"How far do you think is about your maximum range in a hunting situation."
It's that range at which I have less than a 95% chance of putting the first shot within 3" of my desired point of impact. This range changes constantly depending on the weapon, field position used, weather, light and wind conditions, etc.
Now there's a defination that most people can agree with.

490 yds, longest shot I ever took, at a moose, 1 shot as it was running up hill, went over backwards at the shot, we found it dead as a door nail about 15 min later.

Before everyone goes all pissy on me, I shoot out to 600 yds often, and I was shooting a moose that had been gut shot by another hunter, when it didn't drop he shrugged at left. I saw it come out of the gulley across the way, raised my rifle, as he came out of the gulley, and and touched off 1 225 grn .338 down he went.

under normal hunt conditions, I dont think I'll ever shoot further than 300 maybe a shot to 350 or 375 if its perfect set up. but I have several times knocked a large rock 8x8 rouck around at between 400-600 yds so if I wanted to I think I could safely kill out to 450 or 500

Depending on outside temp's, wind, mirage, caliber, ect. as everyone else says. If the animal has a 10" kill zone in very light conditions, where I can shoot prone, bipod extended, I would say 600 yards. 350 yards on down is much easier. I have killed deer out to 600, with one shot, and no chance to get closer. Can you say "wheatfields"? Most shots are much closer. My average would have to be 250.

I would like to add, I shoot quite often to 350 yards at clay pidgeons with my 223 while sitting. 55 grains at a time. 308, 168's @ 600.

I just don't know.Hunting is one thing and skill is another.Beeing raised as a Military Brat and hunting with the best the military has to offer as far as markmanship goes,I have to call bullshit.One of my best freinds is an ex Seal sniper and I have hunted with him many times and he gives an opinion when there is one to give.He of all people say's it's iffie past 450 yards like the ones I grew up with as a kid,of course they were only Army and Airforce.These guys were good but they had there limitations as we all do especiallly in the mountains up hill and down hill across canyons and the winds.

Good luck to those that say they can but I wonder how they would stack up to those that have proved there's.

Jayco.

Can't we all just get along

Boyd

I thought I was.

"Weapon" (my defination) covers everything from a handheld sharp stick to a laser guided 16" navel shell, and the "Max effective range" is strongly dependent on where in that spectrum yours is.



The biggest limiting factor with any given system is "user proficency", and that only comes with practice at the maximum ranges under the worst conditions. That is the one thing that you, and the other dedicated LR shooters, have honed your skills at, and personaly I have no issue with you on that. You know your limitations (due to this practice and your dedicated study of terminal balistics) and stay within them (even if your personal limits far exceed my own personal limits).

I guess the question could be looked at in two different ways.

1. What is the maximum range I feel I could harvest a big game animal with a one shot kill?

2. What is the maximum range I WILL take a shot at a healthy big game animal?

The answer to question "1" would range from 300 yards on a day with less then good shooting conditions to over 800 yards easily with great shooting conditions. Every summer I practice and varmint hunt at ranges out to and well past 1000 yards.

With the top quality gear, making predictable shots out to 1000 yards is not as difficult as most feel it is, under good shooting conditions at know(measured) ranges. While I would never claim to have a high hit to miss ratio on varmints at 1000 yards, I can say that on chuck size game, it is a simple matter to land a bullet within an 18" circle. On a chuck size target, this will result in a miss just as often as a hit.

Using a scope with mulitpule refference aiming points and my drop chart along with a Leica 1200 rangefinder, I can average 85% on water filled milk jugs at ranges from 400-1000 yards and the misses will be by inches with a couple different rifles I use for extreme range shooting.

To put a bullet in the chest cavity of a deer at 800 yards under good shooting conditions would not be much of a challange. Please do not take this as bragging, just what is possible with alot of practice, extreme quality rifles and accesseries.

NOW, to answer question "2"

When I am hunting for myself and not in a back-up role, I carry a handgun nearly 90% of the time. These will range from traditional revolvers used for hunting the brushy riverbottoms up to specialty handguns in rounds like the 338 WSM and the one I am building for myself right now for this hunting season, a 6.5mm WSM on an XP-100.

Obviously the revolvers have an effective range of about 100 yards. With the Big handcannons, I would and have taken game pushing 400 yards with one shot. Generally, I will try to get under 300 yards if possible in open country.

