Long range ethics

Is long range (500 yrds +) hunting ethical?

  • Yes

    Votes: 37 37.0%
  • No

    Votes: 63 63.0%

  • Total voters
    100
  • Poll closed .
Come on folks, for those who only read the thread title and not the rest, i appologize for miss speaking.
I am looking at long range hunting and i want to be educated at all the other aspects other than shot placement (which i know is critical) such as how you know a critter is in bounds, how to find it, and ect.. If i can buy a nice rig and shoot, but cant do what it takes after the shot, i shouldnt try it right? That is the reason for this post and not to fight with one another. We all have our opions! Dont go to blows with each other because you are all assets. If you choose to hunt one way or another, please explain so i can make an informed decision. And yes, im a deusche bag. I cant help it i guess. But i want to be an educated duesche bag. Sorry folks for the contraversy. Wasnt my intent
 
For what it’s worth, when I won my less than 1 club sheep hunt, it came with a trip to the FTW Ranch in Texas for a 4 day shooting school.
My instructor had just finished up a 20 year career in the navy, most of it as a SEAL sniper, deployments to Bosnia, Columbia, Iraq and with Team 6 in Afghanistan. To say he could shoot is an understatement. He said the idea of shooting at a big game animal at ‘800, 1000 yards like some of these guys do is insane’.
 
It's douche not deusche.

2 yards and 500+

If worry about finding an animal you shoot "drt" - you should also be worried about finding your way back to the truck, of maybe finding your ass in a well lit room with a flashlight and a GPS. You might want to stick to pivot critters or box blinds and corn-flingers.

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Come on folks, for those who only read the thread title and not the rest, i appologize for miss speaking.
I am looking at long range hunting and i want to be educated at all the other aspects other than shot placement (which i know is critical) such as how you know a critter is in bounds, how to find it, and ect.. If i can buy a nice rig and shoot, but cant do what it takes after the shot, i shouldnt try it right? That is the reason for this post and not to fight with one another. We all have our opions! Dont go to blows with each other because you are all assets. If you choose to hunt one way or another, please explain so i can make an informed decision. And yes, im a deusche bag. I cant help it i guess. But i want to be an educated duesche bag. Sorry folks for the contraversy. Wasnt my intent

I think this is where people get twisted up. We need to look at ourselves and our own abilities to find ‘what is ethical’. Nobody can answer that question for you. We all have different skill sets and different opinions. There is not one answer for your question
 
I think this is where people get twisted up. We need to look at ourselves and our own abilities to find ‘what is ethical’. Nobody can answer that question for you. We all have different skill sets and different opinions. There is not one answer for your question

Can't say it any better.
 
Fire_9, let's all go back to rocks and spears if that is what you're getting at. I think there is amount of more modern technology that is acceptable and is fine by fair chase standards. The closer I am to the animal, regardless of what gear I have, that animal has a significantly higher chance of avoiding me because of its instincts.

If you’re worried about it truly being fair chase then why don’t you hut with a spear or a traditional bow? I’m not being sarcastic, it’s a real question.
 
ISeems to be consistently the case. With those opposed expressing holier-than-thou personal ethics and those others defensively justifying long range shooting. Too bad it can't just be a personal standard, but must devolve into a contentious debate ... with folks wishing they hadn't responded or even read the thread.

somebody said it would turn into another pissing match :hump:
 
Common sense ethical distance.......The distance at which you can keep 100% of your shots on a 10" paper plate 100% of the time.

Its inarguable.








Ethical shot distance based on science:


Once you get a bullet's time of flight over half a second your leaving the outcome of the shot up to factors out of your control.

I.e. "gambling that everything is going to go as planned"


Its reasonable to say that an ethical shot is one that involves no gambling, and takes place inside parameters that you can control.


So big game bullets that start at 2800 fps cover about 700+ yds in a second, and about 400 yds in a half a second.


We can therefore say that anything over 400 yds is traveling in unethical territory.












I realize common sense, and science will be trampled by ego, and the search for social media "content".
 
Common sense ethical distance.......The distance at which you can keep 100% of your shots on a 10" paper plate 100% of the time.

Its inarguable.








Ethical shot distance based on science:


Once you get a bullet's time of flight over half a second your leaving the outcome of the shot up to factors out of your control.

I.e. "gambling that everything is going to go as planned"


Its reasonable to say that an ethical shot is one that involves no gambling, and takes place inside parameters that you can control.


So big game bullets that start at 2800 fps cover about 700+ yds in a second, and about 400 yds in a half a second.


We can therefore say that anything over 400 yds is traveling in unethical territory.












I realize common sense, and science will be trampled by ego, and the search for social media "content".

I agree with the floght time point! My personal cut off is 400 yards. Try to sneak closer if beyond that!
 
Ultimately personal ethics that aren't the law are just that, personal ethics. I think it is just a matter of time though before more strict restrictions will be needed on technology or we can expect to only be able to hunt once ever 5 or 10 years like in some places.
 
. I think it is just a matter of time though before more strict restrictions will be needed on technology or we can expect to only be able to hunt once ever 5 or 10 years like in some places.

Hate to tell ya, but we are already there.
 
In my mind the ethics questions in this debate is not can you/should you take a shot at 650+ yards across a canyon. I am sure lots of people can make that shot. The ethics question is whether or not the shooter is willing to cross that canyon after the shot to see if there is blood, even if he thinks it was a clean miss. I've seen elk shot at 300 yards that show no visible reaction to getting shot, and tip over 30 seconds later. What percentage of long range shooters actually follow up on their shot and walk to the spot where the animal was?

Someone else has probably already replied to this, but great post above. Thank you for sharing.
 
Someone else has probably already replied to this, but great post above. Thank you for sharing.

What I always wondered when I used to watch those long range shows once in a while was that same thing he mentioned because generally the animal always collapsed at the shot on those shows. I wonder how many times did they shoot more than once at that animal or how many animals didn't collapse while the camera was rolling and they didn't go check where the animal was or have that one on the show. Editing and making those TV shows can sure make it look like they're perfect when I seriously doubt that's the case.
 
What I always wondered when I used to watch those long range shows once in a while was that same thing he mentioned because generally the animal always collapsed at the shot on those shows. I wonder how many times did they shoot more than once at that animal or how many animals didn't collapse while the camera was rolling and they didn't go check where the animal was or have that one on the show. Editing and making those TV shows can sure make it look like they're perfect when I seriously doubt that's the case.

^^^This^^
 
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