Longest Kill Shot ?

[Stgraves260]

997 yards 250 lb hog - Cisco Tx
1213 yards yote - Cisco Tx
605 yards prairie dog - Mexico
805 yards Deer ( Doe ) - Abilene Tx
1105 yards Cow Elk - Colorado ( Columbine Pass )
All taken with 260 Rem 140 grain Berger Bullets.

That’s a tuff one. I can’t remember all of them. I don’t try and make all my shots long. Its just if the shot presents itself I’ll take it. But only if I’m confident. That cow elk I took was very calm conditions if I remember right. If it was like a 20+ mph wind I wouldn’t have taken the shot. Hum. I did pop a prairie dog at 180 yards with a 22 LR. LoL. It took me a few shots. I had to walk it in. I would have to say my furthest shot was on a yote. I have a G7 Rangefinder ( 1st Gen ) so it only gives drop data out to 1400 yards. I have taken yotes past my rangefinder using my Mill Dot Master. It takes longer but I wouldn’t recommend it without a lot of practice. It’s a lot of math. I got a head shot just under 1600 yards on one yote. No I was not aiming for the head. I was aiming center mass. Just behind the shoulder and halfway up his body. My best friend was use my vortex Razor spotting scope and he said he saw the head shot. I feel because I was not able to retrieve the yote it shouldn’t count. Nobody seen it run of. But still, I couldn’t put my hands on it.

 

[Stgraves260]

My longest shot ever was 750 yards on a wounded (by someone else) antelope. 130 gr. Partition out of my Win .270 took out both lungs and completely penetrated. Generally speaking, most of my shots are well under 100 yards. So why am I hanging out on a long range hunting forum? I'm pretty sure that 750 yard shot was as close to being an accident as one can get. I certainly didn't have any info on ballistics at that range! While I don't usually take shots at longer ranges, I still want to be able to if it becomes necessary! As we all know, stuff happens!
Cheers,
crkckr

Yes I agree most shots are under 100 yards. When I used to guide most people would carry a 300 win Mag. I never said anything unless they asked. I just don’t see the point, white tail deer 60 yards maybe out to 150 yards was the ranges these guys would shoot. These hunters looked Surprised when a 180 grain bullet hit a white tail deer. It just makes my heart sink sometimes. Nothing makes me more mad when a so called hunter laughs at his kill and their guts are all over the place. Just no respect. Sorry. That’s why I gave up guiding.

 

[Stgraves260]

My longest shot ever was 750 yards on a wounded (by someone else) antelope. 130 gr. Partition out of my Win .270 took out both lungs and completely penetrated. Generally speaking, most of my shots are well under 100 yards. So why am I hanging out on a long range hunting forum? I'm pretty sure that 750 yard shot was as close to being an accident as one can get. I certainly didn't have any info on ballistics at that range! While I don't usually take shots at longer ranges, I still want to be able to if it becomes necessary! As we all know, stuff happens!
Cheers,
crkckr

I respect what you did. Nothing hurts more than a wounded animal. It does happen sometimes. But a good hunter will try and correct it such as you. Much respect.

 

[sierracharlie338]

382 yards - Whitetail doe with a borrowed Savage 10FP 308 shooting hornady 150grain interlocks. One shot through heart and off side shoulder. Lasered. Standing and leaning on a tree branch for support. Bought a 308 when I got back from that trip and have not looked back. I was about 16 at this time. Have shot out to 1100 since on steel but all of my hunting is normally under 200 or under 40 with my bow.

 

[Stgraves260]

Whitetail November of 2019. A good friend of mine and I were out checking traps and looking to kill a doe for a family in need and we were both aloud a doe at the time. We pulled up on top of a high field that overlooked the valley and the other ridge across the way. Six does were out in a field and we get set up. He ranged them at 1275 yds. Neither one of us has killed a deer at this distance before. his longest was just over 1000 yds and mine was 700. He is shooting a custom Rem 700 in 7 mag and im running a bone stock savage 110 LRH in 6.5x284 , crimson trace series 2 scope and hand loaded 140 bergers. He shoots while im watching through the spotting scope and dirt flys right in front of her. "Your low,hit the ground right at her feet" I told him. She just kinda dances around and looks back towards the woodline. He fires again and misses to the right. OK bud its my turn. I do the math and its 35 MOA of elevation and I do not adjust any for wind or spin drift. I hold the cross hairs right on her butt for spin drift bc we had zero wind. I sqeeze on her and get back in the scope to watch while my buddy is watching with the spotter. She folds like a dish rag! I cant hardly believe what im witnessing here! We get in the truck and make our way over to where shes laying and the berger went Completely through her shoulders and shes stone cold dead! Didn't take a step! Now I know there may be guys on here that are gonna say no way or luck or why would you take that shot. Here is my answer. Yes! it happened I have zero reason to lie about it. We practice those kind of shots a lot and my answer for feeling ok with the shot is this. We trap somewhere around 100 coyotes a year right in this area. There is no tellin how many fawns we save every year by doing this. So taking a chance at a long range shot like this I feel is earned! The 6.5x284 in my book is one of the very best log range deer hunting cartridges available today. looking forward to the cooler weather and another chance to surprise one this year.

