[QUOTE=hal53;572322] don't worry too much about shooting at 500+. as you stated, a good hunter can get way closer than that...
sometimes hal thats just not true. of course most guys prefer to get as close as possible to reduce the risk of a miss...or worse...a poor hit, but sometimes it just isnt gonna happen. what i consider my best trophy animal was shot at over 400 yards. i saw him bird-dogging down in the river valley and ran as hard as i could trying to catch up. thankfully i was in good shape then. i ran for about 2 miles to crest a hill and see him looking back at me at a ranged 418 yards. there was no way i was getting closer and again thankfully i had shot a lot over the summer simulating hunting conditions. i made a perfect heart shot on him while lying prone. he spun in a circle and looked at me. i didnt know at the time the shot was good, so i gave him another that hit 3 inches from the first. he took 3 steps and plowed his nose into the snow.
i think thats the kind of thing that 270win is looking for here. i doubt he wants to shoot anything or everything at 500 yards, but wants to have the confidence to do it if thats the opportunity he gets. you cant control much when you are hunting. weather, animal movement, and other hunters actions are some of the things we cant control, but shooting ability is one we can.
270win, if i can let me give you a tip that has helped me kill some animals over the years. dont shoot so much off the bench. thats good for sighting in, but there are no benches when you are hunting. practice freehand shooting and from sitting and prone positions. if you have a place to do it safely, rolling old tires still on rims down hills is good practice for running shots. good luck to you.
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