Distance you have killed a whitetail deer?

[rickt300]

I have never had a shot at a whitetail over 200 yards. If we were to take out the longest and shortest shot and make an average then 75 yards is my average distance to shoot at whitetails.

[Hooker]

Ok I'll play my longest distance kill was 315 yards.
The shortest distance was done fist to hoof, although she was wounded already she still had a whole lot
 of serious fight left in her. Not something I care to do again.

Pat

[Mnswede]

Longest: 364 yards
Shortest: 5 yards
Average: 250 yards

[rugerfan.64]

LOngest was about 350 yards. They're usually about 160 yards tho. I hunt the powerlines.

[Oldshooter]

LOngest was about 350 yards. They're usually about 160 yards tho. I hunt the powerlines.

I can understand that! the power line rightaways we have around here go forever and When i see box stands on them I wonder how long of a shot that the hunter will have to take or will take.

[eye shot]

45YDS. AVERAGE

[streak]

closterfobice

I realize that spelling isn't an especially valuable skill around here, but wow... just wow...  I think there are more wrong letters than right ones...

10-4 on that dukkillr!

[Gene R]

1 @ 420 yards using a TC 25-06
1 @ 350 yards using a Rem 700 30-06
2 @ about 250 using the same 25-06
Around 180 - 225 deer @ under 125 yards with a rifle of some sort usally 30-06 or 25-06 0r 243

1 @ 60 yards with a bow
16-18 @ 20-40 yards witha bow
And my closest @ 5 yards with a bow (And it was the biggest 8 point I ever killed)

Taken me 30 years to do it..........

[Gene R]

Forgot Hand guns

5 deer under 6o yards
10 0r 12 hogs also under 60 yards.

[TommyD]

The last 3 years have been 100, 100, and 140 yards with my Savage muzzleloader.
Tom

[Oldshooter]

The last 3 years have been 100, 100, and 140 yards with my Savage muzzleloader.
Tom

Good distances with a muzzleloader, how far do you think would be your max distance attempt?

[streak]

My average would be around 20-25 yards if I throw out a 287 yard flyer

[TommyD]

The last 3 years have been 100, 100, and 140 yards with my Savage muzzleloader.
Tom

Good distances with a muzzleloader, how far do you think would be your max distance attempt?

I have it zeroed at 160 yards, because that is distance from my stand to farthest corner of the field that I hunt. I have been shooting a 300 grain Hornady XTP (.452) in a black MMP sabot in my Savage 10 ML II.

Not sure if I would want to take a shot much further than that because I suspect we are getting into the steep part of the bullet drop curve and I haven't done my homework at distances greater than that.

There is a bill in the NY state legislature to legalize rifle hunting in my county this year, so I will probably be switching to a .308 this season. More for convenience. I used the muzzleloader because we have been limited to shotgun, pistol or muzzleloader and the Savage gave me the best accuracy at distance. But if allowed to use a rifle I will gladly do so. Less stuff to lug around.

Tom

[spikehorn]

Tom which county are you in? I'm in Tompkins and we probably will never get rifle hunting, due to high concentration liberals in this county.

[TommyD]

Tom which county are you in? I'm in Tompkins and we probably will never get rifle hunting, due to high concentration liberals in this county.

Hunting in Wyoming County, NY. Just a couple of years ago the adjacent Allegany and Cattaraugus counties allowed rifle hunting with no decrease in hunter safety

S7210 (http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S7210) has passed the assembly and is awaiting the senate vote.

People are very optimistic here. I was was talking to a friend who manages a fairly large gun store in buffalo and he says a LOT of people have bought rifles in anticipation of being able to use rifle in the fall. I myself just bought a 308.

Tom

[spikehorn]

They have said because of population density that they wont open rifle hunting in any county bordering one or the finger lakes, so probably won't see it in Tompkins. We are close enough to Tioga county just a ten minute drive and we can hunt with rifles. I've heard they are going to open rifle in Cortland county also. We have a hunting camp in Lewis county, so we go up there every year and rifle hunt.

[TommyD]

They have said because of population density that they wont open rifle hunting in any county bordering one or the finger lakes, so probably won't see it in Tompkins. We are close enough to Tioga county just a ten minute drive and we can hunt with rifles. I've heard they are going to open rifle in Cortland county also. We have a hunting camp in Lewis county, so we go up there every year and rifle hunt.

