PRECISION HUNTING
There’s an old saying about the young man who came back to elk camp bragging about the bull he’d shot at long range. One of the old-timers in the group quickly took the wind from his sails: “It’s OK, son, one day you’ll learn how to get closer.” Taking long shots at game for the sake of doing so is, in my mind, unethical. The “hunt” part of hunting involves getting as close as you can to your quarry. By depriving yourself of the stalk, you’re missing out on the essence of the experience. That said, there are times when getting closer is impractical or impossible, and everyone’s definition of “long range” is different. Precision shooting, particularly long-range competition, has become immensely popular, but how do those skills carry over into the hunting world? We will take a look at the lessons of long-range precision shooting and how they can be applied afield.
BUILDING THE SETUP
If there’s a similarity between shooting at a live creature and approaching a stage at a precision rifle match, it’s the importance of achieving a solid shooting platform from which to take the shot. Many of
