Nice shooting PP. If I waited for the perfect shot at those big mule deer bucks, I wouldn't get much shooting done. I've killed big bucks at 30 yds, and 458 yds. You never know.

So you're ok with gut shots, brisket shots, hip shots. That's minute of deer.

Wife and I have made new friends via my daughter's friends parents (if that makes sense).

Bill is one of the dad's. He and I have had lots of conversations. He has worked very, very hard and made a good living. Money is not a problem for him. I treat him just like anyone else, weather you make a million a year, or 20,000.

He gave me Carte Blanche with a rifle build, and has been buying what I tell him to. Donor action, barrel, bottom metal, stock, pic rail, rings, scope, all of it. I will develop a hand load for it, reproduce it, and get DOPE to 800 on it, before he ever lays hands on his rifle. Then he knows, he and I are going to spend many, many hours training with his new Ferrari. He knows what he doesn't know, and he is humble enough to allow me to take him through it, step by step.

He also knows I'm devious enough that if he ever acts like things have become easy, I will certainly make it difficult with a challenge. What that will yield is having experienced such challenge, such discomfort, that when the shot on the Mulie in SW Texas arises, he should be better prepared to drive that Ferrari to the checkered flag.

Jeff-

One of those guys got a small ram and flew home early. One didn't get a ram and flew home early anyway. They were both out of the big ram game (actually they were never in it) long before their shooting became a factor one way or the other. That's normally the way it goes with sheep hunting.

You can't buy fitness or "want to" either.

It usually takes some amount of affluence to sheep hunt (at least regularly). But that's not to say that affluence can buy a sheep - it can only buy a ticket hunt them.

(Unless one buys a NWT helicopter hunt where the chopper takes you up the mountain and then back down again after the deed is done. But that's another story.)

Reminds me of my nephew's first mule deer. I got him a T3 in 7-08, topped it with a 3.5-10x44 Conquest, loaded up some Win brass with 45g Varget and a 140 partition, put about 25 rounds down the tube, then went hunting. We like simple.

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NP,
physical conditioning really takes time and dedication, way more than shooting practice. So that makes sense and no surprise they were not ready to hike the miles needed to produce a good result. Makes me shake my head why someone would spend that kind of money and not prepare thoroughly for every aspect. Obviously you did and it paid results- very nice ram.

Nice deer JGR.

I thought it was clearly a joke but I guess not.

If a rifle is grouping ok and going where I want it to I'm fine. It doesn't have to be perfect and I don't have to shoot more than a couple of rounds a year to figure that out. Last mulie I shot went down with a neck shot about 200 yds out so it works for me.

I got what you were saying.

Every hunter owes it to the game we hunt to learn to shoot. For shots under, say, 300 yards it certainly requires mastery of the basics (firm to the shoulder, trigger control, breath control, get steady - usually a good rest). Those basics can be acquired with practice - whether that means range time or growing up shooting. And rifles must be checked for proper zero.

My only point on the subject is, IMO, that basic proficiency doesn't require hours of range time and 5000 rounds every year to acquire/maintain. A carpenter doesn't spend his weekends practicing with his nailgun. He knows how to use it.

LR shooting/hunting - a whole different ballgame. Everyone needs to know their limitations and keep within them.

Sorry I didn't get the joke.

I was going to step up to 165 or 178 gr in my 308 for elk hunting. My rifle taught me a lesson, it will be 155gr. I decided i would rather have 3 155gr in an inch than 3-165,178 in 3inches.

My rifles get shot yr around but I still like to take them to the range right before deer season and make sure, they are always dead on but why take any chances

" Mule Deer buck I shot at 275 yards on a trot through the heart."

How does one practice for a shot like that so as to have a high degree of certainty in making a fatal shot? How much lead was required to place the bullet in the heart? I am trying to envision the hold which would have been x amount in front and x amount high(for most rifles).

If you shoot 1,000's of jackrabbits on the move and hundreds of deer and coyotes you just throw it up and shoot. Or you could spend every weekend at the range, "Practicing" and think it over while the deer runs off.

Poor attempt at humor.

I do not shoot long range like you or any form of competitive shooting and would get my [censored] handed to me if I did because I don't shoot often. I enjoy shooting handguns and lever guns and shotguns but rarely shoot larger centerfire rifles except to hunt. I feel confident in my abilities and guns when I do hunt to take certain shots with success with limited range time. I do not feel the need to shoot year round for hunting but nothing against those that do. They deserve success for putting in the extra time to be successful but at the same time I just don't feel it is a necessity.