6.5s are greatly unappreciated. 6.5-284 is a fantastic caliber. They have proven themselves over and over. My 260 Remington is slower but it works. I feel as long as you know your rifle your equipment, and your capabilities you are a great hunter. I have a 7 Mag Sendero I just never needed it. I do shoot it though from time to time.

 

[MS660Magnum]

704 yds on a ground squirrel with a .308. That was the shot that set the hook in my long range shooting habit, and it’ll probably stand as my record since I’d never take that shot on any animal I have sympathy for.

In fairness, it wasn’t like I just cold-bore sniped him either. I’d just so happened to have been dialing up to a 700yd target when he popped up and started sniffing around it. It took me five shots and some Kentucky windage holds, but I got him. First day ever shooting long range and I believe I still hold the squirrel record there.

 

[Stgraves260]

382 yards - Whitetail doe with a borrowed Savage 10FP 308 shooting hornady 150grain interlocks. One shot through heart and off side shoulder. Lasered. Standing and leaning on a tree branch for support. Bought a 308 when I got back from that trip and have not looked back. I was about 16 at this time. Have shot out to 1100 since on steel but all of my hunting is normally under 200 or under 40 with my bow.

308 another great caliber. I was trained with a M24 7.62 NATO. Over the years I’ve learned a great deal. A 7.62 NATO Sends a brick of a bullet. But it works. I feel if you really want to learn to shoot long range I would definitely recommend a 308 win. We mostly shot the 175 grain bullets but I liked the 168 grains best. If I needed more penetration then I would just get a bigger gun. LoL

 

[sierracharlie338]

308 another great caliber. I was trained with a M24 7.62 NATO. Over the years I’ve learned a great deal. A 7.62 NATO Sends a brick of a bullet. But it works. I feel if you really want to learn to shoot long range I would definitely recommend a 308 win. We mostly shot the 175 grain bullets but I liked the 168 grains best. If I needed more penetration then I would just get a bigger gun. LoL

Couldn’t agree more. I’ve since built six customs in anything from 243win - 300wm. The 308 has a special place for me for a lot of reasons but definitely better options for long range hunting.

 

[John Polk]

Whitetail November of 2019. A good friend of mine and I were out checking traps and looking to kill a doe for a family in need and we were both aloud a doe at the time. We pulled up on top of a high field that overlooked the valley and the other ridge across the way. Six does were out in a field and we get set up. He ranged them at 1275 yds. Neither one of us has killed a deer at this distance before. his longest was just over 1000 yds and mine was 700. He is shooting a custom Rem 700 in 7 mag and im running a bone stock savage 110 LRH in 6.5x284 , crimson trace series 2 scope and hand loaded 140 bergers. He shoots while im watching through the spotting scope and dirt flys right in front of her. "Your low,hit the ground right at her feet" I told him. She just kinda dances around and looks back towards the woodline. He fires again and misses to the right. OK bud its my turn. I do the math and its 35 MOA of elevation and I do not adjust any for wind or spin drift. I hold the cross hairs right on her butt for spin drift bc we had zero wind. I sqeeze on her and get back in the scope to watch while my buddy is watching with the spotter. She folds like a dish rag! I cant hardly believe what im witnessing here! We get in the truck and make our way over to where shes laying and the berger went Completely through her shoulders and shes stone cold dead! Didn't take a step! Now I know there may be guys on here that are gonna say no way or luck or why would you take that shot. Here is my answer. Yes! it happened I have zero reason to lie about it. We practice those kind of shots a lot and my answer for feeling ok with the shot is this. We trap somewhere around 100 coyotes a year right in this area. There is no tellin how many fawns we save every year by doing this. So taking a chance at a long range shot like this I feel is earned! The 6.5x284 in my book is one of the very best log range deer hunting cartridges available today. looking forward to the cooler weather and another chance to surprise one this year.

