I'm confident to 400, but think I'm good enough to get closer. I think my longest one-shot kills were around 325-350.

I very seldom take a shot that's not a no-brainer. It's the hunt and the stalk that gets me excited. When I settle in behind the scope and slide the safety off, the game is already over.

I'm comfortable between 250-300 yards. My preference is 200 or less.

quote:

Originally posted by cobra:
I'm comfortable between 250-300 yards. My preference is 200 or less.

If it is BBBruce, any range is sane to shoot at that varmint.....

YOu know he will never find this on his own Cobe as he does not wander off of the Political forum....

Nearly all of the Muley's I've taken, some 30+, have been taken at between 200-300yrds. We hunt in an area where fairly long shots are the norm, Eastern Utah, Book Cliffs. However, about 15 years ago, while living in Western Wyoming, I was hunting muleys with my wife, I saw a large buck a very long ways off, Indeed it took 10 power bi's to put antlers on the animal. I turned my 4x4 off, sat on the door sill, put my Rem. 270 with Leupold 3.5x10AO out the window, settled two full body widths above the back of his shoulder and squezzed one off. I couldn't see the animal in the scope, my wife said it dropped. When we stepped it off it was 10 yards shy of 700yrds. The muley was laying in a large pool of blood, and although he tried to stand up I finished him where he stood. We came back later with friends and again stepped it off. Yes it was that far. If I could have gotten closer I would have, and probably wouldn't pull the trigger again at that distance. The rack is on the wall, if you would like to see it.

Sounds like a heck of a hunt there coolhunt...you should be proud of shooting a deer that far away, especially after shooting it out of your 4x4 and off the road.

Glad you don't live in Wyoming anymore!!

MG

Why are we going over this again? To answer your question about shooting at Big Game I like my shots 1800 yards or less but that is just me.

Madgoat, I was nearly two miles from any "road". This was a dirt track left from a rancher, headed up a very long draw, sagebrush on both sides, if you live in Wyoming, you know what the country looks, like. And Yes I'm very proud of making that shot. If you had read the post you would have known that I used the vehicle as a dead rest..... Door open, engine off, sitting on the sill, using the window opening as a rest. The Buck had allready seen us and I wasn't going to get any closer. (And By "Me" I meant my wife and son, walked it off. I was able to drive to the buck.) You might also know that I am disabled, walking on uneven ground is very very hard for me, my back is full of rods, screws, dead bones. I hunt because I love it, it's one of the few things I'm able to do. And I'm glad I don't have to put up with the wind and winters anymore either.
You certainly have the right to "bitch", but not without the FACTS.

So essentially you drove way off road on public land (assuming the track was left by a rancher, not actually on a ranch) and shot this deer. Isn't that illegal, even if you have a disabled hunter permit? The way I read the regulation, a guy can only be 300 yards off an established two track...let alone two miles. I don't recal ever reading anything allowing disabled hunters to pursue game with a vehicle either.
What is the difference between shooting one off of a four wheeler after riding it down?

It is too bad of your disability, but poor ethics are just that regardless of one's capacity.

Just my .02

MG

Hey "Mad" Goat ---I took the time to go back and read some of your posts. In Nearly every one of them you put people down..... You use fowl,obusive language, I suppose that's the only way you have of feeling like a man.
I'll let my post stand, let everyone take a look at your past posts. They can be the judge.

It's a shame the administrator hasn't taken the time to go over your prior posts..........

Yea you're right, I wave the flag when I see it. I do get a little carried away at times, because I am an avid hunter and it pains me to have idiotic/illegal/unethical behavior from folks like yourself give all hunters a black eye. You just don't get it, and probably never will...too bad. Just don't ruin it for the rest of us.

MG

Your Almost Right "Mad whatever" , you do get carried away not because your an avid hunter but and avid, to quote you, idiotic,illegal/unethical black eyed MAD-GOAT, who feels he has to ruin this forum for real hunters who want to share experiences, free from people who not only shouldn't have weapons but keyboards also.

