Max range you would shoot at game?

[del2les]

Max range you would shoot at game?

Depends on several factors of course. Game size, toughness, wind, caliber/cartridge I am using, etc.
That said, I have killed P-dogs and coyotes beyond the 1,000yd mark, elk at 890 and deer sized beyond 800yds. I have practiced to 2,000 yards and shot elk sized kill zone gongs at 1,500 to 1 mile.

 

[littlebighorn]

I'm with Tadd. Very few hunters have regular access to extended ranges to become ethically proficient. My main range is limited to 600 yds and I shoot lots at that distance but I don't feel comfortable beyond because I can't practice enough. Once or twice a year I get out to 1000 yds for fun and I can regularly smack the 800 yd gong. But that's for fun and not for hunting.
Anyone who has shot much at distance knows wind is a killer. I once missed the antelope buck of my lifetime because of a stiff Wyoming wind.
He was only 400 yds away, which is normally a chip shot, but in the moment I didn't account enough for the wind and I missed. It was a bitter pill to swallow. On that day I should have shown more restraint and waited for a better opportunity. In my book your max hunting range is all about conditions and your ethical proficiency.

 

[deaddownrange]

If I'm "hunting" I try to get close enough to smell their breath, but if trying to stretch my long range on prairie dogs or woodchucks... sky is the limit.

 

[yobuck]

I'm very new.

So new, that the longest range I have shot at a target is 425 yards.

I dialed in the elevation based on load data I plugged into an iPhone app called SBC, and "pinged" an eight inch piece of steel every time I pulled the trigger.

Therefore, "long range" to me right now is 425 yards.

I'm co Gide t I could kill game, first shot on a cold bore, at 425 yards.

If I can do the same at 600, that will be my new standard.

Beyond 600 yards, the cartridge I shoot 280 ai, and the bullet/load combo, I would loose confidence in. It's a 139 Barnes LRX. It's going really fast and accurate with my hand load, but it falls below 2,300 fps. My understanding is that 2,300 fps is the cutoff for reliable expansion with that bullet.

From the limited hunting I have done, a perfect broadside shoot is not always possible. So I chose Barnes bullets because they can penetrate extremely well, negating the need for a perfect shot.

I do not believe that Berger or Hornady bullets perform optimally if they have to penetrate through the shoulder of a big elk.

Am I thinking about this incorrectly?

What day you,

At 425 yards you could hit that plate with a small adjustment in your hold with a 280 AI.
But at what point is that not a practical thing to do and require dialing instead would be my answer to your question.
Id personally be putting a limit of about 800 yards on a 280 for hunting, regardless as to what the charts and others might say.
If your going to be hunting in areas that could well provide an opportunity for longer shots, then go prepared for the longer shots.

 

[blvette75]

I'm very new.

So new, that the longest range I have shot at a target is 425 yards.

I dialed in the elevation based on load data I plugged into an iPhone app called SBC, and "pinged" an eight inch piece of steel every time I pulled the trigger.

Therefore, "long range" to me right now is 425 yards.

I'm co Gide t I could kill game, first shot on a cold bore, at 425 yards.

If I can do the same at 600, that will be my new standard.

Beyond 600 yards, the cartridge I shoot 280 ai, and the bullet/load combo, I would loose confidence in. It's a 139 Barnes LRX. It's going really fast and accurate with my hand load, but it falls below 2,300 fps. My understanding is that 2,300 fps is the cutoff for reliable expansion with that bullet.

From the limited hunting I have done, a perfect broadside shoot is not always possible. So I chose Barnes bullets because they can penetrate extremely well, negating the need for a perfect shot.

I do not believe that Berger or Hornady bullets perform optimally if they have to penetrate through the shoulder of a big elk.

Am I thinking about this incorrectly?

What day you,

Like many here have target shot farther, and when I used to hunt more, I typically zeroed at 400 yards. But for practical harvesting of game animals I would target 500 yards or less. I have better equipment now perhaps would consider farther, but even with enough practice at longer distances it is the consideration of the wind on the point of impact always brings me back to that range of 500 yards or less when in the field. As wind where I am may not be similar at the target(animal) the farther out in distance the animal is.

