Newhouse: A couple times I came upon rams that were bedded down on cliffs above a gorge or glacial river across a chasm from where I was.

I stalked within easy shooting distance, but there was no shot. If the ram flopped off the ledge he would be lost, and if he dropped in place there would be no way to get to him.

Jim

Jimmy boy,you asked a question-how far will you shoot game-I answered-I have shot game at 2 feet.And hit it.

Were you trying to hit the broad side of the barn from inside the barn when the random target presented itself in front of the muzzle, preventing you from accomplishing what you are rumored to be incapable of, and then shamelessly took credit for hitting the unintended target two feet away?

We have one place here we hunt on public land that long shots up to a 1000 yDs are possible. We may sit on one ridge glassing over to another. We normally have our stands and won't shoot over 600yds. And rarely do. Dad and I like that we can set there have a cup over hot cider, don't have to be perfectly still, and watch 200 acres instead of 2 acres. The hard part is not shooting the deer it's finding them in your bino's. It's good to have two people so one can spot for the other. Put it this way,we kill a lot of rocks during the season. It's just how WE enjoy hunting. You learn a lot about deer watching them from afar. Back up until the 90's we had tons of deer up there. You had to take your own rock to sit on. You knew when the deer were moving by the amount of shooting going on. It wasn't uncommon for someone to be higher on the ridge than you watching the same spot. You'd hear the crack of the round then the boom of their rifle as you knew they found the buck before you. Never heard of no one getting shot up there either. Now, with few deer we basically have the whole place to our selves and see some repectible bucks up there.

Not a barn,a bear with a 30-06 and a moose with a 20ga slug..

One time I couldn't hit a porcupine from ten feet away.

Did you shoot them in the head, Boco?

I once shot a Cape buffalo at four feet. Finishing shots.

Jim

Jack O Conner wrote for scopes, 2 1/2x east of the Mississippi, 4x everywhere else, and MAYBE 6x, if you did a lot of prairie dog hunting. all fixed power

My pronghorn hunt was with a 243 with a 6x fixed scope, didn't feel the need for more power.

Didn't I tell you?

James, I also have passed up many shots at Rams!

My feeling is there are many factors involved such as caliber of rifle, distance, windage, bullet style & weight, accessibility, rest, etc. It depends on the animal as far as a running shot. I once shot a running elk at 75 yards. I don't like a running shot, though. Too much chance of a non-killing shot.

No-the bear in the neck and the moose in the chest.
The bear was wounded,and backtracked on its own trail and snapped at me when I jumped a creek and landed beside it as it was hiding in thick balsam.A reflex shot to the neck killed it.
The moose was following a smoke line that it did not want to cross,and I just laid in the long grass and waited for it to walk up to me.

Holy crap! I take back my light-hearted, yet insensitive broadside barn statement. Yikes! Aren't those two animals tied for the most dangerous game?

Not big game Our son-in-law was in the WI reserves for 11 years and was the state reserve rifle champion one time. He shoots often with friends and now my son has joined them. He makes most of his own barrel now along with a good friend. He does all his own reloading. He and his friends take two trips a year if time is available to shoot dogs in Wyoming. The distance record for a dog my son-in-law holds at 715 yards. The next best is upper 5s. Our son is getting pretty good as well. Most of the time they drive day and night and shoot, and numbers is not the game, how far is the furthest hit is what they strive for.

Bryce

I don't think I could even see a prairie dog at 715 yards.

Jim

About 300 yards, depends on the wind.

They are well equipped with great optics and really good range finders and other equipment. However with what they have riding on the "longest shot" they step those off. There is a whole bunch of pride riding on those trips. Our son-in-law's very good friend makes a living building and marketing some very dependable firearms. As was stated above when shooting at muskrat sized animals at those distances, calculating windage is a big deal.
I go with them a couple times to group my 300 savage open sights and my 243 with a scope for deer season. I am getting better but my groups look like shotgun groups compared to these guys. Last year his farmer friend won the long shot for deer at about 470 yards.

Bryce