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At what range do you typically take deer?
- Thread starter Deja vu
- Start date
My deer have been less than 100 yds.
Many of those 250-400 yard shots are really in the 100-125 range if accurate measurements were made.
Powerlines can certainly be long. Why not pass on those shots and try moving closer to where the deer are crossing. Less crippling that way.
Many of those 250-400 yard shots are really in the 100-125 range if accurate measurements were made.
Powerlines can certainly be long. Why not pass on those shots and try moving closer to where the deer are crossing. Less crippling that way.
glocktwotwo
New member
Thats a tough one to answer,,it depends on your rifle the terrrain the bullets and the weather,,i have friends that have taken deer at 300+ yards and ond friends that have taken deer at 50 feet..the best one was a buddy taking a doe on the run with a 20 guage slug while the doe was on the run. And it was a head shot
Il woods -- can't see that far
My longest shot -- was a pronghorn at around 100 yds
WT deer in IA -- 40 yds w/ a muzzle loader
WT deer in IL -- longest was 45 yds, shortest 15 yds. Muzzle loader and shotgun slugs.
Farther away than 50 yds on my buddies property and you might be able to see that it is a deer, but too many trees to see the whole thing.
My longest shot -- was a pronghorn at around 100 yds
WT deer in IA -- 40 yds w/ a muzzle loader
WT deer in IL -- longest was 45 yds, shortest 15 yds. Muzzle loader and shotgun slugs.
Farther away than 50 yds on my buddies property and you might be able to see that it is a deer, but too many trees to see the whole thing.
I grew up in NW Michigan and I used to only take 15-20 yards for Bow, 25 yards max for Pistol (.357), 75 yards for BP (Hawken) and 100 yards for Rifles.
Moved to Arizona for 17 years and changed my mind. Mind you I've practiced and made these shots. In Phoenix the Archery butts go all the way out to 100 yards! The pistol has long range silhouettes to 200 and the rifle range runs out to 300.
So I've since made shots on Mulies out to 84 yards with my bow. Avg is 40 yards. Same pistol, practiced on the 200 yards silhouettes and longest shot ever taked out west was 135 yards. Got a new Muzzeloader (Disc Extreme in .52 cal) and killed a Whitetail in Michigan at 225 yards. Mule Deer with my 7 mag at 330 yards. And while the OP only asked about Deer, I did make one shot on a Colorado Elk at 411 yards with the same 7 mag. I only took that shot because I had a boulder for a rest and I lasered the Elk to know the exact range and my 7 mag shoots right on my ballistics table to 350 yards. so I aimed at the top of the shoulder blade and touched' er off.
But in all of these I'd have prefered to be closer. In Colorado and Arizona there isn't usually much to hide behind for a slow stalk so you move fast and take the shots that are offered when you can.
In 35 years of hunting I've only lost one Deer, a whitetail in Michigan with my Hawken at about 60 yards. Blood trail ran out after 200 yards and it died crossing the river. I tracked it to the river but didn't find it then. I did find it in the spring though.
Moved to Arizona for 17 years and changed my mind. Mind you I've practiced and made these shots. In Phoenix the Archery butts go all the way out to 100 yards! The pistol has long range silhouettes to 200 and the rifle range runs out to 300.
So I've since made shots on Mulies out to 84 yards with my bow. Avg is 40 yards. Same pistol, practiced on the 200 yards silhouettes and longest shot ever taked out west was 135 yards. Got a new Muzzeloader (Disc Extreme in .52 cal) and killed a Whitetail in Michigan at 225 yards. Mule Deer with my 7 mag at 330 yards. And while the OP only asked about Deer, I did make one shot on a Colorado Elk at 411 yards with the same 7 mag. I only took that shot because I had a boulder for a rest and I lasered the Elk to know the exact range and my 7 mag shoots right on my ballistics table to 350 yards. so I aimed at the top of the shoulder blade and touched' er off.
But in all of these I'd have prefered to be closer. In Colorado and Arizona there isn't usually much to hide behind for a slow stalk so you move fast and take the shots that are offered when you can.
In 35 years of hunting I've only lost one Deer, a whitetail in Michigan with my Hawken at about 60 yards. Blood trail ran out after 200 yards and it died crossing the river. I tracked it to the river but didn't find it then. I did find it in the spring though.
black mamba
New member
I've killed deer with handgun, shotgun slug, muzzleloader and centerfire rifles over a 30 year period. I just went back through all my notes, and found the longest shot was 200 yards with a .270, and the shortest was 45 yards with a 44 mag handgun. The average for all of them came to a hair over 92 yards.
Last year I passed up some does walking by me seated on the ground at 6 yards, and also passed up the largest buck I've ever seen in the wild at 575 yards. I spotted him with binoculars laying in a honeysuckle thicket along a fencerow way across a large open field. I could have got to about 400 yards of him, but I was armed only with a shotgun and a revolver, so I just marked the spot for this coming year. Hope he survives to give me another chance!
Last year I passed up some does walking by me seated on the ground at 6 yards, and also passed up the largest buck I've ever seen in the wild at 575 yards. I spotted him with binoculars laying in a honeysuckle thicket along a fencerow way across a large open field. I could have got to about 400 yards of him, but I was armed only with a shotgun and a revolver, so I just marked the spot for this coming year. Hope he survives to give me another chance!