• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

Hunting & Fishing What is your comfort zone on taking game?

CANNONMAN

CANNONMAN
Full Member
Minuteman
Apr 13, 2012
63
0
Utah
With a great shot and lots of time(minimal wind), whats the farthest you would shoot a game animal with your rifle&loads and feel confident doing it? Name your own caliber and Species?
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

40 yards with a 415 grain projectile at 330fps. Only archery equipment for hunting, guns are for cheaters.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Azprc</div><div class="ubbcode-body">40 yards with a 415 grain projectile at 330fps. Only archery equipment for hunting, guns are for cheaters.

</div></div>

No point in standing together, right? Idiot.



I go 600 yards on a deer size target with confidence in most any conditions. .308 165gr SMK. The you more shoot the more comfortable you get.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

I'd feel pretty good about taking a 2-3mph 800yrd .308 shot or 1000 with no wind. However, around here hunting is only in dark timber so sub-30yrd shots are the order of the day. I've taken P-dogs and antelope at 500+ and yotes at 800+. I would say wind is the deciding factor and anything over the lightest breeze makes any shot over ~500yds off limits.

I'd take a 60yrd bow shot but nothing further (my 3D league only gets to 60) and I'm not that good at on the fly bow adjustments.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Azprc</div><div class="ubbcode-body">40 yards with a 415 grain projectile at 330fps. Only archery equipment for hunting, guns are for cheaters.

</div></div>Yeah i do mostly archery and muzzy hunts too. Here, depending on where your hunting it can be pretty wide open.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

300 rum at 600 yrds i feel great confidence at taking deer at that range all day long with wind.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

Coyote at 600 yards with .223 75gr Amax.
Deer at 800 yards with 7mm 162gr Amax.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

Talking deer; I seldom get a visibility beyond 200yd in brush, and try to minimize that with my 94AE 44mag. I doubt I'd be confident beyond 100yd, I use a dot scope.

For the open ground, I use a .30-'06 with 150gr Core-Lokt Express and a 2.5-10x42 MilDot, will take a quick offhand shot out to 200-250yd, and go maybe another 100-150yd if I can set up the shot with ample time to estimate drops.

For varmints, I use a .260 with 120gr Nosler Ballistic Tips and a 6-24x42 MilDot. 400yd with confidence; so far, successful at about 500 max. with a 'Whew factor'. The 95 V-Max vaporizes chucks and shoots flatter'n hell out to 500.

I like a flat shooting rifle, and project work with the .280 and 120, 140, and 150gr Nosler Ballistic Tips is telling me I'm on the right track. On paper, the 150 will do 1Kyd supersonic, shoot flatter, and arrive with more energy than the .30-'06. Hornady 139gr SST Superformance is simply awesomely accurate, and might reach 1Kyd supersonic, might not; but either way it's well worth paying $2 a shot for it. If I can do 1Kyd with a 140 out of a .260, I'm not gonna worry too hard about a 280 doing it with a 139.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

.5 seconds of bullet flight. Any cartridge, any game. I would push the envelope a long way on a "predator" but I don't consider that to be (a) game.

Cheers,

Doc
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

Inside of 500, anything up to caribou sized, .308Win. Don't feel the energy is there for larger game at that distance. Time of flight starts getting long enough an animal can move considerably before arrival beyond, and there's almost no reason one couldn't stalk inside of 500.
Varmint hunting, animal/pest control, I'd try 800yds maybe more.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Beef</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Inside of 500, anything up to caribou sized, .308Win. Don't feel the energy is there for larger game at that distance. <span style="text-decoration: underline">Time of flight starts getting long enough an animal can move considerably before arrival beyond,</span> and there's almost no reason one couldn't stalk inside of 500.
Varmint hunting, animal/pest control, I'd try 800yds maybe more.</div></div>

Yup. A senior member of the local long-range fraternity was seriously frustrated that a deer was able to casually feed its way out of the path of his well-placed bullet (3x) @ 1680 yards this past season. His dream of a 1-mile kill before he dies is proving to be elusive to say the least!

My personal limits are <500 yards on game with my .308 Win. Couple hundred farther on varmints.

