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Todays Articles:
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As you approach your trophy a rush of emotions tumble through your mind. Feelings that only a hunter experiences - excitement, pride, awe, sorrow.... more > |
The topic of shooting at game animals at long range is controversial. There are two extremes: .... more > |
 MAGNUM MUZZLELOADERS THE FACTS ABOUT TODAYS HIGH TECH IN-LINES The modern in-line muzzleloader is the hottest front-stuffer in history - according to the advertising we see... more > |
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Photography for Hunters by Ian McMurchy |
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As you approach your trophy a rush of emotions tumble through your mind. Feelings that only a hunter experiences - excitement, pride, awe, sorrow. Your eyes keep going back to the antlers as something deep inside compels you to spend a few quiet minutes looking at, and touching this animal. After carefully field dressing the carcass you head back to camp to get help. You want to tell your buddies about the hunt and to show them this trophy. You want to get the buck back to camp so that you can relax, your hunt is over for the year. As you hike back to the tents you wish that you had a camera since this is the best trophy that you have ever taken. Unfortunately, many hunters don't take the time to shoot good hunting photos. I have heard the words " "I wish that I had a camera along." so many times when discussing hunts. Photographs will record your trophies, buddies, equipment, weather conditions and the area that you hunted. Photos will provide enjoyment for yourself and others for decades. Photographs should become an important aspect of your hunting experiences, and framed prints, slide shows and photo albums will become important trophies themselves. You must accept the fact that you can't hunt and take photographs at the same time, so watch for opportunities, particularly after you have bagged your game. Remember that you may wish to create two different hunting photos. Obviously, the most important requirement is shots of you and your trophy (or to ensure that someone is shooting good photos of you and your trophy). Also you may be requested to shoot photos of one of your buddies with his animal. Both types of photos require the same considerations. Proper equipment and good technique will ensure photos that you are proud to show, or give to your hunting partner. There are two types of 35 mm cameras commonly taken on hunting trips, "point and shoot" style units and single lens reflexes or SLR's. The primary differences between these cameras are that "point and shoots" are smaller in size and SLR's are more complex to operate. Another difference is that the lenses of SLR's can be changed, allowing a wide variety of specialized photos to be taken with appropriate lenses such as close-up (macro), wide-angle and telephotos. This is no longer very important, as most SLR users are using zoom lenses that allow a wide variety of shots to be taken. Recent improvements to "point and shoot" cameras have reduced their size and added refinements previously only found on SLR's such as sophisticated light metering, zoom lenses, auto-wind and rewind, and "red-eye reduction" and fill-flash. "Point and shoots" are the best camera for most hunters as they are easy to carry and have lots of capability. Some of the newest "point and shoots" have moved away from the initial concept of point and shoot as they have buttons for zooming lenses, selecting flash type, and various other nifty tricks. Consider size, weather protection, protection for the lens (many have sliding covers to minimize thumb prints and scratches), sophistication of the flash, ASA range, and zoom lenses if you purchase a new "point and shoot". Improvements in film are also significant for hunters. Faster films in the range of ASA 400 to 1000 are providing much better photographs with the small lenses found in "point and shoot" cameras. You must still determine what type of photograph you want, slides or prints, but you can now take photos with higher speed film that are not grainy or off color. ASA 200 and 400 film is great for hunters, allowing photos to be shot in a wide variety of light. Many hunters today do not have to worry about film as they are packing digital cameras that store images electronically. These cameras are the way of the future and they are great for hunting trips. Their strongest asset is the fact that you can immediately check the image to make sure that it is sharp, well exposed and nicely composed. Make sure that you have adequate batteries and storage cards or discs and the digital will work great for your hunt. Another huge advantage of digital images is that fact that you can instantly send them to your friends when you get back to your home computer. If you prefer to hunt alone you can take excellent self portraits by using the timers built into most cameras. Talk to your camera dealer and look into mini tripods and the nifty little C-clamp camera holders that are available. The C-clamps are very good as they clamp onto objects or can be screwed into wooden objects such as tree trunks. I also carry a small collapsible tripod. In most cases you will have others nearby who will gladly shoot photos for you. Carefully explain the operation of your camera to your guide or partner when they are about to photograph you and your trophy. I suggest that you ask the other person to pose with your trophy first. Then you can focus the camera and determine what the composition looks like. Remind him that you want an interesting variety of shots. In addition you should photograph the animal from several angles, for yourself and your taxidermist. A variety of good photos of the head and shoulders will enable your taxidermist to do a more accurate job and he will be very appreciative.. There is very little difference in the effort required to shoot interesting, well-exposed photographs and mediocre "almost good" pictures. Great shots are usually created - they are not a product of good luck. One of the best ways of ensuring good results is to think about the finished product, as you take the photos. Assuming that you understand the operation of your camera, learn to examine the background, the colors available, where your subject is, and the composition of the shot. Composition is extremely important in creating quality photos. Here are some tips on "field composition". First, remember the The Rule of Thirds. Avoid placing your subject in the exact centre of the frame. Imagine that the viewfinder is divided into thirds, horizontally and vertically, and always try to put the subject at one of the intersections of those lines. Our eyes find this more pleasing than centered subjects. Horizons should also be offset, to emphasize the sky or the foreground. Second, consider the format. Is it a horizontal or vertical shot? Take a look at the scene that you are about to shoot. Are most of the lines horizontal (eg. a