What is long range to you?

[guitarpreston]

How do you define long range? Does it vary by gun? Or caliber? Or sight system (scope vs irons)?
I had originally asked this on MML but figured this may be a better target audience.

 

[Hondo64d]

I consider anything over 300 to be long range, with 600 being my max for a high confidence 1st round impact.

John

 

[Macintosh]

Anything past holding dead-center with a mpbr zero is long range imo. If Im making a correction (ie holding crosshair above desired poi, holding on a hashmark on a reticle, or dialing) its long range. That also corresponds with where wind really starts to matter as well. That puts “long range” somewhere past the 300-350 yard range imo. Certainly 400+.

 

[justinspicher]

Any distance I can’t stand and shoot consistently at.

 

[boom0906]

I agree that when you have to start making corrections off of dead center you start playing with long range. Everything matters when shots start going past 300 yds. 1 you have to be a good shot 2 you have to know the yardage 3 ya have to know your gun. What I mean by know your gun is that it has to be repeatable when yA make long range cold bore shots. This requires quite a bit of trigger time in different climates and positions.

 

[Choupique]

I like the above comments. When you start needing to compensate for it, its long range.

 

[Bucks&Bulls]

I would have to agree with 300 yards. Once you get past that everything starts to matter.

 

[guitarpreston]

I like the compensation idea. It seems to be the most fair, a long range shot for a muzzle loader vs the new hot center fire of the week is going to be drastically different.

 

[Gstew1930]

I think long range is defined by the shot & conditions. 200 yards off hand is really long range. 300 yards seated supported in 20 MPH wind is very long range. 500 yards prone in flat terrain with no wind. Not real far

 

[hereinaz]

It’s when you have to consider more than just aiming and getting a clean trigger press.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I have never shot at any animal over 500 yds away in my 70+ years of hunting big game. I killed an antelope at 496 yards away about 10 years ago.

I shoot mu own handloads and I have a Leupold Ballistic Turret to match my load. It is calibrated to 900 yards. I have one on my 25-06 and 300 Wby. When I first got them and set them up, I set up targets at 500, 600 and 700 yards. I got sub moa groups of about 1/2 minute on both rifles. That's the last time I shot at over 500 yards. Unless I have near perfect conditions ( light, wind, a great rest and not have tired eyes), I keep my shooting at 400 yds or less. I also use a Sworo bino/range finder combo.

 

[RockAndSage]

Similar to what others have said - it's a combo of when wind affects the shot enough to have to account for it, which will also be a factor of bullet design and muzzle velocity. Short-hand though, anything over 300yds starts getting into that territory for me with most of my rifles.

 

[JD Jones]

Varies by gun , bullet, and scenario such as atmospherics for me

 

[nm.otter]

It’s when you have to consider more than just aiming and getting a clean trigger press.

Right.

MPBR was great for decades.

A modern cartridge and bullet paired with an MRAD reticle and quick drop can turn 400 and under into muscle memory. For moderate wind conditions.

 

[5MilesBack]

To me.......over 400 with a CF rifle, over 100 with a ML and no scope, and over 60 with a compound bow.

 

[Rugester]

For me anything after 400 yards

 

[dasblanc]

For me anything after 400 yards

I shoot encore scoped handguns 308ai,
7 08, 35 whelen ai 300yds is where I draw the line.

 

[KurtR]

500 is where it always started for me

 

[CMcCormick1805]

Long Range for me is 750+ yards with a rifle and 55+ yards with a bow. I like to take long shots in practice but I trust my ability to get in closer in hunting situations. Wind also changes what I believe for long range. High winds usually reduce my shots to 300 yards max with a rifle. When it comes to rifle dependent on ranges I’d say I only have one rifle that has not shot out to 1000 yards in practice. I love having every rifle set up for at minimum a 450 yard shot.

 

[Aussie Dan]

It's based on a combination of which cartridge im shooting and how much practice ive had with said rifle.
My local range is capped at 285m so that's where "long range" starts for me as thats the maximum distance I have practiced to.
Im certain that if i had 500yds to practice at, my definition of long range would be a lot further.