-The Kid.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

so what platforms are your 260 and 280 on? i would really like to build me a 260 in the future. it really seems to be a sweet caliber. <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Greg Langelius *</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Talking deer; I seldom get a visibility beyond 200yd in brush, and try to minimize that with my 94AE 44mag. I doubt I'd be confident beyond 100yd, I use a dot scope.

For the open ground, I use a .30-'06 with 150gr Core-Lokt Express and a 2.5-10x42 MilDot, will take a quick offhand shot out to 200-250yd, and go maybe another 100-150yd if I can set up the shot with ample time to estimate drops.

For varmints, I use a .260 with 120gr Nosler Ballistic Tips and a 6-24x42 MilDot. 400yd with confidence; so far, successful at about 500 max. with a 'Whew factor'. The 95 V-Max vaporizes chucks and shoots flatter'n hell out to 500.

I like a flat shooting rifle, and project work with the .280 and 120, 140, and 150gr Nosler Ballistic Tips is telling me I'm on the right track. On paper, the 150 will do 1Kyd supersonic, shoot flatter, and arrive with more energy than the .30-'06. Hornady 139gr SST Superformance is simply awesomely accurate, and might reach 1Kyd supersonic, might not; but either way it's well worth paying $2 a shot for it. If I can do 1Kyd with a 140 out of a .260, I'm not gonna worry too hard about a 280 doing it with a 139. </div></div>
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

Yeah,practice makes Better....

[/quote]

No point in standing together, right? Idiot.



I go 600 yards on a deer size target with confidence in most any conditions. .308 165gr SMK. The you more shoot the more comfortable you get. [/quote]
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

is that like a WAG-Wild Azz Guess? <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: THUNDERBOLT68</div><div class="ubbcode-body">TAG </div></div>
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

Right now it's 300 with 6.8, .308, or 30-06. With more range time I hope to be confident at 500 with the -06.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

Shots I know I can make, not hope I can make.

Conditions, rest and time dictate my decision to shoot or not to. Big game animals aren't steel plates....we need to get it right the first time.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: cannonman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">is that like a WAG-Wild Azz Guess? <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: THUNDERBOLT68</div><div class="ubbcode-body">TAG </div></div> </div></div>

No, TAG means I want to come back to this thread. I did not have time to respond.

When hunting trophy animals, ( ie. Big stuff, or stuff I am paying to shoot. ) 700 yards with my 338 lapua.

Culls or Varmints so far my longest kill shot is 1087 yards.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

I was just giving you a hard time lol. <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: THUNDERBOLT68</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: cannonman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">is that like a WAG-Wild Azz Guess? <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: THUNDERBOLT68</div><div class="ubbcode-body">TAG </div></div> </div></div>

No, TAG means I want to come back to this thread. I did not have time to respond.

When hunting trophy animals, ( ie. Big stuff, or stuff I am paying to shoot. ) 700 yards with my 338 lapua.

Culls or Varmints so far my longest kill shot is 1087 yards. </div></div>
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

I for one cant spit out a random number. To many variables.

Like PGS said, shots I know I can make, not hope I can make.

Environmental conditions obviously have a huge roll in determining if a shot should be made, but I also let the animal tell me what the max range should be for that situation. Jumpy, keyed up animals can be tricky to a bowhunter, or a long range shooter with long flight times. A half step can mean disaster.

We owe the animal the effort of trying to make a clean kill.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

My .260's are both Savages. One is a factory stock 10 Predator Hunter Max I. The other is (was) a Savage 10FP completely rebuilt as an F Class 1Kyd match rifle. As of this past week it was successfully converted to a 30BR for FV250 comp. I may put the L-W 28" .260 takeoff barrel onto the predator and save the factory barrel as a backup..

The 280's are both factory stock Ruger MKI's, one a sporter, and the other a varmint weight.