deer lying in the snow sideways, with your partner kneeling by its head), or vertical (eg. a deer lying in the snow facing you, with your partner kneeling by its head). Tip your camera 90 degrees when your subject is vertical, and your picture will look right. After you do this for a while, you will automatically think: "Is this a vertical or horizontal shot?" Eventually you won't even think about it, you will instinctively shoot the most appropriate format. Third, frame the shot. Watch for the opportunity to place a tree or similar object in the foreground, or along one side. This will provide a framing effect, and generate a feeling of depth for your photo. Last, look for good or unusual perspectives. Get down low, on your knees or even on your belly.. Look through the view-finder and determine what position gives you the nicest composition. Here are three additional camera handling considerations. First - steadiness. Camera movement ruins sharpness. Use your camera like your firearm. Rest it whenever possible, for maximum steadiness. Depress the shutter slowly and smoothly, like squeezing a trigger. Think about your "shot". Most people have a tendency to hold the camera with their elbows up away from the body. Try dropping your elbows down against your body to steady the camera. Second - light. The light from the sun makes your picture on the film so check where the sun is. Keep the light over your shoulder. Light that comes from behind the camera will provide the best colors. Unfortunately, sunlight will also make your buddies squint, or pull down the brim of their caps. Watch out for "Raccoon Eyes". Get your pal to tip his hat or cap upwards, or better yet, to remove it entirely. How do pros get such nice light under the brims of caps? Simple, they use flash. Many cameras have built in 'fill flash' capabilities that supplement natural light, removing the harsh shadows that invariably hide the eyes of hunters wearing headgear.. Any flash will help, but don't get too close to your subject. Third - soften your flash. Use a diffuser if your flash has one. A neat trick for softening the light from electronic flashes is to peel apart a sheet of Kleenex, and to drape a section of tissue over the flash. One warning about using flash for photos involving dead animals - avoid having the eyes pointing directly to the flash, turn the head so that the eyes won't reflect light and look like glowing spots. Cameras are pretty tough instruments, but they don't like moisture, dust, or drops. Keep your camera in a protective case as much as possible, particularly when travelling. Try to wrap your camera in spare clothing to pad it from rough treatment. Always carry a plastic bag with your camera, to protect it from rain and dust. Remember batteries. Put fresh batteries into the camera before a hunt, and carry at least one spare set. Today's cameras do no operate without batteries. Also consider your film (or electronic storage cars, discs etc.), whether it is in the camera or stored in a pack. Don't let film get hot. Keep spare film in the original plastic cans and put exposed film back into those same cans. Keep track of your exposed film, don't lose it or let it get too warm. Make a habit of always storing and carrying film in standard locations so that you won't misplace irreplaceable photos. Photography of your trophy is very important, and a few simple considerations can make an enormous difference in the results. Your photos should show your respect for the animal. Let's avoid "grinning idiot with kill" shots. Photos taken in the field are far better than shots of animals in the back of vehicles. Spend a bit of time preparing for the photos and the results will be worth those few minutes. Always clean up the animal and the location. Wipe blood from the visible areas of the animal. Also remove any leaves or other material (such as snow) that might show blood. Move the animal to a cleaner, more scenic location thinking of light, background, and the ease of positioning the carcass. Put tissue into bullet wounds and the nostrils, to stop further bleeding. The simplest way to ensure that the tongue is not showing is to cut it off. If you can't, push it well back into the mouth and keep the mouth closed. Obviously, never show the gut pile in your photos. Place the animal in as natural a body position as possible. If possible, arrange the front legs in a tucked position under the brisket. Hold the head upright avoiding placing your hands in the foremost position on the rack (your hands will look oversize). Sit or kneel behind the head and neck and try to get vertical (head-on) shots and horizontal (sideways) shots. Look down at the trophy for some shots, and try a few looking at the camera or just to one side. Always try to obtain a shot of your guide, yourself and the animal. Don't sit on the animal, or kneel way back behind the head so that the rack looks larger in proportion to your body. That last shot doesn't fool anybody. If your trophy has horns or antlers, photograph the rack from several perspectives to emphasize the size and shape of the main beam and tines. Hold your firearm in a comfortable position, but do not allow the muzzle to angle towards the camera, yourself, or another person. Frequently safe positioning of the muzzle will look unsafe in a photo if the muzzle angles towards you or another person in the least. Check this every time - first. Then check the background, so that you can try to show the type of terrain you hunted and perhaps where you shot from. If the weather permits, remove camo or drab jackets if you have a bright colored shirt or sweater underneath. Bright colors improve photos when the light is dull or the background is not colorful. Many hunters are using video cameras to capture their hunts. Video production can be a complicated challenge, but there is one important rule of thumb. Use a good tripod - period. Obtain a sturdy tripod and an actual video head, and you will eliminate the wobbly pans and shaky stationary shots that scream "Home Movie!" and put audiences to sleep. Although many video cameras are extremely small and light, they all work best from a tripod. The previously mentioned C-clamps are great for mounting a small video camera in a tree behind a hunter in a treestand, so that the hunt can be captured. Another good tip for budding cinematographers is to think about continuity. Try to shoot enough activities of your hunt that you can put together an interesting production. Shoot a variety of material such as close-ups of people and activities, panoramas, travel scenes and of course lots of hunting action. Keep your "shots" to about 10 - 15 seconds, unless you are following some unfolding action. Shoot as much footage as you have tapes and batteries for but remember that your edited 'movies' should not be too long - fifteen to twenty minutes is about right. These tips will help you make better pictures. Most of these ideas take very little time, and they can become automatic with a bit of practice. Good luck with your hunting, and your photography.
