Longest range you’re comfortable @ confident shooting targets at
- Thread starter TXAZ
- Start date
I used to shoot XTC (across the course) with an AR15. We shot at 200, 300 and 600 yds. Iron sights. I was rated an expert shooter. There are many, many people who shoot XTC.
I used to be an avid varmint shooter, shooting ground squirrels out to 500-ish yds with a 22-250. Any animal that presented an opportunity was in serious trouble.
I used to be an avid varmint shooter, shooting ground squirrels out to 500-ish yds with a 22-250. Any animal that presented an opportunity was in serious trouble.
I can shoot to about 650 on my land and I am within 15 minutes of where I can shoot to 1400. It's not uncommon for me to burn many hundreds of rounds a year at 800 and 1000 yards and sometimes I'll go through a few hundred at the 1200 yards mark.
I will shoot at any target for fun, but not over 500 meters at game. I just see no need to ever shoot past that range at game. Not ever.
I will shoot at any target for fun, but not over 500 meters at game. I just see no need to ever shoot past that range at game. Not ever.
Comfortably at targets 600 yards. I have taken it back to 1,000 yards at times.
Game animals 500 or preferably less.
As for rifles.
Savage 110 FP in 223 Rem (600 yards)
Stevens200 in 250 Savage
Ruger77 MKII in 257 Roberts
Stevens 200 in 7mm-08 AI ( now the 250 Savage)
Ruger 77 MKII in 280 Rem
Custom Mauser in 284 Win
Savage 111 in 7mm Rem Mag.
Game animals 500 or preferably less.
As for rifles.
Savage 110 FP in 223 Rem (600 yards)
Stevens200 in 250 Savage
Ruger77 MKII in 257 Roberts
Stevens 200 in 7mm-08 AI ( now the 250 Savage)
Ruger 77 MKII in 280 Rem
Custom Mauser in 284 Win
Savage 111 in 7mm Rem Mag.
600 is as far as I've tried. The range where I normally shoot only goes to 300. But I have a friend who owns a hay farm that will let me shoot there. But only for a few months a year. He has given hunting rights to someone else so I can't go during hunting season. And he doesn't want me there during growing season. So January- April is the only time I can go. I could do 1000+ there, but 600 is as far as I've tried.
Well, ranges near me are limited, so for now it's 200-300 yards with my AR and Sig Romeo 4 red dot. However, when I was younger, 300 yards scoped was a breeze, can't remember exactly the rifles I used but both were bolt action, both were scoped, one was .30-06, and the other was Brit .303. I have no formal military training or access to longer range, so 300 is my max to date.
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
I've always thought in terms of hunting, so 500 yards is about as far away as I've ever considered. I hung a 22" steel plate at 500 and built a shooting table near my house. No difficulty in one-MOA.
Weatherby MarkV. 26" .30-'06. 1997 vintage Simmons 44Mag 3-10. Sierra handloads.
Weatherby MarkV. 26" .30-'06. 1997 vintage Simmons 44Mag 3-10. Sierra handloads.
600 yards has been my max. My range has a 1,000 yd course but you have to qualify to use it. And you have to have some friends to run the targets. As soon as I get some taller scope rings for the rifle and then get some friends, I'll make an attempt to qualify for the 1,000 range.
Rifle is a Ruger M77 Mk II in 30-06. Scope is a Leupold but I don't recall the specs on it.
--Wag--
Rifle is a Ruger M77 Mk II in 30-06. Scope is a Leupold but I don't recall the specs on it.
--Wag--
I've shot... and hit... steel pipe at 1244yds. Single-shot .45-70 with a tang peep sight. I was regularly hitting the 500, 600, and occasionally the 800yd pipes with my .348, my Savage 99 in .308, and, yes... my 1894 in .41 Magnum, all with receiver peeps. For that matter, I was bashing the 500yd with my 4" Smith in .41.
If you are talking precision work, I'm confident to about 600yds with my Savage 10T in .308, but I'd like to take it further; 1000yds with confidence is my goal.
If you are talking precision work, I'm confident to about 600yds with my Savage 10T in .308, but I'd like to take it further; 1000yds with confidence is my goal.
I have to know where my bullet will stop. I have to know my downrange is clear of people,livestock,etc.
Beyond that.if I can see it....and prpbably if I can see a dust puff or other indication of where I hit, why not? I had a spot I used fairly often that lasered 1100 yds.I'll try whacking a rock or bush across canyon,600 yds or more with my 44 mag SB.
