Are long shots ethical?

[Cement Man]

Was that staged or a blind man shooting at a drugged deer?  In this case, I 'm not sure the guy is capable of producing any "unethical results" - he can't hit anything.  He did gut-shoot quite a few rocks though.

[Karl Haemmerlein]

This has been done before but rather than sidetrack 358Win's thread about the efficiency of the .358 Win I decided to create a new thread.

Please keep your posts civil and respectful -- personal attacks and other such nonsense will result in posts being deleted

IMO, anyone using the "ETHICS" word is either pushing an agenda, full of it, or baiting.  Ethics are a purely personal definition, what is "ethical" for one may not be to another and all shades in between. 

[Mac11700]

There are as many opinions here as there are types of Ethics...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics

Ethics as far as hunting goes...is really just a misnomer anyway...Are we talking about a mercy killing...were the animal was wounded previously...?...No...we aren't...Given this fact...why would anyone want to bring ethics into a killing situation...and I use this term loosely  because of varmint hunting...and how some may feel that indiscriminate killing of animals for sport is...well...you know...the UN-E  word......and I don't want to offend their little eyes by reading this... It would be much better to ask if too long a shot taken at any animal outside ones own ability to place that shot into the animal where as it will cause the quickest possible death ...was sportsman like or not...Then I bet we could get a consensus.... After all...we all are Sportsmen aren't we? This would eliminate several things that folks love to talk about...such as this...too light of bullet at too far a distance to penetrate thru to the vitals for a killing shot...I bet you guys could come up with some this would eliminate too...

Ethics...man-o-man...no 2 people will ever have the same...even identical twins are even different...Here's something for you to ponder...Why isn't it...uhhh....sportsman like
or even legal( in some states) to shoot treed birds like turkeys...or pheasants & quail & any other bird we hunt...on the ground...where we know we can make a killing shot and dispatch the birds quickly...but legal & sportsman like to take a shot at a bedded or running animal..like deer antelope or elk?

Mac

[NONYA]

I know guys who wont shoot a grouse until it flushes because its "unsportsmanlike",Id rather take em on the ground and make a fast kill,i would also rather not miss out on a grouse because my "ethics" demanded that i wait for The bird to fly.I would rather shoot my deer broadside at 100 yards sleeping,but that rarely happens.I take whatever shot i think im capable of making given the situation,its completely based on my opinion of my capability's and the opportunity i have.I know my limits but Im always trying to expand them with practice and good equipment.I haven't lost a big game animal in my entire rifle hunting career,i know that's partially luck but I am still proud of the fact,knowing your limits is being sportsmanlike in my opinion,taking a shot you know has a slim chance of being on target isnt.I take more pride in that 100 yard shot I made offhand after crawling through the snow and prickly pear to close the distance than i do the 450 yard shot from my bipod after using a laser rangefinder to get my hold over,but Ill take either,Ill do whatever is necessary to have a successful hunt within my limits and the law.

[SHOOTALL]

monya , i have bird hunted all my life and shoot my birds on the wing with the exception of turkey , and i see your point and have to agree with you !
if a bird is a bird then it would make little difference about the size of the bird ! when all the BS is stripped away it is a simple answer !

[Graybeard]

If you're having trouble with the smilies most likely you're trying to use this pitiful excuse for a spell check we have. Disable it and the smilies will work fine. Use it and they won't. Simple as that.

I recorded a hunting show, just when I don't recall, but I watched it this week. The fellow was hunting cape buffalo somewhere in Africa. Don't recall the country. He happened to be the marketing manager for Cabela's and was using a no doubt expensive double rifle. He lined up for the shot at what they stated as less than 100 yards and likely was no more than 75 yards. From the camera looking over his shoulder it appeared to be a clear shot with nothing in the way to cause a miss. From the immediate reaction of the bull I thought it a hit but he failed to follow up with another shot even tho the bull stood plenty long enough for a follow up shot.

They went down to look and found no blood so began looking around and found he'd killed a tree not the bull. Now it appeared to me the nearest tree was at least 2' to 3' left of the proper aim point on that bull. Still he hit the tree not the bull at under 100 yards. Seems to me that for him at that time that was too far and him taking the shot might not have been so ethical. He did later in the show change to a scoped bolt action and killed one on camera with three shots at least two of which they said were very close together and in the correct place. But again he stopped shooting before the bull went down or got out of sight for continued shooting.

I've heard it said by African guides that American's like to admire their shot rather than keep shooting until the game is down. For sure this guy did. I reckon I too am guilty of that at times.

[*ROCK-MAN*]

Opinions on what is and is not ethical are just that-someone's opinion and like any other subject the opinions will differ.That said,IMHO with todays long range reticles,superior optics and flat shooting calibers people who practice at these ranges and can judge the wind can make these shots all day long.I'm not one of thse people and seldom have shot over 200 and never at 300.But I don't live where a shot like that needs to be made either.I do not judge others abilities to do this based on mine.
Rock

[nomosendero]

Opinions on what is and is not ethical are just that-someone's opinion and like any other subject the opinions will differ.That said,IMHO with todays long range reticles,superior optics and flat shooting calibers people who practice at these ranges and can judge the wind can make these shots all day long.I'm not one of thse people and seldom have shot over 200 and never at 300.But I don't live where a shot like that needs to be made either.I do not judge others abilities to do this based on mine.
Rock

I wish others could be as logical as you & see that when all of the RIGHT conditions are present, it is doable even though you are not personally doing it.

[SHOOTALL]

this is the USA all men can shoot the eye out of a gnat at 1000yds. ! ask them !
shame it ain't like football , the ones who can do it play and the rest sit home and watch it on tv. !

[nomosendero]

Opinions on what is and is not ethical are just that-someone's opinion and like any other subject the opinions will differ.That said,IMHO with todays long range reticles,superior optics and flat shooting calibers people who practice at these ranges and can judge the wind can make these shots all day long.I'm not one of thse people and seldom have shot over 200 and never at 300.But I don't live where a shot like that needs to be made either.I do not judge others abilities to do this based on mine.
Rock

I wish others could be as logical as you & see that when all of the RIGHT conditions are present, it is doable even though you are not personally doing it.

Like I said, I wish. Oh well.

[SuperstitionCoues]

Opinions on what is and is not ethical are just that-someone's opinion and like any other subject the opinions will differ.That said,IMHO with todays long range reticles,superior optics and flat shooting calibers people who practice at these ranges and can judge the wind can make these shots all day long.I'm not one of thse people and seldom have shot over 200 and never at 300.But I don't live where a shot like that needs to be made either.I do not judge others abilities to do this based on mine.
Rock

I wish others could be as logical as you & see that when all of the RIGHT conditions are present, it is doable even though you are not personally doing it.

Second on that!

Like I said, I wish. Oh well.