My personal range limits

[Buck Buster]

Don't get me wrong fellas, I'm not saying anything is wrong with the new tech. things; just that I was taught another way and I have always been very successful using it. I even sighted my 308 Norma Mag. in this way, all the way to where it is dropping at the rate of 6' for every additional 50 yards; Its popped out at 1550 yards. But still very accurate ( surprisingly ) at that range. This is a couple of hundred yards farther than I can, or plan to shoot.

 

[Buck Buster]

I do believe marketing has something to do with. However, technology as come a long ways with better everything which makes results at LR more reliable. I think people like to stretch their limits and challenge themselves. Sure, practice is one thing but each to his own when determining limits for ethical hunting.

The biggest game changer for me was the addition of a range finder. I would always try to get less than 200 yards before shooting as I'm not great with visual range estimations. The next item was using scopes with high quality glass and repeatable turret adjustment. I don't trust ballistics charts without verifying drop. As I started to work my way out, the atmospheric effects started to get challenging beyond 500 yards for a 100% repeatable first shot. That aspect limits my range for now. Sure, I can whack steel, rocks, and paper at more than twice that distance but that isn't looking at an animal with buck fever running through your veins.

Practicing using a gun or bow at twice the distance I plan to shoot helps me feel what my body is doing allows me to better correct myself.

I agree. I checked a drop chart made for my 308 Norma, out till I ran out of clicks at 1550 yards. It was surprisingly accurate at all the yardages, but I agree that you have to check them. Good luck hunting and be safe.

 

[Buffalobob]

If you hunt much you will wind up wounding and losing animals. I have done it with rifles bows and shotguns. Even if it is only a dove I look for it a long time and am sad if I can't find it. With the right equipment and practice 1000 yards is not a big challenge especially with pronghorn, other animals are harder to find but not necessarily harder to shoot. It got so routine and dull that I bought a brand new bow and went back to bowhunting because if there is no challenge then I begin to lose interest. All of that said the last few cow elk I killed were all under 400 yards, and all it involved was sitting on a knob for one to four days and waiting for one to cross a stream valley (not very exciting at all but I was building preference points for bull elk and desert bighorn). When I killed my first and only elk with a bow a few years ago, I was super excited and felt I had accomplished something. When after about five years of hunting hogs free range on public land (no bait) I managed to kill my first one (rifle) I was excited even though the shot was only 50 yards but it was running hard.

My opinion is if you aren't enjoying what you are doing, then do something else. If you enjoy what you are doing then good for you.

 

[HARPERC]

No matter how I prep, or how I'm equipped, something steps out close.

 

[Mike 338]

No matter how I prep, or how I'm equipped, something steps out close.

You can fix that. Just put a 45-70 in your hands.

 

[HARPERC]

I spent a few seasons with .375 H&H for everything, no complaints.

 

[Lpart]

I will never argue with close in a hunting situation.

 

[Buck Buster]

No matter how I prep, or how I'm equipped, something steps out close.

If you want to shoot farther, pass on the 50 yard shots or turn around and walk the other way for a 1000 yards, then try the shot. Always see hunters trying to get closer but none ever trying to get farther away. You can start something new here!! Good luck hunting and be safe.

 

[Bravo 4]

If you want to shoot farther, pass on the 50 yard shots or turn around and walk the other way for a 1000 yards, then try the shot. Always see hunters trying to get closer but none ever trying to get farther away. You can start something new here!! Good luck hunting and be safe.

I know someone that has done that with pronghorn, set a minimum for 800. Anything closer he said wasn't a challenge.

 

[HARPERC]

......If you want to shoot farther, pass on the 50 yard shots or turn around and walk the other way for a 1000 yards, then try the shot......

It's one thing to be prepared for it, but it's about the game not the shot. If God gives you an easy one, you don't spit in his eye.

 

[Buck Buster]

It's one thing to be prepared for it, but it's about the game not the shot. If God gives you an easy one, you don't spit in his eye.

I agree! I am referring to an apparently disgruntled person that don't like getting so many close shots, when he wants a long shot. That would be the only way to get the long shot he wants, if every thing comes out close.

