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Hunting & Fishing 1004 yard deer kill

DynamicAccuracy

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Minuteman
May 6, 2017
633
186
Mexico, MO
Something happened tonight that I've been dreaming of doing for a LONG time. Hoping one day I'd have the skill set to do it and the rifle capable of making it happen. I had the opportunity to harvest this doe at 1004 yards tonight and I took it. Was glassing with my Vortex fury 5000 binos and saw her. Ranged her with the binos, setup for the shot with my rifle (specs below), checked dope with the kestrel, took a couple deep breaths, and broke the shot. She took 3 steps and piled up.

Rifle specs:
24" Proof carbon prefit
Bighorn origin (I know I said tl3)
Form1 Ti 7" suppressor
Hawkins m5 hunter dbm
Hawkins 3 round flush mag
Boyds provarmint
Mdt ckyepod
Badger rings
Athlon cronus btr gen2
Jewell trigger set at 14oz

Load:
Lapua brass
Federal 210m
58.5gr H1000
140 Berger Elite hunter
3050fps
20221113_184302.jpg
 
That’s awesome I’m working up a 6.5 prc load using the same bullet, similar build but on an impact action, hoping to have a chance at a similar shot next year at a buddies place in south Texas. Great job
 
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I'm contemplating building a 30" 300 norma improved to run 245 bergers 3000-3100 so I have enough energy on target to ethically kill deer at a mile if I want
 
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Just because I want to have a rifle capable of killing a deer at a mile doesn't mean I will. Up here there's so many deer that cause crop damage it's almost pest control during deer season. No different than shooting prairie dogs at 1000 or hogs at 1300. Nobody bats at an eye when you wound a prairie dog or a hog but a deer!? Oh Jesus everyone turns into PETA then lol
 
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I'm thinking energy was about 750ft lbs at that distance. I quit hunting years ago but not sure I would trust that amount of impact to be above my line for ethical killing power. Well placed shot always works well. Just ask David after Goliath made a thud.
 
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I'm thinking energy was about 750ft lbs at that distance. I quit hunting years ago but not sure I would trust that amount of impact to be above my line for ethical killing power. Well placed shot always works well. Just ask David after Goliath made a thud.
AB says the energy on target at 1004 was 871ftlb of energy. I think general consensus is that 800 is minimum required to ethically kill deer.
 
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Just because I want to have a rifle capable of killing a deer at a mile doesn't mean I will. Up here there's so many deer that cause crop damage it's almost pest control during deer season. No different than shooting prairie dogs at 1000 or hogs at 1300. Nobody bats at an eye when you wound a prairie dog or a hog but a deer!? Oh Jesus everyone turns into PETA then lol
I’m on your side. More than you know
 
I prefer the perfect ethical shot. I put salt on the deer's tail. It's how my step-grandfather taught me how to catch a bird. Put salt on its tail. Turns out the salt is not magical, being close enough to salt a tail is the key.

No one can define the maximum distance that is ethical. Nor do I find archery hunting completely ethically. You are in hiding or elevated. Scented. You have spent considerable time lying to the animal to not let him know you are there. Ethical? Walk right up to the deer and put up your dukes.

For me, a good shot is an ethical shot and that depends on the abilities of the rifle and the shooter. There are people who can hit a ten inch pattern at 1,000 yards. Kill zone on an elk is approximately that size. I have often mentioned the 1,378 yard shot by the Gunwerks' president's son. He practiced at the 1,000 yard range all the time with their perfected 7 mm Rem Mag. And he got the elk and they harvested it.

I am not that good. My round is the .308 Win and the round I use is above 1,000 foot pounds to almost 500 yards. Likely I would not shoot past 300 yards. I feel comfortable hitting the 8 inch pie plate on a whitetail at that distance.

On the public land I hunt, one of the longest spots I have ranged is 225 yards. But most shots in the thick woods are on the order of 50 to 70 yards. That is within my ability. But I am no more ethical than the 1,004 yard shot. I approach from downwind and keep the wind to my face. I will drive another 5 miles to approach a spot facing into the wind. I don't want the deer to smell me.
 
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have often mentioned the 1,378 yard shot by the Gunwerks' president's son. He practiced at the 1,000 yard range all the time with their perfected 7 mm Rem Mag. And he got the elk and they harvested it.
On the first shot shot ? Second ? Tenth ?

Pretty sure they’ve been banned from hunting certain states for those antics
 
On the first shot shot ? Second ? Tenth ?

Pretty sure they’ve been banned from hunting certain states for those antics
Which states? Some is very vague. I want to verify they have been banned for western hunting an elk.
 
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I’m not going to be able to find the thread or pm it was a while ago.

But wounding animals and not bothering to find them
One of the videos showing a one shot kill had 3-4 empties next to the rifle
Etc
Again, I would need exact examples. The video I have seen they get the elk on the second shot. The first one had a gust of wind. By the way, Ron Spomer missed with a 7 mm Rem Mag from a lot closer. Also, they did go and harvest the elk. So, I am still waiting for an actual example of them behaving in an unethical manner other than shooting past 100 yards at a deer.