Madgoat and Coolhunt, this is decent thread discussing an important topic. Please, let's stay on topic. We can only hope to change behaviors by appealing to reason - insults make people dig their heals in. Thanks ahead of time for you consideration.

Regards and safe/happy hunting, AIU

I have practiced out to 500 yards..keep my shots at 250 or less..I REALLY love getting closer, but that comes from hunting with a recurve. At over 250 yards, I am just shooting rather than hunting. To each his own, and that's mine!

Again a little honesty!
shooting rocks and animals are to two totally different things, most of us could probably
hit a target at 350 yards with a rest that measures 12"x12" if conditions were right, some of us could do it at longer ranges also.
BUT we owe it to the game that we hunt that
we have enough power to kill cleanly at whatever distance we shoot.
Provided we hit them in the vitals.

My longest shot to date was 435 yards across a canyon. We had been watching 2 mulie bucks spar for about 20 minutes. When they finished and moved away from the does, I shot the largest one with my .338 Mag. I was truly wishing for more than the 7x power that my leupold offered me cranked up!! Nearly all my other shots have been 250 yards or less.I feel comfortable out to about 450 yards or so.

Thank you AIU, I sorry for getting off topic. I tried to say that 2-300 yrds is a good range, I practice longer, and have taken game at longer ranges and as I stated. Once in my life I was granted a long shot, with a happy ending. Again, Thanks

My hunting changed when I began hunting the wide open spaces of east coast corn & soy bean fields. The longest shot I've ever made was also the longest I've ever attempted. It was about 400 yrd.s. The gun was my 30'06 A-Bolt using Hornady Lt. Mag. I had no rangefinder at the time but I knew the farm and was confident of the range. The gun was well rested on my treestand, the wind was dead calm and the deer was broadside. After that I wounded one at @350 and bought a rangefinder and a M.70 in 7mm Mag set up as a beanfield gun. I might use this rig to 450 yrd.s under similar circumstances but, in fact, the longest shot I've ever made with it was a 345 yard head shot I made two years ago. Closer is still much better.

quote:

Originally posted by jorge:
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 agree with jorge. Also much of the time I am hunting in a forest with a woods rifle. In that scenero 150 yds is a long shot.

I have passed up shots at 450 yds. I don't want to wound some big game animal.

200 yards can be a long way under field conditions. I will try to get within that distance if possible. If not then 300 would be my max regardless of caliber used.

Praire dog hunting, my longest hit was around 350 yards.

Deer, where I hunt the most you will typically get is 200 yards. I practice at 200 yards, and occasionally 250, and would take a good broadside at a little over that.

In general I want to be close. I am hunting for meat, and don't want to waste it.

If my new rifle I ordered is everything it supposed to be, and all conditions are very favorable, I'll shoot an antelope, yote, or deer at 600-700 yards.

270 Allen Mag, 169.5 grain ULD RBBT wildcat at 3400+fps with WC872.
28" #6 fluted Lilja 1-8" twist 3 groove stainless barrel.

long-range hunting isn't my thing, but if you get an allen mag and learn to use it well you should be in good hands~~~

Longest I've taked on deer 300 yards twice, ate both deer and would go to 350 on a big one, on an elk sized target I'd extend to 400 yards. I've shot the same 7mm Rem for a long time and am very confident in it's ability to shoot a long way beyond my comfort zone.

My son-in-law has killed 2 deer at over 450 yards (he says 500) so it can be done but he is about 2-5 on attempts that I know of.

My grandfather was lucky enough to stop a deer at 500 yards with a 30-30 (5 shots) - he wouldn't have tried it but the buck was big and he was out of venison with 5 kids to feed.

How about the distance you are confident in that you can place the first round in a killing spot.

458--- That should be the same thing should it not?
in my case, longest shot comfortable a killing first shot 250 yards with bolt action, 150 yards with lever action. Distance of shot taken for longest shot 135 yards. Generally I shoot 4 or 5 deer a year at less than 25 yards sitting on the ground, not in a tree stand.

I guess the single thing that really gets on my nerves is the long shot "artiste" who thinks merely buying a .287 SuperWhizBang qualifies him to take deer at 700 yards, or whatever. Frankly, I think a great majority of this long distance stuff is pure 100% grade A horseshit.

