Just wondering whats it is. For me its 200-250m if the terrain allows i will always get closer.
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Just wondering whats it is. For me its 200-250m if the terrain allows i will always get closer.
ive happily taken a few dozen animals out to 550, missed my first longer shot at 650. took rifle home, checked on paper and 1ft out. may of been a scope bump or somthing. dunno.
If I can get properly set up for the shot and the animal "presents" satisfactorily, I will pull the trigger on something at 400 yds and be at least 90% confidenf of a fatal shot. Quite recently I got the opportunity at a Sika stag at 405 yds. I had a great set up buf waited some time to get the side profile I wanted. Was about to give up as I thought the stag wouldn't turn but he suddenly did and I got just enough time to get the shot away. Rifles I would attempt similar shots with are my 30.06, 270W, 300 Win Mag, 300 Blaser Magnum. Wouldn't try it though with my 375 H&H or 375 Ruger although they could sling bullets that far.
About 300m for me. Otherwise I try and get closer. I know my 308 can kill much further out, but I don't trust my own ability to make a vital hit too much further.
Happily shoot targets out to 700m and expect to get on target quickly.
Limit myself to 350-400m on game, even then only if I can't get closer. I feel like there are too many external variables compounding past these distances and I'm not experienced enough to observe and correct for them in novel situations.
I have to walk over and get it anyway, may as well make the shot easier too.
with the .270 its 300-350 absolute maximum on deer...wallabies have no range limit,either they die or are missed.
I used to consider 300 too far to shoot for my first decade of hunting, but these days with a good ballistic app and rangefinder, dial scope, loads of practice and a 6.5 147g bullet travelling at 3180 I shoot between 600y and 800y confidently. Unless the wind is up then I won’t even consider a shot passed 300. In the last few years I taken about 15 deer at those ranges, I had one shot hit too far back on one animal in the chest/gut and had to do a follow up shot which dropped it. But it comes down to practice and good gear for me.
Try keep inside 300 if terrain allows, only once taken a shot at 360 on a red which was successful/sacked it.
Shot a few deer around the 300-400yds.Furtherest shot was a fallow buck at 437yds.Witnessed by 2 hunters from chch,buck dropped on the spot.If the shot was on at 500yds id have no problem taking it on a big animal.Roos give you good practice at distance.
Easier to learn to get closer than to shoot at extended ranges, kudos to those who can but I find 350 is a heck of a long way away . . . For some reason 280 ish is quite doable from field positions for me
my 350odd metre headshot
https://www.facebook.com/lars.kramer...55628231490941
On Vermin no limit as shot placement is not as important, before anyone as a cry about that comment, hit a Magpie anywhere with 180 grain bullet death is quick.
My main concern with long range shots is having time to back up the first shot.
250 is a long way for me. Don't think I've ever shot one passed 300. Definitely not since I've had a rangefinder.
I sight in for 200 and it's always a relief when someone else is using my gear and a 300 yard shot works.
I like to stay under 250 mtr,
however I have taken a few goats out at 450 mtr and would be OK taking deer size game out to 500 mtr if conditions and rest are good with my 243. (fast twist High BC bullets)
However my 358 win I would not shoot out past 300 mtrs and have only shot game as far as 250 mtr.
I mostly shoot north island farm land, bush, bush margins around tops, river flats and farms hence I don't have the need to take long shots as normally I can close the gap.
Z
I've shoot deer out past 1000m in the past, I was shooting almost every day, In all conditions, on steel out to 1800 had really good optics and big 375s etc, and had no trouble with it, never lost an animal all one shot kills, and enjoyed the challenges involved.
These days, it has to be inside 400 in good conditions. Im not shooting enough to be confident of making it all come together past there.
Also I don't have $ invested in the guns or the time to practice I guess.
I believe anyone can shoot that far if they are prepared to put the time and $ into it if that's what they want to do.
There's some gun builders around like Kiwi Greg that specialize in making awesome rigs if it's your thing.
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Often this kind of thing can be a bit of a dick swinging competition, but so far so good with this thread.
