What's the max range you'll shoot at game?

[H&H,hunter]

This is not to be meant as a brag colume I'm just curious what distance you guys feel comfortable under field conditions taking a shot?
I'll fess up right know. I think 300 yds to be on the outside but have taken successfull shots at further distances. I am not proud of that fact.

[fix]

Where I live, 250-300 yards is about as far as you're going to reach out. Most shots on deer are under 150.

[Nalle]

On our huntinggrounds here in west-coast sweden, we have alot of dense forrest and alot of terrain. Max distance I´ve shoot or even considered a shot is about 150m. Have my 30-06 sighted in at 150m and its dead on accurate from 5-150m. Suits me fine, no need to calculate distance or consider bullet-drop. =)

[Art Eatman]

For me, there are two factors: First is my confidence level in the package of me and the rifle. Second is whether or not I'm really confident in knowing the range.

Out to 300 yards with my pet '06, there's not even a questioning of "He's mine."

And then there's dat ol' debbil, circumstance. I'd take a shot on the last day of the season that I might not try, early on. I killed a pretty good buck at some 350 yards or so, on a last-day, last run before going home...

I taught myself a real lesson about this range-thing, back maybe 30 years ago. I thought a nice buck was maybe 400 yards off. I had a very good rest. I whanged and banged and finally figured out he was out at maybe 550 yards. Dumb me. Well, stupidity loves company, and he finally walked maybe 100 yards toward me. Heckuva way to get a one-hit kill, if not a "one-shot" kill.

Art

[H&H,hunter]

Art,
I agree with you. If I am with one of my pet rifles I'll take farther shots. I've got an old 375H&H that just can't miss. The other factor is a good range estimate. I become far more brash and debonaire if I know exactly what the range is IE a range finder. The reason most people miss is either under or over estimating range. If the wind is calm and I have a good rest I can call my shots fairly reliably past 450 yds. That does not mean that I'll shoot big game at those ranges.
I like most hunters have taken those last afternoon desperation shots at galactic ranges. It takes experience and disipline to not take those shots. especially when you know that you can probably connect. Probably isn't really good enough.
Whats the old saying "Good judgement comes from experience, experience comes from bad judgement"
If you never try you'll never know

[yorec]

With my .270 or .300 Win Mag I've taken shots up to and including 475 yards. I don't take them often and the conditions have to be perfect - very little or no wind, good solid rest, and a motionless animal. Otherwise, 300 or 350 is it and in bad conditions, 250 yds would be max.

[Bill Junior]

I limit myself to 250 yards, cause that's all I practice out to.

[LONGRIFLE30]

I practice out to 340 yards and rarely to 500 yards. I would have to say that it would depend on the game being hunted among many other variables, such as wind and visibility. There is no reason to be ashamed of taking long shots so long as it is a humane kill. I see people getting bashed all the time for taking what others consider to be a long shot. I would have to guess the folks doing the bashing are not capable of making shots that long and either don't think it is possibe, or they are simply jellous because they can't make long range shots.

[444]

Under ideal conditions; range finder, rest, no wind, I would feel real comfortable at 300 yards. Further than that, I think I would try to get closer even if it meant spooking the animal. As was mentioned, the last day............. if the same ideal conditions existed, I would certainly try a 400 yards shot. I have a trajectory table out to 600 yards taped to my rifle stock. All this being said, I have taken whitetail deer, mule deer, and elk and have never taken a shot over maybe 125 yards, most inside of 50.
After putting in my tag applications the other day, I have started upon an aggressive familiarization program with my '06. I just started casting bullets and am going to shoot a ton of them. Closer to the season, I will start shooting full powered jacked bullets. My goal is to be better with my rifle than I have ever been in the past.

[Jamie Young]

I would take shots out to 600yds with My Model 70 30/06.

[lilbiggun]

It depends.
caribou 400yards, sheep and goats, somewhere around 250yards. The rest around here around 100-150 yards.

Reasons are simple, for bou I use my 270 and I have shot this thing on the range at 500yards. Sheep and goats I use the same rifle but because of the terrain, if I cant get within 250yards, theres a good chance I cant retrieve the animal safely at 400. theres alot of cliffs and cravasses that you dont see, but it depends on the situation. Moose and bear I use open sights (45/70 and 458Lott) and thats what range I'm comfortable with. I prefer 100yards or under but will shoot to 150.

[Fatelvis]

250 yds for big game. Coyotes and varmints---- no limit!

[k77/22rp]

Here in Michigan the max. you could see a deer in the woods is 100yds. Only place there'd be a long shot would be on farmland but your restricted to handguns and shotguns there.

[Art Eatman]

SodaPop, an '06 drops around seven feet at 600 yards. Do you use a rangefinder? I defy you to "good-eye" the difference between 500 and 600--and the difference in drop is three feet.

Even a 10 mph breeze causes a bit over two feet of deflection. Do you use an anemometer?

How do you assure yourself of a clean-kill hit?

, Art

[H&H,hunter]

Sodapop,
I'm just curious have you ever shot anything at 600 yds? At 600 yds your getting into some real big time variables as far as wind air density range. Do you know that at 600 yds 20 dgrees temperature will affect the drop of your bullet by as much as a foot? As air becomes less dense with temperature a bullet will fly better at hot temperature and high high altitude.
I know some guys who can shoot consistenly at 500 + yards but believe me they have the equipment and skill to do it. I watched a friend of mine who shoots 1000 yd match miss a coyote at 580 yds lazed not one but 3 times.And this was with his 1000 yd set up .338 UM. This guy can stick a 3 shot group inside of 5" at a 1000 yds just about every time. But the difference is that we generally don't have the controlled enviroment in the hunting field that we have at the shooting range.
I will also state at this time that I'll shoot at varmints at any range and have killed several hogs and coyotes way the h*** out there. Next time your out in the field bring a range finder look at something you think is 600 yards out take a shot at it then after you miss the first shot range it you'll be suprised how far your estimate was off about 99% of the time. Usually an animal won't stand there and let you take several ranging shots.