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LONG RANGE REALITIES By Ian McMurchy |
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The topic of shooting at game animals at long range is controversial. There are two extremes: "no way, under any circumstance", and "why not kill at the longest distance that your rifle, ammo and personal skill can handle". If you are adamantly in the first group, you might as well skip to the next article because I am about to cover this topic in detail, discussing the realities of long range shooting as they are today. I have been researching this subject for two years, talking to hundreds of hunters throughout the U.S. and Canada. My discussions have been in hunting camps, at rifle ranges, in gun-shops, on aircraft, and about anywhere that I can generate some opinions. I have also contacted some special individuals whose wisdom I respect, who have unique perspectives on hunting and shooting. As my information base has increased I have noted a change in my own attitude toward this topic. Truth is, I am somewhat pessimistic about the average hunter's ability and interest in shooting at long range. The bottom line is that most hunters do not have enough interest to obtain the skills, knowledge and equipment to take long shots on big game animals. That's right, most hunters could be shooting accurately at longer range than they currently are. Before I lose another batch of readers, understand that I am not demeaning, ridiculing or trying to tell anyone what they should do. I have simply learned that most hunters are not using the potential of their equipment. Perhaps this article will change that for some individuals. WHERE DOES LONG RANGE START? What is long range? In other words what is a long shot? What is "long" to some shooters might be "duck-soup" to other guys, so just where does "long" start? Is a 100-yard shot through heavy cover at the exposed white patch on the throat of a buck a long shot? Is a sixty-yard running shot in a black swamp a long shot? Is a 320 yard shot at a huge whitetail standing broadside out in a clover field a long shot? I believe that we should only call shots "long" by the actual distance involved, not by the difficulty imposed by a particular situation. In other words, the first two examples above are shooting challenges that require excellent marksmanship, not long-range skills. I have personally made such shots, and felt that they were "long", indeed they might have been 'long for a neck-shot' or 'long for a running shot in cover', but they are not true long range shots for the purpose of this article. Some folk might turn down a 320 yard standing shot at a big buck, indeed most individuals that I talked to indicated this was too far for their liking. As a target the vital area of a big buck is not a difficult challenge at that distance, but there are many other factors which might make it a "long" shot for some shooters. These factors are both atmospheric, physical and mental and we will consider them later. I believe that "long" starts at 250 yards for most hunters. 200 to 250 yards is also a common description of "long". I learned this by asking the following simple question. "How far are you comfortable shooting to? What hunting distance is long for you, anything farther than…?" The firearm in question was always a centerfire rifle, obviously handguns, shotguns and muzzleloaders have totally different parameters. Again, for this article we will stick with rifle accuracy. Rifles are by far the most common deer-hunting tool and I have the most data on rifle shooters. Two hundred and fifty yards can take on many perspectives in the hunting field, particularly when a trophy buck is involved. Many hunters are handicapping themselves by accepting that 250 yards is a long shot and that any shot longer is probably beyond their capability. Unfortunately, the truth is that any shot beyond two-fifty IS BEYOND THEIR CAPABILITY, but this does not have to be so. KEYS TO LONG RANGE SHOOTING What elements are involved in examining shooting long? First, I believe close is best. The closer the shooter is to a target the better the accuracy should be. In other words a fifty-yard shot can be placed with more exact precision than a five-hundred yard shot. Note I said EXACT PRECISION. Next, I believe that hunters should only shoot when they are virtually assured that their bullet will strike a vital zone of their target. Let's say a 90 percent confidence level - you should be ninety percent sure that the bullet will be delivered properly. I am not going to argue 90 or 95 percent, most hunters feel that 90 percent is a reasonable goal. Last, we should all agree that wounding is unacceptable. As hunters we owe it to our sport, our quarry and ourselves to do everything in our power to prevent wounding from happening. We should make every effort to eliminate any variables that we have power over, such as poor equipment, lack of skill and bad judgment. WOUNDING HAPPENS We also must be realistic and accept that wounding can happen, that sometimes bullets are deflected, animals move unexpectedly, or elbows slip at the crucial moment. Wounding an animal is a personal loss, a wound that we as hunters should feel in our soul. When it happens we instinctively prefer to rationalize the situation, "hit a twig", or "just a flesh wound". Sometimes we might tend to rationalize our own stupidity, "Guess he was going too fast.", or "I thought I could hit him". Believe me, wounding is gut-wrenching time. I know what it is like. Your head is spinning with thoughts. The sight picture, the sound of the bullet impact, the reaction to the bullet, your last sighting of the critter, the blood on the leaves - and then the hollow feeling that you just blew it. Your guts feel sick. You wish that you could call back the bullet, rewind the clock. That you had not fired that damn bullet. You know that somewhere a critter is bleeding and in pain because... You hate to