No brag involved.I do my share of missing,and I'm nothing special. You can't make the shot if you don't take it. Do t enough and you get sort of "calibrated"
I'll even admit to a little cheating on some long range "bragging" shots.I might see an auxiliary aiming point 1/4 the way up the mountain that drops them "amazingly" on my target. I remember that point.
That's good fun shooting at an inanimate object.
If its a critter I owe a quick,clean end,I'm conservative. Whether that is 100 yds or 400 yds,or no shot at all depends on several things.
Beyond that.if I can see it....and prpbably if I can see a dust puff or other indication of where I hit, why not? I had a spot I used fairly often that lasered 1100 yds.I'll try whacking a rock or bush across canyon,600 yds or more with my 44 mag SB.
No brag involved.I do my share of missing,and I'm nothing special. You can't make the shot if you don't take it. Do t enough and you get sort of "calibrated"
I'll even admit to a little cheating on some long range "bragging" shots.I might see an auxiliary aiming point 1/4 the way up the mountain that drops them "amazingly" on my target. I remember that point.
That's good fun shooting at an inanimate object.
If its a critter I owe a quick,clean end,I'm conservative. Whether that is 100 yds or 400 yds,or no shot at all depends on several things.
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FrankenMauser
New member
If the area and backstop are safe, I'll sling lead at anything I can see.
About 20 years ago, my family spent the better part of an hour watching splashes around an abandoned, destroyed truck (on BLM land) somewhere between 1,200 and 1,500 yards; while trying to walk each other onto the target.
Just as we had done on the walk out there, we went by the truck on the way back to our vehicles. We couldn't find a single new impact...
About 20 years ago, my family spent the better part of an hour watching splashes around an abandoned, destroyed truck (on BLM land) somewhere between 1,200 and 1,500 yards; while trying to walk each other onto the target.
Just as we had done on the walk out there, we went by the truck on the way back to our vehicles. We couldn't find a single new impact...
My local club maxes out at 100 yards. I shoot all of my long guns(22rf, 556, 35rem, 8mm, and 30-06) at that range. Occasionally I'll sling some 20gauge slugs at the 100 as well. My in laws have property where I could push out to farther ranges, but what lies beyond keeps me from trying. I've never had the opportunity to shoot at farther ranges, but I wouldn't mind trying. As long as there is a safe backstop, I would have no guilt or shame in missing non living targets.
Sure Shot Mc Gee
New member
I can shoot further than what I prefer. And occasionally there is need too. Especially when sitting in my deer stand hunting.
Although I kinda limit my shooting when hunting and target practice to 100 yard point of aims.
Why 100 yrds? I hate long recovery walks. {My balance is not what it once was a trip & fall is so upsetting.} No worse feeling than laying on ground like a turtle on its back. With a rifle slung over arm underneath me. Oh!! the swearing and struggle just to get up? Its a good thing no one near can hear such talk.
Back to the subject:
I have dispatched deer of all sizes across a medium size derelict hay field. {Kitty corner} from my deer stands location. Close to (300-350 yrds I'd say. (I never walked a straight line so to measure? )
No magnum. Just a couple plain janer 700s showing outstanding performance I'm privilege to have. (270 _ 25-06 w/ custom home re-loads.) cut the wind and fill my freezer yr after yr.
Although I kinda limit my shooting when hunting and target practice to 100 yard point of aims.
Why 100 yrds? I hate long recovery walks. {My balance is not what it once was a trip & fall is so upsetting.} No worse feeling than laying on ground like a turtle on its back. With a rifle slung over arm underneath me. Oh!! the swearing and struggle just to get up? Its a good thing no one near can hear such talk.
Back to the subject:
I have dispatched deer of all sizes across a medium size derelict hay field. {Kitty corner} from my deer stands location. Close to (300-350 yrds I'd say. (I never walked a straight line so to measure? )
No magnum. Just a couple plain janer 700s showing outstanding performance I'm privilege to have. (270 _ 25-06 w/ custom home re-loads.) cut the wind and fill my freezer yr after yr.
bamaranger
New member
good shots & comfortable, confident.....and consistent!!
I've got to say, there seems to be a lot of really good shots here! I'm not accusing anybody of anything, but I'm not near that good.
