Shortening my range paradigm - how far do you shoot?

"Just wondering, has anyone ever heard one of these long range hunter's either wound or completely miss an animal at 400+ yds? I haven't!"
I freely admit to having crippled quite a few coyotes in that 400+ yard range. When hunting with hounds, a crippled coyote is a dead coyote and that was our goal. Deer? Not many that couldn't be followed up. Probably fewer than "Joe the plumber" who only shot his "turdy/turdy" when a deer was in sight(and knew zilch about zero and trajectory).
 
Just wondering, has anyone ever heard one of these long range hunter's either wound or completely miss an animal at 400+ yds? I haven't!
Generally, no.
But I've admitted my mistakes in other discussions.

For example:
...Shot a doe antelope in the butt at about 425 yards, once. Bad, bad day.
The scope had failed (which made subsequent shots and putting her down a nightmare), but that doesn't make it any less my fault.
 
Just wondering, has anyone ever heard one of these long range hunter's either wound or completely miss an animal at 400+ yds? I haven't!

Yes, but I've also heard of folks that did the same at 100 or less. Stuff happens, or folks get excited, push their legitimate parameters or like FrankenMauser have equipment failure. Altho it seems on hunting forums, most of the time with poor hits, the equipment gets the blame. I believe FrankenMauser tho. Many times it comes down to one's own assessment of their skill level and their ethics. One of the worst scenarios I've seen in the last few years is the increase in cross-bow usage. Folks get a new crossbow and shoot it enough to get the scope sighted in and then hit the woods. Myself personally have always tried to get as close as possible to my quarry, thus the use of archery equipment, revolvers or handgun caliber carbines for deer. Sure I have to watch some good bucks walk outta range that would have been dead with my old ought-six, but it's gotten to the point where my priorities are with the hunt, not the kill. To each their own, as long as they do it ethically and legally.
 
I test a lot of ammo at 100 yds, when its not boiling hot lime it has been the last 3 weeks here.
My hunting spot consist of pasture and woodlands, and CRP fields with brushy fingers that roll up the landscape towards me with a nice 1/2 acre pond at my 12. The furthest shot could be up to 400 yds IF it wasnt CRP, most likely shots are 200 yds and less.
Some deer maybe running through my spot or even trotting, while a few just try to plain ole sneak through..
My longest kill from that spot was in November 2014 on a big 10 point at 225 yds with my 7mm rem mag, one 160 grn Accubond centerpunched his heart, he ran just out of sight over a knoll but not over 20 yds.
Sometimes I jump a deer and take an easy shot if backstop area is safe, at maybe 15 yds...
I like the .270 win, .243 win, 3006, 7 mm rem mag for this work.
And this year I will be using my newest build in 6.5 Creedmoor using 143 grn ELD-X bullets.
 
not far at all

Much of this depends on where, what and how you hunt. If one is a whitetailer, in most the settings E of the Mississippi, and perhaps elsewhere, I suspect most whitetails are killed under 100 yds, and certainly under 200. Sure there are beanfields and ROWs and food plots, but I think the vast majority of us hunt whitetails in cover were ranges are short. Look at all the success the "shotgun only" folks have on whitetails.

As far as "rethinking modern rifles" , for whitetails, I really do believe that most of us (me sometimes included) are overgunned. I hunt .308 and '06, and the .270 all on occassion, mostly because I like the specific rifles.....but I no longer believe you need that much power to effectively take deer in the 150 lb +/- class at the ranges discussed above. Average (?) hogs and maybe black bear too. Although I will not fully commit to the centerfire .22's as adequate, the .243/6mm with good slugs, the newer 6.5 CRM are plenty sufficient. So too, assorted light carbine calibers such as .44 mag, 7.62x39 and the 30-30 provided one realizes their shortcomings in terms of reach.

The West and Africa?? Never been and likely never will.
 
Don't hunt elk moose bear or mule deer. I just concentrate on my yearly allotment of one nice size white tail for MY freezer.

Sitting in a comfortable chair 10 feet off the ground my shots on average are about 100 yards over a abandoned hay field. But have harvested deer as far way as 200-300 yards in the same location. And that is my personal imposed limit. Beyond 300 I can't guarantee a quick humane dispatch as I believe "No game animal deserves less than."
 
As I get older I have slowed down. Use to tramp through the woods, up and down hills, but not so much any more. I find a likely spot and set and glass.

Odd thing is, I see a heck of a lot more game now.

I elk hunt in the mountains, I found a spot where I always see elk working their way to water. I set across a little canyon on a nice little spot where I can glass, read, make coffee and smoke without the critters even knowing I'm there. The problem is, the closest shot I can get is about 350 yards, and goes to 600 +. I tale my time, have my sight settings memorizes (written down to) for every likely spot. I'm not winded, and my rifle is on a good rest. Shot lots of critters there, none took more then one round.

Antelope too, some times I stretch those shots out, but I often get closer shoots. Deer? Not so far, Mulies are stupid, you can get buy with a lot of crap getting close to them.

I guess its where you live. When I was a kid in Arkansas, where I hunted you couldn't see 200 yards. Often not near that far. I did my hunting with a single shot 16 Gage and buck shot.

One must understand his rifle and ammo. For example different bullets are designed to work in certain velocities. The Berger bullets are designed to enter the target, come apart sending pieces through out the vital area destroying the central nervous system. But they have to have a certain velocity to do that. I called Berger and asked them about the limits. I was told they need at least 1800 fps to work properly.

