the 500 yard ethical hunting challenge, Erik Cortina YT video

[sgt_zim]

 

[BlueFlyer]

Great video, that is a good reality check.

 

[roklok]

Good video, but I take exception to needing MOA accuracy at 500 yards for big game hunting. A deer's vitals are much larger than 5 inches, not to mention larger game. Can never have too much accuracy, but I have shot at two dall rams and killed two dall rams, one at a bit over 500 and the other just under 500. That was with my 6 pound ultralight .280 AI. I also killed my last moose at 400 yards with my .35 Whelen. I can guarantee that I could not hold MOA accuracy at 500 yards with either rifle, but I do not feel like the shots were unethical. I like backfire's challenge more, think it was a bit more realistic but even his challenge I felt that he should put two milk jugs side by side, that would better replicate the vitals of a broadside presentation.

 

[WAB]

Excellent video. I’ve been doing a bunch of cold bore shots at 600 from different field Positions in prep for a Coues hunt. If you’re
not working at these distances, there is no way you have any idea of your ability to make a one shot kill in the field. My key learning is that my effective range is heavily influenced by wind conditions.

 

[Tra3]

Cool video. While I am fascinated by the science that goes into long range rifles and shooting, this type of test reaffirms my practice of not shooting game at long range.
I’d love to see that test done where each shooter gets to move up to 400 and try again. I find a big difference between those distances.

 

[sgt_zim]

Good video, but I take exception to needing MOA accuracy at 500 yards for big game hunting. A deer's vitals are much larger than 5 inches, not to mention larger game. Can never have too much accuracy, but I have shot at two dall rams and killed two dall rams, one at a bit over 500 and the other just under 500. That was with my 6 pound ultralight .280 AI. I also killed my last moose at 400 yards with my .35 Whelen. I can guarantee that I could not hold MOA accuracy at 500 yards with either rifle, but I do not feel like the shots were unethical. I like backfire's challenge more, think it was a bit more realistic but even his challenge I felt that he should put two milk jugs side by side, that would better replicate the vitals of a broadside presentation.

You're missing the point. These dudes were all good shooters with mostly 1st rate gear, and they were no better than about 1.25 to 1.5 MOA. They were proned out on shooting rolls, got to take their time, and set up their shots. Those aren't hunting guns, and they weren't shooting in hunting conditions.

For some guys, that's an ethical shot, and 5 of those guys would have gotten clean kills on their cold bore shots. But most hunters aren't those guys, and most hunting rifles aren't those target rifles.

If a shooter is ordinarily a 1 MOA shooter from 100 at the bench, and game slippage sends him to 2 MOA in the field, that shot group has opened up to ~10.5 inches at 500 yards. Assuming elevation is good, that's either a clean miss or potentially a gut shot.