There's an old Cooper quote that goes something down the lines of, "...if I can see it, I can hit it.......". I'll add that Cooper should have added, eventually and with a spotter. Cooper actually was a proponent of first round hits, on demand, under time, , and he also maintained that shooting from improvised and field positions was far more important than off the bench. When I shoot at our local club, or hazard a trip to the public range, both pretty nearby, I seldom see anybody shooting from improvised or field type positions, but the benches get lots of use.
Off hand, standing flat footed and unsupported, and if well practiced, and on a calm day, I can/could hit a .22 cowbell type target (maybe 4x6") about half the time at 100 yds. Sitting, slung-up, I could go 7- 8 and sometimes 9 out of 10. That was with either a scoped rifle or one with a peep. Off an improvised rest, tree, fence rail, I expected to shoot a bit better and usually did. Those days are likely over. A bad knee and hip keep me from getting into a stable sitting position these days. I should try it prone with a sling, but I don't know if I've ever shot anything afield, from classic, slung-up prone.
I shot F-T/R for a few years , 'till I decided I couldn't afford it anymore, but in those couple of years I learned I wasn't near the rifleman I though I was.My rig was a Savage .308, good trigger and scope, and eventually a very stable Sinclair bi-pod with butt sandbag. On ACR courses,( and certainly out at 1000,) reading the wind, even with every shot scored and spotted, made 10's and "X's" hard to come by for me if there was much wind at all past 300 yds. The 10 ring is a full minute in size, and the X is 1/2 minute. I shot a lot of 8's and 9"s (and sometimes worse) dispersed laterally, and this was at known distances and very stable. From a field position, improvised and unknown distance, my shooting could only have been worse.
If its safe, I'll shoot at targets at any distance for grins and to try and learn a bit.
I understand my centerfire rifles trajectory and how I've zeroed them, and am confident I should hit a pie plate size target from a field position, if I have time to get stable/supported and the wind is not too high to about 400 yds consistently.
Beyond 400 yds, I'm confident I'll hit it, eventually!!!!!
I've got to say, there seems to be a lot of really good shots here! I'm not accusing anybody of anything, but I'm not near that good.
There's an old Cooper quote that goes something down the lines of, "...if I can see it, I can hit it.......". I'll add that Cooper should have added, eventually and with a spotter. Cooper actually was a proponent of first round hits, on demand, under time, , and he also maintained that shooting from improvised and field positions was far more important than off the bench. When I shoot at our local club, or hazard a trip to the public range, both pretty nearby, I seldom see anybody shooting from improvised or field type positions, but the benches get lots of use.
Off hand, standing flat footed and unsupported, and if well practiced, and on a calm day, I can/could hit a .22 cowbell type target (maybe 4x6") about half the time at 100 yds. Sitting, slung-up, I could go 7- 8 and sometimes 9 out of 10. That was with either a scoped rifle or one with a peep. Off an improvised rest, tree, fence rail, I expected to shoot a bit better and usually did. Those days are likely over. A bad knee and hip keep me from getting into a stable sitting position these days. I should try it prone with a sling, but I don't know if I've ever shot anything afield, from classic, slung-up prone.
I shot F-T/R for a few years , 'till I decided I couldn't afford it anymore, but in those couple of years I learned I wasn't near the rifleman I though I was.My rig was a Savage .308, good trigger and scope, and eventually a very stable Sinclair bi-pod with butt sandbag. On ACR courses,( and certainly out at 1000,) reading the wind, even with every shot scored and spotted, made 10's and "X's" hard to come by for me if there was much wind at all past 300 yds. The 10 ring is a full minute in size, and the X is 1/2 minute. I shot a lot of 8's and 9"s (and sometimes worse) dispersed laterally, and this was at known distances and very stable. From a field position, improvised and unknown distance, my shooting could only have been worse.
If its safe, I'll shoot at targets at any distance for grins and to try and learn a bit.
I understand my centerfire rifles trajectory and how I've zeroed them, and am confident I should hit a pie plate size target from a field position, if I have time to get stable/supported and the wind is not too high to about 400 yds consistently. Beyond 400 yds, I'm confident I'll hit it, eventually!!!!!
I never had access to a range longer than 200 yards, and that was for benchrest shooting. It would be fun to try some longer ranges, but for the most part 100 yards is what I consider my practical limit for hitting what I'm shooting at with any predictability. I did take out a prairie dog once at what I estimated was about 300 yards, but I suspect that was more luck than skill.