.54 for Big Game

[Little Wattsy]

eye sight issue is only valid for that shooter, not for everyone. 150 yards is my max that i can see deer clearly with open sights. Elk, 200-250 no problem.

You keep them lil pea shooters! I will load the 50 with a conical and my 58 with a patched ball :blah:

:shocked2: Are you saying that you can see well enough to to shoot an elk ethically with open sights at 250 yards? And a deer at 150? I wont ask if you do that offhand at milling elk or from the prone position thru the grass and tweeds.... :hmm:

I can and have. I can hit a human sized target ethically in the kill zone out to about 400 yds if it's standing.

Is that offhand or slightly winded after an uphil walk and the adreniline flowing? Just to make sure we are hunting real animals open sighted at 400 yards an all....

 

[Kentuckywindage]

ethically, you should use a shooting aid to steady yourself.... Right?


:slap:

 

[Little Wattsy]

ethically, you should use a shooting aid to steady yourself.... Right?


:slap:

Typically one of meny challanges with ethical 400 yard open sighted shots in real hunting situations...

 

[Kentuckywindage]

A real hunter knows what to use and how to use it.

a hunter/target shooter relies on skills and also equipment in the field "tree limb,rock, etc" to use for an advantage. Of course i shouldnt have to tell you that.

Have you ever taken a 400 yard shot on game, standing up with a scoped rifle? No? why not.

 

[Carl Fowler III]

I understand that long range shooting at targets can be done successfully....but ethically shooting at big game at these distances is not! Too much room for error....wind drift...distance determination....animal moving after the shot but before bullet gets to animal...other animals moving in front of intended target animal and this is if the shooter has done everything perfectly and the gun performs flawlessly....thats alot to ask of a flintlock muzzleloader! :stir:

 

[Rev_William]

eye sight issue is only valid for that shooter, not for everyone. 150 yards is my max that i can see deer clearly with open sights. Elk, 200-250 no problem.

You keep them lil pea shooters! I will load the 50 with a conical and my 58 with a patched ball :blah:

:shocked2: Are you saying that you can see well enough to to shoot an elk ethically with open sights at 250 yards? And a deer at 150? I wont ask if you do that offhand at milling elk or from the prone position thru the grass and tweeds.... :hmm:

I can and have. I can hit a human sized target ethically in the kill zone out to about 400 yds if it's standing.

Is that offhand or slightly winded after an uphil walk and the adreniline flowing? Just to make sure we are hunting real animals open sighted at 400 yards an all....

Off hand I don't take shots winded if I can avoid it. Best shot 300 yds coyote running away to my left it wasn't a muzzleloader but a 45-70 marlin 405 gr with my .308 it's a savage model 99 I can hit all day long as long as my shoulder holds out. I been shooting since I was 4 you'd be suprissed what practice will do.

 

[vthunter52]

Take this for what it's worth!
The ethical hunter gets as close as he can and takes the time to make the best shot possible, period! to those of you who may feel different, remember that you owe to the animal to harvest it in the most expedient way, and in my opinion that is not taking a shot at over 100-125 yards. That is not hunting, only shooting.
I have shot NRA big bore rifle at 300, 600, 800, and 1000 yards, and it a highly technical and skill based sport, yet it is shot at paper or metel gongs and not at a living animal you are attempting to convert to meat.
Any discussion of long range bp shooting at targets is fine, and some can back up their claims, but from years of experience in shooting and hunting, I'm convinced that most of these long range claims are only in the mind of the shooter.
Again this is my opinion only, but backed by years as a wildlife biologist who has had the chore of following reports of downed and wounded game animals, only to find misrepresented claims, and faulty claims. Sorry to ruffle some feathers, and piss off others, but ego's and grandiose claims have no place in the discourse of what should be ethical hunting.

 

[Rev_William]

Well the question was can you see well enough to shoot past 150-200 yards my answer is yes and I qualified it. That's is also why I qualified it with I practice ... a lot. Not poking fun at or making fun of anyone on here with the distances they limit themselves to. If you know your weapon and know your limits you can do a lot of things ethically that most feel is foolish. Most of the people that say what is ethical are the people who go to the range and shot off a bench and then try to do the same in the woods. There are those like me who go stump shooting in real conditions year round so they know where to hold shooting down hill or up into the wind or with it. I use all my weapons in the field year round that's why I can take grouse or pheasant with a bow on the wing and at times can even bring down a dove with an arrow.

 

[hanshi]

I've "had shots" at a number of deer well within the capability of a prb but refused to take them. I'll only shoot at deer within my capability. In the woods that means kinda close. The only way I take 100 yard shots is when I'm in a field and have a hay bale to use as a rest. I've taken two such one-shot-kills that way. Sitting in a ground blind; no way.

 

[Walks with fire]

I know my rifles and I also am pretty darn good at range estimation because of being a golfer that practices 80-125 yard wedge shots all the time. To me; it's all about the sight picture at the time and I also rely on the subconsious to determine if I should drop the hammer.

I was involved in a few deer drives this season and it's a given that most deer will be moving when it's time to shoot. Blackpowder projectiles are slow and a deer that is constantly moving at 80 yards can move enough to miss vitals by the time the ball gets there. Long range is anything over about 110 yards to me.

 

[Little Wattsy]

Take this for what it's worth!
The ethical hunter gets as close as he can and takes the time to make the best shot possible, period! to those of you who may feel different, remember that you owe to the animal to harvest it in the most expedient way, and in my opinion that is not taking a shot at over 100-125 yards. That is not hunting, only shooting.
I have shot NRA big bore rifle at 300, 600, 800, and 1000 yards, and it a highly technical and skill based sport, yet it is shot at paper or metel gongs and not at a living animal you are attempting to convert to meat.
Any discussion of long range bp shooting at targets is fine, and some can back up their claims, but from years of experience in shooting and hunting, I'm convinced that most of these long range claims are only in the mind of the shooter.
Again this is my opinion only, but backed by years as a wildlife biologist who has had the chore of following reports of downed and wounded game animals, only to find misrepresented claims, and faulty claims. Sorry to ruffle some feathers, and piss off others, but ego's and grandiose claims have no place in the discourse of what should be ethical hunting.

AMEN... not to mention most of those 300 yards shots, even with scoped modern guns, are awhole lot closer to 125 yards then 300.

 

[Robby]

:hmm:
Robby

 

[Walks with fire]

Some people are just unreal with certain skills. I have a friend that shoots .45 handguns in competion and is a firearms training specialist. This guy is unbelievable with any firearm in his hands. No fluff, bragging or chest pounding from this guy. He just does it.

I know it's off topic but another thing I see on this forum is the gun building talent is just outstanding from some of these people. Truly outstanding.