 

[Buck Buster]

I know someone that has done that with pronghorn, set a minimum for 800. Anything closer he said wasn't a challenge.

If everything you see is close, and you have 1000s in a long range gun you want to try, you can only wait so long and the season will be over. That is the only option there is if everything you see is a lot closer than you want to shot. You may be able to scare it and hope to see it and get a shot at it at a farther distance. If I had meat in the freezer and wanted to test a new gun at long range, I would about face and try to sneak away to a range that I would like to try the gun out at. That's me, I would rather try my gun at the range I built it to shoot at, very simple equation.

 

[Bravo 4]

I can see both sides to this. I practice long range to be prepared for almost any scenario, that also includes close range "snap shots" and alternate positions. However I do want to see what the fruits of my labor can provide and feel the need to test my equipment as well as myself. Take bullets for example; how am I supposed to test their low velocity performance except to either shoot animals at longer ranges or build a system that produces the exaggerated long range effect of low velocity?
When I read comments (even on this site) like "If you can't get under 300-400 yards you need to basically find something else to do other than hunting...well that's easy for them to say. When you travel thousands of miles and spend thousands of dollars on tags to only (MAYBE!) get one shot at an animal you've dreamt of all year (or several in a row without getting to go), you want to be able to take that shot, even if it's further than most folks think possible.
My closest elk harvest has been 811 yards, try crossing a canyon and closing that distance. Not gonna happen. This past October the buddy that went to Colorado with me had some cows 20 yards from him so I know a close range shot is possible. I just haven't encountered one, though I generally travel miles upon miles on foot. I have a somewhat decent success rate for a non resident hunter in an area that apparently doesn't hold a good elk herd, I obviously suck at hunting elk but can usually connect when given the chance. It's my ability to shoot those longer ranges that puts a tag on some antlers. Maybe one day I will be able to put some time into hunting elk country to actually be good at it. Then maybe take my bow out after them. Until then I will keep trying to increase my lethel range and do what I know best...shooting.

 

[Don A Parsons]

I live in Western Canada along the open plains to the East, and foot hills along the Eastern Slopes of Alberta to the West. The mighty Rocky Mountain Range.

Both areas allow for some long distance shots, but this has never been part of our Harvesting families take when it comes to big game or predator control. Our "rule" of thumb is not to take free hand shots beyond our abilities. 0 to 140 yards free hand for my self,,, my TR shooting friend can reach out there past this since he has hands as steady rocks.

"If" and if we have time to use a tree, fence post, or by-pods then range gets extended so long as we/ I get a solid rest to work off of. 300 to 400 so long as we have a "consistant" season of ranging and shooting iron silhouettes at the shooting range. 100 to 600 meters as we jump back and forth between the irons "knowing if we can tag them on every shot.

Kinda like fast track PRS shooting.

We take on the 21"T by 27" L iron gong at 600 meters. 300 then the 500, over to the 100, back to the 7" 600m then onto the 3" 200m gong.

This goes on all Summer and 1000's of rounds practicing dial up and down along with Windage, and using the optic reticle hash marks,,, a steady 10 mpr cross wind could be 9 MOA at our 1000 meter mark. Cross winds are tricky here in Canada ,same for Colorado and many other USA states. Distance and Windage are a constant to deal with, more so when a living target is present.

What we practic at our shooting range is skills to improve our odds,,, it is at the range where we learn what is possible.

But when we step onto crown land for the begining of hunting season,,, we connect our shooting skills and inner thoughts into reality.

The reality is that we harvest game with in our self capabilities. We/I remove what is probable at the shooting range in distance to a higher standard of greater success of harvesting at closer ranges.

Last year I took on a new challange like never before. I call it Don's Close Range Hunting.
The challange for me is to close the gap just like my archery days. If it dosen't pan out, then so be it,,, its called "fare game and chase."

The above is my take on what works for me, I enjoy being in the thick of things, it is where I will rap up my days in the game Harvesting world.

Awesome thread Guy. It's idea sharing like this that allows us a chance to harvest the way we choose to in the years to come.

Pal Don from Western Canada