Greg
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

I would say my confidence zone is under 200yds. Most of my hunting is with a 30-30 in forest and brush, longer opportunities don't come up very often. When I do get out with friends for open country hunts, like antelope, I go with a 25-06 and will stretch out to 400yd, but I'm simply not good enough to press much farther than that.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

Depends on cartridge, conditions, and position for me. If i feel like i can close the distance and still keep an eye on him I will, especially if it allows me to get into a more stable position. I don't care much for bragging rights I just want to come home with the deer. I missed a deer at long range once. Thankfully it was a clean miss. I learned alot from that mistake.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

For me the distance is determined by a few things.
1. How far before the bullet loses effective energy for what I am hunting.
2. Conditions.
3. My ability to make first round hits on targets at different ranges and conditions with the rifle I am hunting with.
4. If I can get to it after I shoot it.
So basically I dont have a set range in mind.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

Depends on, which rifle/caliber I am using, my confidence/practice level with that rifle, the weather, the position I will be shooting from and animal location and position. It just all depends, it could be 200 yards as easily as 600. I think PGS summed it up well with “shots I know I can make, not hope I can make”.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

Very few open areas with a safe backstop up to 400yrds where I hunt. 300 and below is my comfort zone, past that and its hard for me to track my "runners". Lots of thick brush here. Use a 308 or 270.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

Agreed.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: a-hull</div><div class="ubbcode-body">For me the distance is determined by a few things.
1. How far before the bullet loses effective energy for what I am hunting.
2. Conditions.
3. My ability to make first round hits on targets at different ranges and conditions with the rifle I am hunting with.
4. If I can get to it after I shoot it.
So basically I dont have a set range in mind. </div></div>
whistle.gif
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: cannonman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Agreed.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: a-hull</div><div class="ubbcode-body">For me the distance is determined by a few things.
1. How far before the bullet loses effective energy for what I am hunting.
2. Conditions.
3. My ability to make first round hits on targets at different ranges and conditions with the rifle I am hunting with.
4. If I can get to it after I shoot it.
So basically I dont have a set range in mind. </div></div>
whistle.gif
</div></div>

Ditto
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

For Brn Bear - 200 yds with my 375 Ruger. 300 if i am on open ground. My longest shot is 350 yrds with a 325 wsm at barren ground caribou.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

Realistically I'd take a shot at deer at 400, maybe a little more. 6.5 Grendel AR-15. It's what I'm most comfortable with.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

I shoot deer regularly at 250 yd. Last year I passed on a 160" buck at 450 yd. at dusk. But two mornings later he came out at 350 yd & he's hagging on my wall now. I have shot two deer at 400+ yd. But my son was with me telling me to shoot, which I admit it didn't take much to talk me into it, also there was no wind. I just started strecthing out my shooting this year & I wouldn't pass a deer at 500 yd if the conditions were right.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

I hunt deer and antelope in the prarie where you can see a long ways. I hunt elk in the mountains.

I use either my 257 Rbts or 270 Winchester, both Model 70 featherweights.

In my 55+ years of hunting I have never felt the need to shoot any critter past 300 yards.

I do a lot of long range shooting, I know that a couple MPH error in wind calls means a wounded animal.

You read all the time about people making kills at extreme ranges. Ego wont let them post the muffed shots leaving an animal wounded to die a terrible death.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

With sufficient time and a comfortable rest i'd go out to 500yd w/ a 178 AMAX handload with my .308
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

300 yards with my '06 or .270 on deer and larger. 400 on varmint.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

It depends is the best answer I have seen so far. I'll jump in with that crowd.

I did shoot a doe once at about 150 yds and she was DRT, I thought. What she actually was was DRT rolled down a hill fell in a tree and wedged there about 6 feet off the ground. A ladder was not packed for field dressing on that trip. What a mess.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

With a game animal longest shot would be around 300 to 350. On a pig or yote...lot further.
wink.gif
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

I like to keep "game" animals inside of 600. With my S&B 5x25 and 6.5x47L and a 1k range at my house I still feel this is about the limit of ethics for me.

I have killed and will continue to kill "off game" as far as I have good dope...
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

shots u know u can make.. please people about the 500 plus yrds shots at game, lots o stuff tends to go wrong after 400 yds and i mean by multiples.. sure once in a blue moon but how bout first shot, fading light and a changing breeze... hell ive passed a nice, now i mean nice kansas whitetail at dusk at 320 cause if i shot and didnt kill him drt then the chance of loosing him in the sandhills was very high... guess what never seen him again. first shots count. make em count these animals deserve our best thats it and thats all.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Pokes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">shots u know u can make.. please people about the 500 plus yrds shots at game, lots o stuff tends to go wrong after 400 yds and i mean by multiples.. sure once in a blue moon but how bout first shot, fading light and a changing breeze... hell ive passed a nice, now i mean nice kansas whitetail at dusk at 320 cause if i shot and didnt kill him drt then the chance of loosing him in the sandhills was very high... guess what never seen him again. first shots count. make em count these animals deserve our best thats it and thats all. </div></div>



