How far can you connect?

[Charles Keethler]

Shortest 25 yds 12 ga slug gun offhand running, could not eat that one. long 125 yds walking took top off heart. DRT, 45-70.

 

[StumpGrinder]

I have never actually killed a deer or a pig at over 180 yards. My typical shot is 75 to 120 yards. I have missed at ranges longer than 180, to be honest, several times. So my question is to my fellow bloggers here is, what is your longest successful shot? What is your shortest miss? What is your longest attempted shot on game? I have missed at 400 yards, I must confess, way more than once. In a sitting position I can hit a grapefruit at 200 yards four times out of five, if I take my time, with my trusty 27 inch custom-barreled .270. I have missed a sitting rabbit at six yards with my .338. Everyone on this site is, if you believe their comments, a superb shot, and that is great. That just does not apply to me, so this post is to confess my limitations honestly. Tell me if I have flunked!

My longest shot was 500 yards, braced off a tree in Southeast Kansas where I grew up. I now live in the Piedmont of NC and rarely get shots over 100. I did make a couple of 160 yard shots and a 225 yard shot with a 10 mph crosswind this summer on a depradation tag. I have also missed a 20 to 30 yard shot on a rutting buck chasing a doe all around my stand. To be fair to myself though it was off hand, at a moving target, through brush. I actually missed him 3 times before the doe led him out of sight. I usually try to wait for a standing shot but I got a little excited with them running around right below me. I didn't figure I could miss at that range!!! I would have been better off with a shotgun, and the next year I did get one with 00 at a similar range.

 

[TheLongRanger83702]

I have never actually killed a deer or a pig at over 180 yards. My typical shot is 75 to 120 yards. I have missed at ranges longer than 180, to be honest, several times. So my question is to my fellow bloggers here is, what is your longest successful shot? What is your shortest miss? What is your longest attempted shot on game? I have missed at 400 yards, I must confess, way more than once. In a sitting position I can hit a grapefruit at 200 yards four times out of five, if I take my time, with my trusty 27 inch custom-barreled .270. I have missed a sitting rabbit at six yards with my .338. Everyone on this site is, if you believe their comments, a superb shot, and that is great. That just does not apply to me, so this post is to confess my limitations honestly. Tell me if I have flunked!

Closest miss?... Mount Pacifico/Angeles Forest @ 1983 on a Mule Deer. I'd just crested the peak just past first light looking east. Up jumped a really nice 4 point buck. Unfortunately i had my Redfield scope cranked up to 9X. You can imagine that sight picture that that presented. It was over before it started. Didnt even bother to pull the trigger...lol. The longest successful shot to date was a few years ago in West Central Idaho on a White Tail doe. 538 yards. BOOM!

 

[BrentM]

1300 is my longest on a yote. I hit one at 1475 but found nothing but hair and little blood. I had it on film too so I was pretty irritated when I realized I had not killed it.

My best kill was a 980 wolf and his mate at 606. I've killed quite a few from 300-750 though. Basically I've shot 13 wolves with a rifle, 2 with a bow and bunch of yotes.

As far as close misses, I've missed a couple wolves at 300.

 

[esshup]

The further distance wise that you practice and the more you practice, the better you will get. I've made a clean cold bore kill on coyote at 867 yds (prone off of bipod and fist for rear bag), missed it's mate at the same distance with the 2nd shot (forgot to adjust due to dirty bore), missed cow elk at 400, a bit over 500 and finally connected at 708 (same cow). Afterwards realized that the powder was VERY temp sensitive and POI changed 2 moa from 2 days previously when getting dope at that elevation. Different gun, I've missed at under 100 yds to yanking the trigger (brain telling the body that there would be a lot of recoil I guess) Savage Muzzleloader in .45 cal., shooting a 325g bullet at close to 2900 fps - no brake.

 

[19elkhunter51]

Closest miss 60 yards at the first bull elk I had seen in the woods. Found a tree branch with a 30 caliber hole in it that was about six inches above the back of the bull.
Longest kill shot was on a doe on Palomar Mountain. 420 yards. I was in an arroyo trying to put a sneak on her when the arroyo stopped. Had a near prone rest and dropped her in her tracks. Very exciting and very proud. My Dad was hunting with me and saw the shot.

 

[Deleted member 108014]

I shoot out to 1000 on steel quite often. I limit myself to 600 for hunting if conditions are ideal. Little to no wind and animal at ease. Longest kill is around 500 yards on a whitetail doe. I miss a lot. Most of it from excitement and rushing a shot. Once from equipment failure. I missed a pretty nice mule deer buck at 30 yards is my closest miss with a rifle when I was 15 years old. This year on my elk hunt I missed a nice 6x6 bull at 180 yards going for a neck shot and hit a log. About a week later I had another 6x6 at 200 yards off hand and shot over his back. Both shots I consider super easy. Both really nice bulls for the area.

 

[seidersjoden]

Definitely not a competition to see how far you can kill an animal but I do like having that capability. That being said this year I shot a mule deer at 1220 yards. It was probably too far as I didn't hit where I was aiming. I accounted for 4 mph wind and it was probably twice that at the center of the canyon I **** over, resulting in a gut shot. Did I lose any sleep over it before recovering the next day? Yes I did. The positive is he only went 150y because I shoot a .338 Lapua improved, with a 40 degree shoulder, shooting a 300Berger OTM at 2895fps. I have both a kestrel and a kilo 2400 and I use both at long rang shots to ensure the data is consistent.

Background: this was the second to last day after eight days of hunting out of my backpack back in the Frank Church. I hadn't seen a lot of animals and there was no time to drop down from the mountain I was on the close the distance due to daylight. I hunted hard up to this point, given I wanted to meet for the winter, I didn't want to take the chance and pass.

