How do you feel about extreme long range hunting?

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i like to stalk in close so i can see the look in their eye when they get hit lol ... but yeah, stalking and strategy is part of hunting, it isnt done on the bench .. birds personally i dont shoot anymore, you can look up a bunch of history about entire species of birds being wiped out and with all the new airgunners out there to, yeah .. sad ... but i can think of one or two maybe legitimate long range scenarios like pararie doggin or something else in your crops where you could set up, know the distance, and wounding them is what they deserve for tearing up your crap ... just randomly taking pot shots at animals for no reason other than you want to be a youtube superstar, not justified ..
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"Hunting" is stalking in close to make the best chance for a clean kill.



If you really want a challenge "hunt" gray squirrels with a sub-sonic small caliber Flintlock rifle. Stalk to within 20yds with a sapling handy for an improvised field rest. Anything other than fixed open sights would be sacrilege.
 
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Heckers, I will jump in and USE to do long distance shooting with my .223 Rem & 7-08 setup out to 400 -500 yards on prairie dogs. Been there done that, no longer and interest to me. However, stalk hunting and pesting with air rifles these day does interest me, along with upland game bird hunting once I get a dog again, looking Boykin Spaniel this time.

Based off the type of hunting I want to do with air rifles kind of has me gravitate toward the bullpup designs, purpose built hunters.

To me a true hunter is one who can get as close as possible before taking the shot. To me a really good hunter is a REALLY good stalker, which means you get in close as you can before the shot is taken. I.e. stalking a deer, squirrels, ground hog/rock chucks in under 50 yards, or like my buddy did with the turkey in 30 yards.

For the pesting side, kind of the above still applies, but pesting is removing a pest that doesn’t belong there, i.e. the Devil’s Spawn aka starlings. To me pesting isn’t really hunting per say, and I think many here agree with this statement. Eventually I want a rig for pesting that can reach out 200 yards, but I know I will keep it at that most likely.

Pesting shows your skills as a shooter not necessarily as a hunter. Sorry, snipping pigeons at 200 / 300 yards IS precession shooting, and doesn’t require stalking skills which to me are just as difficult, if not more so, than long distance shooting skills.
 
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I watch those videos and just shake my head. Why would I ever need to shoot a starling or pigeon at anything over say 70 yards? It's an airgun, not a rifle. The bulk of my shots are between 10 and 50 yards. I take the 60 or 70 yard every now and then, who doesn't. But not as a norm. I also fail to see the need to shoot slugs at a sparrow or starling. Maybe a good option for a pigeon, but JSB's Jumbo's or Hades do just fine at 50 yards or less. And to see people using .25 and .30 cal on starlings, really?? How does that even make any sense? The other issue is all these shooters are always shooting off their trucks or laying prone. Why? I say it's because their guns are so tricked out that they can't lift them or carry them around for longer than 5 minutes. Those things must weigh 10-12 pounds. Who wants to lug around that kind of kit?
 
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I watch those videos and just shake my head. Why would I ever need to shoot a starling or pigeon at anything over say 70 yards? It's an airgun, not a rifle. The bulk of my shots are between 10 and 50 yards. I take the 60 or 70 yard every now and then, who doesn't. But not as a norm. I also fail to see the need to shoot slugs at a sparrow or starling. Maybe a good option for a pigeon, but JSB's Jumbo's or Hades do just fine at 50 yards or less. And to see people using .25 and .30 cal on starlings, really?? How does that even make any sense? The other issue is all these shooters are always shooting off their trucks or laying prone. Why? I say it's because their guns are so tricked out that they can't lift them or carry them around for longer than 5 minutes. Those things must weigh 10-12 pounds. Who wants to lug around that kind of kit?
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Here's my outfit ready to be taken into the woods to stalk within 30yds of a gray squirrel cutting in the shagbark hickories. I'll probably even remove the picatinny rail from the fore end as I don't see me ever using a bipod on this rifle. What you describe above isn't long range hunting, it's long range shooting.


