I too have been shooting since the 1960s. In the 60s and before, rifles were not as accurate, optics weren't as good, hand loading wasn't as precise, bullets weren't as good, and hunters weren't as practiced shooting long range.
People are terrible at estimating distance. My dad told me about many 200-400 yd shots that he and my grandpa had taken in earlier years, and they always got their deer. They both grew up in the woods with rifles in their hands. My grandpa was a marksmanship instructor in WWI. My dad could shoot pennies out of the air with his 22. When I got a range finder we tested my dads ranging abilities and found he had been overestimating distance by a factor of two. We laughed about that.
People tend to overestimate distance when they are in a wooded area and underestimate distance when they are in are in an open area. I have tested this many times. That's why all the marketing in the day was about "flat shooting" rifles, because hunters often didn't really know how far they were shooting.
I think your time as a range master has skewed your perspective. The guys that are serious about long range hunting don't spend a lot of time at a range that needs a range master. They do initial load development and then go shoot rocks or steel to validate their load.
A friend of mine guides long range hunts. He routinely puts novice hunters on animals at 700-1100 yds and they make one shot kills. He uses a braked 33 XC. Another friend very recently put his 11 year old son on a bear at 575 yds. The kid made a one shot kill using a braked 300 RUM.
I have no idea what your "benchrest team" was. though I am very skeptical. I in fact shoot competitive 1000 yd BR and a bunch of the guys I compete with hunt a lot. They don't take their BR rifles in the woods, they take their purpose built hunting rigs and they hit what they aim at. I would put them
up against ANYONE on the planet in terms of field accuracy. Then again, the type of shooters you see at your range probably don't routinely shoot 2-5" groups at 1000 yds like we do in LRBR. I have no doubt that an F-Class competitor who hunts has no issues shooting at animals at long range either.
So I think your perceptions are hopelessly skewed and we just aren't going to agree. Like I said before, long range hunting isn't my thing, but I don't have to condemn something just because it isn't what I prefer to do.
The bench rest guys performed as they did because they don't practice practical rifle skills. Controlling torque of powerful rifles in the field conditions is a challenge. I rarely see great range shooters perform well in practical field shooting. I hear all the time about 500 yard hits but it goes quiet when I inquire about rounds fired. The one I like is, I killed a PD at 1,000 yards. The look on the face when I ask if it's the one they aimed at.
Here's an example, 2 years ago the range had a chuck problem, digging hell out of the place. My son and I was on the range I was putting a 300 yard zero on a Pattetn 17 Remington in 06. As we were starting to pack up one popped out between the 200 and 300 back stops. My back was toward the range, I turned, chambered, leaned against the pavillion support post, estimated range, fired and hit in about 3 seconds.
Go into the field, take your survival gear, rifle, compass, shooting sticks, (no bipod), range finder and field glasses. Shoot from the rests you can aquire in field conditions from different positions. Document your accuracy at different ranges. It will make you a better shooter.
I was in the hospital from January to late March with cancer. I just got back on the range with my Aero Precision 6MM ARC, yes I printed 1/2" and 3/4" groups with iron sights at 100 yards FROM A BENCH. My real rifle shooting skills has gone to hell in a hand basket, it'll take until winter before I'm maybe ready.
Of those who make the shots you mention how many practiced regulary? Then spent time practicing before the kill? I bet all of them. How long did the shot setup take? This is a big deal, I can't imagine much more them 10 seconds for me. What equipment did they use, were they hunting alone?
In Pennsylvania there are about 1 million licensed deer hunters. What percentage of those do you think can aquire, range, fire and make clean 1 shot hit at 500 yards, 1,000 yards in the field? .
If it's 10% that can hit at 1,000 yards that's 100,000, at 1 percent it's 10,000 at 1/10th of 1 percent it's 1,000. I'm putting my money on 1/100th of 1 percent about 100. A 500 yard range would improve that percentage but not as much as one imagines. In the entire US there are damn few who can make 1,000 yard hits.
I think you have a very narrow scope of hunters that you're exposed to.
In my day 70+% washed out in training. According to my sons Marine friend up until a few years ago Marine Scout Snipers lost points on their evaluation for taking shots over 400 yards. Of course they're promoting creeping skills but at 400 yards with 7.62 x 51 it's 1 shot 1 kill 100% of the time.