So in determining your max range, you need to find a point where that bullet drops below the Min. and use that for your max range.

My primary hunting rifle is a Model 70 in 270 Win. Using the Hornady 150 IB, it stays past that at a bit over 600 yards. So I limit my elk hunting range to 600 yards.

Another point in mid range hunting is the critters don't know they are being hunted. The adrenaline doesn't kick in screwing with the meat.

But like any other shooting, the weakest link is the shooter.
 
I elk hunt in the mountains, I found a spot where I always see elk working their way to water. I set across a little canyon on a nice little spot where I can glass, read, make coffee and smoke without the critters even knowing I'm there. The problem is, the closest shot I can get is about 350 yards, and goes to 600 +. I tale my time, have my sight settings memorizes (written down to) for every likely spot. I'm not winded, and my rifle is on a good rest. Shot lots of critters there, none took more then one round.

I've never hunted out west. My dad tells me about a Mule Deer he shot once out west where it was well within range - a couple hundred yards away. Of course then he, after he took the shot, he realized that was a couple hundred yards away by line of sight because it was across a narrow but steep valley. Says it a was a major pain to get to and pack out.
 
I too am from NH and I agree with giaquir, most all the deer I have shot in NH were within 50 yds, I did take a doe on the powerlines last season at 100yds but that was with my favorite rifle and I shoot it alot, both off hand and rested. Down in So. Carolina where I hunt we hunt from raised platforms with rails all around so you can rest your rifle, I did shoot a couple bucks at 150 yds down there.
 
Yes, but I've also heard of folks that did the same at 100 or less. Stuff happens, or folks get excited, push their legitimate parameters or like FrankenMauser have equipment failure. Altho it seems on hunting forums, most of the time with poor hits, the equipment gets the blame. I believe FrankenMauser tho. Many times it comes down to one's own assessment of their skill level and their ethics. One of the worst scenarios I've seen in the last few years is the increase in cross-bow usage. Folks get a new crossbow and shoot it enough to get the scope sighted in and then hit the woods. Myself personally have always tried to get as close as possible to my quarry, thus the use of archery equipment, revolvers or handgun caliber carbines for deer. Sure I have to watch some good bucks walk outta range that would have been dead with my old ought-six, but it's gotten to the point where my priorities are with the hunt, not the kill. To each their own, as long as they do it ethically and legally.

I don't believe that the argument that people do it at 100yds also is a valid argument! People with 100 yd skills can get lucky at 400 yds and that doesn't make it alright. The problem for me is shooting at a game animal rather than a piece of paper.

The longest shot I've ever taken was 330 yds, measured. I'm embarrassed to admit it but I only did it to say I did! I sight my rifles these day's to MPBR and I live within that. My rifles are all sighted in to a 6" target, I could certainly go more but with most of them, that make's them just under 300yd shooter's. Awfully wide open country here and taking shot's at even 1000 yds, the shot would not be hard to find. I just don't figure a game animal is what people should test their shooting skill's on. Lot's of time's I've though I'd like to get into long range shooting, but only at paper or steel target's. M
 
Much of this depends on where, what and how you hunt. If one is a whitetailer, in most the settings E of the Mississippi, and perhaps elsewhere, I suspect most whitetails are killed under 100 yds, and certainly under 200. Sure there are beanfields and ROWs and food plots, but I think the vast majority of us hunt whitetails in cover were ranges are short. Look at all the success the "shotgun only" folks have on whitetails.

We're limited to shotguns, muzzle loaders, and certain handguns here in Illinois. And we have success, and take most deer at close ranges. But that may be partly because we can't take long range shots. By the time I shoot one up close, I've probably already watched 30 or 40 deer that were out of range, but could have been taken with a typical "deer rifle".

We hunt from stands in the woods, but many of them are overlooking fields where you can then see for miles. The type of woods makes a difference, too. Some areas are so thick you may as well fix bayonets, but in old growth hardwood timber, there often isn't much underbrush. Mature stands of oak and hickory form a canopy that blocks enough sunlight to keep the forest floor somewhat unobstructed, so it's pretty common to see things well over 100 yards away in those.
 
The cross hairs in your scope should tell you almost instantly what your capabilities are. Every time I have considered a shot on an elk at 400 yards or more the cross hairs were wandering around . And, quite often the surroundings don't offer you much of anything as a rest with even the ground running steeply down.
 
The type of woods makes a difference, too. Some areas are so thick you may as well fix bayonets, but in old growth hardwood timber, there often isn't much underbrush. Mature stands of oak and hickory form a canopy that blocks enough sunlight to keep the forest floor somewhat unobstructed, so it's pretty common to see things well over 100 yards away in those.

Funny you mention that. Where I hunt I can see across a field to my right (though its 230 yards to the road and beyond that it is back to woods). To my left and to some degree in front of me is somewhat open woods to a creek (and a high bank that I am not going to shoot up to the top of across) but it closes in after about 20 yards in front of me to stuff that you can crawl through on the deer trails if you are forced to.
 
I love long range target shootin' but I don like long range hunting shootin'.

Farthest I have shot one was 347 yds and that was back in the early 80s. I had no trouble with the range and had almost 100% confidence in the shot. Bagged a nice 12 pointer that time.

The very 1st deer that I shot was 20 yds, He was waking down a trail in front of me. Funny thing is, my Dad had just bagged an 8 pointer 15 minutes before from the same stand that I was in, but his shot was close to 90 yds.

Most shots range up to 175 yds on rare occasion due to brush and trees.
 
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