 
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i like to stalk in close so i can see the look in their eye when they get hit lol ... but yeah, stalking and strategy is part of hunting, it isnt done on the bench .. birds personally i dont shoot anymore, you can look up a bunch of history about entire species of birds being wiped out and with all the new airgunners out there to, yeah .. sad ... but i can think of one or two maybe legitimate long range scenarios like pararie doggin or something else in your crops where you could set up, know the distance, and wounding them is what they deserve for tearing up your crap ... just randomly taking pot shots at animals for no reason other than you want to be a youtube superstar, not justified ..
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Yesterday, I was shooting on my bench. Mr. Squirrel comes along at 25 yards. The rifle was shooting so well that I decided to teach him to stay away from the range. I took about half his tail off. One shot, 25 yards... Now I will have to watch that squirrel with half a tail running around the yard all summer until the fall comes because he won't be a problem till the Pecans come in and he is cutting them out of the tree before they are ripe. I'm still deciding how I feel about snipping off half his tail. I think I was being cruel by taking pleasure in my ability to shoot off that squirrels tail. Fortunately it didn't seem to hurt him too much. But that was a deliberate wound and I think maybe taking pleasure in it shows a flaw in character.

What do you think?
 
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@cornpone: the fact you are reflecting on your action demonstrates you have certain level of moral. There are folks who have zero regards for anyone or anything’s well being. Although it’s not something I would do to squirrels because I want to make sure they are good and dead, I have intensionally injured house sparrows and starlings so my friend cooper would have an easy meal, guess I’m am a cruel and terrible person. The 1701P is stupid accurate to 30 yards with 4FPE. 

B1639FA9-BD6A-45A4-9FAD-7D8201B6F141.1621744026.jpeg


 
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@cornpone: the fact you are reflecting on your action demonstrates you have certain level of moral. There are folks who have zero regards for anyone or anything’s well being. Although it’s not something I would do to squirrels because I want to make sure they are good and dead, I have intensionally injured house sparrows and starlings so my friend cooper would have an easy meal, guess I’m am a cruel and terrible person. The 1701P is stupid accurate to 30 yards with 4FPE. 

B1639FA9-BD6A-45A4-9FAD-7D8201B6F141.1621744026.jpeg

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That actually seems reasonable to me. I might have to try that myself. It is all about context, isn't it?
 
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@cornpone: the fact you are reflecting on your action demonstrates you have certain level of moral. There are folks who have zero regards for anyone or anything’s well being. Although it’s not something I would do to squirrels because I want to make sure they are good and dead, I have intensionally injured house sparrows and starlings so my friend cooper would have an easy meal, guess I’m am a cruel and terrible person. The 1701P is stupid accurate to 30 yards with 4FPE. 


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I too, must confess to being equally as guilty of intentional cruelty as you and Cornpone ... by aiming at the wing root of a hosp so as to 'wing it' so that I could capture it and give it to my cats. Wounded hosp's make GREAT toys for them. Also, it trains them to be more proficient predators. Did you know a kitten needs 4 predator/prey sequences a day for them to feel like a happy cat? Adult cats need 2 PP sequences a day.
 
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Did you know a kitten needs 4 predator/prey sequences a day for them to feel like a happy cat?

Adult cats need 2 PP sequences a day.
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Are you SURE you're just talking about kittens and cats??



Because: If I don't get a shot at a pigeon for two days in a row, I feel something might be missing.

Three days without a kill and I get antsy. No happy cat, and certainly not a happy airgunner.

Now after four days I get withdrawal symptoms.

And after five days my wife sends me on an airgun bender.



I'm just being honest, guys.

You know who you are.

And we're legion.

Matthias 
 
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To me it depends on how much value a critters life deserves as far as wounding it because at some point a distant shot becomes partially luck due to the cone of precision opening up, human error, and wind making good hits more difficult.

A fly, etc = no value to me.

True pests that cause damage to ones well being = little value but I'd rather make a clean kill but that wouldn't stop me from trying a long range shot. I wounded some birds at a dairy farm, that didn't bother me in the least. Nor did wounding the Belding GS at a alfalfa farm. For some reason I felt bad about wounding some prairie dogs??? Maybe because they are getting scarcer???

I suppose the larger an animal is the more value I place on it. I don't like wounding coyotes or deer. For the most part I know my limitations as far as long range goes. Honestly I'm not totally locked into the ethics thing though. Say I had spent $$$$ in funds and time to go on a hunt and I was presented with a long range shot on the last day of the hunt, yes I'm taking the chance! 

You do you and I'll do me....


 
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Did you know a kitten needs 4 predator/prey sequences a day for them to feel like a happy cat?

Adult cats need 2 PP sequences a day.
Click to expand...



Are you SURE you're just talking about kittens and cats??



Because: If I don't get a shot at a pigeon for two days in a row, I feel something might be missing.

