Anyone ever make a mistake shooting to far and shoot or hit the wrong animal?

[huntnful]

Your points here make me curious about the learning-curve in real world, long range hunting...is it the kind of thing people tend to overestimate their field skills based off bench shooting, and then learn to dial-back what they're willing to shoot at, or do they get better and push further?

Get better, push further, initially. Then over estimate abilities/probability of vital hits and dial back, or at least understand and accept the actual potential outcomes. Thats my personal experience anyways.

 

[BCDJR]

I just watched a video where the hunter shot the wrong pronghorn after mistaking the smaller one in the scope.
I did it one time and my uncle did the same thing, just shooting way too fast and far away

No

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Your points here make me curious about the learning-curve in real world, long range hunting...is it the kind of thing people tend to overestimate their field skills based off bench shooting, and then learn to dial-back what they're willing to shoot at, or do they get better and push further?

Maybe over confident, then dial back, then refocus on fundamentals and the nuances to successfully hunt long?

Probably depends if where you hunt has a heavy dependance on longer range or not. I know if I was hunting a unit that would lend itself strongly to XXXyd I would spend a lot more time getting ready for that versus if that was only a rarer opportunity and lots of chances closer in.

 

[huntnful]

Maybe over confident, then dial back, then refocus on fundamentals and the nuances to successfully hunt long?

Probably depends if where you hunt has a heavy dependance on longer range or not. I know if I was hunting a unit that would lend itself strongly to XXXyd I would spend a lot more time getting ready for that versus if that was only a rarer opportunity and lots of chances closer in.

Spot on with this. I shoot more at 800 yards than 1200 yards any more.

I don’t “seek out” long opportunities. But they are presented quite a bit in the areas I hunt. So I still like to be prepared and have well trued ballistics. But there’s also some topography to close distances a lot of times. I’ve killed 3 bucks so far this year. I could have shot them (or at least shot at them) all around 1000 yards. I killed them all under 350 yards.

Every time I get to a new unit I stop and shoot somewhere, near 1000 yards or so. Normally I’m pretty damn close. But I still cringe a little when presented a field shot past 600 yards in all honesty.