@BRADS has nailed it - with skills, practice, the equipment and frequent shooting, you can shoot deer very dead with a big bullet at improbable ranges.
But for most of us mere mortals, you're looking at whatever your [aforementioned] allows.
In the period I was shooting a lot of deer as part of a concerted effort to clear land, a 500m shot was routine. 600m sometimes. With the .300, the odd 700m+. The primary control on range was topography - the typical distance across gullies.
However, as I've mentioned on here in the past, I found that kind of shooting to be unproductive. One shot and usually in that kind of country the mobs scatters and keeps on scattering and the chance of a second deer is drastically diminished unless its a fawn. So these days, I'm all about getting a bit closer and setting myself up for 3 or 4 quick shots to drop more than one.
On the last trip, I worked out that of 40 odd deer shot, the average range (including one at 10m and a couple at about 30m) was 276m. On three occasions I got 4, on two occasions 3 and multiple occasions 2 (fawns).
All DRT give or take with a soft 165gr Speer.
Funny was just talking about this today with a mate.
I’m very confident out to 300M
I’ve dropped four in the 400 - 430M range.
Two instant clean kills.
One headshot, so also an instant clean kill. But….. I was aiming for the chest.
It was quite a steep downhill shot, and I had a crap rest, and I was 2 from 2 at that point. I certainly wasn’t nice and solid on him. So not sure if it was just a poor shot, and lucky result. Or perhaps the result of the down hill effect and a bit of wind? I realised afterwards I should have used the true ballistic range function on my binos.
Last one was 385, seemed to be an instant kill. Dropped like a sack of shit, almost did a back flip. We were packing up our gear to head down to him, when my mate said he’s up and running. I couldn’t see him in the low light and broken country. By the time we got over nearer to him, he was still very much alive but could barely move. Didn’t have time to do a decent autopsy and see where the bullet took him.
I’m not confident enough in my setup to consider further. I haven’t had the chance yet to stretch to 500, and won’t until I’m 100% sure I have my trajectory dead right.
I passed up a big 6 pt Sika stag at 600. Bolt closed super steady rest no wind, but but didn’t put my finger on the trigger, and eventually decided not to risk it.
Must punch some paper at 400 to prove accuracy.
About 250 just point and shoot but like to get closer if I can
This is me ^. Know it can be done further out, but I'm not sufficiently confident or invested in it - shooting at something is very different to shooting something. Part of the challenge is getting a bit close enough to know it's humane. I don't find shooting something from half a kilometre away all that sporting (no offence to those that have that honed skill!), and there would be sleepless nights following knowing I'd wounded an animal that I couldn't retrieve.
For me more than half of it is just being out in the green stuff. I saw a what I think was a Rifleman the other day in the Tararuas while stopping for a feed. Saw a deer trot off later while tangled in some supplejack, but still tell people about seeing the Rifleman first.
Full credit to the long rangers, but that's not what I'm out there for. Each to their own.
For a challenge and a dare, we have shot camels out to 980m .338 Lap Mag , top range finders and heaps of practice
U need to know the range virtually to the meter at this type of distance ,need to know your rifle and ammo and pick your weather , even just the mirage from the salt pans can lead to a miss
We don't do it often, however some of the mobs have been shot at before and won't let u get closer than 500m so wevoften shoot at 500 plus. There is no way u can keep up with camels in any type of terrain, so let mthem walk away calm down then ping em. The terrain here in WA lends itself to long shots in places
I agree with this from my experience.
I used to have a range set up from my back door that had targets out too 700m. What I found was that I could do pretty well with my bog standard but accurate hunting rifle out too 600, But that beyond 500 there was an element of uncertainty regarding cross winds that I just could not remove. For me I pretty much limited myself to shots on animals to under 400 due to that, and I always tried to get closer. My thinking being that If I kill it, I have to walk there anyway, so why not walk there first and kill it easier.
However the last few years has seen me with far less time to shoot, let alone hunt, and so I have now brought that distance down further to 300 as Im just not so confident in my abilities without regular shooting practice. Hopefully the next few years will see that change again.