Three days without a kill and I get antsy. No happy cat, and certainly not a happy airgunner.

Now after four days I get withdrawal symptoms.

And after five days my wife sends me on an airgun bender.



I'm just being honest, guys.

You know who you are.

And we're legion.

Matthias
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LMAO!!! I am guilty of same addiction. 




Like everything in life it’s all about context! If I see a safe shot on a pest bird 150 yards away would I take the shot? Hell yes!! Would I take a 150 yard shot on a rabbit I’m hunting on the plain? Yes but only if I know I can hit it and drop it ethically and with today’s Airguns and slugs it’s very doable but a lot of work to ensure an ethical kill like proper zero and a ton of ballistic validations. Everything depends on the hunter and the hunter’s ability to achieve an ethical shot with his equipment. 


A lot of people shake their head at youtuber making extreme long shots because they don’t think it’s ethical without understanding their ability as a shooter/hunter. Can’t speak for all of them but Matt, airgunters and Ted all have put in tremendous amount of work to be able to take those shots with confidence. Just because I haven’t put in the work and investment of time and money to be able to shoot that well doesn’t mean what they do is unethical, far from it! Sadly Internet brings out all the keyboard experts and show how self centered most people are. If we go that direction then we are all unfit as hunters because we didn’t stalk our prey close enough for a bare hand kill, only that is true hunting! 


 
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Did you know a kitten needs 4 predator/prey sequences a day for them to feel like a happy cat?

Adult cats need 2 PP sequences a day.
Click to expand...



Are you SURE you're just talking about kittens and cats??



Because: If I don't get a shot at a pigeon for two days in a row, I feel something might be missing.

Three days without a kill and I get antsy. No happy cat, and certainly not a happy airgunner.

Now after four days I get withdrawal symptoms.

And after five days my wife sends me on an airgun bender.



I'm just being honest, guys.

You know who you are.

And we're legion.

Matthias
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LMAO!!! I am guilty of same addiction.
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Might not exactly be the same addiction. Do you guys BITE them? I kinda doubt it. *Smiles*

Because that's what cats/kittens do in a predator/prey sequence. They'll wiggle their little butts concentrating while getting ready to spring, then they'll make the leap ending w/ grabbing the prey w/ their claws and making the bite. Biting is what they need to feel to be like the King of the Jungle.

Or, Queens of the Jungle in my case, as I have 2 female, all black, cats.
 
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@longfellow: hummmm....good point, can’t say that I have tried that.
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The littlest Queen of the Jungle is getting on my nerves today. She's in heat and is yowling loud enough to rattle the walls. She cracks me up though. Recently, she added a 'No' sound to the end of her meows. It makes for some great convos. 

Example:

Velvet, you sure are noisy today.

'No'

Yes you are, you're noisy.

'Nooo'

You're really noisy.

'NOOOO'

And, so on.
 
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Longfellow, I DO bite them!!

(Depending on where the pigeons get their food, that is: City garbage, or cow feed).

I bite the pigeons, together with the potatoes I cocked up....



Now I take exception to the part of wiggling my butt when dialing my turrets. It wouldn't be pretty nor cute. And I rather have my prey die from lead than from laughter.



Matthias aka JungleShooter (NOT: "King of the Jungle"!)




 
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This comes up all to often no matter what site you go to that includes hunting.



If you are not comfortable in taking long range shots, then don't. Your limitations and morals are yours and yours alone.



Like others here I have taken some long shots on critters and have always anchored them. Out prairie dog shooting in the western part of the state I have taken dogs out past 230 yards with my Sako Range .22lr. I have thousands of rounds through the rifle, and countless hours shooting. I know this rifle inside and out. Now does that mean you should be taking the same shots as I do, with the same set up.... nope. You need to know your gear and your limitations. If you have any thought that you shouldn't/cant make the shot.... then don't take the shot. For the past year I have been working on loads and data for my creedmoor and have been consistently hitting spray paint cans at 600 yards. You have to get out in the bad weather, wind, rain, whatever and shoot. You need to know how your rifle will act in any condition, because you never know what will happen in the field.

Anyone that hunts for any animal will always have a bad shot. Anyone that tells you that they have never missed a shot or wounded an animal is a liar. We have all done it and all deal with it in different ways. I have been hunting for years and those bad shots still make me nauseous. The only thing you can do is dispatch the animal and learn from the mistake.
 
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