I killed one elk at 440 yards, but honestly 90% of my rifle kills have been less than 200 yards. I really feel overgunned with a heavy 7mag most the time. I'd be a lot better served with a short barrel lightweight .308 or something a long those lines.
Longest shot...?
- Thread starter JohnCushman
- Start date
Foxtrot1
Well-known member
Bow-whitetail-40yds
Rifle-Red Hartebeest-330yds-7mm Rem Mag
I am a decent shot, but I don't get the opportunity to shoot really long range here. My limits on what shot I'll take while hunting depends upon the animal, terrain, conditions, etc..I would shoot an elk with a bow out to 60 yds under the right conditions. With a rifle, I try to limit any shots to under 300yds, but under the right circumstances I can see stretching that to 400yds. That being said, if I were like you guys out west that could routinely practice with your rifle at much longer ranges, I am sure I would feel more confident about shooting long range.
Rifle-Red Hartebeest-330yds-7mm Rem Mag
I am a decent shot, but I don't get the opportunity to shoot really long range here. My limits on what shot I'll take while hunting depends upon the animal, terrain, conditions, etc..I would shoot an elk with a bow out to 60 yds under the right conditions. With a rifle, I try to limit any shots to under 300yds, but under the right circumstances I can see stretching that to 400yds. That being said, if I were like you guys out west that could routinely practice with your rifle at much longer ranges, I am sure I would feel more confident about shooting long range.
lastmountainman
New member
I'm like most guys on this thread. Being from Missouri we don't get that really long shots. I prac. my bow up to 80 yards, but have never shot any deer over 25 yards.
As with rifles, I love shooting long distants. I am shooting up to 1000 yards with my hand loads .308. I think my limit for a good ethical shot would be 700 yards and that is due to the vel. of the round and not from being able to hit the target.
I know my brother and his friend have both taken deer at over 700 yards, but agree that the round is slowing down to much to shoot much further. Our goal is to shoot either an elk or deer at over 1000 yards, but will need either a .338 or a 7mm mag to shoot and kill at that range. I think this was a very good thread.
See John, your not all bad on this site
As with rifles, I love shooting long distants. I am shooting up to 1000 yards with my hand loads .308. I think my limit for a good ethical shot would be 700 yards and that is due to the vel. of the round and not from being able to hit the target.
I know my brother and his friend have both taken deer at over 700 yards, but agree that the round is slowing down to much to shoot much further. Our goal is to shoot either an elk or deer at over 1000 yards, but will need either a .338 or a 7mm mag to shoot and kill at that range. I think this was a very good thread.
See John, your not all bad on this site
Tom
New member
I did a flock shot on a hog at 656 yards with my 30-06 once. One hog limped off and one laid dead. I put the crosshairs about 1.5 ft above the flock and left right in the middle of the flock.
noharleyyet
Well-known member
Minute of hog flock @ 656 yds is about a 360" grouping possibility Tom...figuring a 30 foot target.
JoseCuervo
New member
Why not make it your goal to learn how to hunt so you don't have to do stupid shit like take 1000 yard shots?
M
MN Public Hunter
Guest
BOW - 30 yards...I like to be in the right spot at the right time and here in MN....well...It's hard to really shoot over 50 with so many trees.
GUN - I will answer after my first ever "out west" hunt for lopes in WY in 4 weeks.
I say shoot the distance you want as long as you have practiced.
GUN - I will answer after my first ever "out west" hunt for lopes in WY in 4 weeks.
I say shoot the distance you want as long as you have practiced.
MinnesotaHunter
Well-known member
I don't always agree with Jose, but when I do, it makes me laugh. Stay hilarious my friend.
recon6036
Well-known member
Upper Michigan hunter here, so like others, there isn't much opportunity for long shots. Longest with a bow on a whitetail deer is about 30 yards. Longest with a rifle (243) is 201 yards on a doe Antelope in Wyoming last year.