Quite frankly, IMO it takes a lot of luck to pull of shots like that consistently.

if it were luck it wouldn't happen consistently

A standard reference for walking is 3 mph.

In a 308 with a 175 SMK that is 6 - 7 MOA.

This is where more advanced reticles become helpful.

Most ballistic software has the ability to calculate lead tailored for the bullet. Use 3 mph for a basic walking speed.

There are a handful ranges that have moving targets for practice.

I'm not accusing you of this.

The person that hunts from a box blind, over looking a feeder or two, the same way every season, doesn't really need to work on practicing varying distance, or varying positions. Their shots are pretty much going to be the same every time. I would venture to say most blind to feeder distance do not exceed 150 yards, in Texas. And it's none of my business that someone harvests animals that way, heck ive done it! In that scenario, have a rock solid zero, verify it, and enjoy.

Then there are those of us that like to move, cover ground, and use what ever is available to support the rifle (hopefully there's something there). Some of us get into some pretty open country, with some varying distances, and terrain. The guys that hunt that way benefit from practicing the shooting positions they may find themselves in, as well as getting proficient at the distances they may encounter. They too need a rock solid zero, at whatever distance they feel suits them best. I completely understand zeroing the 3-9X duplex scope at 200 yards. You can find how high you are at 100, and how low you are at 250, and 300 yards. But go find out, don't assume. I've had friends bring scopes like that onto my range, and zero exactly that way. I've never told anyone they can't shoot at my steel to find their holds, I encourage it. Run what you brung, and get proficient with it.

I'm in the brainstorming stage of building a mover. They are very fun!

This year at The Heatstroke Open, there was a tough mover stage.

Mover at 340 yards X 3 shots.

Static (6 o'clock from mover) at 360 yards X 1 shot

Mover x 3 shots

Static (11 o'clock from mover) at 550 yards X 1 shot.

Mover x 3 shots

Static (2 o'clock from mover) at 720 yards X 1 shot.

The mover was moving fast! Like a man at a run, and I think it was a 50% IPSC. I guessed it at a 2.0 Mil lead, and was right, thank God.

Rolling targets, skeet shooting and dove hunting developed this shooting instinct and keep it for me. Every time I've had to use it I didn't have time to figure out mils, lol. For this opportunity I held high shoulder height and lead was squeezing when cross hairs touched the edge of his front profile.

Many of the comments appear to point to the fact that some guys enjoy shooting while others for one reason or another do not. IMO, investing in a firearm is no different than investing in a vehicle. It provides pleasure and enjoyment every time you get the chance to use it. Otherwise, you might just as well put in a case or garage for looks only.

The only time I shoot shot shell out of my shotgun is while dove hunting, no practice and somehow I still hit em

Why not shoot the rifle a few times a year? It really is a hell of a time.

I took my big gun on an axis does hunt earlier this year. Used Jasons range to confirm 100yd zero and 1 moa dope to 300 as that was my comfort zone. The blind was not the steadiest of rest and I had to improvise pretty quickly but utilizing that knowledge I knew what I had to do and quickly did it. POI was right where it should have been. Young hunter should have aimed higher but that doe is in the freezer. I unzipped her and did most of the gutting by bullet. Not proud of it but it is what it is.

I like being outdoors. Period. Not sitting at a range or somewhere target practicing burning ammo. Hunting, scouting, fishing, camping, hiking. That's how I spend my spare time.

I'm not fixated on my weapons at the expense of the big picture of why I have them - as a tool for shooting an animal. YMMV - there's too many lectures around here from folks who love shooting 24/7. IMO. Not everybody does - and that's OK.

Well since I pretty much shoot daily it's just a matter of switching out rifles. Shooting jackrabbits with a 257 or 300 Weatherby has some rather dramatic results. I probably haven't shot off a bench in over 25 years. As far as cleaning them it depends on whether I feel like it. Didn't clean the Weatherbys after last year and may not this year other than a wipe down. Year before last I only put one shot through the 257 Roy and only one last year. With that said were I to mishandle a rifle I would probably go back and check it's zero, other than that I have no reason to. Good scope and mounts, mounted properly and there's not much can go wrong unless it's mishandled.