Realistic shooting distances

[The Hedgehog]

I don't hunt in the wind.

 

[Don Fischer]

I practice to the limit of the caliber I’m shooting. About 550 yards with the .280 Remington…

There’s been a lot of time and money spent teaching me to shoot to 1000 meters.

I hunt to less than a third of that. 200-225 yards.

Because it’s the responsible thing the do.

The caiber yoiur shooting probably has much more limit than you think! What really has the limit is peoples shooting skills! Seem's you have that figured out!

 

[375H&H]

Nowadays, there is about zero excuse to not have a range finder. Most have angle compensators too. Having a range finder in the field coupled with practice at the range should be able to tell you what your max range is. It’s going to be different for everyone depending on cartridge, skill, weather.

A good excuse might be you don’t need one if your shots are within 100 yds. Not that difficult to do and makes for very thrilling rifle hunting. Even more thrill the closer you get. When you can see the bull elks eye get larger when he finally realizes you are there or when a bull moose is considering coming at you instead of running away you will be addicted.

 

[HandgunHunter]

Cow at 300 and the bull at 40 for 2022 season.

Just have to put in the range time.

 

[3855WIN]

My WWII Springfield 30-06 can put up an adequate group at 300 meters and I actually tried a shot at a buck at that distance this year ... but in a serious crosswind. Thankfully I missed. Pretty sure I shot the same buck the next day at about 70 yards in half the wind. Dropped him on the spot. Typically I limit myself to 200 yards or less. I have shot animals much further ... but not with this gun. My African PH's 270 WSM was a very special rifle/scope combination. Ordinarily I wouldn't think of taking 440 yard shot but he assured me I could do it with that gun. And I did do it. However, shooting into the next zipcode is not nearly as fulfilling as sneaking up on a sleeping bull moose in heavy tag alders and shooting him in his bed less than twenty yards away.

You missed when you shot in meters and killed when you shot in yards. Sounds like the metric system is your problem.

 

[3855WIN]

It depends on conditions, time of day, and my confidence at the moment.
I mostly hunt in the Southeast. We’ll set up permanent stands on long lanes and field edges. We’ll occasionally shoot from the stands in the off season. It’s great practice.

 

[88man]

shooting is like driving> your limit maybe 80mph or 800yrds but sometimes the conditions are so poor 20mph or 200yards are too much. Conditions are a bigger factor than the race car or the driver lots of brave drivers

 

[old270hunter]

A good excuse might be you don’t need one if your shots are within 100 yds. Not that difficult to do and makes for very thrilling rifle hunting. Even more thrill the closer you get. When you can see the bull elks eye get larger when he finally realizes you are there or when a bull moose is considering coming at you instead of running away you will be addicted.

Absolutely. Just saying for reaching out, there can be a hit/miss difference between 200-400. That range finder is just dirt cheap insurance.

 

[dgc1963]

I can shoot 200 yrds at a local range and sight my gun for that also shoot well at 200 at the range on a bench
In the field living in Pa their is very little chance to shoot at a deer that far unless out in a farm field
But I do take fox and yotes at night at 200 yrs often so would feel confident taking big game futher prob out to 300 but before I was even going to take a gun where I may have that long of a shot I would spend lots of time shooting that distance