 

[MT-Shooter]

600 for me. Beyond that, flt time the bullet takes, even from fast 30s or 33s, gives any fine game animal that deserves our respect (bad humans get none) more than enough time to turn a perfect shot into a poor shot.

What he said.

 

[Rob L.]

600 for me. Beyond that, flt time the bullet takes, even from fast 30s or 33s, gives any fine game animal that deserves our respect (bad humans get none) more than enough time to turn a perfect shot into a poor shot.

I agree with this, well said.
I too hunt with the 340 and 378 Wbys, (also the 240 Wby) so plenty of horsepower for longer shots, but generally pass on shots exceeding 400.

 

[RUFFIAN R - NY]

Like CLINT once said : DIRTY HARRY - Man needs to know his limitations !!!

 

[birddog 68]

So I chose Barnes bullets because they can penetrate extremely well, negating the need for a perfect shot.

With your limited hunting experience my advice is to get close enough for a perfect shot and not relying on the bullet to make up for a bad shot. Hitting a plate and hitting a animal under field conditions aren't even close to the same. Just my .02

 

[Wrenches]

My local club has monthly 600yd any any matches. (Any rifle, any sights) 60 shots in three relays of 20 rounds. My favorite rifle is my 40X 30-06 with a 30" Kreiger 5R barrel. Load is 53.5 grains RL-17 and a 215 Berger hybrid target bullet. I do get on several relays and also shoot my hunting rifles so I can record my come ups. So I am confident in my ability out to 600 yds. or further. Doping the wind at these distances is the biggest problem. On the range we have wind flags but in the mountains the pine trees don't help much, nor does the sage brush on the prairie.

 

[Beluebow]

Conditions dictate everything.

 

[Rick Richard]

Can't provide a definitive answer. Too many variables play into taking a shot, but if all is well 750 or so yards is very doable.

 

[Lenny Foffa]

This is just my humble opinion! I would not shoot at deer at ,or ,beyond 350 yards with my 270 Win! 130. Grn ballistic Tips at 3050 FPS! I would shoot Deer beyond 500 yards with my 270 Weatherby Mag!! That Weatherby MarkV Rifle with the 8.5X to25X Leupold Windplex on it ,and the 150 Grn ABLR load has the ability to deliver enough energy to the target at 600 yards ! Even though I have hit steel at 1200 yards with that rifle , 600 Yards would be my personal max range to ensure a good clean kill! That's just Me !

 

[richhymas]

I'm very new.

So new, that the longest range I have shot at a target is 425 yards.

I dialed in the elevation based on load data I plugged into an iPhone app called SBC, and "pinged" an eight inch piece of steel every time I pulled the trigger.

Therefore, "long range" to me right now is 425 yards.

I'm co Gide t I could kill game, first shot on a cold bore, at 425 yards.

If I can do the same at 600, that will be my new standard.

Beyond 600 yards, the cartridge I shoot 280 ai, and the bullet/load combo, I would loose confidence in. It's a 139 Barnes LRX. It's going really fast and accurate with my hand load, but it falls below 2,300 fps. My understanding is that 2,300 fps is the cutoff for reliable expansion with that bullet.

From the limited hunting I have done, a perfect broadside shoot is not always possible. So I chose Barnes bullets because they can penetrate extremely well, negating the need for a perfect shot.

I do not believe that Berger or Hornady bullets perform optimally if they have to penetrate through the shoulder of a big elk.

Am I thinking about this incorrectly?

What day you,

You have good logic. I shoot a 300 WSM with a 180 Scirocco. Bullet will expand well out to 825 yards but I limit myself to 600 yards for several reasons. Thst bullet has poor BC and therefore significantly more wind drift than other LR bullets. My wind call is not good enough across canyons etc here in Idaho. I also feel like a lot can go wrong beyond 600 that doesn't happen inside 600 for me. Partially because I shoot 600 yard benchrest regularly so it is a distance I am very comfortable with. It also becomes much more difficult to spot a hit vs miss and to follow wounded game and locate them once they expire as you get further away. Finally, elevation difference of 1000-2000 feet are negligible out to 600 yards but become more apparent beyond 600.

To be clear, others with more experience out to 1000 yards are competent at those differences, but unless you practice a lot in different locations and situations you won't know your limits. The most dangerous shooters are those that don't know what they don't know.