How far is too far when you are trying to shoot your target? This is a question that a lot of people may want to answer. Some would say that as long as they are within the 800-yard range, long-range shooting is still going to be acceptable. Some say that long-range shooting should go beyond 1800 yards. It will depend on people and what they believe in.
The thing is, you want to be accurate while doing long-range shooting and it is going to be hard especially if you are trying to do it for the first time. If you want to make clean kills, there are so many more things that you need to know. Your equipment will not be enough to get successful hits.
Some Reasons Why Long-Range Shooting is Hard
Other people who have been shooting for a long time still think that long-range shooting is a bad idea. Why do they think this way? Some of their reasons are the following:
- Not everyone has the skill to do long-range shooting.
There are factors you need to consider when doing long-range shooting. You need to consider the wind, the bullet drop, and even your equipment. Even the best equipment will not guarantee that you are going to make clean kills. You need to be skilled enough to do it. You can take classes but some just have innate skills that can make them more effective when shooting. Remember that some calculation mistakes are going to make a lot of difference.
- Animals are still animals with feelings. They get hurt.
If you make the mistake of shooting and not killing them, they will suffer. This is going to be inhumane. Animals can be unpredictable. Even if you have the right gear to detect and analyze what their next actions are going to be, you do not know for sure. If you do not have the right skills, you will only wound them but not kill them. They may even die a slow and painful death.
- Your excitement can make the shots you take lousier.
The more excited you feel, the more that your pupils are going to dilate. Your heart rate will increase and you would feel flushed. These body changes can affect how well you are going to shoot. For example, whenever you need to speak in public and you hate public speaking, you will feel your hands start to feel clammy. This may also happen when you are excited. Even when you are happy, your body will have some reactions that you cannot control.
- You may be enthusiastic about it but you are not a professional.
Professionals will be able to read the wind. They will know when a bullet drop is going to be possible. They have already done a lot of walking around in the dark to know if their calculations are off. Enthusiasts would rely too much on the items that they have without realizing that their equipment can only do so much. You need to become a professional before you can start long-range shooting. Otherwise, long-range shooting might be a bad idea.
- You forget that hunting isn’t like war.
Some people become so excited about hunting because they feel like they are getting a glimpse of how war feels like. Hunting can be fun when you know what you are doing it for. Long-range shooting sometimes is just a waste of time. Why would you want to shoot from far away when you always have the option to shoot nearby?
Mistakes People Make While Doing Long-Range Shooting
If the reasons why long-range shooting is a mistake for some are not enough, you should also be familiar with the mistakes people can make. This way, if you would push through with long-range shooting, you know what to do and what not to do.
- You become surprised whenever you pull the trigger.
Doing long-range shooting means that you have to be precise and always prepared for anything. If you would get excited whenever you take a shot, you will not make clean and accurate kills.
- You are making a mistake when it comes to focusing your items on your target.
You may think that some adjustments can already make you focus. This is not true when you are shooting long-range. You are required to focus on one place at a time. You need to remember that “front sight” will matter. The more that you understand this, the lesser the chances that you will make this mistake. Remember that if it is your first time, the crosshair will move around a lot. You need to know how you can use it to your advantage.
- Holding your breath while taking a shot.
A lot of people do not even realize that they are doing this. Breath control is going to be important when you are doing shooting but imagine holding your breath long enough that you get busy and lose your focus. You may think that this is funny but it happens more often than you realize. You need to take an accurate shot within five to ten seconds after you have taken a breath. If you don’t, you will start to lose your focus and you will not take an accurate shot.
There are still many mistakes that you can make while doing long-range shooting. For instance, you may not pay attention to your scope mount until you already need it. This can be sensitive to bumps and falls so make sure that you will take care of it.
Conclusion
The items that you have right now such as your viewfinder, your optics, reticles, and so much more are making long-range hunting fun and exciting. Yet, you cannot say that your success rely on these items alone. You need to have the right skills and you need to be passionate about long-range hunting so that you will become successful at doing it.