POLL: Your maximum rifle range on Deer

[Don Fischer]

Boy that was a good post. I don't really like these questions because of the quality of answers you get. On another site we got a post about long range shots on Antelope. The new poster told us he was good to go with his 25-06 to 400yds but never shot past 300yds. Probally has no idea how far he shoot's as he then described the load and trajectory for us. He's shooting a 115gr Nosler bal tip that's zeroed at 200yds. He claimed it was 1" high @ 100yds, 1" low @300yds and 3" low at 400yds!

When questioned he said he didn't know the velocity of the load but he shoot's a lot and that it might have been 6" low at 400yds.

How far can you kill a deer? How far can you see one? Most hunter's don't know come here form sic'm about how their rifle really shoot's, the velocity or anything about long range shooting but are willing to tell all they don't know to the unknowing as gospel. Next thing you know another unknowing is giving it a shot.

On yet another site the same subject came up and a guy posted that he carried a drop chart to 500yds with him. I asked how he adjusted the sights a 500yds and he told me he just looked at his chart and held over that much. Huh!

For myself I try to keep my shot's to 200-250yds. My rifles are zeroed in to max point blank range with a 6" target and 250 falls under that. I could count on the fingers of one hand the shot's I've taken in my life beyond 250 yds and there were none I had to take.

[rattus58]

Hi Don...

You are right of course about the unwashed (so to speak) spreading the gospel to the the unknowing and providing basis for future behavior.

One thing about Point Blank Range is that it at least represents your target. If you take the time to go to the range and determine at least your trajectory at varying distances out to some maximum distance, say 200 yards or even maybe 250, by taking a 6" pie plate and see if you can hit it consistently sitting on the ground.. wearing a back pack... or maybe shooting off your back pack or maybe taking a short jog around the rear of the shooting line and then coming up to the line and taking that 250 yard shot ... you've at least been there once before...

Much Aloha..

[Hammerforged]

I prefer not to shoot beyond 300 yards, but I would shoot up to 300 using a bi-pod and everything being calm. I have only shot one animal at this distance, it was actually more like 350 yards, a buck mulie with a .338 Win Mag. The bullet penetrated the heart but did not expand what so ever at that distance. It was a 250gr elk load, but to be honest I would have prefered a much lighter bullet in a .25 to 7mm cal or a 180 grain Ballistic Tip in the .338 cal.

[grayghost]

I'm amazed to see this post still going.

[gd357]

grayghost,

I suspect that most folks have an opinion on long range: what constitutes long range, where they feel comfortable shooting to, and how far an ethical shot should be taken. This, of course, is dependant upon their ability, equipment, and familiarity with their rifle. If you've never shot past 200 yards, regardless of what a ballistic table says you have no business taking a 300 yard shot.

gd

[TheSollyLama]

I'll stir the pot.

Every basic trainee in the Army shoots to 300 meters with nothing but peep sights. These basic training guns are the worst guns the army has- often shot out, beat up, one step from the scrap heap. I did basic in 1991 with an A1 model that was probably as old as me and rattled like a can of nails.

Now I grant that the E-Type target is far larger top to bottom that the vital area on even an elk. So I am conceding that.
However remember these guns are crap, loaded with cheap, mass produced ammo, and shot with peep sights, not a 12x magnification that shows the ticks on an elk's hide at half a click.

So I find it hard to believe people consider 300 yards/meters a long shot. On a sandbag and prone unsupported a crappy old M16A1 did that easily with peep sights.

Another thing I concede- it's easy to kill people, elk are tougher, yes. But I think you all get my point.

Having said that- I try to stalk closer if possible. Killed a deer with an SKS with cheap russian ammo standing off hand at 200 meters, dead when he hit the ground.
I also have limited mobility so if I can shoot something one hill farther away, that is one hill less for me to try to stalk over. So I actually prefer a longer shot. Beats stumbling around the woods on bad knees.

Just picked up a .257 Wby Mag Vanguard Deluxe that I got specifically for it's long range capability. I'm an experienced shooter comfortable with extended shooting.

It's just that in my experience with deer, I just run into them at closer ranges. But I'm looking forward to some pronghorn hunting next season, where long shots are the norm.

