What do you think long range is?

[FEENIX]

"Long Range' also is dependent on geographical location. Here in Michigan, long range can be considered anything past 150 yards because thats all the tree's will let you go. Probably why smoke poles and handguns are popular hunting alternatives.

Entirely depends on where you are at really.

I know exactly what you mean. Two years ago, I took an airman from my squadron out for his first ever hunt outside his home state of Georgia.

Mind you, he hunt on tree stands and for him anything over 50 yards is long range. Anyways, it was an antelope hunt. When we got to the hunting area, he was overwhelmed on the openness of the prairie where the antelope roam free.

The closest I can get him to an antelope was about 150 yards. I told him to "take the shot only when he's comfortable" but he was not willing to risk it ... good call on his part. Needless to say, his antelope tag was unfilled but eventually harvested his first mule deer buck at <100 yards. Last year, he harvested a nice bull elk, also at <100 yards.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I have that 338 Lapua and nowhere to use it.....Best distance I can get here is 300 yards (range). I've had it in NM but I too am not comfortable with a long shot because I don't have that opportunity to practice here so I too, passed. I'm sure the rifle is well capable, I'm not.

Here, it's more of a hunt and stalk until you are close and then bang ot twang (in the case of a bow). I find myself using the front stuffer or the bow more than a centerfire or a handgun.

I'll never shoot out the barrel on the 338 even though it's a barrel burner. Just wanted one 'cause I can.

So, long range here is the maximum distance that tree trunks allow. Because of the topography there are no mountaintop shots down into the forest at distance, that don't happen, you are always under the canopy instead of looking down at it....

Hardwood Forests have to grow somewhere.......

 

[snookntarpon]

I read somewhere in a long range shooting book that below 1600 fps (at least for most common calibers and weights) everything seems to affect bullet path far more than above 1800 fps.

that set the max extreme hunting range for me as a veteran hunter and beginning long ranger. So for my 7-08 that puts it around 800 yards. Would i ever take a shot at a deer at that range? no. 400 yards is a long poke but 500 is long range in this gun.

for the 25-06 800 yards is max extreme as well, but 400 is long poke and 500 is too far for an ethical kill in my book.

My 300 WSM: 400 is a good poke, 500 is a long poke and 600 is long range. extreme: 800-900

would i shoot at game at extreme range? Hogs.

snt

 

[jrock]

10 years ago I use to think 300 yards was long range. Mostly based on the fact that I didn't have a range finder, hold over BDC reticules, or field adjustable turrets. Now that I have better equipment, 500 yards doesn't seem that far. So to me, it comes down to knowing if you can hit the target. Good gun, range finder, dope, and scope makes "long range" acceptable in my mind.

 

[Cold Trigger Finger]

For me the range can vary from 20 yards to pushing 1,000 where I hunt caribou and predators. So having A single load that will work for all around is important. Since a compromise is just that I lean toward being well prepared for the closer range shots andif I have to pass up the long rang shot at least nothing got educated.

A 400 yard shot on a bear with a 375 from a boat is a very long shot indeed. At a bou not so much.

 

[davkrat]

I voted for 400 yards. My dedicated long range gun is a 7mm Rem Mag which is certainly capable of cleanly harvesting deer and elk at extended ranges. The most common gun I hunt with is my .308 though. The massive dedicated heavy long barreled ELR rigs some of you own on here are certainly capable of taking large animals at extreme ranges. For me that's not something I can afford or am all that interested in that style of hunting. For a standard big game caliber and a range finder anything out to 300 is pretty much a chip shot. Even my pig of a ,308 I can regularly make hits at 300 yards regardless of wind. At 400 I have to really start thinking about the wind and my bullet is falling fast enough that an accurate range measurement becomes a bit of an issue. For a gun I'm willing to hike up and down mountains with and not need a muzzle break than I consider anything beyond 400 yards to be definitely long range.

Also being in California I too have to deal with copper bullets now and from my experience the limiting factor with copper is velocity. I shoot Nosler E-Tips and they claim that they will expand down to 1800 fps but the expansion at that velocity is nothing to write home about. Personally I set my minimum threshold at 2000 fps. For my .308 that ends up being around 400 yards where I deer hunt at 8000' I can push that a bit further. The 7 Mag can maintain 2000 fps at a much further distance having a higher BC and starting off 300-400fps faster. In addition my scope turrets get around 550-700 yards with one revolution. I don't ever intend to take a first shot at game at those ranges with my rifles but I like to practice at that range so that I will be able to make a clean up shot at 600 yards if needed.

Just my .02

 

[Latheman]

I also voted on 400 yards. Because at that distance or under I know I could make a good quick shot with the rifle I carry in my truck. Over that, for me is not a quick shot and a risk for a miss.

 

[knapper]

any where less than 200 yards is in range of a 22 long rifle!!!

A 1000 Yards is getting close...

The next zip code is long range..

Dallas

 

[BridgerMT]

My 16 inch plate is just over 1/2 a mile….
this is long-range stuff to me.gun)

THANKS FOR THE POLL

 

[Kenny0709]

I shot high power matches for a number of years, so 600 yards is comfortable for me, but I might take a poke at 800 yards if conditions are in my favor.

 

[ShootnMathews]

To him it is AND that is OK in my opinion. Personally I think LR is the shooters opinion of what they can do consistently and accurately. LR should not be measured by someone elses ability and equipment.

I could not have said that better. When I was younger pretty much everything I shot was under 100 yards. Then one day in a field I shot a buck at 242 yards and it felt like I shot it across the ocean. In fact, it was laying in an open field and my brother after hearing my shot said he was coming to help. When he got to me he asked where it was. I replied in he field. Him: where? Me: over there. Him: where? So I pointed it out and he replied "you shot that SOB way the F over there???" To my brother 100 yards is still a long ways, but now for me anything less than 300 is cake. Last year I killed a buck at 200 and I think I actually hit the very hair I was aiming at. Now 500 is tougher with wind but I'm very confident in one shot kills here, but for me right now LR Hunting is past 700. In a few years I'm sure it will be farther than that for me.

So in conclusion I think Long Range IS defined by out personal capabilities. If he's proud of that shot, let him be. I bragged for years about dropping a buck at 242 and got lots of oohs and aahhs.

Ps it is actually VERY hard to find a shot past 200 here. You have to purposely position yourself in a spot to shoot farther and that usually in a VERY tight window.

 

[BridgerMT]

Ok lets take this title with a Bow?
What do you Think is a Long Bow Shot?
I shoot my Mathews Heli M out to 70 yards would u take that shot?
Just curious

 

[ShootnMathews]

Ok lets take this title with a Bow?
What do you Think is a Long Bow Shot?
I shoot my Mathews Heli M out to 70 yards would u take that shot?
Just curious

At a paper plate, sure I'd shoot, and probably hit it. Just like I'd shoot at a steel gong at 1000 yards and probably hit it, but I limit my game shots to 700 or less because that's where I am positive that when I pull the trigger, it is "harvested " and not wounded. With a bow I stay at 40 yards or less for the same reason. I have seen a LOT of animals killed here with pieces of arrows stuck in them from those who don't know their max range for 100% efficiency.

I know a group of guys here who will shoot at any deer at any distance with any weapon. And they wound anywhere from 10-20 deer A PIECE every year. Makes me sick listening to them come to work on Mondays talking about hitting another one Saturday and couldn't find it. I'm just glad we aren't all like that.

 

[RMulhern]

The distance at which I cannot hit what I'm shooting at!!