I believe you hunt and hunt a lot Jason. Even though we've never met, which I'd like to remedy, I believe in your knowledge, respect and admire it. If I ever shoot animals at the distances you do, I'll do it the way you do it and will ask you to teach me.

NP, that approach does happen for me, but not all the time. I am also right at home carrying a lever action .30-30 in creek bottoms, which I have my own. Same argument, different day on the binoculars. You've not looked through what I carry, with my eyes, so you don't know how good of a job it does for me. If a coyote is in open ground, and if he moves, I will see him at 1000 yards, it has happened. I don't carry binoculars AND a range finder. There is no need to guess distance, that's how shots are missed and animals are wounded.

I know how to hunt, in close, I promise. Shape, shine, silhouette, and shadow. Move toward animals with the wind in your face, use low areas to mask approach, use trees and other fixed objects to mask your approach.

I don't disagree with the rest of your post. Just yesterday I was leaving the range. Pulled up to the gate, truck idling, grabbed the 7-08 and went up to the platform. I did not dial a thing. The wind was howling all day long, and was crossing the shot from 7 o'clock at about 15 miles an hour. Held elevation (not dial) held wind, and hit an 8" plate at 400 yards. Put everything back in then truck and headed home.

Did my usual text to my wife telling her I was on my way home. 30 seconds later I texted her again "cancel that, I see hogs". That was the 5 I saw 800 yards out. They had found some corn I put out five days ago. I took off walking almost half a mile trying to get close. By the tine I got there they had cleaned up the corn and ducked off into the near by woods. I followed for a while, but it got thick and was getting dark. The clock was what turned me around. That's hunting, you don't always get to harvest, and I get that.

Here's some pics, I just took, of what I have around my place on the way in and out.

East side of the road. I've got permission, but I will not bother a deer. We don't have enough in my area.


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West side of the road.


I defy any person to close the distance, quickly, on a brilliant coyote on that terrain.

Well I had NO idea this would gain this much traction, but that is OK.

My initial question was not about sheep hunting or even hunting in general, but about accurate bullet placement at long range "you decide what long range means to you" and the equipment required to accomplish that.

But I do openly admit that I shoot to hunt and not vice-versa. 95% of my hunting is on public land in New Mexico, which means I have to draw. I am crowding 60 now so I know I am not going to get that many more chances. I do not have the funds for a $25K Alaskan sheep hunt "although I would love to". Up til now I have had a self imposed range limit of 400 yards and have connected on most of those shots, in fact my last 8 hunts resulted in one shot kills. I have had the opportunity to hunt Texas a few times and have taken 5 animals with 5 shots, so I can shoot.

But I have taken 2 shots on Trophy Barbary rams at 550 and 600 under dead calm wind conditions and missed. I would just like become skilled enough to make that shot if I ever get the chance again. Barbary sheep on public land is a tough hunt in New Mexico with over 600 tags issued "talk about schizophrenic" they get that way.

What Fireman said about shooting steel at 800 yards so you can make that 400 yard shot is spot on, And if I can stretch to 600 all the better, if I ever get that chance again. And if I need better equipment, gun, scope, or more knowledge then I would like to try to get that if I am able.

BTW Barbary sheep is the only thing I have been able to draw a tag for in the last few years so that I why the comments about sheep hunting. But it could be Elk, Muleys, or Coyotes. I just want to be able to take an ethical shot with confidence at as long a range as my equipment will allow.

I welcome you to schedule a day with me, but you might have the record for the longest drive a customer has made. Right now Corpus Cristi has the record. I know it would be a drive.

I've got three Mil/ Mil scopes, all in their own rings. If you had a pic rail on your rifle I could easily mount each scope for you to try, and zeroing them is a snap. It wouldn't bother me at all to lose each scope's zero for my rifles and to zero them to your rifle/ ammo.

Obviously I have bills to pay running my own range, but I really enjoy teaching this stuff, and getting people to understand it, and do it themselves. I would do it for free if I could afford to.

Lol traction is good.

Good luck and have fun improving your shooting and chasing stuff wherever that takes you.

Thanks, if I finally get that Barbary ram I will post pictures.

I was already thinking about that, 1300 miles round trip. 2 more weeks left in Barbary sheep season "have not connected yet". Don't be surprised if I contact you after that.

Buy a Scope with mil turrets and a mil/mil reticle and know your dope and then you won't have to dial the scope just use the reticle.

Don't get no simpler than that...

Do you have to have a certain FP scope for that? Or at least use the same magnification as the mil/mil reticle was sighted for?

Do you have to have a certain FP scope for that? Or at least use the same magnification as the mil/mil reticle was sighted for?

No. It can be done with either. First focal plane scopes are accurate at any magnification. Second are accurate at one, but you can always half it at half of the magnification it's accurate at, supposedly. I don't know that I'd trust that to be terribly accurate, but I suppose it's not something done at extended ranges much.

When I do it this dummy will probably go FFP.

FFP scopes are accurate at any magnification.

NOT TRUE..........When a shooter wants to make those corrections with pure holds, he needs the reticle to subtend true. An SFP scope, the reticle only subtend true at one magnification.