I also spend a lot of time shooting in different conditions. For example, last weekend prior to a late season cow hunt opening day, after getting camp set up, I took the time to find a non-huntable place (Cliffed out canyons where no animals existed), and shoot across the canyon at 1700 yards in windy and snowy conditions including updrafts; some of the results threw me for a loop but it was a great learning curve. I do this as often as possible year round to see if I can get first round hits in bad conditions. Here's a picture of the deer that I got at 1220 and Idaho. Positive thing is there was zero meat wasted:

 

[Goldengun]

Last year I missed a deer at 200yds with a rest(heavy trigger got the best of me, but that's what happens when you don't shoot ahead of season and aren't familiar with your rifle) New Timney trigger this year! I also killed one of my best bucks ever a few years ago offhand at 225yds(with a different rifle). I've missed a pig at 35 yds and killed them running at 200, and missed deer at 100. My first deer I ever killed I missed the first shot at 175yds, but it came back out and gave me a 2nd chance which I didn't waste. For some reason deer don't want nothing to do with me when I have a bow in my hand, but as soon as I pick up the rifle they want to sit in my lap. Killed a lot of them at archery range with a rifle. My largest at 40 yards. My furthest hit was 500yds, but I guessed it to be 400 and only broke the leg. Farthest kill just under 300 on a speed goat walking. It happens. Planning on trying a longer shot or two this year, my stand is set up to allow it. Deer, hog, or coyote. Whatever will hold still long enough!

 

[5gauss]

My longest varmint shot was a coyote at 1,031 yds, P-dog just over 1,000 (1,008-10), and elk at 890 yds. I have decades of shooting experience in formal NRA Nat'l Match, 1,000yd prone, BR, small bore, etc. and much in just shooting 1,000yd to 1 mile fun. Shooting P-dogs from 500-1,000 is great fun and training for long range wind reading and prep for the larger game, and the same for the larger bores on many reactive steel targets at similar ranges.

Everyone starts somewhere, so keep shooting and expand your goals.

As for misses, I recall a shot back in the 80's on a seemingly easy 120yd whitetail with a rifle I had much experience with and had taken deer past 1/4 mile. When I broke the trigger, the buck stumbled to the side, regain balance, and ran into swamps. Upon locating the spot the deer stood, a few yards away, I found a very disturbing sight of a bullet broken limb and splinters on the ground. Hair from the under chest but no blood.

That miss taught me much.

Wounding a game animal is why I try to get as close as possible, or pass on the shot which I have done several times. An animal crawling off to die leaves a very bad taste in my mouth....very bad. 350 for Big 6x7 Mule Deer longest. (custom .257 wthby 110 Accubond one shot dead in tracks..Missed Coyote at 8 feet with 22.250 heavy barrel Remington tack driver(he was flying literally), Where I often hunt the longest shots are maybe 125 yards with the occasional 450yd possibility.

 

[TXTrained]

I have never actually killed a deer or a pig at over 180 yards. My typical shot is 75 to 120 yards. I have missed at ranges longer than 180, to be honest, several times. So my question is to my fellow bloggers here is, what is your longest successful shot? What is your shortest miss? What is your longest attempted shot on game? I have missed at 400 yards, I must confess, way more than once. In a sitting position I can hit a grapefruit at 200 yards four times out of five, if I take my time, with my trusty 27 inch custom-barreled .270. I have missed a sitting rabbit at six yards with my .338. Everyone on this site is, if you believe their comments, a superb shot, and that is great. That just does not apply to me, so this post is to confess my limitations honestly. Tell me if I have flunked!

You should probably go to the Gun Range and practice shooting from 50 yards out to at least 600 yards to get familiar with your rifle of choice and the scope.Memorize you dope / BDC for your choice of ammo to be used hunting.And learn to read the Wind.
If you have a rifle that is proven capable of shooting consistently 1/2 MOA.
I missed a Huge Buck about 40 years ago.Its the only time I missed a deer or hog or anything else except maybe a duck or goose or dove.My rifle was not off sight.I was running and shooting off hand with no rest or brace.I missed it 3 shots.So I'm no better than anyone on here...

 

[Texas sniper]

Longest kill for me is a whitetail at 725. But I suppose the shot I'm proudest of is a coyote at 650. It was looking straight at me and I connected right between the eyes. Admittedly, I shoot long range quite often and know what I'm doing,but there was a certain amount of luck to pull that one off.
Shortest miss of my adult life was a deer at 936. I rarely take a shot I'm not comfortable with.

 

[bigmo58]

Most of it comes down to practice and patience. As an archer I practice daily out to 100 yards during the years that I have an archery tag. It makes longer shots easy. When I have a rifle tag I shoot weekly if not multiple times a week when I am able to. And then once a month at least I try to get out to a range where I can stretch out to 1300 or 1400 yards. That being said I took my personal longest successful shot on an animal this year. I was able to bag my deer at 520 yards with a single shot. Admittedly earlier in the hunt I had missed a buck at the same distance. That's where the patience comes in. The shot I missed was fairly rushed as the buck was on the move and would only stop for a few seconds at a time. The buck I killed was after I had him in the scope for 10 minutes and had the time to dial in and make the correct distance and wind calls.

 

[thwatson2]

Missed big doe right under my stand with a scoped rifle Sighted for 200 yard zero. The doe did run out into a field and was able to get her at 95 yards. Missed my share under 200 yards, always because of rushing and not waiting. Longest kill was just shy of 400 yd on an 8 point buck. Average kill at our clubs is 150 to 200 yards. I really don't think we miss on long range deer because we suck,but rather we didn't use rangefinder to get real distance. After 250 yards these bullets have lots of variables, like gravity and wind. Keep practicing and keep trying