Sep 6, 2014 4 min read

A long time ago, we hunted deer. I could hunt from my home on Christy Road to Route 136 and never see a track in the snow.

That would include both deer and human tracks. Not many outdoorsmen so much as dreamed of deer hunting around here.

If a track was spotted, we moved slowly in the direction the track was headed. Seldom would we move directly along the print. We would stay off to the side because deer will often watch their back trail.

Those were the days when we learned how to hunt deer and the things to avoid. The deer moved slowly and we did the same.

There were a handful of people who did hunt here at home. Gib Stevens, Larry Moore and myself knew there were some truly large bucks that spent time in our backyards, and we hunted them.

Today’s deer hunters are more snipers than hunters. There are reasons for that change.

Development and the increase in “No hunting” signs gives deer hunters far less ground to hunt, so we sit in stands and wait.

I believe the idea of the field rifle began in Missouri. It was there long-range rifles were used to take deer along the many fields. A rifle was needed that would reach out to longer ranges but still down a deer.

While these rifles can be found in use in the remaining rural areas of Washington County, I find more hunters using them in Greene County.

When I pay a visit to Orndoff’s Sporting Goods in Graysville, I invariably will meet a local hunter looking for a long-range deer rifle.

Many times, I am asked what makes for an ideal long-range setup.

First, you have to look at the performance of the rifle. To reach out to long distances, the cartridge must be fast and have a good ballistic co-efficiency. That, in itself, explains the popularity of magnums carried by many hunters in Greene County.

The problem arises when a hunter equips himself with a magnum that is 30-caliber or larger. I would guess that the 300 Winchester magnum is more popular among Greene County hunters than the .30-06. Just looking at the hillsides there and how hunters can shoot from one side to the other says a lot.

As I study the special long-range rifles, I tend to look at my friends and what they use. My friend, Bobby, carries a heavy-barreled 7mm Ultra man. Steve has his trust .300 Winchester mag. My special hill-to-hill rifle is a Remington Sendero chambered for the .264 magnum.

Obviously, I don’t carry this particular rifle when walking, so I carry a lighter rifle in the truck. After all, when you do down a buck, you have to dress and tag it, which requires walking.

What I like about the .264 is not only the flat trajectory, but the fact it doesn’t recoil nearly as hard as the .300.

There are other rounds that would serve the long-range shooter properly as well. The 257 and 270 Weatherby are two good examples. The ultra mags make good long-range cartridges. The smallest round I would pick for such shooting would be the .25-96. It’s a darn good long-range cartridge.

I usually set up near my truck so the weight of the gun matters little, but in such long-range shooting, optics are important. After all, we have to count points, and as the range increases, the point counting becomes more difficult.

That is the reason for the 8X32 Nightforce scope that is mounted to my Sendero.

When shooting at a deer from 300 to 500 yards away, you need clarity and power in the scope. The smallest magnification I would use at these ranges is a 12 power. I prefer more.

Another item that is needed is a good set of binoculars. There is no substitute for quality glasses.

My personal choices are the 19X40 Swarovskis, but there are others. Avoid any under $100 that really aren’t clear. They’ll give the user a headache.

My .264 is a specialty rifle strictly carried when I know I am going to sit and watch a far hillside. Putting together a good field outfit can be fun and it gives us an excuse to buy another firearm.

That, in itself, can be fun.

George H. Block writes a Sunday Outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter.