What would you consider the maxium range (in yards) that you'd shoot at a big game animal?

For me, the limit is 500 yrs - under optimum calm conditions. Shooting beyond that range is TOO RISKY for animal wastage.

What are your thoughts?

Regards and safe/happy shooting, AIU

455 was my longest yet and I would say it is my perfered max as long as I have a proper rest.

I consider 450 a max because w/ a good flat rifle/load you don't have to twist on the turrets if you know your trajectory at that range. It is easy to hold 4-6" over an animal but, any more than that is ify guess work unless you intend on playing w/ the turrets.

I guess I'm more of a "Set it and Forget it" type of guy, I don't like messing w/ any of my scopes once I get them zeroed at 200 or 250. Once you have established the amount of drop past that zero distance there is not much guess work.

Reloader

under field conditions, and assuming just about any circumstance, i would set my limit at 250 yards, or whatever i estimate to be 250 yards. any farther away than that, and there is surely a way to stalk closer in.

There isn't always time or a way to get closer to an animal. My longest shot, about 325yds. I would shoot farther if conditions were right because I know my rifle, but I would say 400yds about as far as I want to shoot big game from field positions (varmints, as far as I can see em.).

I practice a lot at 200yds. My longest shot to date was a feral goat (last weekend). It lazered about 280. I had a standing rest off the door of a P/U with my 7x57. Not the best set up but one dead goat. that's about max for me under most hunting conditions. Using my heavy barreled 700 and a steady blind rest, gun and arm, I might take a 350-400yd shot. I'd have to have a spotter or be able to see the animal for a while after the shot to see if it had been hit. I really think that at much beyond 250yds your not hunting but shooting. capt david

I prefer all shots under 100 yards, but for me the stalk is the best part..

But if there was a 40" muley and I could not in anyway get closer or come back another day - 250 yards..

350 yards, with a very steady rest and n0 wind. I practice alot, but I don't feel 100% comfortable shooting at live game at 400+ yards.

I like to get close, and the last few animals I shot were at 90, 50, 160, 15, 30 yards...With a couple of deer at about 200 and 250 thrown in as well.

I practice at 300 yards, so I would feel confident at 400.

I'm way too invested in rifles to take up bow hunting so I limit myself to iron sights a lot as a compromise. I'm good between 100 and 200 yds depending on lighting for deer-sized animals.

On coyotes or varmints, I'll shoot as far as I can see them through the scope.

It all depends on conditions and posistion of the animal,lighting condition has a lot to do
with it also.I would be more apt to take a long shot early in the day on an open hillside and
shooting down hillwith a good rest. Than I would late in the day or in a brushy canyon.
I have passed alot of shots because of it. Generally when I feel confident on a shot, I
connect. My longest shot was at nearly 600 yards
on a 16" antelope.That one i feel was lucky.
To sum it up I feel under the most perfect conditions I would say I feel comfortable
upto 500 yards.


But I shoot on average 100 or so rounds in the rifle every month that i do this with.Not to mention the other rifles I practice with.
And sometimes I shoot more.

My personal long range limit for hunting is five hundred yds; or less depending on which rifle I am carrying.

I always hunt with a Harris BR Bipod. The bipod will not fit in the saddle scabbard, so is carried in a saddle bag, but goes back on when my feet hit the ground.

I also zero my rifles at ranges longer than most people do; 22-250, 270, 30-06, 7mm Rem Mag, @ 300 yd; 264 Win mag, or 7 mm STW, @ 350 yds; and my 260 Rem @ 250 yds.

And I carry a Bushnell 600 compact range finder, and have a trajectory card laminated onto the buttstock of my rifle.

Up to this point I have never needed to attempt a shot further than 400 yds, but I am very confident that my 264 Win or 7mm STW will deliver a lethal shot into the vitals of a deer at 500 yds on a calm day, from the prone position, with the bipod.

With my Ruger All Weather 260 Rem (my idea of a saddle carbine), on the other hand I would not attempt a shot over 300 yds. Not only is bullet energy a little low for my tastes at longer range, this rifle is equipped with an NECG peep sight and blade front. 300 yds is the absolute maximum at which I can hit a target the size of a deers vitals with this rifle.

Yes, I do practice at this range, from this position. We are in an area with a lot of grassy desert hills (BLM) where we can set up targets with a good backstop and shoot from 500 yds fairly easily.

It is a real advantage when one is able to hunt the same Nat'l Forest terrain for thirty or forty years. We often use this terrain for summer recreation. And have spent much time helping family members move cattle in this area. The benefit of this is that one often only needs the range finder as backup. There is a good chance that whenever game is spotted, one has ranged the area at some time in the past.

Even in the summer months, when we are in our favorite hunting areas, we are considering the shot we may get in the fall. We often carry the rifles. And in the days before range finders, would often bet on the range to certain rocks off of the trail. The winner of the bet was determined by bullet impact upon the rock.

With enough time in the mountains, and enough rounds fired in the summer months, one can become intimately familiar with many square miles of terrain. This familiarity is a real benefit when shooting at distances over a couple hundred yards.

last year in mexico, i shot a bedded coues deer in the neck. i could see about a 4" x 4" or a 1 m.o.a. size piece of his neck.

my shooting position was my back up against a tree, shooting steep uphill, rifle over a tri pod with a rifle rest attached, i had to wait a lont time behind scope to even see that much neck.

he is on the wall now.

i would shoot a lot further than that if the conditons, mainly the wind were favorable.

it is all in the preparation...

Given good conditions, calm winds and no little bushes that might spoil things, 400 yds. and a bit. I've shot quite a few antelope and mule deer at 300 to 400 and it's not that difficult if you actually practice at long range.

How to get good at long range: Get a rifle, caliber setup that you like and that you can handle the recoil for more than 20 shots, in a prone position. Super high velosity is not a must have, remember the military used and still uses less than "hell-fire" velocity calibers for serious work. Put a real good scope on it. Handload or find the store brand of ammo that will produce MOA accuracy. Accuracy is your ultimate consideration to which everything else is secondary. Now shoot a lot at the range from every position but try, if possible to do some "field work". Shoot rock-chucks, hell shot rocks! A really good range finder is also a great help but it is not a subsitute for practice.

Obviously it depends on conditions. That being said, on a calm day with a good rest and a familiar rifle chambered for a very flat-shooting cartridge...I would have to say 450 yds.

I practice out to 300 yards. I have tried 400 yards and that is beyond me. I prefer to keep it at 200 yards or less, and I know I can shoot to 300.

About 300 yards ..but only if I needed to. I prefer 60 yrds.....I too like the stalk.

the chef

I really hate to shoot at more than 300 yds. I have the tools and the knowledge for longer shots, but, my range only goes to 300M and shots beyond that just seem too chancey for me, even with my .264. I would practice to 5-600 yds. or more if I could, but, about 400 would be my maximum range at my present age; I used to shoot at targets at 500, but, they don't wander off gutshot to die in agony after days of suffering.........

I shoot a lot of roe deer here in the UK courtesy of a lot of hard work aquiring land and generous seasons.

A roe makes a Coues deer look like the current governor of California...

With my 6mm rem, a flat shooting 90gr BT, 6x42 Swaro and a good rest over my pack I am comfortable out to 250yards. Once past that I start to examine options such as retreating and moving in from a different position or coming back earlier next day etc.

I did once shoot at 300yards and wounded the doe because I had not realised there was wind from 100yds out to the doe. The doe was recovered but it taught me a valuable lesson.

Approaching darkness etc give me pause for thought - if I do not have my dog with me my range is dramaticaly cut. Not because I wound but because by the time I have walked 250yards in crops I am generaly not sure where the carcass is!

This morning I shot a buck at 25yards (paced) I had the choice of a difficult shot at 150yards or a stalk that was likely to spook the buck, I took the chance on the stalk and it worked out Later on in the day I would have taken the harder shot.

Anyone that shoots at game over 50yd away is a uneticial, game wounding slob. My Grandfather.

Anyone that claims they can kill a animal at over 100yd is a liar. My Father.

Personaly, I limit myself to 440yd, because that's the furthest I can shoot and still have the deer on my same side of the fence. I prefer shorter ranges, but you have to be prepaired for a "worst case" range.
My range practice takes place on the same farms, so the hunting conditions are the same as my practice conditions.

My longest shot to date was on an impala at something over 200 yards. Before that my longest shot was on a waterbuck at 150 yards. Most of my big game shots have been under 120 yards, with a large number under 70 yards. My comfort zone is the point blank range of the gun/cartridge I'm using, which in most situations with big game cartridges means around 240 yards and under.

My longest is an elk at 600 yards. That's a bit too far. I am more confident limiting it to 450.

I don't like to shoot further than 300 yards on Caribou or Elk sized animals, but with perfect conditions would go to 400. On Deer sized animals my limit is 300, my longest being 320. My rifles will do considerably more but my eyes say no. I would stalk to 20 yards if at all possible. Good shooting.

My longest shot on game was near the quarter-mile mark with a 270, and my Dad was pissed at me for months for trying it. After my ass grew back, I limited myself to half that. Then I started using revolvers and the range dropped even more. Now I hunt in brush country, and my last 15-20 animals averaged about 60m. My limit now is around 200m because I don't have a range where I can practice longer shots. If I did, I might push it another 50m, but I doubt it. I enjoy the work it takes to get those closer shots, and after hunting in forest for so long, 150m seems like a very long poke no matter how I slice it.

Idaho Shooter has a good point about familiarity with terrain. In Texas, I can't estimate range for beans because I'm not used to open terrain. Last time I was there, we saw an aoudad so far off that we needed a map to plan our approach. My leg was in a cast, so we drove closer and then tried to stalk. He slipped away, but we saw him again that evening as we sat over hog bait. He was 160m away and on the other side of a property line. He didn't cross to our side so I didn't kill him, and frankly, I'd rather have that story than his head.


Okie John

quote:

Originally posted by okie john:
My longest shot on game was near the quarter-mile mark with a 270, and my Dad was pissed at me for months for trying it. After my ass grew back, I limited myself to half that. Then I started using revolvers and the range dropped even more. Now I hunt in brush country, and my last 15-20 animals averaged about 60m. My limit now is around 200m because I don't have a range where I can practice longer shots. If I did, I might push it another 50m, but I doubt it. I enjoy the work it takes to get those closer shots, and after hunting in forest for so long, 150m seems like a very long poke no matter how I slice it.

Idaho Shooter has a good point about familiarity with terrain. In Texas, I can't estimate range for beans because I'm not used to open terrain. Last time I was there, we saw an aoudad so far off that we needed a map to plan our approach. My leg was in a cast, so we drove closer and then tried to stalk. He slipped away, but we saw him again that evening as we sat over hog bait. He was 160m away and on the other side of a property line. He didn't cross to our side so I didn't kill him, and frankly, I'd rather have that story than his head.
Okie John

Okie John,

Well stated! I love the aoudad story.

I try to keep my max range at 300, but I've taken game at much farther. I like to go and practice in 20-30 mph winds, and it's an eye opener to other people how much the wind affects bullets at distance. A couple years ago, I took a friend out in 30-40 mph winds shooting at paper at 300-400 yds. My buddy couldn't even hit a 4'x4' target, till I gave him some instruction and doping info. Soon he was shooting 6" groups at 400.

There are a lot of things that go into the decision, I was on a moose hunt that gave 13 days straight with no sighting of moose. Last day, last half hour of shooting light, I took mine at 400 or so yards with three shots, any one of which would have killed him, only one of which put him down.