For you to know your limits, thats great. But I know people, and hunted with them, that have shots beyond that by alot.
+900 yards one shot and dead. If you cant do it, don't. Just because I know guys that have done it, doesn't mean I can, doesn't mean you can, doesn't mean they shouldn't. It means You have the responsibility as a hunter to know YOUR limits.
I will know mine, they will know theirs. Really doesn't matter to me what other people can or can't do. I do think it is funny when people put a limit on it. On an animal a long range shot has the potential to be "unethical", on a human by a sniper it is praised...... Weird.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

good point. Now i can and do shoot varmin out past 500 but if i hit them pdogs they die and dont run off some where dark and deep. I just feel like being able to put a good stalk on an Deer or elk to close the distance to under 400 yds take some time and skill and adds some tense moments to the hunt and make the story fun to tell. Guess just be smart what u do.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

I'm comfortable taking 'yotes and groundhogs to the distances that I have good DOPE. I don't WANT to wound one but given the opportunity to put a reasonable shot on a coyote, I'm sure as heck going to take it.

On deer I try to get some stalking on, but I've been known to setup an overwatch where shots will range from 180-550yd. In that particular area I'm confident in the shots, it's in an area that I practice a lot and I know the range card like the back of my hand.

While I certainly understand and I can appreciate guys who will take an elk from 1600yd out, I don't get the opportunity to shoot that far enough that I would consider myself responsible to do it. Under certain conditions it is certainly possible and not irresponsible, if someone has the skills, the opportunity and the setup of both conditions and equipment to do it. So be it.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

Late season deer hunt near the mississippi river bluffs here in MN.I saw another hunter take a relatively long shot(400 meters) at a 4 point buck.He got it but he did not see the stream that separated him from the now dead deer.He was at least fool/man enough to strip down,wade across,get dressed again,gut the deer,strip down,get the deer and his gear back across,redress,and then i helped him drag the deer up the hillside,not easy with the 2 inchs of snow and 2 inchs of leaves covering the hillside.Take your long shots but review the terrain first.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

100 yds or in with my 1974 Riger 44 carbine. Most shots 30 yds or less. Get high, at least 25 ft. The higher the better. Beat the nose and, you can take pictures or just look at them and let em walk.
smile.gif
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

It depends on the set-up, wind, rifle, etc. I killed one this year at 419 yards. I had good solid sight settings, a good rest, a calm broadside animal, and only about a 1/2 minute of wind. When you added things up, it was really an easy shot. I have had much closer shots that were more difficult because of the conditions or the set-up.

Dan Zelenka
Distinguished Rifle Badge #1829
President's 100 2009, 2010 and 2011
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

Many years ago in my heyday of deer hunting my limit was 400yds with everything I owned, that spanned 243win to 300winmag and lots of cartridges in between.

Today after years of shooting competitions and quite a bit of uppance in my equipment I am not sure I would go much beyond the limits of the good old days. I can say that I would shoot a deer with my custom XP pistol at 200M. I have hit many half sized rams at that distance, and numerous half sized chickens in shootoffs. So my confidence level with that pistol is pretty high, at least to 200M.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Killswitch engage</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Max effective range of my cartridge....</div></div>

I also look at the same,design velocity of the bullet I'm using,a 250gr .338 accubond falls off at 1800fps,between 7-800yds in my shorty 338.Most of the high tundra I hunt for Grizz and Moose it's possible to move in to under 600yds or even 400 or so.You want it DRT and in a place you can recover the critter.The closer the better.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

Turkey and deer with a bow only 40 yards with 125 grain rage 2 blade broadheads.

Coyote out to 300 yards with .223 55 grain hornaday vmax and out to 450 with .308 168 grain federal match.
 
Re: What is your comfort zone on taking game?

I prefer to get as close as possible. Most shots are between 35 and 125 yards. Longest shot was probably 200 yards on a blue wildebeast with a .338MW. I killed a nice eland at about 180 with a 375H&H last month. Closest shots have been whitetail at about 5 yards and elephant at 20 yards.