
 
I shoot a lot. I have some rigs that I am confident with a long ways off. I have the Scopes that are capable of seeing where I am holding. I practice regularly with these rigs to 600 yds. I know the drop clicks that need to be dialed in or in a hurry I know the hold overs to get the job done. I have turned down shots that are less than 150 yds because I didn't have a rifle/bullet/scope combination that I knew would get the job done with me at the time. I have also taken and made a 597 yd one shot bang flop on a coyote. My deciding factor on taking a shot on any animal, varmint or big game, is whether the bullet I am sending to do the job will be adequate when it gets there.
 
When it comes to shootin prairie dogs...I'm not sure there is a limit that I would "not take the shot". I do not hold them in the same high regard I do such game animals as deer, elk, antelope....apparently they are not held in high regard by most land owners either.
Next week when I am shooting coyotes out the back of a friends ranch house (he is calving this time of year) I'll ask him if he wants me to 'pass' on any long shots because he thinks they are too far.

I absolutely do not take the same approach to bg hunting....400yd. max. Most of my bg hunting is done out on the open prairie....often it is not possible to get closer when the terrain is "pool table flat" with little of any vegetation.
 
I think in most cases it's not a confusing question. You have to go with what you feel about your abilities and the stewardship of your quarry. There's no set standard.

I know of an unfortunately common instance in my area where "unethical" hunters drive to a landing in a clearcut, spot a herd of elk 800 yards away, crank a magazine of 7mm Mag into that general direction, then grab tha binocs and see if anything is down or badly wounded. (If nothing is obvious, they drive to another landing and look for more animals, they don't go look in their tracks.) Ethics does come into play there. That's just wrong.

However, I don't think taking a "long" shot, that you're confident in making, with a weapon you're confident will put the animal down, breaches anyone's ethics. ("Long" is in the eye of the individual shooter.) As long as I think it's inside my ability to make, and as long as I'm willing to go hard after a wounded animal if I fail, I don't have a problem popping the cap.
 
What is ethical to me might not be ethical to another.

That begs the question as to who is right, and by what is righteousness measured by? Popular vote? Situation? Animal?

Heres my take. I feel that it is a complete waste of time discussing whether this is "right" or this is "wrong"; it forces lines to be drawn.

Maybe we should all sit back and thank our lucky stars that we are afforded the opportunity to pose such trivial questions, rather than pose such trivial questions.
 
I like the thrill of gettin em in close! It's part of the challenge. One shot one kill! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
I do also, but i've been doing a lot of spot and stalk hunting lately, and as such have long shots presented to me occasionally. I will take the shot as long as i'm confident i'm close enuf to keep the bullet in the animal's vital zone.
 
Years ago I took a long shot on an antelope with my 264 mag.
I thought that animal was about 500 yards out, so I held a couple feet over it and let it go. I had put the bullet right through the animals heart.
I had two friends with me at the time, they heard me call the shot before I pulled the trigger.
Needless to say I was really proud of that shot.
When I started thinking about it, it was a stupid shot to take on a game animal, it won't happen again.
On the other hand, I have no problem taking coyotes, prairie dogs or any other vermin at 3 or 400 yards with one exception hunting at night.
I have taken some very long shots on coyotes at night. The big problem is not hitting them, it's finding them in the sage brush after you kill em.
I learned years ago if they don't want to come in, go find one that does. You could spend hours looking for a critter you may never find.
That's my thoughts on ethical killing lol.
 
I grew up hunting with my dad and Grandad I learned to take deer at 300 plus yard with an open sighted 30-40 krag.I was about 25 before I ever had a scoped rifle.400 or 500 yards on a coyote you bet.I would rather have them at 20 or 30 yrds but that is the bowhunter in me and I enjoy calling them close. That being said if an educated one hangs up I will take the shot unless the wind is very strong and I will have the bipods down. I shot one this winter at 461yrds, stepped off, with my boy's Model 600 222. Unethical I don't think so.JC....
 
I do not have a set limit on the distance for a shot. I agree with all who have said its a question of the rifle/caliber capability, shooters level of expertice and the conditions. I have seen rifle/caliber/shooter combinations that can deliver accurate and deadly groups at well over 1000 yards. Substantially smaller than the vitals size of a large game animal and with calibers that still have the energy at those distances to kill. For a shooter with the skill and equipment to take a long shot it is not a question of ethics. For the shooter who takes the shot and he is just praying and spraying its very much a matter of ethics. I have seen those that have the mentality that "If there is lead in the air, there is a prayer" Cant say as if I care to be around that kind of hunter.
 
I practice on regular basis with my 7 mag,100 yard intervals out to 600,with todays range finders it takes the guessing out of your shot,if you know the rifle and the range you can make an ethical long range kill.AS Wyo was saying i know a few people who have less chance of making a kill at 100 yards than most people do at 300,its a complete lack of practice or caring about you shooting skill.I take a great deal of pride in my shooting,it was somthing my father taught me long before i started shooting big game.
 
Ethics is really subjective on this topic since there is no mandated distance a person is limited to shoot at. I know that from the hundreds of people that I have met in the field and at the range only about 10% of them would ever admit to not being able to place a kill shot at 600 or 700 yards. I doubt that most of them would ever pass up a shot since they have convinced themselves that it is in their range. Places like this have a much higher percentage of folks that can actually make the shot due to practice, knowledge and equipment being used.
 
if you are confident in making the shot then i'd say take it. if you are just slinging bullets then that is not right. i have my BG rifles trajectory written on my stock on a piece of masking tape. i've shot them to 600yds. i'm confident in making a 400-500yd shot consistantly depending on conditions. the farthest killing shot i have made was 637yds on a wounded black bear my friend shot. it would have gotten away if i hadn't killed it. the farthest coyote was 468yds with my 280rem.
most of my BG kills have been less than 300yds. most varmint kills are under 200yds. just depends on the circumstances. i believe a man should be ready for unexpected situations which may arise and that is why i get the trajectories down for my rifles...not just to take long shots all the time. sometimes it's the shot...sometimes it's the stalk.
 
A lot of factors affect the difficulty of a shot other than distance. The target may be moving, at a walk or faster. Wind is important. The possibility of the bullet hitting grass or bushes before hitting the target. The positioning of the target, quartering or face on. Visibility is important, fog or rain, dusk conditions.

One of my main criteria is whether I have a stable position to shoot from. Shivering from cold, being out of breath or being excited affect a shooter. I would even say psychological readiness is as important as anything.

I know my limits and I never shoot at big game over 300 yards. Unless every factor mentioned above is close to ideal I do not shoot in the 200 to 300 yard range.

I do not mind passing up uncertain shots because I know I will have another chance - I hunt locally. On a guided hunt away from home that may not be the case and you may have to take a chance or go home empty.

As for coyote, I'll take a Texas heart shot or any other doubtful shot with no hesitation. We are stewards of big game animals, but coyotes make out just fine on their own.
 
I've always gotten more satisfaction out of calling a predator in close or stalking close to big-game animals than taking long shots at them. Probably 99% of the deer I've shot have been at around 100 yards or less. I have practiced long shots though, but prefer to make the long ones on inanimate objects.
 
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