What's Your Max Range?

[Reburn]

There may be some nuance to the answer but IMO if you're not confident enough to take the shot without a spotter you probably shouldn't be taking the shot.

Another quote from a successful PRS guy I know and something to consider,
You should be so sure you can make the shot that you should be furious if you miss. If there is ANY doubt in your mind that its not a dead animal standing chip shot your shooting too far.

The farther I learn to really shoot practicing the closer I want to get hunting.

 

[Gearqueer]

I’ve had a bunch of sweet precision setups (Mil/LE), but my hunting rifles and archery gear have always been plain jane. I like to get close to a healthy animal.

All that said, with my duplex riflescope I would feel confident in 10” shot placement on a wounded animal to about 500 in perfect conditions. Beyond that I’ve never paid attention to my ballistics. I’m simple like that. Shooting “long range” just seems greedy to me but I try not to judge because there are a lot of arguments (like the archery one) that can wipe me out. I love me some long range target shooting though!


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[Salmon River Solutions]

Alone, I would say 600. With a spotter that I've shot with before (this makes a huge difference) I would say 800. The terrain also comes into play. There are areas that I have shot across a small draw and depending on the weather conditions I would have a hard time making a 600 yard shot on an animal. I think it also drastically depends on how long I have to take the shot. My cow elk last year was 420 yards, and I had enough time to range, get setup, dry fire, calm myself down and take the shot. In that situation I would have been able to do 600 yards alone easily.

There are so many variables its hard to have a set number. My 600 alone and 800 with a spotter are ALWAYS situation dependent.

My Ballistic rangefinder increased my range and confidence too.

 

[Kimber7man]

My elk last year was at 400 yards, the 6.5SAUM has plenty out to 600 yards.

it helped that I was shooting from 300-720 with it that week. anytime I can get trigger time the day before the hunt, I feel locked in.

 

[Broz]

What is your max range assuming good conditions in a hunting situation?
How do you determine your max effective range?

I often referred "Good Conditions" as "If the Stars Align". But say the conditions are good, including a very comfortable and stable shooting platform, adequate indicators to read the wind, it will come down to the tested and proven ability of my "Team" The team consists basically of three players. Rifle accuracy, Ammo accuracy and consistency, and Shooter skill. If I feel we as a team are all on our game, I may practice farther but I usually dial in for the longest hunting shot to be 1500 yards or less and hope for 600 to 800 where even a dificult wind can be tamed.

I read all the time where shooters say " there was no wind" I don't know if I have ever seen this unicorn condition. It seems to me there is always a wind of some degree. Especially where we send the bullets in route to a far target anyway.

Jeff

 

[wyosam]

My theoretical/stars aligned max is 600- beyond that I start running out of margin for impact velocity for my bullet. I’m very comfortable hitting steel smaller than vitals at that range, but my realistic max is more in the 400 yard range. The situation where I can’t get closer than that is rare. I practice to 600 and beyond more for follow up shot situations. I’ve never actually had a reason to shoot that far on game.


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[RazzleDazzle]

Cant be answered completely truthful on a thread for me. Too many factors to consider. I'm confident in my shooting abilities alone or with a spotter. That being said, that confidence is subjective and can only be relied on based on how I feel bout the conditions of a shot I need to execute. Its a very cliche answer but my max range can stretch out as far as my rifle is ethically capable if I feel everything is right. I feel this is the place where a LR shooter has to remove physics and enter human influence, if you will. I see guys relying too much on the physics of a shot and not tapping into the human side of it. But I've have also seen way too much human influence inserted into much "simpler" shots that have not gone well. I'm not sure if that makes sense to someone but im just speaking from my experiences and the way I try to explain it.

 

[JeffRaines]

Cant be answered completely truthful on a thread for me. Too many factors to consider. I'm confident in my shooting abilities alone or with a spotter. That being said, that confidence is subjective and can only be relied on based on how I feel bout the conditions of a shot I need to execute. Its a very cliche answer but my max range can stretch out as far as my rifle is ethically capable if I feel everything is right. I feel this is the place where a LR shooter has to remove physics and enter human influence, if you will. I see guys relying too much on the physics of a shot and not tapping into the human side of it. But I've have also seen way too much human influence inserted into much "simpler" shots that have not gone well. I'm not sure if that makes sense to someone but im just speaking from my experiences and the way I try to explain it.

No, it makes sense. You know your effective distance is different if you’ve been sitting in one place all day and all of a sudden an animal steps out at 800 yards in “calm” conditions vs. if you just got done climbing 1000 feet in the last 10-15 minutes and now the animal is on the way over the next ridge at 400-500

 

[brn2hnt]

I start with the physical limitations: how far away the bullet has enough velocity to perform based on mfg specs, and use the 1500 ft/lbs for elk 1000 for deer limit as well.

