deer body measurement?

[Bigeclipse]

All,
I know people say the average vital zone on a whitetail broadside is like 8-10inch in diameter. What I am wanting to know is "about" how tall is the whitetails body from the top of its back to its belly? Not how tall it is off the ground. I'm talking average adult deer including bucks and doe. My wife's rifle is a 7mm-08 and I know at 300 yards it is dropping about 13 inches. She does not have target turrets and she does not have those hash lines that some scopes has. She has a standard leupold 3-9 vx2. Anyways she does shoot to 300 yards a lot and her groups average 4 inches so if she were to Kentucky "elevation" the deer by aiming like at the top of its back or such...it would be nice to know the average deer dimensions. She will likely not take this shot...but if conditions were right she might. Thanks.

 

[MOA Chaser]

I measured an adult doe the other day and from the top of the back to the belly was 18 inches, just behind the shoulder.

 

[Bigeclipse]

I measured an adult doe the other day and from the top of the back to the belly was 18 inches, just behind the shoulder.

Thank you. So if she aimed at the top of the back she'd be right in the heart...she'd would want to aim a couples inches over the deer which could get a little sketchy.

 

[BountyHunter]

It depends on where you are as the size varies. A big Midwestern whitetail averages 18" but can be only 14" in many eastern states.

Mule deer can go all the way to 24 inches.

Go buy some life size deer paper targets and have her shoot at those to get familiar.

 

[MudRunner2005]

All,
I know people say the average vital zone on a whitetail broadside is like 8-10inch in diameter. What I am wanting to know is "about" how tall is the whitetails body from the top of its back to its belly? Not how tall it is off the ground. I'm talking average adult deer including bucks and doe. My wife's rifle is a 7mm-08 and I know at 300 yards it is dropping about 13 inches. She does not have target turrets and she does not have those hash lines that some scopes has. She has a standard leupold 3-9 vx2. Anyways she does shoot to 300 yards a lot and her groups average 4 inches so if she were to Kentucky "elevation" the deer by aiming like at the top of its back or such...it would be nice to know the average deer dimensions. She will likely not take this shot...but if conditions were right she might. Thanks.

My $0.02 (or whatever it is worth to you)...

If 300 yards is her max distance she's comfortable shooting, I'd go with a 300 yard zero, and just aim center-mass for shots 0-300. From 100-300, it should shoot a couple inches high at the most...Which would be a lot more precise of a shot than Kentucky elevation, and letting the bullet drop more than a foot...

 

[Bigeclipse]

My $0.02 (or whatever it is worth to you)...

If 300 yards is her max distance she's comfortable shooting, I'd go with a 300 yard zero, and just aim center-mass for shots 0-300. From 100-300, it should shoot a couple inches high at the most...Which would be a lot more precise of a shot than Kentucky elevation, and letting the bullet drop more than a foot...

I was thinking about that as well. We only have one spot she can shoot to 300 yards anyways. All other shots are under 150. She is shooting 7mm08 with 140 grain accubonds only moving at 2700fps. We zeroed in at 1 inch high and at 200 yards are about 2.5 inches low. I don't have enough time before this weekend to re-sight the rifle in for a 300 yard shot. She is actually a really good shot. Holds the same groups I do and shoots my rifle out to 500 a lot. I don't doubt her skills out to 300. I was just wondering about this scenerio. Thanks for your advice

 

[Bbear]

In my earlier years, before there were a lot of affordable scopes with the stadia lines and long range shooting was mostly done by kentucky windage, I would sight my rifle in at 2 3/4" high at 100. (25-06). Kept me on 'hair' out to 300 yards.
Though you said you don't have the time to re-sight, when you do you might bump your wife's rifle up to 2" @ 100 yards. That should put you right at dead on at 200. At 300 yards she would only be 8.5" low and could hold on the back and center-punch any deer she'd see.

 

[hydehunter]

I would do the same sighting and for 300 yards hold on the top of the backgun)

 

[MOA Chaser]

All of my non-magnum CF rifles are zeroed at 200 yards. Magnums at 300. Zero at 200 and have her shoot a group at 300. If she has a standard "duplex" reticle use the top of the bottom post and see where it hits at 300 . I have a little cheat sheet for my duplex scopes with my standard handloads using the bottom post. Just another little trick that sometimes works. My 30-06 is dead on at 475 yards using this method at maximum magnification.

 

[wbrodin]

My $0.02 (or whatever it is worth to you)...

If 300 yards is her max distance she's comfortable shooting, I'd go with a 300 yard zero, and just aim center-mass for shots 0-300. From 100-300, it should shoot a couple inches high at the most...Which would be a lot more precise of a shot than Kentucky elevation, and letting the bullet drop more than a foot...

I sight in at 20yds which gives me a 300yd zero.

 

[Wachsmann]

I would just adjust the scope another 2 minutes which would be 3 inches at 100 and 1 inch low at 200 and put the crosshairs at the top of a deers back at 300 and let it rip.