Maximum Range for Stalking

Braces Airgun Masters
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Well gentlemen .

First of all yes it was me and Marcus has voiced his opinion .

First of all I was NOT stalking I was Culling. When a beast is lying in a large unstalkable clearfell nipping the tops off a fresh replant then sometimes a shot a little longer than the usual is needed .

The deer would have ripped up a lot of plants and had already done so.

The conditions were perfect and the I had plenty of time to dial in to get it done. Its not the norm . All I could see was its head and neck . If I had missed then the worse that would happen is I would scare the deer off the replant either way job done.

The post was about bullet retention not the shot . The range was only mentioned because of how well the bullet held up.

As I said it was NOT stalkable and frankly too dangerous to take a rifle into, second of all it took 2 hours of hard dragging to get it out and the least amount of equipment taken in there the better.

You may think its unacceptable to shoot past 100m but I have seen guys all over here and social media shooting foces at 400yrds now whole fox is the size of a stags head.

Another point this shot was not done recently .
 
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:-| 350 yrds is at my max , its my choice , if I wished I could go more but I don't its my benchmark and whatever range you shoot it at your still going to drag it lol.
long shots as some call it aren't hard , it just takes practice to obtain the skills to take the shot on .If 100 is your max what do's it matter its got nothing to do with anyone, but for my 2p a long shot is not stalking its just pulling the trigger and doing a job. Stalking to me is getting in close enough to smell them thats the skill imho of stalking .Long range shooting is a skill on its own
 
paul o' said:
:-| 350 yrds is at my max , its my choice , if I wished I could go more but I don't its my benchmark and whatever range you shoot it at your still going to drag it lol.
long shots as some call it aren't hard , it just takes practice to obtain the skills to take the shot on .If 100 is your max what do's it matter its got nothing to do with anyone, but for my 2p a long shot is not stalking its just pulling the trigger and doing a job. Stalking to me is getting in close enough to smell them thats the skill imho of stalking .Long range shooting is a skill on its own
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I agree 100%

My guests WILL all tell you I can get them 40yrds from deer and would never ask anyone paying for a stalk to shoot longer than they have too, My last guest could have touched the Roe Does that we stalked into we were that close .

I never posted this post to advocate long distance shots on deer, I practice regularly out to 500yrds just in case I do need that long range shot but rarely have to cull like that. I have also never ever said that this was STALKING, I did not a could not stalk that deer it was impossible and he could have easily stayed in there for a week nipping at those trees it would have been a nightmare trying to get him in a normal stalk. It was a safe shot into a massive 500 acre clear fell.

I understand many of you have ideals on what stalking is but this was not stalking and I will never say it was, when you are doing crop protection on a clear fell IT IS NOT STALKING, it never will be and I would NEVER take a paying guest into that area but I also cannot allow deer to be grazing in those areas either.

I know there is guys in the Highlands here that shoot ferile sheep at 1000yrds. Just because it is not the done thing for you sometimes that long shot is needed.

As I said my post was about bullet retention not about shooting long distance.
 
Reading this with some interest as I shot my first and only red stag at 420m about 10 years ago. Last day of the trip in Scotland, broadside and in the clear... I had pretty decent kit and a good idea of the bullet drop, no wind and the perfect heather tussock to get prone on so had a go. First shot missed but I saw the strike so adjusted and down it went.

Now I think we can all agree that, benefit of hindsight or not, that was not a good call on my part, I got lucky. Would I do it again, no. But would I call out someone I don’t know for doing the same? If based on the distance alone then no. A rushed 50m shot in fading light and thick cover is just as irresponsible and I’ll bet there’s a lot more deer lost to those shots than 400m ones!
 
I noticed running through the thread that one or two people have said I illegally shot this deer , and made assumptions that I am breaking Covid 19 laws as well , Well I have to tell you plain and simple I have been on lamb protection for the last 8 weeks , every night out foxing over 6000 acres of farm land and not letting up until lambing is done, EVERY Night I have called the police and told them what I was doing , I have incident numbers for EVERY time I have taken my rifles out with me. SO be sure I have broken no laws at all in fact, if you look at WHO IS out there , 2 or three from this forum in fact who think it is OK to go out foxing WITHOUT phoning in will have a hard shock because I have been asked to report EVERY lamp I see in my shooting areas, whether you think you are in the right or not I know you are not phoning in.
 
Kjf said:
Ethically ,no I like the stalk

Reality , the rifles we use are designed to kill at much ,much further ranges than 200 meters , if you can hit the target at a 1000 yds ,and the bullet hits its mark , the beast will drop, especially if your Bob Lee Swagger lol

Kjf
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Long range shooting has never been easier for those who are willing to learn , scopes , rifles even the bullets are all designed for long range shooting and hunting,

I guarantee the majority of the "stalkers" on this forum have scopes on their rifles that they have never used the half the facilities on , IF your shooting is 100m max then you need nothing more than open sights for hunting or a 6 to 8 power scope for zeroing, you definitely do not need a 2.5-18x56 Swaro with illuminated reticle, or a 24 inch varmint barrel on your rifle.

I cannot say this enough, me shooting a deer at 420yrds (not metres) is not stalking, it was crop protection that is a whole other different thing.
 
Yokel Matt said:
Reading this with some interest as I shot my first and only red stag at 420m about 10 years ago. Last day of the trip in Scotland, broadside and in the clear... I had pretty decent kit and a good idea of the bullet drop, no wind and the perfect heather tussock to get prone on so had a go. First shot missed but I saw the strike so adjusted and down it went.

Now I think we can all agree that, benefit of hindsight or not, that was not a good call on my part, I got lucky. Would I do it again, no. But would I call out someone I don’t know for doing the same? If based on the distance alone then no. A rushed 50m shot in fading light and thick cover is just as irresponsible and I’ll bet there’s a lot more deer lost to those shots than 400m ones!
Click to expand...

But you describe it as irresponsible?
 
Tulloch said:
All I could see was its head and neck . If I had missed then the worse that would happen is I would scare the deer off the replant either way job done.
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Interesting comment. Never really bought into the idea that a head or neck shot is either instant kill or clean miss at any range but let alone 420m.
 
Although I’ve only been rifle shooting for 4 years and CF for 3, isn’t it best down to the judgement of the person pulling the trigger at the time/place? I’m no way near having the experience or ability to undertake this but Im sure that plenty are ..
 
Ranger22 said:
As most know I’m an FLS ranger. You don’t have to shoot deer at 420m to get the job done. Sounds like you were desperate, wrong attitude !
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firstly it was not 420 metres , it was 420 yrds which is 380m , secondly it wasn't desperate but it was doing a heck of a lot of damage it had already spent some time living in that clearfell and the damage was intense, but , I should'nt have to justify myself on here like I dont require you to justify yourself for every shot you have made .

the post I done was on my own personal page about bullet retention NOT about stalking, I never asked for this to be plastered all over here . and when you look at the distance it is actually nothing compared to the shots I know many on here have taken and the absolute shockers that has happened at 100m done by many on this forum.

I never asked to be judged on here over this and being part of FLS does not mean a thing I have seen the state some FLS Rangers and contractors, not saying you are part of this, have submitted their deer to their larders and that would shock plenty.
 
So it is ok for many celebrity hunters that many of you follow on British Fieldsports Channels , these guys are active keeper in the UK, to shoot Chamois at 1000m and deer at 500m + and atleast more than a few members on here shooting foxes at over 400m ? but I make the shot and talk about bullet retention, NOT the shot, I am condemned. hmm interesting.
 
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