After that, I look at where about a 4mph wind drift is 1/2 the vitals on my intended target.

Wind is the biggest factor in my accuracy, and I really don't ever shoot in double digit winds so I figure I can at least get the wind within 4mph.

 

[Catahoula]

I generally stay within parameters I’m comfortable with on deer and elk. ”Pop-up” variables do happen so with that said I limit deer to 350 yards and elk to 450 yards.

 

[16Bore]

330.

 

[Laramie]

My self imposed maximum is 500 yards. I have been at that yardage for close to 20 years. Shortly before imposing that limit I shot a doe antelope at 730 yards. I hit her in the guts and it ended up being a multiple shot mess with a lot of ruined meat- I vowed to never do that again.

 

[KNASH]

385

 

[Varminterror]

As an engineer myself, responsible for writing detailed, descriptive, and defensible governance documents, I greatly appreciate the diligence some folks have put into the information shared here. I have similar documents and case studies both from which I have learned, and of which I authored as guides for others. The disadvantage, naturally, is that “we can’t program people.” These mathematical models and rules of thumb are fantastic tools, but we can’t program people. Reading through these, I’ve seen shooters develop one of two negative inferences:

1) The reader can’t understand all of this mathematical jargon, so they get turned off and don’t attempt something well within their capabilities.

or

2) The reader does understand the content, but then unfortunately believes knowledge can displace experience, and becomes imbued with a sense of false confidence. While these tools will readily analyze real-world results for meaningful decision making, “garbage in, garbage out” remains to apply. If a shooter assumes a level of precision they can’t actually deliver - but believe they can - a rough road awaits when decisions are made based on bad input data.

The short version, go shoot, and go hunt. Marrying the two together isn’t so difficult.

 

[Tmac]

Very confident on paper/steel to 600. Game to 400, maybe just a bit more. I’m the limitation, not my gun or load. I do enjoy the stalk and closing in on game, so that, and a higher kill probability for me, likely influences my parameters.

 

[Sled]

assuming favorable conditions and the right rifle for the day...

Prone in snow/ or other low ground cover w/ bedded elk 600-700. standing elk 500. 12" steel 1000
ranges vary greatly based on conditions and how steady i can get in each position. free hand ~150 yards. i also do the quick math to see what my odds are at getting closer.

deer 80 yards




but i don't shoot deer with a rifle

 

[Rokbar]

My setup of a 300wm and CDS leupold scope is way more accurate than I am. I use a 1 turn knob that gives me out to 750 yds. But I choose to stay under 550 yds on a good day. I've missed more deer under 50 yards than over 50?

 

[bcpody]

This is not meant to be any kind of bragging thread or pissing contest. I'm just curious after shooting in the cold bow challenge.

What is your max range assuming good conditions in a hunting situation?
How do you determine your max effective range?

I wouldn’t hesitate putting an arrow downrange at 80.

 

[Justin Crossley]

As an engineer myself, responsible for writing detailed, descriptive, and defensible governance documents, I greatly appreciate the diligence some folks have put into the information shared here. I have similar documents and case studies both from which I have learned, and of which I authored as guides for others. The disadvantage, naturally, is that “we can’t program people.” These mathematical models and rules of thumb are fantastic tools, but we can’t program people. Reading through these, I’ve seen shooters develop one of two negative inferences:

1) The reader can’t understand all of this mathematical jargon, so they get turned off and don’t attempt something well within their capabilities.

or

2) The reader does understand the content, but then unfortunately believes knowledge can displace experience, and becomes imbued with a sense of false confidence. While these tools will readily analyze real-world results for meaningful decision making, “garbage in, garbage out” remains to apply. If a shooter assumes a level of precision they can’t actually deliver - but believe they can - a rough road awaits when decisions are made based on bad input data.

The short version, go shoot, and go hunt. Marrying the two together isn’t so difficult.

I think this is very accurate. Seems like every time I shoot long range, my effective max range is shortened.

Meanwhile I'll have a newer shooter with me who walks a few shots into a steel plate at a given yardage and then walk away thinking they are good for that range.

And, I can admit I have been that guy. Shooting long range is a never ending learning experience for me which is what makes it so much fun.

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[PONYBOY]

Perfect conditions and with a rifle that I know really well, I'd say 600+- (Hitting 1st shot with confidence) in hunting situation. I think in many cases we think we are more capable because the range is static with big steel and you can hit consistently after walking in on a few shots. DOPE is critical to hit 1st time every time. Took a long time with a particular set up to get to that point. Working on a 30 Nosler now and while close I have work to do leading up to hunting season.