Brandenbowhunter
Well-known member
Ok, some of you are not for long shots...but why bash guys that make it a goal to practice and beable to make those shots...bow or rifle...you still have to find the game..and if they are not shooting form roads or doing anything illegal...who are you to tell them they are any less of a hunter than you. We are all out there for the same purpose..how we enjoy it and do it may differ...if it is legal in your state and you are not breaking laws..more power too you...
I have shot stuff I could have touched and shot stuff at ranges that most would not understand...but I shoot over 10,000 arrows a year...have killed over 80 big game animals and understand when it is ok to shoot far..or when I have gotten as close as I am going to get...if you can do it quickly and cleanly..no problem...guys that try it because they have a buddy that can..that is a problem...
2 cents
I have shot stuff I could have touched and shot stuff at ranges that most would not understand...but I shoot over 10,000 arrows a year...have killed over 80 big game animals and understand when it is ok to shoot far..or when I have gotten as close as I am going to get...if you can do it quickly and cleanly..no problem...guys that try it because they have a buddy that can..that is a problem...
2 cents
CabinFever
Member
This takes serious skill and years of practice. To be commended.
Do hogs come in flocks? Or is that like a "when pigs fly..." kind of joke?
MinnesotaHunter
Well-known member
BBH, Agree whole heartedly, but I would add killing an animal @1000yds is a very different activity than what most would consider "hunting", to me that is live-target practice.
bjtc_brian
Member
Isn't all hunting live target practice, wether it be 2 yards or 2000?
If you "can" make the shot, not just "think" you can, what does it matter.
If you can't hit cleanly at 100 yards with a rifle(and yes, I have seen guys like this), but are still shooting at a 100 yards, isn't that just the same issue. Has nothing to do with the overall distance, it has to do with the ability. If a guy has a the ability, and the conditions are perfect, I see no issue in it at all. I practice a ton with both rifle and bow, and know right were my limits are. I've seen more guys wound animals at 100 yards then at 700+ yards.
Rifle - 500 Yards coyote
Bow - 55 yards cow elk
If you "can" make the shot, not just "think" you can, what does it matter.
If you can't hit cleanly at 100 yards with a rifle(and yes, I have seen guys like this), but are still shooting at a 100 yards, isn't that just the same issue. Has nothing to do with the overall distance, it has to do with the ability. If a guy has a the ability, and the conditions are perfect, I see no issue in it at all. I practice a ton with both rifle and bow, and know right were my limits are. I've seen more guys wound animals at 100 yards then at 700+ yards.
Rifle - 500 Yards coyote
Bow - 55 yards cow elk
THWAK1
New member
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2011
- Messages
- 787
I knew this thread was going to be an interesting one!
When I was young, I wasn't the bowhunter I am now, so I rifle hunted more often as I wasn't as successful during archery season. And, I was in the "I have to fill my tags" stage of my life. So, a lot of animals hit the ground with a rifle. My farthest big game animal was a bull elk at just over 500 yards and the closest was the following year, another bull elk at 9 yards...both with my .300 WinMag.
Now I mainly archery hunt for myself (the hunt meaning more to me than filling my tags) and take others rifle hunting.
My farthest with a bow was a bull elk at 86 yards (I called 2 in and my friend shot his at 12 yards and I cow called and got the second one to stop at 86 and buried the arrow in the ground behind him after it passed through). I also shot an antelope at 82 yards, my first long range archery shot (I only had two days to hunt before heading to Iraq for 8 months). Both animals died within 100 yards of being shot. The closest achery kill was at 3-4 yards and was a mule deer buck in it's bed as I had stalked him in some gnarly rocks.
In the past few years, I've really gotten into coyote hunting in the winter and calling them in with my Foxpro. Two years ago, I shot a coyote at 426 yards with my .223. We regularly shoot prairie dogs beyond 500 yards and shoot out as far on them as we can accurately range them (we miss far more often than we hit, but ammo is cheap and it's a hellofalot of fun!
When I was young, I wasn't the bowhunter I am now, so I rifle hunted more often as I wasn't as successful during archery season. And, I was in the "I have to fill my tags" stage of my life. So, a lot of animals hit the ground with a rifle. My farthest big game animal was a bull elk at just over 500 yards and the closest was the following year, another bull elk at 9 yards...both with my .300 WinMag.