If I do use a rifle, I would take a shot out to 500 yards if everything is perfect, but again prefer to get them under 300 yards just for the sake of hunting.

Just because I can hit an animal at extreme range does not mean I do or would.

If the animal is wounded though, I will shoot until the animal is out of sight.

This will probably start a flaming war so let me have it if you will, just telling you what I would and would not do.

Good Shooting!!

50

This is a probability function that decays with range and conditions. Suppose that you had to put up $1000 that you would get back only for a 1 shot kill, with the bet doubling for a wounded and lost animal? IMHO, many 300 yard shots would be passed up under these conditions and less than 1% of all shooters would go over 500 yards.

My limit would be clear shots under good conditions at 200 yards. Its amazing how $1000 will make us all ethical hunters.

With my 30-30 that would be 150 yards. With my 308 that would be 250 to 300 yards. I hunt where shots don't go past that. With my 30-30 it is in the close range area of the brush and trees. I just like it that way. If the Buck is out of range with my 30-30 then I stalk him. If he gets away, O Well, He wins this time. And yes, I have four bucks under my belt.

30-30 Man

"It's amazing how $1000 will make us all ethical hunters. "

Man oh man are you ever right!

Good question. It's good to know and stick to your limits. For me it depends on the wind which I'm not great at estimating.
@450 7mmMag bean fld. gun 340 head shot confirmed
(@ 10wnd from 6 o'clock)
@450 .223 Varmint gun 338 confirmed
(I'd risk wounding a groundhog)
@350 .270 tree stand gun 325 confirmed
@350 30'06 carry gun 375 confirmed (dead calm)
@125 12 gague rifled brl. sabot 110 confirmed
@40 .22 carbine squirrel rfl. 35 confirmed
(squirrel noggins are small & highly mobile)
Love that Leica range finder!

By the way, I almost never shoot unsupported off-hand. My off hand limit shooting any gun would only go to 50 yrd.s if I was getting enough practice with the air rifle in the basement, and right now would probably be 20 yrd.s

with my 270's, 350 yards

with my 7RemMag, 450

with my 300 Rem Ultra and 200 accubond, 600. I practice these shots regularly and spent countless hours tweeking my handloads to achieve the best loads possible. My 300 Ultra has a 28" barrel.

In fact it still groups just fine to 675 yards for a hunting application.

HOWEVER, THE ONLY WAY I'D TAKE A LONG SHOT LIKE 600 YARDS IS IF I HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO SHOOT, A ROCK SOLID REST, AND I KNEW WHAT WAS BEYOND MY TARGET.

I forgot one thing.

Just so everyone knows, I've never shot a deer beyond 350 yards. I've never had to or had the opportunity. But that is why I practice like I do.

It all depends on the circumstances. I don't see any glory in long-range shooting, and I never take a long shot if I can stalk closer. I never hunt open-country with a rifle that has not proven itself by shooting at 200 and 300 yds. (at least) at the range at home. A 100 yd. grouper does not a long-range rifle make.

If I can come up with a reasonable rest or else get into a prone or sitting position with a tight sling, 300 yds. is no problem on an animal that is standing still. I will trade distance for a solid rest if circumstances so dictate.

Past 300 yds., I'm going to make very sure of the distance, the wind (I especially study what the wind is doing where the animals is), and I make absolutely sure that I have a rock-steady rest. I have taken game past 500 yds. just once, at 400 yds. a half-dozen times, at 200-250 yds. a score of times, and at less than 200 yds., scores and scores of times.

My experience has been that the vast majority of big game animals, even in open country, are taken at less than 200 yds.

Jack O'Connor said it best: "Distances tend to increase after they've been processed through a typewriter."

AD

I know there are plenty of marksmen with the skill and equipment to shoot 1000 yards plus. I'm not trying to start a pissing contest, I just have a question for the guys shooting across canyons etc.

Besides the game that drops right in their tracks or shortly there after, how do you confirm hits or misses? Do you actually take the very long walk, or do you rely on your optics? Are optics good enough to make the call on a wounded or missed animal?

As for me, 250 yards is my limit. My equipment is far more capable than its "driver"! I have always gained a thrill from how close I can get to an animal. Again, I'm not banging on the long range guys, I'm just curious.

