Author Topic: What do you consider Long Range (Read 9616 times)

Sourdough · « **on:** December 07, 2008, 12:03:41 PM »

What do you consider long range and how far do you shoot?

I regulerly shoot out to 500 yards with my 30-06, and out to 800 yards with my .338/378 Weatherby.

charles p · « **Reply #1 on:** December 07, 2008, 01:02:08 PM »

When shooting at game, anything over 300 yds is long for me. I no longer seek to take long shots at game.

cwlongshot · « **Reply #2 on:** December 07, 2008, 01:29:26 PM »

For me here in Connecticut, anything over 100 is a poke...

Where there is wide open spaces, I also consider anything over 300 to be a long range shot. Personally I wouldn't take a shot, at a game animal past 400 yards unless I spent a TON of time shooting at those ranges. If your talking varmints, yea, I'd try farther...

CW

bilmac · « **Reply #3 on:** December 07, 2008, 02:26:06 PM »

Point blank range for my 270 130gr sighted 3" high at 100 is around 350 yards. It hits 3" low at that range.I am finally teaching myself the discipline never to hold over an animal. If a critter is a looong ways away I will hold as high as his back, and that could probably extend my hit zone to 450-500 yards. I don't use rangefinders and the 270 gets a little anemic farther out, so that's far enough for me. I think most of the misses I've made over the years have been made because I held over. I don't hold over anymore and I don't miss as often as I used to.

45north · « **Reply #4 on:** December 07, 2008, 11:49:37 PM »

On the open country of the Taylor Hwy I have taken caribou at a laser range finder called distance of 720 yds. over the seat of my snowmachine. I broke the last rib on the first shot, I pulled the shot a little to far back, I missed the second shot as the bull turned around he presented the other side as a target for me and the third round penetrated both shoulders, the bull dropped right there and was dead before we could reach him. I was using my 270 win. with 140 gr. barnes TSX bullets. I shoot about 50 to 100 rds. per month year around for shots like that. Without the range finder I would have never tried a shot like that.

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #5 on:** December 08, 2008, 03:33:26 AM »

I know I can reliably hit my chosen target at 300yrds but I don't like to shoot that far on game, Past that I don't know and I won't try, I do believe I have the know how but I don't have the practice. Most of the game I've ever taken was withen 50 yards and most of my fire arms are sighted to 100 yards.

I would love to go on a hunt with Sourdough in Alaska thou, I've never ridden a snowmachine and I 've never seen a wild wolf.

Sourdough · « **Reply #6 on:** December 08, 2008, 07:52:05 AM »

45 North: Good shooting. Hunting Caribou on the Taylor Highway is where I first realized I need to learn how to shoot farther than 200 Yards. Sitting glassing an area and you see a big bull come over the ridge 600 yards out moving parallel to you. You run, cut across country, but there is no way a human is going to catch up with a Caribou, on the Tundra. Lost many good animals that way. Shot over a bunch also, trying to guess ranges.

I now carry a .338/378 Weatherby, sighted in dead on at 400 yards. Beyond 400 I dial the scope. I also carry a Lupold laser range finder.

45north · « **Reply #7 on:** December 08, 2008, 10:42:42 AM »

That is almost the same setup I have, I also dial in dead on at 400, anything inside of that 100 200 or 300 yds is an fairly easy kill assuming the animal is not moving. I normally try to wait for the animal to drop his head to feed before I fire, in a perfect world anyway. A few good things about long range shooting is you have lots of time as caribou do not spook much past 500 yds. Also I carry a tyvek tarp about 10x15 with some white and brown camo ground cover painted on it. When I find a good productive area I will setup the tyvek like a pyramid tent over me and the snowmachine from a distance it looks like any other rock mound covered with snow. I have sat on the TNWR at the far side of midway lake with a buddy glassing for a bull only to watch over 300 cows walk by inside of 200 yds without a single bull in the bunch. You get real excited at first with the first 50 or 100 you just know a bull will be showing up any minute. So you wait and wait but thats hunting. Another good thing about the Taylor Hwy caribou hunt is wolf lots of those furry devils. On the ladue river trail behind Mt Fairplay can be pretty productive.

onesonek · « **Reply #8 on:** December 09, 2008, 08:06:40 AM »

Quote from: bilmac on December 07, 2008, 02:26:06 PM

Point blank range for my 270 130gr sighted 3" high at 100 is around 350 yards. It hits 3" low at that range.I am finally teaching myself the discipline never to hold over an animal. If a critter is a looong ways away I will hold as high as his back, and that could probably extend my hit zone to 450-500 yards. I don't use rangefinders and the 270 gets a little anemic farther out, so that's far enough for me. I think most of the misses I've made over the years have been made because I held over. I don't hold over anymore and I don't miss as often as I used to.