say it, because of me. This is the side of hunting that we sometimes have to get through and that we must learn from. And prevent from happening again. You will notice that I have not mentioned anything about ethics. The more I learn about this subject, the more convinced I am that ethics is NOT a factor. What? It "is" or "is not" ethical to shoot long shots at big game? Everyone has heard an "expert" preach that long shots are unethical. I do not believe that any person has a right to impose his or her ethics on anyone else, period. As sportsmen we are governed first by the laws, regulations and acts set down by our game agencies. After that we should conduct ourselves according to the basic rules of good sportsmanship - I am not going to get into that here. From these rules and from the influence of our parents, elders and peers, hopefully we develop a code of conduct that shows respect and enables us to enjoy hunting and the outdoors. I am not aware of any ethics that dictate what distance deer should be shot at. SHOTS AT LONG RANGE Let's get back to long shooting. I propose that long shooting has a placein hunting, that we as hunters should learn the skills so that we can usethem if necessary. I do not agree that anyone should shoot at targets thatbleed. A big game animal is far more than a "target". I do not believe that a "hunter" should deliberately back off to make the shot longer, or set up at ridiculous distances just to see if he can make a shot. If killing an animal merely gets down to ensuring that you have cranked on the correct minutes of angle, you are no longer a hunter, you are a killer. Might as well shoot at Shetland ponies or Holsteins in the back forty. Just were does long rang shooting fit in? Ask any western mule deer hunter, or prairie whitetail seeker. How about the beanfield shooters in South Carolina, Sendero hunters in Texas or someone sitting on a hydro cut-line in Michigan? Deer do not always appear where we hoped. Sometimes when they show up they are much further away than we planned. I have hunched near a heavily used trail expecting a buck to walk right up to me and been confounded when he showed up two fields over. The reality of some hunting habitat is that game is usually aware of the hunter and likely to move out before he gets as close as he would like. Hunting big coulees in the west, or river-breaks is a good example of this. Some habitats do not enable getting as close as the hunter would prefer, either he makes a longer shot or does not ever get an opportunity for a kill. Another major reason for long shooting is to put a wounded animal down, before it might get into heavy cover, or the blood trail is lost. THREE TYPES OF LONG RANGE SHOOTERS My discussions and interviews indicate that there are three types of long range hunters. The first is the "Hail Mary Shooter", individuals who are basically unprepared and simply hold over and let fly. Let's face it, this is how the majority of long shots are taken. Distances range from 250 yards and extend out to five hundred or as far as seven and eight hundred yards (or until the buck is out of sight). I will not comment on the sportsmanship of this type of shooting. Obviously the 90% confidence requirement is not a consideration as it really should be. The second category could be called the "Serious Long Range Shooter". These hunters have gained an appreciation for what their rifles can do at longer range and they have made an effort to get their shooting skills up to the ability of their rifle. They have purchased equipment that enhances long range shooting capability. These hunters may have bought Beanfield Rifles such as Winchester Laredo's, Remington Sendero's or Weatherby Accumarks or even had rifles custom built. Their rifles and equipment will be tuned to ensure maximum performance. Long range starts at 400 and extends to 600 or 700 yards. Their confidence is very high as they have shot extensively out to these distances, have knowledge about compensating for the effects of wind and other variables and they are usually above-average marksmen. The third type of long range shooter is the "Extreme Range Hunter". These fellows are not common in the sport of hunting. They have variously been described as the elite practitioners of the long-range aspect of the sport, and as "wanna-be snipers" who should not be allowed to try shots at the ranges that they consider sporting. These hunters utilize equipment and techniques that very few average hunters even know exists. Battleship rangefinders, portable shooting-benches, pre-ranged hunting locations, and firearms that are essentially heavy caliber benchrest rifles. The fact is that these specialists do kill deer at unbelievable distances and they do so with confidence and regularity. They tend to only shoot under absolutely optimum conditions so variables of bullet flight are minimized. They take long range shooting to a level that NASCAR has taken the family sedan to. Long range for these hunters starts at seven to eight hundred yards and extends out to the best part of one mile. Controversial and in a tiny majority, these fellows consider that their hunting activity is a challenge that they wish to pursue. Not everyone agrees with their activities and some states are considering legislation restricting the maximum weight of hunting rifles. A long range shooting acquaintance of mine, Dave King from Damascus, Maryland suggested that I categorize hunters by their equipment (and hopefully skills). His first category probably describes most of the initial category just described as these hunters shoot out of the box Remington M-700's, Winchester M-70's or Ruger 77's in popular calibers, with 3x - 9x scopes. Dave's next group owns rifles with heavier barrels, factory or custom beanfield rifles with higher power optics and possibly higher performance calibers. He did not include the extreme range shooters as they are such a tiny percentage of hunters. Dave feels that