Also, for those who do not know, a deer can often die due to predation outside of human hunting. Usually, they are killed by wolves. And it is not a quick or painless death. Wolves do not break skulls or pierce the brachial axis. The go for the soft part first, the stomach. The deer is alive for quite some time while being consumed.

Is nature unethical? As opposed to a human shot that takes more than a minute. However, this shot did not take a whole minute. It was seconds. The elk was struck and ran into a tree nearby, approximately 5 seconds later, had expired.

So, other than someone else's post who did not like this, what proof is there that these guys failed to harvest what they shoot? Which states of have banned them from hunting? So far, I have pulled up zero. In fact, there are some articles talking about bankruptcy and receivership, but no banning or fines for failure to harvest or failure to tag a bad shot, even.

So, I am guessing that this would be chalked up to preferences?
 
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I might add that my 1004y shot was a true one shot kill. She took 3 steps and piled up. Very quick and clean kill.
And you harvested, proof is in the pic. Honestly, I have not known a hunter to not harvest what they shoot, regardless of distance. And some elk and moose tags are expensive and hard to get. The people I know plan to get every bit out of that hunt.

On the other hand, on the public land that I hunt, you have to have a USFS doe permit to gun hunt doe in the general season. A fw seasons ago, I had heard of but did not see that someone had shot a doe and left it there. Probably a mistaken shot. 50 yards in the thick woods. Is that unethical? I did not see it, only scuttlebut in the parking area. Again, I don't think distance matters. What matters is the shooter and I have not seen Gunwerks engage in bad behavior and they are still around. Just recently, they spoke of the release of their version of the 7 mm PRC.
 
That's an accomplishment for sure. Only you know your limits, and you are the only one that makes the decision to put 14oz on that trigger. Getting it done in that manner and knowing (or atleast 100% believing) once that bullet left the barrel it would do the same thing the prior hundreds/thousands had done during practice, is a feat for sure. Publicly posting about it, will net you plenty of turds that want to tear ya down about it, just like all internet expectations. Many years ago, I watched my brother miss a 380+ bull twice inside 150yds with muzzle loader, and since then, my killing equipment will never not be ready for action prior to me going out on my own hunts, no excuse.
If you're at peace with it, awesome, good work man. If it was shit ass luck, and only you know deep down it was or not, then use that to push you to practice and commit to the craft even more and be thankful for the luck.
 
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That's an accomplishment for sure. Only you know your limits, and you are the only one that makes the decision to put 14oz on that trigger. Getting it done in that manner and knowing (or atleast 100% believing) once that bullet left the barrel it would do the same thing the prior hundreds/thousands had done during practice, is a feat for sure. Publicly posting about it, will net you plenty of turds that want to tear ya down about it, just like all internet expectations. Many years ago, I watched my brother miss a 380+ bull twice inside 150yds with muzzle loader, and since then, my killing equipment will never not be ready for action prior to me going out on my own hunts, no excuse.
If you're at peace with it, awesome, good work man. If it was shit ass luck, and only you know deep down it was or not, then use that to push you to practice and commit to the craft even more and be thankful for the luck.
I've practiced quite a bit over the summer on 1 moa plates out to 1000 and I knew the rifle would have no problems. The wind was dead calm so I had peace and confidence taking a shot that far. I wouldnt have done it in a gusty wind.
 
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I've practiced quite a bit over the summer on 1 moa plates out to 1000 and I knew the rifle would have no problems. The wind was dead calm so I had peace and confidence taking a shot that far. I wouldnt have done it in a gusty wind.
Which is the point I was trying to make. Shooter and rifle were up to the task of making the shot. It is an ethical shot, as far as I can tell, regardless of distance. Elmer Keith has rump-shot a few with his favored .35 Whelen and .333 OKH (he is the K in OKH.) From shorter distances. Was he unethical because he rump shot one?

Also, in the Ron Spomer vid where he is showing off his Mossberg Patriot 7 mm Rem Mag, he shoots and connects on an elk 3 times before the beast goes down and it was closer, around 100 yards or so. Well within the range of any rifle. The elk was so strong that it was running with punctured lungs and heart. Was he unethical? He was doing his best to bring the beast down. And yeah, elk tags are expensive and no hunter is going to shoot just to shoot. They will go after the quarry. I personally don't know any hunters throwing away 20 grand they spent on tag and travel for the hunt.

One of my bosses is an avid hunter and he spent, all totalled, about 5 grand getting an Aoudad Sheep at an outfitter ranch. And he took every bit of that animal, meat and hide and trophy, which hangs in the office, A bit over 200 yards with his .300 Win Mag. He has practiced and even had sharpshooter training, shall we say. One time, he popped a balloon in the wind at 850 yards with his 5.56. If the shooter and the rifle are up to the task, it is ethical. And I have simply not seen any hunter or reports of one leaving a kill at distance. All I see is people who want to piss on those who can make long range shots, And I think it is a bit rich to give grief to a successful long range shooter in a forum devoted to long range shooting. But that is just me. Call me Senor Pendejo.