I'm pretty much on the same page as this, unless we're talking prairie dogs and such.

Dave

300HH · « **Reply #9 on:** December 09, 2008, 09:55:35 AM »

for me naything over 500yards is long, I practice on a regular basis out to 500 yards but most of my kills are under 300 yards so I think anything beyond your normal practice is long

Coyote Hunter · « **Reply #10 on:** December 09, 2008, 04:01:50 PM »

The range I shoot at has targets out to 600 yards. My favorite targets are clay pigeons at 400 and steel at 500 and 600.

“Long” is any shot that requires all my attention.

Westbound · « **Reply #11 on:** December 11, 2008, 07:36:26 AM »

Growing up with a .30-30, anything over 100 yards was long.
A former boss is serious about long range, and I might join in with his type of shooting. He built a 300 WSM that he holds to 3" groups at 1000 yards with handloads.
Last time I talked to him, he was planning a 338 Lapua Mag that he wants to take out to 1500-1700 yards. A mile sounds crazy, but this is with targets, and not on game animals.
With accuracy and range like, that... I might have to consult with him on a rifle and head out to his range to play!!!

LONGTOM · « **Reply #12 on:** December 11, 2008, 09:58:10 AM »

I would say any range that you can not keep three or more shots with in an 8" to 10" kill zone, depending on the size of the animal, and within 6" to 8" of your aim point should be considered long range.
Be that at 200yds or well over 500yds.
Also any range where the performance of the bullet can not be totally relied upon would be considered to long.

LONGTOM

45north · « **Reply #13 on:** December 11, 2008, 05:20:15 PM »

A 3 inch group at 1000 yds. He should be thinking camp perry, or the olympics. .300 MOA out to 1000 yds is impressive, very impressive in my book.

jro45 · « **Reply #14 on:** December 11, 2008, 10:39:14 PM »

I would say 600 yds. I have shot to 600 yds with my 7mm accurately on paper. A shot that long while hunting has never persented its self to me. The longest shot I've ever made hunting is 200yds.

IOWA DON · « **Reply #15 on:** December 13, 2008, 12:29:32 PM »

Depends on the rifle and rest. My .338/.378 is set up for long range shooting with custom range compensating dots on the scope's reticle and a long, heavy barrel. I consider a 600 yard shot at a deer a sure thing if there is little wind and plenty of time to shoot. With its regular scope reticle I consider anything over 400 yards to be a long shot with my 7MM STW or 6MM-06. With my 20-ga slug gun I consider any shot over 150 yards as long. It all depends on the gun, caliber, sights, rest and wind.

Boxhead · « **Reply #16 on:** December 13, 2008, 02:40:47 PM »

For me 300 yards is as far as I will shoot, period. I know I can veyr confidently shoot farther but I enjoy the hunt too much to not try and get closer.

nomosendero · « **Reply #17 on:** December 13, 2008, 03:25:48 PM »

Quote from: Boxhead on December 13, 2008, 02:40:47 PM

For me 300 yards is as far as I will shoot, period. I know I can veyr confidently shoot farther but I enjoy the hunt too much to not try and get closer.

In some places you will not get closer. I sometimes hunt on a ranch in WY with short grass & in some cases you will not get closer, try as you might. I have hunted other ranches close to this one & with tall sage & using the draws you can get closer, so it depends on where you hunt. Sourdough has said many times that the snowy tundra
sometimes does not allow a shot under 300 yards or so at all.

But having a personal limit is good, whether it is 600 yards or 50 yards.

Sourdough · « **Reply #18 on:** December 13, 2008, 08:49:40 PM »

Here in Alaska the snow will cover all the vegetation. You are trying to get closer in an environment where there is nothing to hide behind. The wind has blown the snow till it is almost as hard as concrete. Any movement will be seen, and sound carries very well.

As for Caribou, there is usually vegetation to hide behind but the Caribou are constantly moving. When you see a good one if it is not coming toward you, you are out of luck, unless you can make a long shot. No one can catch up with a Caribou. There ground eating trot is far too fast for anyone to sprint up to. The best bet is to find an area that naturally funnels them into a smaller area such as a saddle between two mountains. Set up a blind, and glass. As they come through, hopefully a nice bull will come into range.