Now, I know that there are a very few folks who have the ability -- earned through long practice and effort -- to really count on hits beyond 300 yards. But a simple day at the rifle range will demonstrate how truly rare those folks are.

I wrote in another post the "Seyfried" method of long range testing. Set up a half dozen 6" targets across broken ground at ranges from 300 to whatever your maximum distance is. 500, 600, 700, ??? yards. Now, grab your rifle, take three steps foward to your firing point, take a field position (sitting, prone with a sling, rested over a tree limb, just not a benchrest) and shoot. Whatever target you can hit EVERY TIME -- from a cold barrel, right out of the rifle case, day after day, week after week, no alibis, no do-overs, no BS -- is your max distance. I'd be willing to bet that for the great majority of us -- the "average" rifleman -- that distance is going to be something less than 300 yards.

Sorry for being a dick about this, and I guess I've probably pissed a few of you off. I just have a "thing" for wild critters and don't appreciate jerks who blast away at them with the "hope" that they might connect. You want to impress a real hunter? Tell him you took your buck at 15 feet.

Oh, and while I'm venting, how about a thread entitled "Worst thing I've ever done to a game animal"? The "artistes" could entertain us with stories of three legged elk, gut shot deer dying agonizing, week long deaths, boar with half their faces missing. It'd be a real gas.

Noel H, I agree with you more than I agree with the long-range hot dogs. I've killed game at ~450 yds, but that's rare and the max, although I might take a shot out to 600 yds under perfect conditions.

"...although I might take a shot out to 600 yds under perfect conditions."

For those few folks who KNOW that they can hit their target at that distance every time, I have no problem with it. It's not my style of hunting, but I'll grudgingly admit that it makes no difference to the animal. Dead is dead, and how you get from point A to point B is not my business.

My problem is with the folks who think they can shoot that far, who are pretty sure they can make the hit, and then find out they were wrong.

My sure range limit is 300 yds on deer/elk sized animals assuming the wind is under 20 mph and I can get a solid rest. Foe elephant it is 30 yds. I have never had to pass up an animal I really wanted past 300 yds. When I have seen one farther away I have been able to get closer. No matter how good an animal is it is not worth it for me to take the chance of wounding it and have it get away. I would have trouble living with my self if I did.

I think Noel H has his head screwed on really straight. I challnge any of you that think you are comfortable to take shots beyond 300 yds to take the Seyfried test and report back to us.

465H&H

I practice a lot at 200 YDs and would be very comfortable out to 250. Plan to extend that to 300 via practice at that distance.

Longest shot to date was on a nice 8PT taken at 225 Yds with a 6.5x55 swede.

firstshot
-----------------------------
Make your first shot count!

With my scoped bolt deer rifles I'd be comfortable taking a 250yd shot in decent conditions, if I can get a good rest. With my blackpowder rifle, lever action rifle or my deer shotgun I'd be comfortable at 125yds, again with a good rest. I carry folding shooting sticks to make sure I can get a good rest and I use them whenever possible, even at shorter ranges. On the other hand I've never had to take that long a shot. I've always been able to get closer.

More than half of the deer I've killed have been shot at less than 50yds, three quarters at under 100yds, all but one or two under 150yds and none over 200yds.

I really like getting close and keeping it under 75yds. I don't pull the trigger unless I'm sure at any range, but that doesn't mean I haven't missed; it just means I've been very suprised and befudled a couple of times!

JPK

Reading all the threads reminds me of the sage words of a seasoned Scottish stalker 20 years ago on one of my first outings on the hill.

I asked him with bullish confidence what ranges I could expect to shoot at and he asked in reply, how far could I shoot?

Drawing from my sniper training from my army days I told him that I had shot targets out to 600 yards. He said nothing, and the silence became deafening. Moments later he reminded me we were there to stalk and with that he added
"... Git as close as ye can to the beast laddy and then git half as close again..."

