Long-range deer?

[InGobwetrust]

Do many people out west really shoot deer or other game at 600+ yards? I have the right gear but can’t even imagine shooting at an animal beyond 300. Here in New England the woods are really thick and long shots are rare. Longest shot at a living animal for me was about 60 yards. I practice regularly and feel very comfortable banging steel out to 600 but that just seems too far for me to try on an actual hunt.

I’m not criticizing, just trying to learn more about other styles of hunting.

 

[jimh406]

I don’t think many do. Many that say they do are pretending. Personally, I just wait. Usually, they get closer. The past few years, I could have shot over 450 yds, but waiting a bit made those shots 200-250 yds.

If you are willing to walk a bit, that 200-250 might turn in to 150.

 

[Rich M]

There are crop fields where you can shoot every inch of that 600 yards. Powerlines.

A guy I know has a unique knob on his property in N VT that allows for 500 or so yards up a river bed.

I've only shot over 250 yards once and that was an antelope at 350 yards out west. When I was hunting in NE, think 150 was the furthest shot - most of my shots have been inside 75 yards. Maybe 6-8 deer shot at 200-250 yards.

 

[RS_Non-Res]

I think you're asking a few different questions:

Can I see game at 600 yards?​

Yes absolutely and frequently. There are lots of places with no trees and lots of elevation changes. There are also plenty of places where 60 yards is a long long way. We've taken elk in both types of terrain that were 100-feet away from each other.

Is it possible for me to shoot game at 600 yards?​

Yes, just like banging steel at the range (especially with the 6.5MB), right?
My club has two 1000-yard ranges so lots of practice available.
If I practice out far, the regular ranges seem like a "chip shot."

Is it prudent for me to shoot game at 600 yards?​

Negative Ghost Rider. Unlike a steel plate, the game usually isn't standing still, I'm amped up a bit, and the wind is blowing, so it's not nearly as easy as at the range.
And by the time I approach the 600 yards (down the canyon and up the other side, right?) to my newly gut-shot deer the coyotes will have field dressed it for me, and eaten the tenderloins and backstraps too.

Is is necessary for me to shoot game at 600 yards?​

Mostly not. A lot of times, at 600 yards the critters don't know I'm there or just don't care. And it's generally very easy to move in much closer to improve my odds. I really want the highest shot percentage when I'm dealing with somethings life.

On my last hunt, lots of guys (including the land manager) were saying "be ready to shoot 500 yards." If I could have made a 600-yard kill shot on a bull running in the middle of a herd of cows on opening day, the trophy in the man-cave would be 20% bigger. Instead, I got within 140 yards of a respectable and stationary bull and today I had steak and eggs for breakfast.

 

[drra]

I grew up in NH and never took a shot more than 50 yards, but now that I live in SD I am presented with 300+ yard shots regularly. I rarely take them, but it's easy to see for miles when there are no trees. My 30-378 is sighted in for 200 yards for deer hunting in SD.

 

[camping1601]

Guys sit on one mountain side and shoot to the other. Powerlines are another good spot.

 

[InGobwetrust]

I grew up in NH and never took a shot more than 50 yards, but now that I live in SD I am presented with 300+ yard shots regularly. I rarely take them, but it's easy to see for miles when there are no trees. My 30-378 is sighted in for 200 yards for deer hunting in SD.

Where in NH? I live on the coast but have a hunting spot in SW NH with power line shots available but just can’t bring myself to set up for that.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

I think a lot of those long shots are sought out for the novelty and "bragging rights" of doing it. Darn near any animal I've ever seen at that range there's a way to get closer without spooking them.

 

[Macintosh]

regardless of range, assuming the shot is within your ability to make a 100% certain lethal hit with the first round, on that day, in those conditions and with that equipment, in principle Id personally consider it more ethical to take a longer shot where I have time, a relaxed animal, and can get everything right, than to try to sneak closer and take a rushed shot, off a less than great rest, etc where there is still the very real potential for a botched shot and wounded animal. We make decisions like this every time we hunt, and we make tradeoffs like this as well. We each get diffeent things out of it and find satisfaction and challenge differently. So assuming what I did—that any shot is within the shooters ability to make a 100% certain first round lethal hit, within the capabilities of the equipment, and the conditions are favorable...I dont see anything unethical about it. frankly, I think at least SOME of the folks doing this are taking more ethical shots than the people taking offhand shots at deer at 200+ yards in the woods, or a 300 yard shot across a beanfield without having ranged it or verified their dope, etc. personally, I practice on steel out at pretty long range, but I dont feel that I have the in-area practice time to really verify my drops and deal with different angles, etc where I would potentially take a longer shot like this, so I limit myself to closer range (which is still pretty darn far and I dont feel especially limited by it). but I cant say Im a more ethical hunter than someone else simply becasue they have the skill to consistently make hits on game at longer ranges than me. Really I try not to compare myself to others like this. Easier said than done, but its not a matter of me keeping up with the jones’s or even understanding the jones’s, its simply cool that we have the opportunity to learn about and adapt to such different areas and the skill sets that can potentially be utilized there Or brought home and applied where it makes sense in my own backyard.