Id add that If I averaged my shot distance over the years, it would be closer to 100 yards. Even Tahr hunting. Ive always worked on getting closer.
Thats my theory as well got to get to it anyway so may as well get close in the first place. Quite a few times buy the time you get closer you realize its got a mate with it as well.
I’m glad this thread has stayed positive. I think in some quarters there’s a lack of understanding around longer ranger hunting. Like everything we do in life it’s about (a) incremental increases range (b) training and knowledgeable development and (c) equipment.
I’ve personally shot and killed a few deer at 660 yards and would probably attempt to shoot a deer out to 700 yards with the right rifle in the right conditions. I’ve practiced out to 1000 yards on steel and check/verify all my rifles before I attempt to kill an animal.
My main point is times have changed, how would most of us answered this question 25 years ago when we were shooting with 3-9 power scopes and .270s. :-) At least we still would have had money in the bank! Man, gear is dam expensive, but fun to use.
Keep in mind to apply the same rule as if asking fishermen how big the fish was...
divide all the numbers you get by half. maybe 2/3...
If I can get a good prone position and the wind is ok I can confidently get a deer out to 400m. I target shoot further than that but ethically that's as far as I'll go on a live animal.
From kneeling I'll go to maybe 150m
Standing, if I can't wack the animal with a stick I'm not taking the shot. A day at the nzda range was well and truly humbling for how terrible my off hand work is.
I find good old possum shooting good practice for off hand shooting. Although usually close every shot is a little bit different angle distance etc
Furtherest i have shot an animal was 790m. However this was many years ago with average gear and no idea, fair bit of fluke factor. Maybe not complete fluke but definitely could have gone wrong many ways. I could likely do the same again now that i have more experience and better equipment but dont think i ever will attempt it. Back then i was young and dumb with no real thought going into what happened if the shot didnt go well (lucky for me it did). These days im alot more aware of just how many factors are involved with accuracy of the equipment + wind calls. I shoot alot of animals around the 400-500m distance with no dramas but as mentioned above, past that external factors start to compound rapidly and doesnt take much to mess up a shot.
I dont reload so every shot I make sure I'm on the money.The pension doesn't allow for any windy 300yds shots.lols
Very interesting and surprising for me how the majority of us are 400 or under. Even guys on here who clearly knock over a few deer at longer ranges.
I enjoy watching NZ hunter, and when I watch them set up one novice after the other and knock down animals at 600m I think surely I should be aiming further..
200m has been the limit to date for me. I've lined up on animals out to 400 but those fallow looked rather small in my 2-7 loopy.
I've since put a 3-9 on that rifle and have had a 1 shot attempt at paper at 400 which resulted in a hole 2 inches from the aim point.
We ran out of time after that and I have never had a chance to try again since.
I'd need to shoot at that distance a few more times before I'd attempt it at a deer.
I think all my recent deer have been end of day so I'm as conscious about finding them on the deck in fading light as much as anything else. 250m max for me. If I had time to put in some range work then I might try get out another 100 but still that would be dependant on having enough light to find it.
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1000 yds back in the day but that was with big bangers , Nightforce scopes and lots of practice. Doesnt interest me anymore Id rather get close with the .223 . Horses for courses .
interesting that so many are being honest about range rather than skiting about really long shots - but I wonder if its really all about how many actually carry a range finder - I know I never have and I cant be alone in that - so for me with 308 its probably 300 yds
I carry a range finder. If im sitting watching an area I practice guesing the distance of things and then check with range finder
Longest animal was 1107 7rm 162amax usual ranges are sub 300 for me I stretch the legs here and their at work just because . Id happily shoot further but 300 seems to be my long range of late
I only started taking longer shots after obtaining my first rangefinder. Then obtaining scopes with hash mark reticles to give me drop references for the longer shots. Using the range finder was an education. I thought I was taking longish shots before the rangefinder but what I really learned was how useless my unaided range estimates were. These days, for fun, I often guess a distance before ranging it for confirmation. I can say my estimations have improved but I would never attempt a game shot without ranging first for true distance.