Now I mainly archery hunt for myself (the hunt meaning more to me than filling my tags) and take others rifle hunting.
My farthest with a bow was a bull elk at 86 yards (I called 2 in and my friend shot his at 12 yards and I cow called and got the second one to stop at 86 and buried the arrow in the ground behind him after it passed through). I also shot an antelope at 82 yards, my first long range archery shot (I only had two days to hunt before heading to Iraq for 8 months). Both animals died within 100 yards of being shot. The closest achery kill was at 3-4 yards and was a mule deer buck in it's bed as I had stalked him in some gnarly rocks.
In the past few years, I've really gotten into coyote hunting in the winter and calling them in with my Foxpro. Two years ago, I shot a coyote at 426 yards with my .223. We regularly shoot prairie dogs beyond 500 yards and shoot out as far on them as we can accurately range them (we miss far more often than we hit, but ammo is cheap and it's a hellofalot of fun!
M
MN Public Hunter
Guest
Yeah man...learn to hunt like Jose...get them in close so you can use your knife or spear....
sluggo6850
Well-known member
425 yds on a whitetail
MinnesotaHunter
Well-known member
the Hunt VS the Kill
So for me this come down to the differentiation between the hunt and the kill. I enjoy the hunt. For me the kill is the easy part, and is a mix of emotions, but there is always a little disappointment that the hunt is over. IMO the difference between the kind of hunting I do is defined by where the challenge comes from. Either the challenge comes from getting myself into a position to make an non-challenging shot, or it comes from practicing on the range and then setting up on a vantage point and executing a challenging shot on the quarry. "The Hunt" vs "The Kill"
For me the challenge comes from "the hunt" is matching my wits, stealth, preparation, perseverance against the quarry's.
My opinion is that long range shooting is a method to mitigate the quarry's wit, stealth, cunning through technology and practice.
For these reasons I would argue that they are two different activities. Since I have never had to sneak up on and make sure the wind was in my favor while preparing to zero my rifle, I referred to long range hunting as "live-target practice." There was no disrespect intended to the quarry or the hunter, it just isn't my thing.
So for me this come down to the differentiation between the hunt and the kill. I enjoy the hunt. For me the kill is the easy part, and is a mix of emotions, but there is always a little disappointment that the hunt is over. IMO the difference between the kind of hunting I do is defined by where the challenge comes from. Either the challenge comes from getting myself into a position to make an non-challenging shot, or it comes from practicing on the range and then setting up on a vantage point and executing a challenging shot on the quarry. "The Hunt" vs "The Kill"
For me the challenge comes from "the hunt" is matching my wits, stealth, preparation, perseverance against the quarry's.
My opinion is that long range shooting is a method to mitigate the quarry's wit, stealth, cunning through technology and practice.
For these reasons I would argue that they are two different activities. Since I have never had to sneak up on and make sure the wind was in my favor while preparing to zero my rifle, I referred to long range hunting as "live-target practice." There was no disrespect intended to the quarry or the hunter, it just isn't my thing.
sweetnectar
New member
We tried an experiment to see how far we could get an arrow to fly. So from the top of a big hill at about a 45 degree angle my friend let an arrow fly. It went almost 380 yards.
When the arrow hit the ground it must of killed a microscopic organism of some kind. Does that count?
When the arrow hit the ground it must of killed a microscopic organism of some kind.
Does that count?
dan.kirkpatrick
Well-known member
my max was a black bear at 562 yrds across canyon w 7mm mag,1 shot,1 kill,,,,,460 yrds on a pronghorn w same 7mm mag,,,,,,longest kill w muzzleloader was about 120 yrds,,,,,longest bow kill ive had was at 55yrds,,,,not exactly as good as getting close but those are my personal max shots,,,as always I prefer to get close if posible.
utah400elk
Well-known member
Wyoming antelope 70 yards with my bow.
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