The reason for the .22-250 was that it presented a nice safe opportunity, with an effective 35yd high backstop, shooting into nice soft earth. If I wasn't 100% sure I could make the shot I wouldn't have pulled the trigger. I practice at long range in case somethig presents itself that I cant get any closer to. When you bear in mind I can't walk very far, and due to being on crutches stalking is very difficult, no matter what the target is, I do sometimes have to take longer shots than I would like to. However if I can call something in close or manageto use natural cover to sneak in un-noticed then I do.
Since the first on January I have killed 32 squirrels, only one has required a second shot to finish it off. It was shot at 25yds or so with a 12b. Most have been rifle shot and all of those killed cleanly. The one squirrel that didn't die instantly is the first thing I've had to dispatch for a long long time. I probably let 55-60% of targets go for one reason or another be it safety, or the fact that for the time it would take to fire the shot I can't control my muscles well enough to hold a dead steady bead, be it at 100yds or 20 with the air rifle. I use more lead on paper and innanimate targets than I ever do at living things, to make sure I keep my muscle memory good and my gun well zeroed. Perhaps you should spend a bitmore time plinking then you would have the confidence of a long shot should it appear.
I dont brag or boast about long shots, I make many shots that people wouldn't try because I spend the time practising. If I feel there is a chance of wounding I wouldn't fire. If I thought that I could make the shot but the bullet wouldn't kill outright, I sit and watch whatever is before me and enjoy it for that.
Be carefull critisising peoples ability without having all of the facts or knowing the person, it's not the talk of long clean kills that get the antis going, it's other shotters questioning these shots and saying that thet are unsporting.
After all antis know very little about what we do or they wouldn't question it in the first place, silly comments challenging what has happened factually gives them information.