hunters who make the effort to obtain better long range equipment tend to use it more so as to get their skills as close as possible to the potential of their equipment. BALLISTIC REQUIREMENTS I am not going to go into ballistic data discussing downrange muzzle velocity and energy capabilities of caliber "X" versus caliber "Y". I prefer to assume that readers of this magazine have the common sense not to attempt to use unsuitable calibers and bullets for any hunting activity. Various experts tout formulas that "determine" energy after the bullet leaves the muzzle. These numbers are only numbers (some formulas indicate that the .220 Swift has more muzzle energy than my good old .45-70 - which is a better moose caliber?). I believe that we as hunters should select calibers and bullets that have proven long range capabilities. When a properly constructed bullet passes through or destroys vital organs the animal will die. Chub Eastman at Nosler warns about a common mistake made by hunters who wish to shoot at longer range. Chub has seen far too many individuals switch from standard calibers that they shoot accurately up to big magnum calibers. The reality is that 90% of casual shooters cannot shoot magnums as well as standard calibers because of the increased recoil and muzzle-blast, so the benefits are never realized. In a nutshell, category one hunters will not take downrange velocity and terminal performance into consideration. Category two hunters will ensure that they are using optimum calibers and bullets for the ranges that they intend to cover. Since we must consider real-world situations, with a few exceptions I believe that the smaller legal calibers in the .24 to .26 range can fail to deliver suitable long-range performance. I am talking .243 Winchester up to the .260 Remington and am fully aware of the performance of long range whizzes such as the .257 Weatherby, .25-06 and 6.5-284 wildcat. We are talking clean kills on deer at long range, past 300 yards. Some small caliber bullets tend to fragment or lack penetration to break bones and make decent entrance and exit wounds. Dan Lilja, one of the most talented barrel makers and long range hunters in the U.S. considers the .257 and .270 Weatherby magnums and the .264 Winchester magnum to be minimum calibers for his long range shooting. I have read that the human skeleton and body mass is not unlike the whitetail deer, so calibers that the military has found optimum for long range use should be good deer hunting loads. This includes the .308 Winchester with 165/168 grain bullets up to and including the .300 Winchester Magnum. Do not miss-understand that statement, the .223 military cartridge is not suitable for the long range hunting we are discussing, nor is it used by military snipers. Suffice to say that most hunting bullets can be expected to perform as reliably at long range as they do at extremely close range. I suggest that hunters use common sense and select fairly heavy bullets in their favorite caliber. Think about retaining energy rather than blazing muzzle velocities. ACCURACY REQUIREMENTS Here we go, let's look at the real key to long range shooting. I consider hunting accuracy as the ability to deliver a round of ammunition to an intended target at ranges desired or required. How many deer are killed from 100-yard benchrests? Hunting accuracy is not about minutes of angle. Chub Eastman at Nosler once told me, "Hunting accuracy is minute of whitetail!". Chub wants the most accurate rifle and load that he could handle in the field, but he is exactly correct - killing the animal with a properly placed bullet is what this is all about. I mentioned my pessimism about the shooting ability of the majority of hunters. Why is this so? No doubt our lives have changed and we just don't have as much time to go to the range, plink at tin cans or shoot as much as we would like. There are too many hunters who don't have the time, interest or dedication to obtain and maintain good shooting skills. Fortunately deer are fairly big targets so hunter success is quite high, despite the inept shooting of "one box a year" type guys. How good should your shooting be? Determine how far you can consistently hit a ten-inch paper plate, or better yet bust ten-inch party balloons. Practice will increase the distance more than switching rifles and loads. Shoot from hunting positions and utilize field hunting rests such as Underwood or Stoney Point shooting sticks, Harris or Rugged Gear bipods or the nifty little Snipepod. THE KEY TO LONG RANGE SHOOTING Enough about lack of shooting ability, let's look at what skills, knowledge and equipment will optimize long range shooting. First we must recognize that KNOWLEDGE, SKILL and EQUIPMENT are the essentials. We have to have them all and use them together. Knowledge includes understanding how and when to shoot, skill includes the physical act of placing shots accurately at required ranges and both of these create a demand for equipment capable of delivering the shot. I do not have room to go in-depth into these three key areas. Let's discuss them enough to create an understanding of what is involved. Knowledge is probably the largest requirement as we are talking about having a sound understanding of hunting, marksmanship and external and terminal ballistics.. Skills required include marksmanship under a wide range of conditions and there is only way to obtain the necessary proficiency. That is pulling the trigger. Equipment requirements can be met quite easily if one has lots of money, or acquired over time through a trial and error basis. Equipment obviously includes a flat-shooting rifle, quality optics and the best ammo available. It also includes things like laser rangefinders, field shooting rests, cheat-sheets and other specialized long shooting assets. BADLANDS LONG RANGE SHOOTING COURSE I recently experienced the ideal way to learn long range shooting. I attended a long range shooting course put on by Bobby Whittington at Badlands Tactical Training in Grandfield, Oklahoma (580-479-5559). The course is intended to provide long range shooting skills for tactical and target shooters. I was extremely impressed with the knowledge and skill enhancement that was taught. Bobby and long range rifle instructor Steve Suttles ran me through their basic course with the intention of using my knowledge and background to help design a brand new hunter's course. Available in early 2001, the HUNTER'S LONG RANGE SHOOTING COURSE combines proven military based marksmanship training with practical hunting skills. Accurately placing your first shot at hunting distances is the bottom line. Hunters can learn to do this consistently by employing knowledge and skills that the military has perfected. Badlands training covers basic marksmanship skills and keys on the fundamentals such as accurately correcting for wind, reading and understanding mirage, light changes, shooting at angles and other topics. I learned to utilize the mildot ranging system, and to employ it on full-body big game targets. The objective of the training is not to make everyone a sniper, it is to extend each individual's confidence zone for accurate shooting to the maximum. This might be four-hundred yards for some shooters and seven-hundred yards for others. The new course will provide shooting instruction and ample practice at long range, on moving targets, and even opportunities to shoot from treestands and shooting towers. The four-day course is very reasonably priced and guaranteed to improve your shooting skills. Check out Bobby's web site at www.snipernet.net. RANGEFINDER RETICLES When I attended the Badlands course I was drilled on the intricacies of the mildot system and I am determined to improve and maintain my ability to use this system. Not everyone has a mildot reticle in their scope, and Bobby teaches how to calibrate and use ordinary duplex hunting reticles to range using the mildot system. I must admit that I have become virtually dependant on laser rangefinders in recent years. I believe that rangefinder reticles are a great asset for long range hunters, one that is not battery dependant or effected by bright sunlight as are lasers. Several companies offer rangefinder reticles and they are definitely worth considering. I am sold on the TDS system as offered by Swarovski and Kahles, (see Sidebar) for much of my hunting. No doubt other reticles work well, I suggest that you consider mildots or a rangefinder reticle with your next scope purchase, or contact Premiere Reticles - (540) 722-3522 - for installation of a custom reticle. SHOOTING TESTS I mentioned that I have been working on this topic for a couple of years. Some of the most interesting data gathering was actual shooting assessments of hunters as they prepared for upcoming hunting seasons. Here are some of my results. I placed twelve-inch circular targets (Shoot-n-See) made by Birchwood Casey at 100, 200 and 300 yards. I asked dozens of shooters to take three shots at each range, from any field position except prone (prone was allowed at 300 yards). No bench shooting. Then we repeated the shooting with the use of field shooting rests. I offered the use of Underwood and Stoney Point shooting sticks, Harris and Rugged Gear bipods and Snipepods. Shooting was done with my Winchester M-70 rifle in .308 Winchester, with a great Burris 3x - 9x scope in Burris mounts. I then allowed them to shoot the test with their own rifles if they so wished, and every shooter did so. Results are quit interesting, but also somewhat disappointing. Here are summaries of the shooting tests. Shooting Style 100 yds 200 yds 300 yds M-70 - no rests 6.5" 66% hits 100% declined M-70 - field rests 6.0" 66% hits 10% hits Personal rifle - no rests 7.0" 66% hits 75% declined or no hits Personal rifle - field rests 5.25" 66% hits 5% hits An interesting fact came to light - the shooters did not do significantly better with the field rests when they first used them. Invariably if the shooter tried three or four 3-shot strings his accuracy increased noticeably. No doubt this was do to familiarization with the rest as they require practice and getting used-to. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS Making long range shots at big game animals is not a simple task. We have discussed the essentials and now I would like to complicate things by suggesting more factors that should be considered. When a shot is made the exact location that the animal went down or was last seen must be marked. In addition the position of the shooter should also be marked with a broken branch or even an inflated balloon or some flagging tape. The time of day is important for a couple of reasons. Light has significant influence on the accuracy of out distance estimates and it also effects how we place our sights. LIGHT'S UP SIGHTS UP - LIGHT'S DOWN SIGHTS DOWN is a military rule of thumb. Time of day also determines how much light is left for tracking or finding the critter. Hunters must also consider impending weather, the type of habitat and proximity to heavy cover, the presence of snow for tracking, the availability of a back-up shooter (just in case) and even the presence of other hunters who might beat you to the kill. Hunting is becoming more expensive, and trophy animals are definitely in great demand. When the trophy of a lifetime steps out, in a limited-draw area that you have applied to hunt in for several years, you have a lot of time, money, effort and satisfaction riding on the bullet. Even if the buck steps out in the back-forty the hunter should be able to place his shot accurately - or he should not shoot at all. Long range shooting is not magic and it is not fluke. Long range shooters do their homework, they work very hard at ensuring that the bullet travels true. Long range shooting involves mathematics, attention to detail and practice. A LOT OF PRACTICE in varying situations. That's what it is all about.
