What's your modern inline open sight max range?

[Adam Gibbs]

If you're shooting a modern inline with open sights, what is your comfortable max range on an animal? What is your sight set up and load?

 

[nphunter]

I just purchased a new knight UL 45, I will be shooting full bore bullets and am hoping for around 200-300 yards. I purchased a Williams rear adjustable peep and a Lyman front globe with a fine crosshair. I'm hunting in very open country and getting under 100 yards is very difficult.

This fall I shot my buck at 100 yards with a borrowed BPI Buckhorn Mag, the gun would shoot about a 3" group at 100 yards. I believe a lot will come down to the individual shot, I actually shot a bedded deer this year, I sat for almost 45 minutes trying to decide whether or not to take the shot. In the end, I knew I could make a good shot if I took my time on the shot and follow-through. I was able to calm down, make a controlled shot lying prone I decided that was probably the better shot than if I would have waited for the deer to stand and start moving, even though it would have presented a larger target I would have been excited and IMO I would have rushed the shot, making it a lower percentage shot.

I think for most muzzleloader hunting that longer shots are a poor idea, I watch my hunting partner miss a buck at 80 yards a few days prior to me shooting mine and he took a semi rushed shot, he was stalking a buck and the buck stood up, he was crawling and was actually able to use his bipod to make the shot but still missed. The following day he killed the same buck with a prone 130 yard shot, followed by a 180 yard follow up, he shoots just over MOA with that gun at 100.

For me to take a longer shot on an animal it would have to be in perfect conditions, feeding or bedded with no idea that I am there. If you look at the pic closely you can see the buck bedded in the shade of the tree below, that is at 100 yards which seems like a mile looking down an open sight.

 

[OXN939]

Agreed with the above perspective. With a rock solid rest in perfect conditions and a textbook broadside shot, 150. Unless the stars line up like that, 100 is much more likely where I'd draw the line. Not only does 100 look like a mile through irons, but muzzleloader projectiles lose their terminal effectiveness in a totally different ballpark of distance than those of modern firearms.

 

[Customweld]

I’m shooting 95 grains of triple seven behind 385 grain Great Plains . 120 is my comfort max. Those sights start covering up a lot of animal past 100 yards.

 

[PathFinder]

200 with my current 1998 CVA Eclipse Teflon. #11 cap, 90 gr of loose T7 and a Barnes T EZ. Longest kill is 189 on a mule deer, he made it all of 10 yards downhill. Bullet fully expanded and passed through dead broadside. Fiber optic open sights.
Next year I'm either going to build an Encore or just buy a Knight UL. 300 yards will be the goal with a Williams FP sight, shooting Arrowhead's bullets over BH209.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[spur60]

I shoot out to 125 with my fiber optic sights on my CVA Optima. I typically only shoot does during the season I need open sights legally, and usually fill that tag at 25-50 yards. A state wide any deer muzzleloader tag that would allow me to shoot a buck takes 3-6 years to draw.

 

[OXN939]

I shoot out to 125 with my fiber optic sights on my CVA Optima. I typically only shoot does during the season I need open sights legally, and usually fill that tag at 25-50 yards. A state wide any deer muzzleloader tag that would allow me to shoot a buck takes 3-6 years to draw.

Man I've been tinkering with my Optima this year to get it into shape for a CO elk hunt, and it just will not stop impressing me. Handles great, groups 250 grain Thors more accurately than I can, has an excellent factory trigger, and very little blowback with CCI 209 primers. Went 100% on my 6" steel gong at 100 yards with it last range I ran, just rested off shooting sticks.

Which state takes 3-6 years for a resident to draw a buck tag?

 

[spur60]

Which state takes 3-6 years for a resident to draw a buck tag?

South dakota only issues 1000 statewide any deer muzzleloader tags. took me 5 preference points to draw it last year. Doe tags are pretty much unlimited, limit 1 per person, but not all of the counties in the state are open for those licenses.

 

[loggerchas]

CVA Wolf, .50, PB Aerolites, 95gr. 777: 125 yards

Rear peep and factory front.