Not the range of my choice, etc., etc. Bottom line, only shot I had if I wanted a moose that year. I would not have taken three shots, but I didn't want to spend half the night trying to find him and get him out, as it was I spent the night working anyway, three of us took our moose within 15 min ot that time, had three moose to clean and prep.

But, I do like Noslers PT!!

Lots of variables. Suffice to say it depends on the type of animal I'm hunting and whether it's the begginning or the end of a hunt. For example if you're hunting Cape Buffalo or brown bear, I would limit myself to 150 max. A nice big 10 pointer I would say 354 is my personal best but that was on a doe. SO you see, too many variables to expouse a one-size-fits-all answer. jorge

I prefer to keep my shots as short as possible and to be honest I enjoy the stalk more than I enjoy shooting..

On roe size game, if I have a good rest, I will shoot out to 200 yards and the longest shot I have taken is about 220yards out of a highseat. far more proud of my shortest shot which was under 20feet while I was still hunting..

I would not shoot dangerous game over 100yards, as I see no point..the whole thrill of that to me is getting "close"...

Regards,

Pete

quote:

calm winds

in livingston?? good luck!

of course, after living in havre, and now the great falls area, i have no room to talk~~

Average hunting conditions, 250 yards. If it was a really great day with absolutely no wind I might try a 300 yard shot. Of course, I'm an old, fat, bald guy with arthritis.

As I get older, I seem to not shoot at middle distances any more. Deer are pests where I hunt, so for all days except the last I limit myself to revolver ranges, less than 75 yards, regardless of whether I am hunting with the handgun, muzzleloader or rifle. The last day, it is a meat proposition, so I take the 264 and if I can see them, I shoot them. Longest to date is over 500 yards on deer doe.

250 yds

There seems to be alot of honest answers on this

topic.I also want and try to get close when I

can I wont shoot the longer distances on game

if I can get closer. And if I do take a long

shot it is because I have absolute confidence

that I can do it.I shoot alot!

In fact I was given a Daisy bb gun before I had

a bicycle and have shot like hell ever since.

My Father rest his sole started all his boys

young when it came to shooting.



Having all the time in the world to make the judgment on the shot is the key factor.

400 yrds, my longest have been 380 , I don't have a need to shoot any further

Probably 300 yards but I have pulled off a couple of assy shots in my time.

These days, I'd just as soon not shoot past 300 yards, and then with a solid rest. Every year the shots get shorter...

I suppose 250 yards under normal conditions but what is normal. I have shot a baboon out of a top of a 100 ft tree at 200 yards from a kneeling position with a 10 mph crosswind and on the same hunt completely missed a bushbuck at 150 yards prone. The question is how mentally prepared you are for the shot on the day.

Mark H

400 to 500 in good conditions. Other wise I try to get closer.

I took a retired engineer from Nebraska elk hunting last fall. 70 years old, and I had met him via an outdoor forum. When he got here to hunt, before we went out, I asked him if he wanted to check his rifle. Sure he says, so we ranged a white rock, about the size of a car battery, at 525 yds. I thought this old fart couldn't hit a bull in the ass with a base fiddle, well he hit the rock not only once but three times!!!!! He had practiced every night for weeks like I suggested, at various ranges out to 600 yds. He was ready!

I can still shoot well to 300y but I've never taken a shot at game that far. Probably right around 200 is the farthest I've ever killed any game.

As said above though- I would take as long a shot as I could see at a varmint- assuming I thought I could dope the wind to the shot.

I bowhunt almost exclusively now so I try not to be more than 30y from my game.

When I was Vietnam we would take anything at to or sometimes even over 300m if we thought we could hit them and not have to stand a fire-fight in return (M-16- I was after the M-14). Be careful what little ant pile you stir up !!

Longest shot I've made was about 275-300 yds.
Longest I've TRIED was around 400. Missed of course.