If you need rifle accuracy but can't use a rifle there are other solutions availble.
A good muzzleloader should be accurate enough for 150 yard shots. I really like to Savage 10 ML-II. There may be others now, but at the time I bought it, it was the only muzzleloader designed from the ground up to be able to use smokeless rifle powder. It doesn't give you an advantage in power over pyrodex or Triple-7, but the cleanup is so much easier. It doesn't leave the corrosive residue of black powder. The gun is as easy to clean as any centerfire cartridge gun. The so called "purists" may object to it, but as an ethical hunter I want to use the gun that will give me the greatest chance at a one-shot kill.

If you have a pistol permit, another option might be something like the T/C Encore or Contender pistol. I have one in .308 Win with a 15 inch barrel. While I can't hold it as steady as a rifle, I can shoot 3 to 4 inch groups at 160 yards with it. It does have a bit of recoil, but not as painful as a 454 Casull. And it would be legal where you are.

Tom

[spikehorn]

I don't need rifle accuracy would just like the option. I've only got one open field that I hunt deer in. I use what ever is legal for the season. My longest shot with my slug gun was in that field, 134 yards DRT. I do mostly woods hunting so 50 yards is probably average. I have pursuit XLT ( and I know I'll probably get flamed for owning a traditions) but I would confidently pull the trigger on it at 150 yards. I would even like it if they opened just pistol calibers. My little Rossi 357 mag is a great brush gun and I've taken numerous deer with it at camp.

[17452]

From 10yds. to 150yds. with avg. of 55yds.

[Oldshooter]

I have enjoyed following this thread. Seems like 40 to fifty yards is quite common with the exception of the occasional long shot. I made my longest shot last year on an axis deer at 230 yds. I have made longer shots on varmit and smaller animals but never needed to make a long shot on a deer before I'd say my average kill is still under 60 yards.  keep em coming

[PawPaw]

My shortest miss was at 27 long paces.  I shot under him.

[Oldshooter]

I had a similar experience on a big buck that was so close I thought a neck shot would take him down I aimed, shot and he walked off with me scratching my head. That was long time ago but I'll never forget it!

[jedman]

      The average of many that I have killed here in Ohio, bow, crossbow, muzzleloader , handgun would probably be about 45 yards average.  I once shot a doe that spotted me sitting on the ground with a big tree stump behind me she kept comming closer and thumpping the ground with her front paw,I finally shot her at 5-6 feet.  Jed

[280Ackley]

My hunting area has changed in the last 10 years i've been out west in very open country.  Longest 463 lased.  Average 200.  Prior to that when I was woods hunting average was 50 yrd

[Spirithawk]

1 shot, 328 yards, Winchester bolt action .270. Deer took three steps and dropped.

[Oldshooter]

I Love hearing/reading these reports the main reason I started this thread was due to the fact that I had heard that the average was 50 something yards for the whole country, and was curious about what folk actually did. Its interesting. My longest shot was 320 yards on an axis buck. But most are short inside 100 yards in the east Texas piney woods thicket!

Please keep em coming!

[Spirithawk]

Most of my shots are under 50 yards due to brush and thick growth of trees. Once in a while I get a shot accross an open field or food plot.

[painted horse]

Hell if I cant see 100 miles I get closterfobice!

Whoa!  Good thing there are antibiotics for stuff such as that!   

I dunno...    I unnerstan pennysillen don't work on the "black" fobice...    May still do for the common "closter" variety... Just shows ta go ya that the old saying, "Keep your Closter Cloistered if ya don't want it Fobiced" is as true today as it ever was... 

I haven't a clue what the Hoe you just said, but I'm still LMAO...

[painted horse]

I still have coffee coming out of my nose from that "closterfobice" reply....anyway here in Washington state, we have blacktail, and Mulies, and a cross between them that I've always heard referred to as "benchlegs" so if they will count in your survey my avg. would be around 75yards.  I'm also very curious what the heck the bag limit is for deer in the areas where you guys are killing over 300 in a lifetime even...It's 1 per season out here.  Guy would have to get pretty old around here to do that....

[billy_56081]

10 to 15 yards. 90% of my deer were archery kills.