At what range do you typically take deer?

D

Deja vu

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I am from Idaho but the area I hunt is heavily forested so a long shot is about 100-120 yards and typical shots are between 20 and 75 yards.

I have been reading a few hunting forums and out there are there are people talking about getting deer at 700+ yards. To me that seems crazy. I can see hitting targets at 700 yards if you have a bench, but shooting from the shoulder I doubt I could do much past 250 yards on a good day even with a rest such as a tree.

how far do you shoot when shooting at game?
 
I'm from southwestern Pennsylvania so most shots are between 50-150 yards for me. Not many opportunities to take something out at 500 even if I trusted myself to.
 
I hunt power lines & cutover timber by choice. Here in GA. Its one of the best ways to see a good number DEER so there is a big yardage spread in a given hunt. Most of the time theyre between 150 & 400 yds. These shots are off either tripods or bench with the rifle set up for that reason.

At the same time I do carry another rifle for hogs at longer range while i'm in the blind set ups I have taken hogs @ 700 & beyond a few times the 300WIN MAG is good for that. The 270 Win & 25-06 REM are the Deer rifles.
 
About 200 yards is the longest shot I've made on our wooded land in Wisconsin and most are around 50-100. I've shot a muley in Wyoming at 300 yards but that was in the open.
 
Here on central Texas, alot of oaks and open fields too. I like to hunt half and half and usually take all head shots at 100 to 200 yards. Don't really shoot at deer further because I don't shoot then in front shoulder and don't like tracking. But shoot hogs at 0 to endless yards. I sometimes hear ones out there who shoot deer at 700 yards or beyond and not saying they can't but who almost have to see it to believe it. I wouldn't want to attempt it for wounding the animal. There are deer everywhere here so if they're too far for a safe shot wait 10 minutes and others will be there. I almost always shoot does or young bucks anyway because of better eating and wouldn't give you 15 cents for a wall hanger. Just me
 
I live in east texas, so normally it's no longer than 100 yards for me, unless i'm hunting on a pipeline right of way. On the right of ways, i sometimes take 200-450 yard shots with my 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser.:cool:
 
Close.......usually less than 50, and often less than 25.

We've got some open areas, chops and the like, but I find it much more rewarding to be close up in the thick stuff......creek bottoms and swamps. Don't see as many deer because you can't see as far but there is something about having one up close, even if it's a doe, where you can hear the acorns getting crunched and closely observe all their activities.

Just adds to the experence of being in the woods to get close. Beyond that when it is time to shoot one it's a rare thing to not have the bullet go exactly where it's suposed to.

All that said we've been pheasant hunting in the Dakotas a couple of times and in driving about the West I can see where you'd have to do things differently there. And it's also worth admitting that the rifle skills necessary for that long-range hunting are something me and my old .35 Rem do not possess.
 
Most often its 100yds thereabouts or less. We do have 1 stand thats a buck and a quarter at its furtherest point. A few years back we had a lease with a bean field and a cutover so there was distances further than I cared to try. But man I miss that bean field in the early season.
 
50 to 150 yards at my hunt club. Every so often I hunt a beanfeild or two with shots possible to 6-700 yards but have yet to trigger one at that distance and doubt I would.
 
In my home state of California the area I hunt is National Forest and to date I have never even shot at a deer over 100 yards away. Most shots are in the 75 yard range and my shortest shot was a whopping 5 yards!

I'm lucky enough that I have also got to hunt a lot in Utah and Colorado but even there I would bet my average shot is less than 150 yards. I have taken one deer at 300 and one elk at 800 yards but everything was perfect for both of those shots.
 
I plan for, and train for, anything out to 500 Yards.

Last year deer was 300 Yards from sitting and at a steep angle. That was the closest opportunity offered all season. Different areas breed different techniques and may require different tools.
 
I train for shooting deer out to 500yds but to date (after 20yrs of hunting) my longest shot taken was 290yds (according to my pacing). In fact that was my ONLY shot over 125 yds. 125yds or thereabouts was my next longest shot. Most deer I've taken though were within 100yds and the closest shot was about 25ft.
 
Iowa Here !!!

Typically, it's under 60yds. The longest shot I have ever taking was about 125yrds. Keep in mind that I started out as a Bow-Hunter and feel that it has made me a better hunter, overall. We like to get close and personal. No longer get buck fever. Was helping out a guy, at the range and he stated that the closet shot he was setting up to take, was for 200yds. Asked him where he was hunting and he said; Iowa .... :eek:

I have also hunted Alabama, SC and most of the Midwest states, same yardage. ;)

Once saw a video of a guy taking a Mountain Goat at 500yds. with a large M/L. Now that I understand .. .... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
Typically about 40 - 80 yards. Once at about 300 from a steady rest with my Browning A-Bolt .270, which I use to shoot a lot. I respect the game I am hunting and try to get a very quick and humane kill, as do most other hunters. Currently my favorite deer guns are my Ruger Deerfield .44 Mag. and Rem. Model Seven Stainless in .260 Rem. I can ring a 12" steel plate at 170 yards with the Ruger Deerfield .44, but when deer hunting I limit my shots to 100 yards, which is about all distances that I can muster from my woods stands. I think the .243 Win. just may be the best deer cartridge for all around whitetail hunting, but so does the wife who took mine over. lol
 
Like somebody else said, I keep the deer shots relatively short (inside 200 mostly), but if I see a hog I'm going to send one his way if he's inside 500 yards. Just seeing hogs in one of my pastures gets me to grinding my teeth and muttering threats.

I was at the feed store last week, buying seed to reseed what the hogs had messed up, and I got into a chat with the guys there. One of them had a special 308 caliber hog gun made up, with long range scope (and attach/detach Gen II night vision). He said that he'd just nailed a pig at 800. That's pretty impressive.

Ya know...I used to say I was a deer hunter. Now I think I'm more of a hog hunter.
 
Normally 200 yrds or less....I have made some over 300..but don't normally take those....We have a management lease..so best to be close in order to fully judge....
 
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