What Caliber for 600yd Whitetail? (New rifle Build)

And some folks just like to shoot that far. And farther.
My only concern these days is not getting a drt kill on animals at long ranges. I'm too old to be chasing down my bad shots. And attempting a long shot with too little gun. The question was about what caliber for 600 plus. There are a multitude of calibers that will do the job. Such as, 300wm, 3006, and a host of others. My concern is not allowing the animal to suffer needlessly. Wide open flat areas are real challenging. Working your way in can be a real workout. But that's called hunting, at least that's how I look at it. For me, using a gun gives me advantages no other animal has. But I still get a kick out of the stalk. Now, if this was a matter of putting meat on the table for my family (or not), that's different.
 
You're the one questioning why one has to shoot from "up to 600 yards". 600 yard shots are common out west on numerous game animals, Whitetail being one of them. Sometimes one can get closer and sometimes not. We shoot numerous Coues bucks, antelope, etc at that distance. The key is practicing and being confident in your abilities to make a solid shot. I also think one should try and get closer when the opportunity presents itself but that's not always the case. Anyways…. Don't want to derail the OP's thread.
 
You're the one questioning why one has to shoot from "up to 600 yards". 600 yard shots are common out west on numerous game animals, Whitetail being one of them. Sometimes one can get closer and sometimes not. We shoot numerous Coues bucks, antelope, etc at that distance. The key is practicing and being confident in your abilities to make a solid shot. I also think one should try and get closer when the opportunity presents itself but that's not always the case. Anyways…. Don't want to derail the OP's thread.
I'm not questioning anything. I stated MY own experience and abilities. My opinions are mine and mine alone about me. I did ask the question why shooting white tails from 600+ was necessary. I will absolutely say that long shots are necessary. Sometimes. I will (me) try very hard to not take that long of a shot unless it is absolutely necessary. I have the luxury these days of not having to hunt to put meat on my family's table. Some people do not have that luxury. I have lots of experience in long distance shooting. More years than I care to admit too (68). I have lived and hunted in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana (among western states) my home state of Alaska and yes-Africa. Long shots in some of these geographical areas are sometimes required to achieve bagging game. In all my years, I can only remember having to take a shot over 600+ a handful of times. As I have already stated, I prefer not to take long shots because of having to take a chance on a misplaced shot and it's effects on the animal. I have never heard of any hunter that has not made a poor shot at some time. Long ago I hunted once with a member of the DNR. I made a poor shot on an elk and we tracked it for 2.5 days. The animal was dead when we finally found it. But can you imagine how it suffered? My main concern is not maiming an animal and causing suffering. I WILL NOT DO THAT AGAIN. I would rather pass on the shot and come back another day. I have seen too much death in this world to add to unnecessary suffering. If you really need to take the long shot, go for it. You certainly don't need my or anybody else's permission to do so. Just take extreme care in doing so and consider the consequences of what might happen. As they say, sh#! happens. Consider...
 
Last edited:
I'm not questioning anything. I stated MY own experience and abilities. My opinions are mine and mine alone about me. I did ask the question why shooting white tails from 600+ was necessary. I will absolutely say that long shots are necessary. Sometimes. I will (me) try very hard to not take that long of a shot unless it is absolutely necessary. I have the luxury these days of not having to hunt to put meat on my family's table. Some people do not have that luxury. I have lots of experience in long distance shooting. More years than I care to admit too (68). I have lived and hunted in California, Arizona, Nevada, North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana (among western states) my home state of Alaska and yes-Africa. Long shots in some of these geographical areas are sometimes required to achieve bagging game. In all my years, I can only remember having to take a shot over 600+ a handful of times. As I have already stated, I prefer not to take long shots because of having to take a chance on a misplaced shot and it's effects on the animal. I have never heard of any hunter that has not made a poor shot at some time. Long ago I hunted once with a member of the DNR. I made a poor shot on an elk and we tracked it for 2.5 days. The animal was dead when we finally found it. But can you imagine how it suffered? My main concern is not maiming an animal and causing suffering. I WILL NOT DO THAT AGAIN. I would rather pass on the shot and come back another day. I have seen too much death in this world to add to unnecessary suffering. If you really need to take the long shot, go for it. You certainly don't need my or anybody else's permission to do so. Just take extreme care in doing so and consider the consequences of what might happen. As they say, sh#! happens. Consider...
Your original reply was 3 questions. You asked …

"Why on earth do you need to hunt whitetail from 600 yards? Cant get a bit closer? Elk yes. Whitetail.....???"

My reply was based on your questioning. Sorry to have answered. Moving on.
 
Top