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MAGNUM MUZZLELOADERS THE FACTS ABOUT TODAYS HIGH TECH IN-LINES by Ian McMurchy |
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The modern in-line muzzleloader is the hottest front-stuffer in history - according to the advertising we see in outdoor magazines and 'gunrags'. "2500 Feet Per Second!" and "7MM Magnum Muzzle Energies!" imply that the new guns and loads are HOT! A few years ago two thousand feet per second was the industry standard. The mark moved up to twenty two hundred "fps" and now the newest .45 caliber models are touting twenty five to twenty six hundred feet per second. "How much is this velocity changing the sport?" is a question that many muzzleloader hunters are considering these days. Let's face it, we don't really need 150 grains of propellant and super-light bullets to kill whitetail deer. I suggest that many hunters are missing a great deal of enjoyment by "overloading" their in-lines and themselves with hot charges and high expectations. The new technology is enabling longer shooting, but we must become competent to use it. No-one has to shoot long shots. I believe that we should obtain the skill to shoot to the maximum potential of our equipment. I also believe that long shots with muzzleloaders should only be taken if the shooter is virtually assured that he will place a killing shot. There is no room in the sport for "Hail-Mary's" or hope-shots. We must not forget that getting close is as much fun with a scoped in-line as it is with an iron-sighted flintlock. In recent years I have not seen as much of the bitter dissention between "traditional" muzzleloader shooters and users of in-lines. Part of the reason for this is simple attrition. The hard-core, blackpowder-only buckskinners are leaving the sport - they are getting too old to participate or they have passed on to the great hunting grounds in the sky. Unfortunately, they are taking with them the very basis of muzzleloader hunting - take your time, get close, make your own tools and accessories and enjoy this special hunting experience. Modern hunters are not buying into the old methods. Gone are the days of sighting in at fifty yards. In-line shooters practice more at one hundred yards than at shorter distances. Two hundred yards is no longer forbidden territory. Manufacturers are offering in-lines that will shoot farther, in fact they are intended to be used at longer distances. Proof of that statement lies in the shape of in-line stocks - they are designed for shooting with rifle scopes because scoped rifles can be shot accurately farther than open-sighted models. Don't get me wrong, the scope only provides a finer degree of aiming, it does not increase the inherent performance of the rifle. Manufacturers are simply capitalizing on our familiarity with the handling features of centerfire rifles. To a degree they are also letting us assume that muzzleloaders should perform somewhat like their centerfire lookalikes. The fact is that today's muzzleloaders are built with much better materials and precision than past smokepoles, but they still load from the muzzle, one shot at a time. Today's modern creations are still restricted by the fact that the propellant limits their capability. Blackpowder and other blackpowder substitutes such as Pryodex, Cleanshot and Clear Shot do not have the potential to release enough energy to obtain true centerfire performance. Let's get something straight, I do NOT consider smokeless powder a substitute for blackpowder, and we are NOT including smokeless in-lines in this discussion. Blackpowder does not burn progressively, it detonates. It releases what energy it has very quickly and the amount of energy released is much less than that of smokeless powder. That is why we will not be seeing 4000 foot per second in-lines, but that velocity is possible with hot centerfires. So is there such a thing as a magnum muzzleloader? Fact is - there isn't. More correctly there are magnum muzzleloader LOADS, heavy charges of propellant behind relatively light projectiles that give higher velocity. These magnum loads can usually be shot in any muzzleloader built with modern materials and in sound condition. Magnum implies greater performance, and the much touted "150-Grain Load" does indeed provide greater velocity. This is particularly true if the barrel is long enough to fully confine the energy release. Short barreled muzzleloaders have a tendency to shower burning and un-burnt powder out of the muzzle so maximum velocities are not reached. The powder and bullet doesn't "care" if the rifle is an in-line, percussion rifle or flinter. Let's address the question again. Is there such a thing as a magnum muzzleloader? From a design and construction perspective I would again say that there isn't. Manufacturers did not have to redesign existing muzzleloaders to take the heavier charges. When Knight introduced the Bighorn model the advertising claimed beefed-up construction to withstand the heavier loads but the changes are very difficult to see. Most other companies simply began touting the heavier loads for their latest models without any real changes or strengthening. Fact was that the rifles were already strong enough. A few years ago when the one hundred and fifty grain charges were being introduced, the editor of this magazine called and asked a blunt question. Does the extra fifty grains really make much difference in performance? My immediate response was that it did, and I showed him chronograph tests to support that statement. The reality is that the extra powder - magnumizing the previous one hundred grain load - added about twenty percent to the velocity. In other words with a two hundred and fifty grain saboted bullet, one hundred grains or two fifty grain pyrodex pellets would give 1675 fps and one hundred and fifty grains (three fifty grain pellets) would jump velocities to 2025 feet per second. These velocities were obtained with the twenty-two inch barrels that were standard on the early Knight DISC rifles. Since this was improved performance the term "magnum" came into vogue. Interestingly the addition of two to four inches of barrel further increased the performance without any added powder. We get well over 2100 feet per second with the twenty-six inch barrel, and many manufacturers have standardized on that length. Personally I prefer the handling qualities of the original twenty-two inch barrel and would trade it for a little ballistic performance. The next move in the velocity race was the introduction of lighter bullets. Since one hundred and fifty grains was decided to be the maximum propellant charge, the only way to up performance was to reduce bullet weight. The lighter bullets achieved impressive velocities and they generally performed well on game. I have seen the light bullets fail to perform properly on close shots on whitetail deer as we have recovered a couple of shards that indicated the bullet splintered and probably shattered. Despite the "disintegration" the deer died quickly so you could say that the bullet did its job. The Knight RED HOT bullets are typical of the lighter high performance bullets and the following chart indicates how they perform. KNIGHT RED HOT BULLET TEST Knight DISC RIFLE (22") 50 gr. Pyrodex Pellets (3) CCI 209 Shotshell Primer Oehler 35P Chronographs (2)
