Maybe I could and maybe I couldn’t . But I won’t ever have to, because 1)in 98% of my hunting there are no flat areas where I can even see 300 yards and 2)when that’s a possibility, I always have at least a daypack and lightweight shooting sticks in it with me. Even walking back from the blind to the house. In that scenario, it’s the lack of a steady rest that makes the shot hard, not the distance.

The best (and easiest) way to prepare for the possibility of hard shots is to make plans ahead of time to avoid them entirely. So that’s where I choose to concentrate my time and energy. At normal ranges, that’s no trick. Find a rest, make a rest, or bring one with you.

First time I ever did the qualification in the Army I had maybe 15 hits out of 40. This is shooting open sights from prone supported with sandbag, prone unsupported, and kneeling. Targets from 50-300 meters. By the end of basic training I was hitting around 35 on average. So yes practice does help especially with confidence. I haven’t qualified in a few years but I’d bet with a couple tries I could be back in the 35/40 Range and that’s with full combat gear. The more you shoot the more confidence you build and the better you get. Especially true for uncomfortable hasty shots where you don’t have time to get as comfortable as possible.i prefer to do most my practice on hogs as it gives me a chance to practice on moving targets as well.

Exactly right.

In the next week or so, I should receive a new barreled action. It is a .223 A.I. and the action and barrel contour match my 6.5 Creedmoor. The point of those is called a "trainer". You're not costing barrel life on a competition rifle, but you still get the feel and maneuverability, all while burning less powder and a cheaper bullet. Being left handed, I have to wait 6 months on stocks. So I'll have a switch stock. Two screws, pull the 6.5 Creedmoor barreled action out, and replace with a .223 A.I. barreled action. Some guys even do this with .22 lr and shorten the distance. Same principle, modified positions.

The last page of this thread has been incredibly useful. As a kid who grew up with a bb gun shooting nothing other than birds in the trees, I never learned how to shoot any way other than offhand with a super-light rifle that wasn't very accurate. Dad was a fisherman, not a hunter, so I just never got into et either. I have recently (the last 2-3 years) spent a lot of time bench shooting, but I didn't realize til I took Jason's class how little that bench shooting can translate into field positions unless you practice.

Personally I am shocked that anyone thinks the 30-06 has enough recoil to snivel about. A properly designed stock, a good pad and proper technique make the 30-06 easy to shoot. But many would rather shoot snowflake cartridges than learn how to shoot, so sad.

Depends if you're talking about a hunter or a range shooter. A hunter thinks any recoil is acceptable because they're taking 1 shot. A range shooter wants to be able to run through 30 or 40 rounds and not have a sore shoulder the next day.

Besides, if you're shooting paper, why would you pick something with more recoil than you have to, especially when it costs more to reload as well?

Different job - different tool.

The title of the thread lists what are generally considered hunting cartridges today. Back in the Garand/Springfield glory days the 30-06 did pretty well on the long range circuit but this is 2018. As hunting cartridges all three will continue to serve well for many years to come.