An old stalkers maxim, but one which echoes the ethos of the sport of stalking in Scotland


JT

The longest shot I've ever made at game was on a Coues deer in Mexico. I shot this buck with my 300 Win. Mag. across a ravine from the prone position, using my daypack as a rest, and right on the edge of a cliff. Outfitter and friend Kirk Kelso measured the shot with a Leica Geovid, and my friend Todd Erickson from Carlton, OR also witness this shot. Range: 518 Yards

Other long shots: Pronghorn near Zortman, Montana, 270 Win., 425 yds.

Mule deer in Harney County, OR, 270 Win., approx. 430 yds.

Gemsbok in Namibia, 300 Win. Mag., approx. 400 yds.

All of these shots were taken from field positions, without the use of a benchrest or some candy-a$$ tower stand overlooking a field.

I try to limit long shots to 400 yds., and I believe in always stalking closer if at all possible. I don't see any glory in long shots, in fact the VAST majority of animals I've taken have been at 200 yds. or less, and many under 100 yds.

AD

quote:

Originally posted by allen day:
...All of these shots were taken from field positions, without the use of a benchrest or some candy-a$$ tower stand overlooking a field...

I would think everyone will be thoroughly impressed with your, put-eyeryone-else-down, blowhard braggart style!

I know for sure, I'm REALLY IMPRESSED!

If the whole issue wasn't so serious for me, I think I'd be laughing pretty hard at the number of people who explain how they hate taking long shots and never do it unless they "have to", and then proceed to brag about the 500 yard shots they've taken.

quote:

Originally posted by Doc:
If my new rifle I ordered is everything it supposed to be, and all conditions are very favorable, I'll shoot an antelope, yote, or deer at 600-700 yards.

270 Allen Mag, 169.5 grain ULD RBBT wildcat at 3400+fps with WC872.
28" #6 fluted Lilja 1-8" twist 3 groove stainless barrel.

Great that is all we need is Doc running around with a 270 Allen Mag. Now as for people taking 500 yard shots I do not have a problem with that or even 1000 yard shots but here is a test for those hunters who usally only shoot 300 or less then they think they can take a 500 yard shot if they have to. Take a couple of 6 foot 2x2's and nail 5 nails on each 2x2 make sure you leave the nail sticking out about 1 1/2 inches. Now take them and set them up 500 yards away and hang 5 clay pigens on each post. Now try hit them using a Bipod or shooting sticks what ever you like to use but no bench. If you can't hit 6 out of 10 you should not be taking 500 yards shots you need more practice. Some true long range guys practice with eggs. Now if you want to to play at long range you have to pay. By that I mean practice and lots of it.

Dakor
The only problemI have with your target holder is that after 1 shot at each stick, all the clays are laying on the ground
Now I most certinaly do agree with your closing line "if you want to to play at long range you have to pay. By that I mean practice and lots of it."

Long range is relitive to how far one has shot before the more one shoots at longer ranges the shorter they become.

I remember the days when 300 yards was long range now that I regularly shoot a lot farther then that, 300 is like a chip shot.

Clay pigens are fun but are really not very real paractice. Most big game animals have a kill zone 4 or more wide and 5 or more clays high.

Being able to hit one at what ever range you are shooting at is fun and builds the skill level but one does not need that kind of accurecy to kill big game.

I have to agree with the last poster having that kind of target set up only means they all would be on the ground after the first shot. I find it much better to lay them on the bank then bust the smaller parts after the first shot.

Things I've learned on this thread:

Practicing at 300 yards qualifies you to take game at 400.

If you hunt in the area you live, you don't need a rangefinder even at 500 yards.

With a few pointers, a novice rifleman can shoot 6" groups at 400 yards in a 40 MPH wind.

All one needs to go from a personal best of 300 yards to 600 yards are "good" conditions.

It's okay to shoot deer at 700 yards as long as you can rest the rifle on the mirror of your pickup.

It's okay to shoot at any distance you want, as long as you claim that you "really hate to do it".

All you need to make hits at crazy long range is the "right" gun.

The 30-30 is a 500 yard deer rifle.

And four inch targets at three hundred yards are a "chip shot".