Closest Kill

[derekp1999]

My closest kills have both been muley bucks with a muzzleloader at 30 yards.
I took a cow elk this year at 250 yards so I know I can do it, but I like to get in close... makes it personal I guess.
With the closer shots I felt like I had earned them more due to the hard work & risk to close the gap. I could have taken shots at both bucks starting at ~120 yards... but both were smaller bucks so I was playing the game see how close I could get. When I got to 30 yards & neither buck was none the wiser I knew I had earned the shots.

[elkman99]

My closest elk was this year at 30 yards with a 7mm and deer at 15yds with same rifle 2 years ago. My closest with bow is 7 yards for elk and 20 for mule deer. Ive always tried to teach my son to stalk every animal no matter what weapon. This year he shot his first mule deer at 100 yards with a 22-250. He is 10 and has his deer in the photo secion. My 30 yard elk is also in the photo section.

[BIG R]

I have just as much fun @800 as I do @100 for the fact its a lot harder to make that 800 yard shot. I dont understand how you can judge the amount of fun had by anybody that shoots long distance unless you've done it yourself. If you have done it and dont get enjoyment out of it that doen't mean anybody else that does it wont

[Springville Shooter]

The danger that we get into is when we try to impose what is "fun" for us onto other people. What happened to "variety is the spice"? I appreciate ALL aspects of hunting and though I chose not to participate in some, like muzzleloader, I would never think of putting anyone else down for doing what they love. Remember that the next time you want to say that a long shot would ruin a hunt, or take the fun out. That being said, my closest shot with a rifle was 17yds on a blacktail, and my shortest kill with a bow was 19yds with a 34lb recurve. I personally like to be prepared for any situation that I might encounter in the field. That means that I want to be able to stalk, make quick running shots, make long shots, glass, read the wind etc. Every situation in the field is different and that's what I love. --------SS

[BIG R]

Perfectly said Shooter.

[m gardner]

I've shot two whitetails in the northeast at less than 10 feet. Both in the head with an old 30-30 rifle. One was in heavy brush I was very slowly making my way through. It was windy so everything was moving and the noise helped. I was standing wondering where all the deer were when I noticed a little white spot moving in the brush on a ledge at eye level to me. I watched it for awhile thinking it was a bird. It turned out to be the white spot on the lower jaw of a 3 point whitetail buck moving as he chewed his cud. He never moved at the shot. Another buck was shot between the antlers when he put his head down to feed. Same deal. Stillhunting on a windy day, back in the day when they were badly needed food.

[killerbee]

i think there is just a fine line of when shooting long range is ok when it's not.

SHOOTER AND BIG-R, i have absolutly no doubt that your plenty practised enough to enjoy long range shooting, and also have not a secong guess weather you should take those shots. i'm all for it and want to hear the stories.

the other end of the line is the downside. there are WAY TO MANY guys who are watching "best of the west" right now, that just ordered their custom turett for $150 and are " instant long range shooters" that is the part that i dont like.
it's the same with any sport, a guy sees it on tv, goes out once and does decent, and assumes he's as good as the guy he watched on tv.

BUT- all things equal,if i hear 2 stories this year, 1 where a guy got to 5 yrds and killed his elk, and the other where a guy shot his elk at 800 yrds, i'm giving a little bigger pat on the back to the guy at 5 yrds

[Springville Shooter]

I have heard this argument about long-range before and I do agree. But, I don't feel that this is a problem that is unique to the long game. I feel that a large percentage of ALL types of hunters are simply not prepared and practiced enough to take the shots that they take. Bowhunters, Muzzy guys, and regular medium-range rifle guys are all guilty as groups. Here is another thing that I want you to think about; most people who put down the long range game say nothing about taking 100-200 yard offhand shots at moving game. I will GUARANTEE you that I can take a much more ethical shot at 400-600 yards than this. Have you ever tried to shoot a group offhand at a still target? I have and on a good day I shoot about 6 inch groups at 100 yards. On a final note, I would like to agree with killer about the guys who take shortcuts trying to become 600yard shooters without making the sacrifices of time and money to become truly accomplished marksmen. In their haste, they miss out on the true rewards that only us long shooters understand; the tuning of good equipment, the hours of load developement, the days and frustrations at the range when things aren't working the way they should, the aquisition and mastry of all the support equipment and glass. When the culmination of all these things result in a boom-flop instant kill on an animal that is totally in a relaxed state, unaware of your presence, I'll take that feeling anyday over a 5 yard blowover shot.---------SS

[killerbee]

and just for the record, i posted a stroy of my awsome year of hunting, only 1 with me being the shooter, but the bull my buddy killed was shot 3 times at 658-668 yrds.( from the first to the 3rd shot) by no means am i anti long range shooters!
i just hate how the readers read this and tomorrow they get set up and are ready to kill their animal at 1000 yrds. same with archery, just a little smaller numbers. guys spouting off about killing a buck at 100 yrds, weekend warrior reads it, tries it one afternoon and gets lucky on the last arrow to put it in the target, from there on he's not afraid to "let er' rip" at 100 yrds, cause he did it once.
no doubt at all you can do it- it just REALLY NEEDS TO BE METIONED who should do it and the work they put into it.
1 more edit- i'm a bow hunter #1, and aqain- by no means am i against long range rifle guys, but i really do get annoyed by anyone who tells me they shoot 80+ yrds with a bow. thats crap IMO)

[sneekeepete]

This thread wasn't posted to insult or say any particular style of hunting is better I just like hearing about the guys who are able to get super close on an animal. I understand how much it takes to be a good shot with any weapon at long range. I agree with all Big R, Shooter, and Killer have been talking about .
I think that hunters as a group need to be more responsible and realistic about their personal skill level. It only takes one dumby to smear the reputation of many. I guess we should all try to devote more time becoming more proficient and maintaining our skills too.
Thanks for all the responses this is great to hear!