BOWHUNR

BOWHUNR,
That's my problem with many "LRHs." I hunt South Texas. We have lots of Senderos(similar to right-of-ways). These are anywhere from 5-15yds wide. We have some good responsible hunters. We also have the ones who have a 270 or 30-06 and shoot a box of shells every three years or so. When they shoot, early in the morning and the deer runs off, they usually wait until it's time to come in to look for the deer. Then, they walk to where they think the deer was standing and look for blood. They may spend 10-15min looking for it. I've helped and found blood 50yds from where they said the deer was standing. If they don't find it they "chock it up to a miss." Same awful senerio at night. Thier next step is to buy 7mm and 300mags, because they "shoot a lot flatter." I once had one tell me that he prefered the 7mag over the 30-06, because he didn't like to aim over the deer's back at 250yds. Another told me that he sold his 270 and got a 7mag to get more "blow through" Oh well. Maybe we should spend our time educating the masses. capt david

Jon A,

I'm sorry if I wasn't clear. I'm talking about the guys that shoot 1000 yards plus. I've seen photos posted on this site where the long range guys have bench set-ups and optics that look like they belong on a German tank. A 1000 yard shot across a canyon for these guys could easily be a 2 1/2 hour walk. FYI, 350 yards is not a long range shot. I have made shots at this distance and farther, I just don't like to if I can help it. As for my ability to judge distance, how would you know? You come off to me as the type that shoots most everything from the truck. And that to me is insulting!!

BOWHUNR

O.K. Jon,



You win.



BOWHUNR

As far as the person can kill the animal each person has their own range dont put your limits on them and besides a kill is a kill what difference does it make if he shot it at 1200 yards or 10?

JON A;

good to see you on the forum.

I have always got to admit, you do seem to have a quick temper,

But.....

I sure wish we would see you on forum a lot more.
YOU ARE AN EXCELLENT SOURCE OF A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION. I don't think you know everything, and our opinions differ on a lot of stuff, but you definitley know every detail of the things you do know, and are excellent at explaining those facts to the lesser technical hunters and shooters.

Always enjoy your posts.

cheers and good shooting ( but you do that already)
seafire

I enjoy hunting and stalking too much to shoot at over 300 yards....longest kill to date is 255 paces...shortest is 30 feet (with a rifle.)

Thanks, seafire. Sorry you missed me. I've just been busy...work/family/my other hobby....

Quote:

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I enjoy hunting and stalking too much to shoot at over 300 yards....longest kill to date is 255 paces

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So, you got no enjoyment whatsoever out of the entire hunt until you counted your steps to the animal? Had they added up to 301 paces the whole hunt would have been a loss? I'll never understand that logic.

Quote:

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...shortest is 30 feet (with a rifle.)

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Well, my shortest (two seasons ago) was about 45 feet. There you go, you win. I just don't enjoy hunting or stalking as much as you. Here, have a

Was the buck at 45 feet any more "enjoyable" than those over 300 yds? No. There are a lot of other things that make a hunt enjoyable to me. I've had stalks to get me within the 300+yd range that were much more "enjoyable" than the 45 footer. All I did there was walk quietly through the woods in the right direction. No plotting, no strategy, no circling around out flanking, etc. That's what's fun to me no matter what the final shooting distance is--as long as it's in range, it's all the same.

To each his own, I guess.

I shot a Kudu in June at about 250 yards. I was shooting a 300 RUM/180 gr NP. I knew that my zero had it dead-on at 250 (from actual shooting). I was shooting from Stony Point crossed sticks, standing, on a down-hill angle. I had my rear leg wedged just right against a big rock, shooting at a noticeable down-hill angle (maybe 10%).

That was the most rock-steady rest I've ever had in the field. I couldn't MAKE the cross-hairs move from the spot they were on the shoulder. I would have felt fine shooting at 350 yards, in that instance, with little or no wind, a solid rest, and about 24 inches of Kudu to try and hit.

Of course a smaller animal or one with more tenacity for life on a less-than-perfect hit, or different conditions, would change that.

I think self-imposed limits are a little meaningless...if I say I would shoot out to 300 yards, does that mean I'd always pass up a 301 yard shot? Or 310?