BULLET MUZZLE 100 YDS 200YDS 180 REDHOT 2127 1688 1307 180 REDHOT 2194 1754 1359 200 REDHOT 2128 1689 1422 220 REDHOT 2083 1669 1413 250 REDHOT 2045 1626 1320 300 REDHOT 1923 1545 1312 A couple of years ago Tony Knight began tinkering with the idea of dropping the bore diameter to allow the use of smaller, lighter bullets so that higher velocities could be achieved. Why did he do this. Let's start by saying that Tony Knight and his son Billy are whitetail hunting fanatics. They live to hunt deer on their property in southern Iowa and also on the family farm in nearby Missouri. Tony's love of deer hunting, and his inventive genius put him onto a quest to design the ultimate muzzleloader for hunting whitetail deer. This was no simple task. Tony had to find a perfect blend of sabots, barrel twist and groove dimensions, propellant, and appropriate bullets to obtain his velocity goal.. In a relatively short time-frame all of these challenges were met. Del Ramsay at MMP produced special high-velocity sabots. Rick Sanborn at Green Mountain Barrels came up with an optimum barrel twist and interior dimensions. Randy Brooks at Barnes Bullets designed a pair of .40 caliber pointed hollow-point "X" bullets in 150 and 165 grain weights that shoot very well in the new rifle and have proven deadly on deer. Let's look at the final product. The rifle is basically a 26 inch barreled DISC rifle with either a thumb-hole or traditional composite stock. The barrel is made of stainless steel and it has six flutes that add a distinctive flair. Ignition utilizes the standard orange plastic Knight discs that hold 209 shotshell primers. The stainless steel breech plug has the newest cross-fire design and it threads into the barrel in standard fashion. Sights are fiber-optics and the receiver area is drilled and tapped for scope mounts, I couldn't imagine using this rifle without a scope. The standard Knight adjustable trigger and aluminum ramrod complete the package. The rifle burns granular blackpowder or a substitute but it is intended to use a relatively new Hodgdon Pyrodex pellet. When I began shooting the .45 Super I immediately realized that my standard ..50 caliber range-rod would not fit down the smaller bore. A machinist buddy turned fifty thousandths off the bullet-seater, creating a perfect fit. I had obtained a supply of Hodgdon Pyrodex Pellets from Chris Hodgdon for the test shooting. The .45 Super bore size will only accept the smaller 30-grain pellets that Hodgdon makes for blackpowder revolvers. These pellets come in handy cans of 100 units. Unlike the larger .50 and .54 caliber pellets they do not have the blackpowder igniter on one end. You simply drop five pellets down the bore and seat a bullet. Accuracy is excellent, ranging from one and one-half inch to two inch three-shot groups at one-hundred yards out to seven to ten inch groups at 300 yards. I am NOT suggesting that the rifle is automatically a 300 yard deer killer, I simply test-shot it out to 300 to see what kind of accuracy I could maintain. Two-hundred yard groups are definitely deer killers, with only five or six inches of drop and three-shots going into four to five inches. Here is a summary of my range work. KNIGHT .45 SUPER DISC VELOCITIES 150 grains Pyrodex Pellets (5x30 grains), CCI #209 Shotshell Primer Barrel swabbed between shots, 5 shot strings, Oehler 35P's @ 10" and Downrange
Distance 150 gr. Barnes 165 gr. Barnes Muzzle (10') 2639 2602 100 yards 2010 2051 200 yards 1530 1652 300 yards 1055 1250 These are fast muzzleloader velocities. Tony Knight once told me "We have ..30-30 velocities, why not go for .308 Winchester velocities?" and he is doing that with the .45 Super. Tony's original statement about achieving .308 Winchester velocities is not necessarily a reality if bullet weight is considered. The .308 Winchester 150 grain bullet is factory loaded at 2900 fps and this is considerably faster than the 2639 fps achieved by the 150 grain in the .45 Super. On the other hand, the 165 grain bullet at 2600 fps in the .45 Super is quite close to the .308 Winchester factory loading of 2675 fps. Seventy-five feet per second is not a big difference numerically, so Tony's statement can be taken as reality. Although the velocities are close, the ability to retain velocities decidedly is definitely in favor of the centerfire round. Lets compare the 165 grain bullets since they are the closest in velocities. Distance 165 gr. Barnes .45 Super 165 grain .308 Win. Muzzle (10') 2602 .....................2675 100 yards 2051 ........................2490 200 yards 1652 ...................... 2310 300 yards 1250 ........................2140 The muzzleloader bullet has lost over fifty percent of its initial velocity while the centerfire bullet has only lost twenty percent. With a 100-yard zero the .45 Super bullet drops 24 inches at 300 yards whereas the .308 Winchester bullet only drops fifteen inches. Without getting into ballistic co-efficient and retained energy etc. the centerfire bullet is clearly more capable at longer range because it is more aerodynamic. Where do we go from here? Knight is not alone offering the hot performance of the .45 bore. Traditions and CVA quickly entered the market with interesting rifles that emulate the above performance. No doubt other companies are considering .45 bore in-lines, time will tell. Can even higher speeds be achieved? Doubtful for now, since the recoil and commotion of one-hundred and fifty grains of propellant is probably as much as most hunter will handle. Dropping bullet weight even more will drastically effect the killing ability. How about saboted .30 caliber bullets? Maybe, but the problem of bore diameter and sabot thickness and release raises its head. Making sabots for .30 caliber bullets would result in extremely thick plastic walls if the .45 bore is used. Dropping bore size will make pouring propellant down the muzzle more difficult and this would probably eliminate quick reloads in the field. Perhaps propellants will be developed that safely increase the performance parameters slightly. I believe that the next generation of blackpowder substitutes will strive for increased user-friendliness (as in cleaner burning with little or no residue) rather than higher energy release. I have NOT heard Tony say "We have .308 Winchester velocities, why not go for .300 Win. magnum velocities?" The "magnum" performance offered by current muzzleloaders is more than adequate for deer hunting today, particularly if we remember that "close is best".
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