Handgun is Freedom Arms Model 83, 454 Casull, 7.5-inch barrel, telescopic sight (brand, model, and magnification of your choice - but nothing incorporating tritium or electronics). Ammunition is Redding 454 SWC-GS 300-grain bullet (Brinell 12-14) that leaves the Model 83's muzzle at 1550 fps.

Using ONLY this stipulated information:
1. What is the farthest you would feel comfortable shooting a cow elk?

2. What is the farthest you would feel comfortable shooting an Alaskan brown bear? And, yes, you can report that there is no distance you would feel comfortable.

Just a SWAG on my part due to my lack of real world experience and with stipulations also.

Short version

Elk . . . . How far can the shooter put 100% of their shots on a paper plate in a hunting type of shooting position?

bear Would not venture a guess!

150 shouldn't be a problem with a .454. I've done whitetails out to 200 with a 260 gr. Speer Mag. HP, and a gobbler last year at 140 with my .454 FA.
Brown bear? With a .454, the guide will go bonkers and make you do it at 50-75 or less. I did a brownie a few years ago with a .500 Taurus Raging Bull and 375 gr. X at 129 yds.- one shot, but the guide had me do a second one.

With a 335 GR LBT and a mini red dot, 100 yards. Drops a little too much after that!

That is the 4 million dollar question.

Considering one has enough power there to kill one out passed two hundred yards.

It comes down to how far you can place the bullet into the kill zone.

That is very much subject to the personnel skill of the shooter.

Another person can not answer that for you. Unless they could see you shoot.

quote:

Originally posted by TCLouis:

Elk . . . . How far can the shooter put 100% of their shots on a paper plate in a hunting type of shooting position?

This ^^^^^^^

For some shooters that will be 25 yards or less. For others it may be 200 yards. Only you can determine that by actual range time. As far as how far would I push the envelope on your combination. Even if I was certain I could land a 200 yard shot in the kill zone I'd keep my shots to 125 yards or less.

To me, the object of handgun hunting is getting close to the game. My hunting revolvers and Encore pistols will shoot 2-4" groups at 100 yds off sandbags, which would be well inside that 8" paper plate at 150-175 yards, even from hunting positions.



So far the longest shot I've taken is just under 50 yards, and I've set 80 yards as my absolute max distance. I call this one my 44 Buck: taken at 44 yards with a 44 magnum, 44 minutes into the season.

WV Hitman and Whelenite: Many thanks for responding to my query. You guys noticed I requested your comfort zone rather than something nebulous.

I did - do - have a specific rationale for my query. I believe I spared the Forum from my horrendous experience with a [purported] lever action gunsmith/gunmaker. I have a competent more generalized gunsmith redoing, insofar as is possible, a job botched to near perfection. When the rifle is shootable (Shootable is the best remaining result, rather than the work of art as a half-pistol grip Model 92 24-inch barreled rifle it should have been.) and the companion piece to my Freedom Arms' Model 97 45 Colt revolvers, the common 300-grain handload will leave the 92's muzzle at the same velocity as would a 300-grain bullet from OEM 454 Casull, give or take. Will such a moderately recoiling rifle load be satisfactory for local elk at the range I can be effective with tang aperture sight? From you, I conclude the answer is yes. And after my fourth spinal surgery, the second within 18 months, I also confirmed that I can forget about any trophy bear hunting.

For clearing away my remaining nonsense, I thank you again.

Longest shot? I could stretch it some past 100 but for a living breathing animal I would say 100 or less. A 75 yard shot with the equipment listed could be done with the kind of precision needed for a clean one shot kill.
I really like the 44 buck story. Thanks for sharing.

I have to smile at this one. I have a 460 S&W Mag that I'm told is effective out to 250 yards. The trouble with that is that I'm NOT effective out that far. With a Ransom Rest on a table, maybe. Having to lean up against a tree or prop on a handrail, only a fraction of that. If you're like me, your gun is effective much farther than you are.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
That is the 4 million dollar question.

Considering one has enough power there to kill one out passed two hundred yards.

It comes down to how far you can place the bullet into the kill zone.

That is very much subject to the personnel skill of the shooter.

Another person can not answer that for you. Unless they could see you shoot.

Very good answer.

To hunt with a pistol or anything else you should not have to ask this question, you should know before you hunt..With pistol on a Brown Bear, I would want to be no more than 50 yards away and 25 would be better..but Im not going to hunt bear or elk with a pistol, I might get Phil in trouble..

quote:

To hunt with a pistol or anything else you should not have to ask this question, you should know before you hunt

Very true if you don't know your max range you need more practice.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:

quote:

To hunt with a pistol or anything else you should not have to ask this question, you should know before you hunt

Very true if you don't know your max range you need more practice.

This!

How far depends on the individual, the cartridge in question is up to the task as far as you can reliably hit the vitals.

My longest kill a pig with a revolver was a 45 Colt 6” barrel 325 grain hard cast at plus or minus 1400 fps is 218 yards by a laser range finder