What are you going to do if you just wounded it? Your 3/4 of a mile away and it will take you an hour to get to the animal. Think you king recovered under those circumstances?

 

[Ronald W Schaefer]

My long range shots are almost not long range by ya'lls standards. I remember back in the day a 500 yd shot was almost unheard of. But I love the whole LR shooting thing so I acquired the equipment and practice with it. Seems like here in Texas, Im shooting <200yds but every time I go "out west" my critter shows up "over there" a ways. So I have one Bull Elk at 500 yds and one Mule deer at 475, one white tail here in Texas at 386. The bull elk was 180 gr Berger from Greybull custom 7mm Rem Mag with Leo Scope and drop in turrets, the Mulie was with a Fierce Firearms 7mm-08 with 145 gr Barnes LRX and Viper Vortex with turrets (that's my LR baby right there), and the White tail was my beautiful old Sauer 90 Lux in 30-06, 165 gr Sierra Game King with plain old vintage German Kahles scope using memorized ballistics numbers and Kentucky windage. All shots were 1 shot kills, DRT heart shots. That Fierce rifle is a CT Carbon Edge and weighs 7 Lbs with optics!

 

[Litehiker]

Now that I have a 6.5 PRC Browning X- Bolt Pro topped with Bushnell LRTS 4.5 - 18 x 44 scope I would shoot up to 1,000 yards on an antelope and 800 yards on a mule deer. That's because I know the ft. pounds of energy I have with my hunting load (Hornady 147 gr. ELD-X). I think hunters should know the energy of their load at various yardages.

But also I have the confidence in my own ability at those distance from shooting in competition with a lower powered 6.5 Creedmoor rifle. Luckily I live in Nevada and belong to a club with 1,095 yard steel range. Just as hunters should know their load energy they should also have experience shooting at long distances. 200 yards is only a starting point for true long range practice and hunting.

And finally I know the accuracy that 6.5 PRC X-bolt can give me, as in 1" groups at 200 yards every time I go to the range.

What is heartening to see in this thread is that hunters KNOW the ranges they shot their big game. That means they use their range finders and know their loads.

Eric B.

 

[MAD10]

1,090 yards - Antelope

This is a long range forum correct ? lol

 

[Stgraves260]

If just shooting still targets energy really isn’t a big deal. It might make it harder to ringe the target though. Now shooting a live target such as animals. Now that’s a hole different ball game. I agree with you. If you are shooting live animals You not only need to know you can hit your target but have enough FPS for the bullet to expand properly and have adequate energy for what your hunting. That’s where everything gets complicated. When I have helped people about this some interesting thangs come out. Many people just say get a big heavy bullet and you’ll be fine. I tell them it’s a little more complicated than that. Read the box. Research the bullets your using. If it’s a top grade bullet that is designed for long range hunting it will tell you the minimum FPS the bullet needs to travel for it to expand properly. I have some Berger’s for my 260 Rem ( 140 grain VLDs ) they are I guess the first gen VLDs. On the box it says my BC is .612 and they need a minimum of 1300 FPS to expand. I have some other 140 grain Berger’s VLD ( 2nd Gen ) and they say the BC is .600 and that they need 1600 FPS to expand. I don’t know what Berger changed or if it was a misprint on the box but I use the fist Gen data and it all seems to work fine for both. When I shot my cow elk in Colorado at 1105 yards the people I was hunting with said I was way under gunned. I used my JBM calculator and it said I would still be at 1950 FPS and 1200 lbs of energy. We were around 8,000 feet above sea level. Again this is where it gets really complicated. Some people say you need 2,000 lb-ft others say 1,500 lb-ft of energy for a elk rifle. My theory is 1,000-1,200 lb-ft for elk. Now why do I thank that? Because I brought my elk home. I tried to find my bullet but was unsuccessful. I know it expanded properly do to all the Trauma inside. What has worked for me is 600 lb-ft for deer 800 lb-ft for mule deer 1,000 lb-ft for elk and 1,200 for moose. This is just what works for me. This is my theory and it has not let me down. So as long as my FPS is a min of 1,300 FPS and what I thank is enough energy for what I’m hunting I’ll keep using it until it fails me. So far so good. Again this is just my theory and I have tested this in the field myself.

 

[jwp3]

Wyoming Mule Deer was facing me at 509 yards so I shot him in the neck with a 300 Weatherby Magnum using a 165 grain Nosler.

I had to hold over