[MeekAndMild]

150 yards, cause that is the biggest clearing I hunt.

[m14nut]

50-80 yrds in the dense VT. hardwoods is all your'e gonna be able to see .

[ms1200]

i limit myshots on big game to 300 yards,although my longest shot to date has just been a hair over 220. most of my shots are inside of 150. now on coyotes & other assorted varmitlike critters 400-500-600 leter rip

[Jamie Young]

QUOTE]I'm just curious have you ever shot anything at 600 yds? At 600 yds your getting into some real big time variables as far as wind air density range.[/QUOTE]

The answer is yes. The most recent thing I learned shooting is shooting between wind gusts. Ironically it was just this past week that I successfully grouped all my shots on Paper without any blow aways at 500yds. I shot 10 inch group at 500yds with a FAL. TFL Member "Dead" was with me last week.

Do you use a rangefinder?

No but I'm pretty good at judging out to 400yds with just My scope reticle.

The only thing I really hunt with an '06 here in PA is Black Bear. I've been set up in positions where I could have shot 600yds if I had too. The first year I went out for Black Bear My best friend was attacked walking out of his cabin. I would have taken a shot then and probable missed but I've gotten better since then.

I hope I don't sound like I'm bragging

[Mannlicher]

the correct answer is: it depends!! Depends on terrain, cover, game, rifle you have with you, load,optics, time of day, etc, etc, etc.

The last 5 deer I have taken with one exception, were all killed at distances less than 50 yards. The rifle I used was selected for heavy cover, short range work. the exception was a shot at about 250 yards, using a different rifle, because in the area I was hunting, there was a 50/50 chance that the shot might have to be taken across a pasture, not in the heavy cover I usually prefer. Good planning, and knowledge of the area paid off.

I realize that hunting in Florida swamps and palmetto thickets is different than hunting in the Rockies. In mountain areas, or the wide open plains, I am sure I would use a different rifle than the .44 Mag Marlin 1894S, or the short barrel Mannlicher-Schoenauer in 8mm Mauser. I have never been one to take a shot at long range, if I could get closer. Stalking is, to me, half the fun and challange of the hunt.

[salatheel]

my effective range is about 400 yds The last shots have been under 200 yds I shoot a 264wm with 125gr nosler partition

[Mal H]

SodaPop, Just to clarify for me - you said you shoot 10 MOA at 500 yds with a FAL. That is roughly a 4 to 5 foot diameter circle at that distance. Are you comfortable taking a shot at game, not paper, with that accuracy criteria at an even greater distance? Or, was the 10 MOA a mis-statement and you meant something different?

[H&H,hunter]

Sodapop,
I think your missing the point of accurate long range field shooting. Without precise measurment of range it is impossible to accuratley shot long range, period. The reason for this is that past 400 yds bullet drop increases drastically. the difference in drop between 550 yds and 600 yds is about 18" or roughly the chest width of a black bear. Guys who do shot accuratley at range all have one thig in common, a good range finder. then we must figure all of the other variables. I still don't think you got the piont about air density temprature hunidity ETC play a huge part in it. IE where your gun shots at 600 yds today may well be entirely different tommorrow. Once I get my elevation and windage at the range I can do way better than 10 moa at 500 yrads. But thatb is at the range under controlled conditions no stress and tons of time. Not the case out inthe field. Noit to mention that an 06 hardley carries the energy to be poppin bears with at 600 yds.
I'm not trashing you sodapop I'm just trying to get you to reconsider shooting a Game animal at that distance unless you've really got your stuff wired tight.
Lets put it this way, I know alot of really good hunters some of whom are military sniper qualified and some of whom have hunted all over the world for lots of stuff. I don't think any of them would admitt to taking a first shot at that range on a big game animal.
Finally when I asked you if you had ever shot anything at that range I was refering to animals not paper. I bust rocks at 800 to 1000 yards all the time it's just not the same thing.

[MP Freeman]

I don't understand having to take a long shot for us Hoosiers in Indiana. I've never taken a shot on any game past 50yds, yet I've only hunted in SOuthern and central Indiana.

Lately the only hunting I've been doing is popping starlings and crows with my brother's pellet gun in my back yard. I'm dropping crows with that bugger at about 25yds.

In early may I'm going to Missouri to shoot some long distance 50BMG but I have never hunted at long range.

In northern Indiana where the land is flat, long range could be critical, but in Southern Indiana, it's all hills and trees.

I'd say that 200 yds is my realistic comfort area of shooting in my neck of the woods.

MPF

[Art Eatman]

I've hunted the river bottom swamps of the Appalachicola River below Blountstown, Florida. Unless you're sitting in a stand at the edge of a clearing, a pistol or shotgun would all that's needed. Shots of 10 to maybe 35-ish yards would be the usual.

My home turf here in the desert, you just never know. Anywhere from under your feet to "Waayyyy out yonder!" It's commonly a case of shoot him running, or just plain forget it.

I'll say it again, there ain't no "always". It's all up to you, your confidence level, and how well you're married up to your pet bang-stick.

, Art