 

[30338]

In the last 27 years of hunting eastern CO I've taken shots from 20 yards to 650 yards using a variety of rifles and muzzleloaders. I enjoy both types of hunting and if carrying a centerfire rifle will spend more time that year practicing and shooting at long distances.

Goal is to get close, very close, but sometimes other things happen. I've never not recovered a deer and never had enough time elapse that coyotes got it. Works for me but different for everyone.

 

[Mattman215]

Do many people out west really shoot deer or other game at 600+ yards? I have the right gear but can’t even imagine shooting at an animal beyond 300. Here in New England the woods are really thick and long shots are rare. Longest shot at a living animal for me was about 60 yards. I practice regularly and feel very comfortable banging steel out to 600 but that just seems too far for me to try on an actual hunt.

I’m not criticizing, just trying to learn more about other styles of hunting.

I hunt in AZ. I have taken 4 deer in the last 5 years. All were coues deer. I shot them at the following distances.
720yds
546yds
991yds
341yds

I use a 300wm with 200gr eldx. Can glass deer up a mile or two out. I enjoy long range hunting. I am sure there will be many haters for those distances which is fine. All the above kills were 1 shot kills the 341 was a head shot.

I will say most hunters I know keep it within 500 or less and a lot miss.

On a calm day I am confident out to 1000yds. On a windy day I do not shoot far.

Here is a pic of the head shot, shot in its bed.

 

[jimh406]

All the above kills were 1 shot kills the 341 was a head shot.

What were you aiming for?

 

[Mattman215]

What were you aiming for?

Haha

The head.

Sometimes you just gotta turn on head shots only mode.

 

[Veloci_Wrench]

I'm with you, man. I'm in SoVT, and there is one field I hunt where I took a shot at a large buck at 330 yards. Looking back, it was dumb for my skillset at the time, and I should have waited. But, deer was killed. I also hunt down south over ag fields, where shots could be at 400+, but I would never take that kind of shot unless everything was perfect and I had a dialing scope, etc. It's hard to adjust my mind from still hunting in VT to field hunting down south when buck fever strikes. I need to bang steel more at long distance.

 

[Laramie]

I am very comfortable to 500 and have taken several deer and elk between 400 and 500 yards. I practice much further but am not comfortable with my current setup past 500 so I choose to limit myself to that. I don't plan to shoot long distance but there are absolutely occasions where it just isn't possible or practical to close the distance. The elk in my avatar was 477 yards in the wide open. He was with a herd of 100+ animals so I didn't like my chances of getting any closer.

My furthest shot was 750 yards on an antelope doe that another member of our party had wounded earlier in the day. I wasn't comfortable or happy about taking the shot, but I made it out of what I considered necessity.

 

[Lytro]

I think a lot of people try to shoot long range just because the opportunity exists. I'd be more interested to hear about how many misses and poorly placed shots people have at further distances, but those don't get talked about. We've all heard countless people unload rifles while hunting so we know it's happening. Lol

With that being said, there are a lot of people now that can shoot long range effectively. I have no judgement towards the guys that know what they're doing, but there are a lot of people that don't do anything more than sight in and shoot out to 200 at the range. It blows my mind how many people go off the box their ammo came in and don't account for anything other than the LOS distance their rangefinder spits out.

 

[SamsonMan22]

I hunt several locations here in the east where shots could be well over 600. Power lines, large beaver ponds, and some high vantage points looking down along rivers. Many shots here are under 100 but some of these other places you just plain can’t get closer, you would no longer be able to see the animal until you were right on top of it. Taking the time to stalk that far through brush and leaves quietly just means that deer will be gone before you get to it, or more than likely it will spook.

Our wind changes direction constantly here and setting up in close ambush locations usually doesn’t work. 400+ yards away they just don’t seem to care even if your wind is blowing directly at them

 

[InGobwetrust]

Thanks for the replies. I want to reiterate that I am not criticizing. I have seen guys take terrible shots at 30 yards and great shots at 500+ so it really boils down to the individual as far as I can tell.

 

[Bubblehide]

one place I hunt, it is extremely rare to get a shot opportunity inside of 400 yards.

 

[long hunter]

There's a lot that goes into the skills needed to go the distance. as I am sure most distance shooters adequately accomplish. I am comfortable out to 500 yards, but the real skill comes in at closing the distance. Sure, there are times when that might not be possible, and decisions need to be made. For the average hunter it might be best to wait and see what happens, but again the average hunter is not willing to put in the range time needed to be proficient at distance shooting. For example, I hope to antelope and mule deer hunt this Oct. (it doesn't look good in the tag dept) but will spend weeks combined on the range working dope cards, equipment checks, ammo loadings and most importantly communications on wind and other external forces that would have an effect on the shot with my hunting partner out past 250 yards to 600 yards, And I will do the same with him. 2019 Wyoming antelope I was the spotter he was the shooter we closed the distance to 525 yards from there it was wide open he set up I called the shot (distance, wind and the fact it was sloping down terrain shot, He dialed the information squeezed the trigger and the goat died.