Typical Range of shot (deer and other medium game)

I watched two deer last night walk out of the treeline at 350+ and down to my pond for a drink at 150. This was at 6:30 so there were hours of light left.
 
I think my longest kill on a deer was about 250 yards,sitting in a chair with the side of the stand as a rest.Shortest with a rifle was about 10 yards while sitting on the ground.You know what he had his mind on.The vast majority were between 50 and 100 yards.I would probably take a shot at 300 yards if he wants to sit there long enough for me to get a good rest.If not maybe I'll see him later.You should be able to judge the situation by looking through your scope.If you have a deer in your sights at whatever yardage and you can't keep your crosshairs on the target not even trying to pull the trigger,then back off.Find a better rest or get closer.
 
Here in upstate NY we have alot of corn and soybean fields with lots of small patches of forest and scrub around them.

Depending on where you choose to hang a stand you can have a very close shot or a very long one.

Because we are a shotgun/ muzzleloader/ pistol only zone most of the guys shoot under 100 yards, with 50-75 being about average.

I, and my family have had shots and harvested deer from 10 feet to 200 yards, with the vast majority coming at about 75 yards.
 
75-100 yards covers all my rifle kills. Would I take a longer shot - say 150-200? Yes, the situation just hasn't presented itself. Longer than that, I would not feel confident, so would not - even though my rifle would gladly do it. So for me it is a limitation of myself, not equipment.
 
Closest rifle shot at a deer was about 30 yds (walking down a trail, the buck cam out and was walking almost abreast of me), farthest about 350 yds (bedded buck, rifle rested on a pack, across a rimrock canyon). Most have been about 100-150 yds. That's about how close most deer will let you get before they start to get uncomfortable.
 
Closest shot on deer and elk right about 25 yards. Farthest shot on elk 250 yards, farthest shot on Mule deer is 560 yards to date. Only bear lasered at 202 yards. Pronghorn closest shot 150 yards farthest 300 yards. Most of my deer and elk have been taken inside of 100 yards.
 
I hunt in South West Texas. Most of our shots are 100 - 200 yard range. I regularly see deer in the 300 yard and further range. I have taken a few past 300, but normally I will not attempt that long of a shot unless conditions are right (wind, proper rest, etc....).
 
My shortest was sniffing the bottom rung of my 10' ladder stand, my longest was a measured 287 yards.
The long one was on the gas line right-of-way where we had sighted in our rifles three days before. He was standing right in front of one of our target stands!
The closest was, well I was hunting from that stand at the time!
Average distance is probably 40-60 yards in pine/scrub oak thickets or creek swamp.
Will
 
My shortest shot was 20 yards, right at dusk. The longest shot was 225 yards. All with a Remington .270. Most of my shots have been at 100 yards +/-25yds. there are a couple of box blinds on our lease that have had deer shot out to 180 yards, but I usually have a lot of success at my blind, so I usually don't worry about longer (than 100yds.) shots.
 
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Seems typical of 90% of hunting. So why do some people think they need magnums and high powered scopes.

Answer: Because it is easier to blame an inamate object for failures than to blame the screwup using same object.
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Bagtit, I take it you don't use a magnum rifle?
 
Bagtit, I take it you don't use a magnum rifle?
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I don't use a magnum rifle to hunt with either and haven't found where all the extra recoil and noise produced that much better results on game. All of my large game has been shot with .243 Win, .270 Win, .30-06, or a .50 Cal ML. I do own a 7mm Rem Mag but I don't hunt with it, the rifle shoots great and would definatly do the job but I don't enjoy shooting it like I do my .270. My .270 has made my two longest kills that I posted above and both animals required only one shot and both went less than 20 yards after being hit.

The biggest problem I have with Magnum rifles is exactly what Bagtit stated. I've seen too many of my friends who don't spend enough time on the range blame the rifle and not themselves for poor shots. They go out and buy a .300 WM or something larger and think it will kill better and it doesn't because they didn't learn to shoot it well. Magnum rifles will do the job just the same as standard calibers as long as the hunter does theirs.
 
I hunted with a 300 WM for a while.It was a Model 70 that I sent to McMillan and had them bed in their stock which cost more than the rifle.It would shoot sub MOA.You just had to grit your teeth and take it.I have told this story a couple of times on this forum.I shot a doe square through both lungs with Weatherby factory loads and she ran 200 yards.The bullet never expanded,the fat filled the entrance and exit and,she did not even leave a trail.I was lucky to find her.I figure the bullet left going about as fast as it entered.I know this was an anomaly but it made me decide there is little point in taking the beating.I also think fatter is better as I have shot a couple of 140 class bucks with a 250 grain 45 lobbed out of a sidelock.They went less than 50 yards.
 
The biggest problem I have with Magnum rifles is exactly what Bagtit stated. I've seen too many of my friends who don't spend enough time on the range blame the rifle and not themselves for poor shots. They go out and buy a .300 WM or something larger and think it will kill better and it doesn't because they didn't learn to shoot it well. Magnum rifles will do the job just the same as standard calibers as long as the hunter does theirs.
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I really ain't trying to be a smart-alec, but it seems like your biggest problem isn't with the magnums, but with some of the people who use them.
 
Technology ( modern flat shooting rifles and great optics ) are great but not essential, since most of us have posted that typical yardages are around 75 - 100 yards or so.

I'll personally leave the superduperohmygodthatthingisloud magnums for those of you that want them...

You don't need a 300 weatherby for deer and similar game. Granddad's old .30-06 is more than enough gun and in most cases great grandad's ole thurty-thurty will do just fine too..

just my 3 cents on the topic...
 
it seems like your biggest problem isn't with the magnums, but with some of the people who use them.
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Oldironman that is the point I think Bagtit was trying to make as well when he complained about people using Magnum rifles. I don't have a problem with anyone using a 700 NE rifle on deer as long as they can shoot the rifle well. The problem is that I find is most people beleive what they read and think it can't be killed without the newest magnum load out there, and they can't even shoot it without flinching.

I find that I can consistantly shoot my .270 or my .30-06 better than any magnum rifle that I've ever shot. I'm not trying to pick any fights either, I beleive hunters should be able to use there weapon of choice very well. Most modern rifle cartridges (with a few exceptions) that have been developed since the 7x57 and .30-40 are capable of producing clean kills on deer sized game to 300 yards and beyond.
 
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Very true. Nearly every kill I have made could have been done easily with a 30-30. A 44 mag carbine could have done many of them (I wish I had one). But I ain't givin up my 300winmag. :eek:
 
shortest - about 20 yards running flat out straight away from me (almost stepped on her)

longest - about 150 yards, standing broadside

Both with a .308 Remington 760 with a 4x scope.

Now it has a 3-9 variable with BDC, but I've not had an opportunity to try longer ranges yet.
 
+1 to using whatever you want and can shoot well. Most of the guys I hunt with have "the" gun they hunt with no matter what critter we are hunting. These range from .257 Roberts to 270 to -06 to 7mmMag. Depending on what we draw in a given year, that particular round may be slightly under-gunned, slightly over-gunned, or "just right". But everyone can shoot their rifle well and has faith in it.

My buddy's mom killed a monster bull elk with her .257 Roberts - perfect shoot through the pump house. Before that, I would have "tsk-tsk"'d that round for elk. The guy who shoots the 7 Mag is "over-gunned" for blacktails if we end up hunting west side, but when he pulls the trigger there is an animal on the ground.
 
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