How far is to far?

[Duckking88]

My buddy and I had this argument last saturday. I located a buck up hill from us in a little bowl canyon. I tell my buddy i found his buck so we decided a game plan, he wanted to try the shot from there I wanted to get closer. He would have none of it and assured me he could make the shot. So I fished out my range finder and ranged the deer it came back at 534 yards up hill. I told him it was to far but he told me once agian he could make the shot, so we settled down for him to make the shot. I got my spotting scope set out and let him get set up. He shoots a 270. with a 4x12 scope 130gr. bullet. I let him take his time and he squeezed one off, he missed. The buck then proceeds to walk over the hill. We hike up there to make sure he was not hit. After checking the area we can not see anything that would indicate he was hit. We hurry over the hill and were able to relocate the deer agian and get him with a much closer shot. Now my question to you guys is how far is too far? For me anything over 400 is pushing it. I shoot a 30-06 and iam very confident with it out to 400 yards but after that I get worried. So what do you guys think?

Sorry for the novel.

[bh107]

It depends on the hunter, the gun, and the conditions. At that distance the bullet is going to drop about 60" with a 100 yard zero, and hit with about 850 ft-lbs of energy. That is more than enough to take down a deer with a good shot, but the shot placement has to be good. If your buddy doesn't shoot at those distances regularly then he probably shouldn't be taking the shot. At that range, the margin for error is small, and could very easily end with a wounded animal that you don't find.

With that being said, there are alot of guys who take deer, elk, and other game at twice that distance every year. Long range hunting and shooting has become alot more popular in the last few years, and the gun industry is also catering more to that market. But what some people don't understand is that you don't just go buy the expensive gear and you are ready to go. You must put in alot of time to be proficient with your rifle and know exactly what the bullet is going to do.

I personally like both types of hunting. I love getting in as close as possible, but I also like the ability to make the long shot if I need to. Last year I built a Savage .300 Win Mag and set it up for long range shooting. It is a heavier rifle (about 14 lbs), and is a very accurate 1000 yard gun. I haven't had enough time behind it to shoot that far, so I would never take that shot. I was comfortable to about 500 last year, and killed my deer in Colorado at 440 yards. There are situations that call for the long shots, and I don't mind hiking around with a heavy gun.

So how far is too far really depends on the shooter. If you aren't sure what will happen at 500, don't take the shot. Sounds like your buddy probably wasn't set up for it.

[derekp1999]

So how far is too far really depends on the shooter. If you aren't sure what will happen at 500, don't take the shot. Sounds like your buddy probably wasn't set up for it.

I agree. Time on the range and round after round will tell you what your effective range should be... and just like everything else in life it will be different for me & you. I applaud you for saying "no" to an uncomfortable shot for you. Too many hunters out there find themselves full of a false confidence that comes from having the latest & greatest gun/optics/etc. Too many hunters have a hunting buddy in their ear saying "you got this" or they want the bragging rights over their buddies by making an improbable long distance shot. Too many guys out there take shots that are beyond their actual level of skill.
That being said, with the appropriate amount of practice, there are guys out there that can do amazing things at ranges that absolutely blow my mind. But they've put their time in to have that skill.

[waspocrew]

It's definitely a personal thing for sure.... I think it all comes down to practice. If I've put in the time and know that I can consistently hit the target at a certain range, I wouldn't hesitate to take the shot if presented in the field. I'm not one of those guys that can do awesome things at long ranges, so I try to get as close as possible. Practicing long shots on game during the season shouldn't happen... Put in the practice way before the season starts and if you're still not a great shot, get closer.

[Duckking88]

I agree it is all about pratice and i have seen guys take deer and coyotes at much further (700- 1000 yards). I also think if there was that buck of a lifetime and there was no chance of ever getting close you may have to try a shot out of your comfort zone. IMO I like to be closer than farther, thats whats fun to me. But i can also see the fun in the very far shots.

[Springville Shooter]

Please refer to the several threads on this subject that we have already hashed out in the past. I'm afraid that this is a sore subject that has no real answers, only opinions. Mine is based on practice, repeatability, and confidence. For some folks, 100 yds is too far. Some can manage further shots. I like to practice at ranges far beyond what I shoot at game so that when I chose to shoot, it's game over. I believe that the challenge should be in the hunt and the positioning of the shooter, not the actual shot. --------SS

[m gardner]

I've made some very long shots myself, but like what's been said, you need to be a practiced shot. There's a big difference between buying the best technology and memorizing ballistic tables and wind drift and spin of the earth and and bullet drift and applying it successfully. There's a big difference between gut shooting a coyote and having it run off and die later not to be found and doing the same on a deer or elk. The long shots I've taken were usually at bedded animals and took upwards of an hour or more to setup. I usually wait for the wind to stop if possible and set the gun up and dry fire it until the crosshairs stay rock solid after the trigger breaks. I learned this by shooting prarie dogs at very long range and I usually hit something as large as a deer or elk and kill it. There is no fast track to long range shooting expertise, you need to pay your dues. I've killed deer out to 500 yards with the 270 winchester but it gets pretty anemic by then. The 300 magnums are a much better bet.

[gizmo1]

its a ethics question therefore there is no definitive answer. It is also individually based. To far is passed the the point you as an individual can accurately shoot and cleanly and humanely kill an animal. For some people it is a few hundred yards or less. For others it could be 1000 yards provided you have the equipment to do it. For me I wont shoot past 300 yards. Many of you can shoot much farther. I'd rather let the buck of a lifetime walk as opposed to putting a bad shot on him, not recovering him, and inevitably having him run off and die a slow painful death before feeding the coyotes and bobcats.

[treedagain]

i am good out to about 550 with a SOLID rest and a good range

[Springville Shooter]

Based on alot of experience, I think that folks hunting with a modern rifle should practice and be proficient out to around 500yds. Even if you will NEVER take a shot like that when you are talking on the internet, the combination of your ability to see game well out to that range combined with percieved inherent ability of your fancy rifle and hot premium loads might get you to take a shot at that range when a really nice buck is on the opposite hillside and no one is looking. So I say enjoy your rifle and practice out to at least 1/3 farther than you think you will ever shoot. The other benefit to this is that closer shots become very easy and routine when you have been practicing at longer ranges. This year I shot a whitetail buck at 300 yards. I must say that it felt like a chip-shot and I was confident that I could have placed that bullet within an inch of wherever I wanted it on him.......which I did. Let's face it, Big bucks look big with the naked eye at 500 yards. Practice, practice, practice, then enjoy great, one-shot kills year after year.------------SS