Ethical range for elk

[Hagrid89]

If you are truly a precision shooter, what’s your ethical range on a elk?

 

[ckleeves]

100% situation dependent. IMO putting yardage numbers online leads to more people making bad decisions.

 

[Wrench]

100% situation dependent. IMO putting yardage numbers online leads to more people making bad decisions.

Amen.

 

[RockAndSage]

It's the distance you personally can go 10 for 10 on vitals/paper plate, cold with no warmup, from field conditions.

That means it's individual to the shooter. In a perfect world with a perfect shooter, it's the distance their particular bullet will reliably open up and do its job.

 

[43.6N]

Swing over to the cold bore challenge thread.

 

[Indian Summer]

I know guys that shouldn’t be shooting further than 250 yards. I know guys who are consistent at 1200 yards. If you want to be that guy you better sit down and do your homework. These guns that come out of the box ready to shoot 1000 yards sound good. But I could hand you half the tools that I use at work and you wouldn’t know what to do with them.

 

[Whitefox82]

I don’t consider myself a precision shooter.
For me, 500 yards under perfect conditions. I live east, and the longest range I can practice at is 600 yards. I have no problem ringing steel at 600 but shooting at living animals in conditions is different. Ideally for me I want to stay under 400 and in most cases I can get within that range. The guys that live in the west are blessed with being able to practice at longer distances (at least it’s more common) thus extending their range. Ethically, you should never take shots at game beyond what you practice at.
Ultimately, it’s up to the individual to establish their ethical range on game.

 

[mustelid_master]

150 yds

 

[Mr.Ktm]

What’s the closest you’d let one get?

 

[KHntr]

What’s the closest you’d let one get?

Single digit feet. Almost got stepped on once going under a fallen spruce when I misjudged how far away the bugles were coming from and I was cutting distance.