[skeet]

I'm gonna stir your pot a little...maybe. It isn't just hitting the target(animal) that is the part ya have to worry about. It is hitting it in the vitals with enough energy to do the job. Not everyone may be the shot you seem to be...or worry about making that incredibly long shot. The 257 Weatherby is a nice cartridge for long range antelope or deer(and I consider 400-450 to be a very long range on a game animal) but it sure ain't a long range elk or moose caliber. Couple hundred yards max in the hands of an excellent shot. Elk take a lot of killing sometimes. So do big mulies. And forget the 257 on griz. especially with the new griz...the ones that aren't afraid of humans. Weatherby and others used those calibers to kill those game animals...but ya never heard anything bad about those stunts. An elephant with the 257 was just that... a stunt to sell rifles. I read some of the old magazines where people shot bears lions and tigers et al with the 22 Savage Hi Power. Some people got hurt doing it. There was a big hype about the 250-3000 being death on anything years ago. Sales hype, too. Used to be a saying in the car racing industry years ago...Cubic inches win most all the time. Holds true today even with firearms..bigger is better within reason..... as shorter yardage is better too. Except for bears I'd just as soon have 'em in my lap when I shoot. BTW welcome to the site. Lots of nice people here.. Good info also. And we all learn from the new folks too. Welcome aboard

Maybe I should say that the longest shot I ever made(or attempted) on a game animal was an antelope at a bit better than 450 yds. I was confident in my ability to hit it and for the cartridge to kill it. I was used to shooting those yardages on ground hogs and foxes at that time shooting a couple thousand rounds or so a year at critters. Hit most of 'em too. Turned down a shot the other evening on a nice Muley at about 200 yds though. He was in the field eating with the cow critters. About a 30 inch 4X4 too. Eating right next to the ol' prize bull....which ain't mine!!

[TheSollyLama]

I totally agree, Skeet. I concede that the E Type is far larger, and of course it's not 3 feet of elk across.

My point was more about the accuracy limitations more than killing power. To me, 300 meters seems an easy shot, even with a beat up gun in Basic.

I'm with ya on the real world practicality of shooting at long range. Although I'm not on the magnum bandwagon alot of people seem to be on. I don't think the game is any harder to kill today than when my grandfather hunted with a .30-30 flat nose.

I sure wouldn't take on a cape buffalo with a .257 anything. But it does prove the point that it doesn't take a .416 Rigby either.

We're massively overgunned for the most part these days. I have bad legs so I like animals to drop where they stand too. I don't want to track it. But I've never had anything run off yet with a well placed shot. So I'll save my shoulder some and carry on with Roy's favorite while I'm at it.

But since my legs are bad- open terrain like where antelope live is more my forte, so that is really why I chose to go small/fast/flat with my chambering choice.
If I were back east or up in the mountains here more, I'd have gotten a simple .308

[skeet]

Is one thing I do not have. All these new Rums and ultras and super shorts etc aren't really any better than what we already had. Mostly a way to sell more new rifles etc etc. 50 more ft per second really doesn't give ya any advantage that I can see. Sure I have a few mags. Have an old Winchester M-70 in 375 H&H and another M-70 in 338 mag. They were bought years ago when I worked in Alaska. The last magnum I have is a 300 Winchester that I will use on Elk...and maybe moose in Wyoming. Moose in Alaska I used the 338. They live in some really nasty country and there are a few ocassional Grizzlies in the same area. They(grizzlies) are one of the hardest critters to stop I have ever seen....especially when they are stirred up. A long shot on Moose in Alaska is usually fairly short...but that muskeg is hard to go through tracking a wounded one. I also have an old German 300 Weatherby but a friend has had it for years in Alaska. One of the nastiest rifles I have ever shot. He kills his moose with it every year, though. My usual hunting rifle is generally a 280 Rem, 270 Win, 30-06 or 7mm-08..for deer etc. I also bought a Custom rifle at a yard sale(among others) this year that I may try on a moose or Elk. It is a Dale Goens built 35 Whelen. Have shot a few rounds through it and it is very accurate and kicks less than my 338.

[Minihuntur]

My max would be 300yds with my .243 and 2.5-10X42 scope. However add for no bench rest, wind, cold, jitters, and 90 percent chance of all-around crappy conditions (pray for the other 10 percent) I'd probably limit myself to 200yds.
Minihuntur

[Varmint Hunter]

I shot a buck @ 469 yards this year while hunting in NC. The shot was taken from a very high tower stand that enabled you to see over the pine trees. The tower rail was "fairly" stable and I leaned across 2 rails that were at right angles.

Buck was quartering towards me and standing on the edge of a thicket. I decided to take the shot before he slipped away or the sun dropped any further. The 162gr A-Max bullet, from my 7STW, went through the deer and blew through a rear femur on the way out. Oddly enough that buck walked ?? about 10 yards before piling up.

I was using a Leupold 6.5x20 scope with the varmint reticle. This reticle has horizontal lines for 200yds-300yds-400yds-500yds. I initially sighted the rifle in @ 200yds. Then moved out to the 500yd line. It was not too difficult to adjust the magnification ring so that the 500yd impact was on the money when using the 500yd crosshair.

As for knowing he EXACT range - I couldn't agree with you guys more. You either KNOW the range or you're just taking a wild guess. Guesses don't work. Laser rangefinders do.

Intersting thread

[Brother Rockeye]

I'll jump in on this one-lots of great responses so far.
My max changes every hunt because the variables change.
weather
terrain
time to set
iron being packed

every situation is different,so is the max for that situation...