Sometimes you can glass an area and see them coming far enough off, to give you time to move and get into position to get a closer shot. Still that shot could be from 15 yards to 500 yards. Depending on how they move. As the elders say "No one knows the way of the wind or the Caribou".

The one in my avitar was shot with my Handi 30-06 at 250 yards. As you can see there is no much to hide behind there.

Savage .250 · « **Reply #19 on:** December 17, 2008, 03:53:19 AM »

I would suspect in different parts of the country the answers (yardage) would vary greatly.
For me it`s about 150 yds.

454Puma · « **Reply #20 on:** January 02, 2009, 04:52:32 PM »

The longest shot I've taken was on a yote at 250 yds or so! On big game it's been 50-175 yards! It's really all in how you hunt. Sure I could snipe at 500+ yards at any given time but I prefer to get close. It makes a good shot sure of a clean kill no guess work!

nomosendero · « **Reply #21 on:** January 02, 2009, 07:08:17 PM »

Quote from: 454Puma on January 02, 2009, 04:52:32 PM

The longest shot I've taken was on a yote at 250 yds or so! On big game it's been 50-175 yards! It's really all in how you hunt. Sure I could snipe at 500+ yards at any given time but I prefer to get close. It makes a good shot sure of a clean kill no guess work!

As though anything over 175 yards REQUIRES guess work.

Coyote Hunter · « **Reply #22 on:** January 03, 2009, 03:49:11 AM »

Quote from: 454Puma on January 02, 2009, 04:52:32 PM

The longest shot I've taken was on a yote at 250 yds or so! On big game it's been 50-175 yards! It's really all in how you hunt. Sure I could snipe at 500+ yards at any given time but I prefer to get close. It makes a good shot sure of a clean kill no guess work!

The last coyote I shot was at 483-487 lasered yards (forget which) and the only thing I could see clearly was his head - which is where I hit him. Used my .257 Roberts with 75g V-MAX. The terrain was grass with an occasional yucca plant. Getting closer was not an option.

In fact, getting closer is often not an option and in such cases the only real alternatives are to take the shot as presented or take a pass.

onesonek · « **Reply #23 on:** January 03, 2009, 04:41:42 AM »

Quote from: LONGTOM on December 11, 2008, 09:58:10 AM

I would say any range that you can not keep three or more shots with in an 8" to 10" kill zone, depending on the size of the animal, and within 6" to 8" of your aim point should be considered long range.
Be that at 200yds or well over 500yds.
Also any range where the performance of the bullet can not be totally relied upon would be considered to long.

LONGTOM

This is fair to close enough description of a rule of thumb I hear often, even from a few guides. As I quoted to above, the 3" up/3" down sighting or the PBR method is what I most use for sight in. Then at 1/2 to 2/3 the intended animals kill zone. I just like some margin for "murphy's law". And with that it takes conditions being all in my favor to shoot much more than 50 yds or so beyond that PBR. To me huntin is more about getting 50 or 100 yds if not closer than PBR.

Dave

the jigger · « **Reply #24 on:** January 03, 2009, 07:48:21 AM »

My concept of long range is:
Deer= 300yds
Prairie dogs= 600+yds.
I have done both but, not regularly.
Old hands and old eyes are starting to let me down!

nodlenor · « **Reply #25 on:** January 03, 2009, 12:18:00 PM »

I consider 200 yds. as my limit for deer. I like to shoot targets farther, just for fun.

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #26 on:** January 03, 2009, 02:46:18 PM »

I've shot a few deer over 300 and one over 400, but don't usually shoot that far. Was prone and rested on my fist on the ground so was as steady as I could ever be on that one. At P. dogs and yotes I'll shoot as far as I can see em. Lots of wide open spaces here in Montana, but can usually find a way of sneaking up closer on em. Most of the time the wind is blowing hard enough it's a real challange to shoot more than 250-300 anyway. DP

victorcharlie · « **Reply #27 on:** January 04, 2009, 05:15:48 AM »

If I miss, it's long range!

jro45 · « **Reply #28 on:** January 04, 2009, 07:48:58 AM »

I would consider 600 yds Long range. I shoot at a 600yd range

BBF · « **Reply #29 on:** January 04, 2009, 12:01:53 PM »

I prefer bullets with a large meplat now so 200 yards would be my limit. With the exception of one hunt most game was taken at less then 100 yards.