My personal range limits

[Greyfox]

About eight years ago I put together a rifle/load that I dedicated to deer/antelope hunting(my favorite) set up to be capable to 1000+ yards. Hunting open terrain, the average distance for a few dozen game shot over this period is about 500 yards, the closest 150, the furthest 1188 yards. IMO, there is a lot to be said about becoming totally familiar with a specific rifle, load, and auxiliary equipment.

 

[5RWill]

On the flip side, you also don't hear about the times guys do not take a long range shot due to a "just didn't feel right" scenario. This year I had a couple cow elk feeding in a tree line at around 1100 yards. This was about as good of shooting conditions as one could ask for while hunting: barely a breeze at basically head on bearing, calm animals, and a pretty darn stable shooting position with a rifle setup more than capable. Even though I had been smashing small rocks a week prior at ranges well beyond that at basically the same elevation/temp/baro but with some fierce winds, I didn't pull the trigger on one of those cows. Something just didn't feel right. At first I was a little shaky from elk fever (yes, even cow elk do that to me after hunting hard a solid week and not getting to put an animal in the crosshairs), then I was shaking because I had taken my heavy coat off to get a better shooting position and started getting cold while doing a little dry firing on them, then once I felt confident in "me"-the elk had moved into some thicker vegetation and I didn't want to try and thread the needle. Guess what, a couple days later I drove the 1200 miles home (with over $1,100 dollars of unfilled tags in my pocket) with my tail tucked between my legs.

I've done this but also been on the wrong end of making a poor shot not accounting for wind, something i intend not to replicate. This season i had trouble controlling my adrenaline even on Doe. I'd go check DOPE on MOA size targets to 400yds and 8" plates to 600yds. Then go hunting and adrenaline would 100% get to me.

In the delta we have farmland and the one 500 acre block that i hunt the most can stretch to 900yds, in about all four fields. Last day of deer season of 15 i took a 694yd shot on a doe when i still had my 308. 178gr BTHP at 2630fps hit her far back due to wind, she collapsed but i had to shoot her again. Didn't sit right with me and never does. Didn't have my kestrel and am lacking on wind reading skills.

On the flip side of that i had something bizarre as hell happen last year. Had what i thought was an opening in the brush patch looking at a 140ish class 8-point that i had basically crossed a 500yd field to get to. 150yds all i had was some neck and head to aim at. I took the shot he fell. I walked up to him he moved a little but didn't seem to have use of his front legs. I figured he was hit CNS i was just going to let him die, instead of shooting him again. Went and got the fourwheeler, came back, he's gone. No blood, no fur, no nothing. Never found him, not even the slightest sign that he was hit either. By far the most bizarre incident i've had hunting. Biggest deer i've ever pulled the trigger on and the sickest i've ever felt after a hunt.

 

[Bravo 4]

Thanks for sharing your experiences Will. Good examples of some kind of error. One long range and the other short range. Doesn't matter the range, we are gonna make mistakes. Just hope that they are learned from. When speaking to guys about hunting I hear all kinds of stories where I think the guy made a crappy decision to shoot. About 99% of them are at what could be considered normal hunting ranges. Sometimes our nerves get the best of us too. Have I done it, yes. Did I learn from it, I like to think so. Like stated earlier, I didn't take a shot on the only cow elk I had in my scope this past year. Two seasons back I had what would have been my biggest buck to date @ 40'ish yards. A huge 8 that easily tops 150", but had some brush between us and I didn't want to take that chance. This was with a .510 caliber rifle shooting 725 grain bullets. I would have much preferred him in a power line cut over or cross canyon at 600 yards than what I was dealt.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

I've done this but also been on the wrong end of making a poor shot not accounting for wind, something i intend not to replicate. This season i had trouble controlling my adrenaline even on Doe. I'd go check DOPE on MOA size targets to 400yds and 8" plates to 600yds. Then go hunting and adrenaline would 100% get to me.

In the delta we have farmland and the one 500 acre block that i hunt the most can stretch to 900yds, in about all four fields. Last day of deer season of 15 i took a 694yd shot on a doe when i still had my 308. 178gr BTHP at 2630fps hit her far back due to wind, she collapsed but i had to shoot her again. Didn't sit right with me and never does. Didn't have my kestrel and am lacking on wind reading skills.

On the flip side of that i had something bizarre as hell happen last year. Had what i thought was an opening in the brush patch looking at a 140ish class 8-point that i had basically crossed a 500yd field to get to. 150yds all i had was some neck and head to aim at. I took the shot he fell. I walked up to him he moved a little but didn't seem to have use of his front legs. I figured he was hit CNS i was just going to let him die, instead of shooting him again. Went and got the fourwheeler, came back, he's gone. No blood, no fur, no nothing. Never found him, not even the slightest sign that he was hit either. By far the most bizarre incident i've had hunting. Biggest deer i've ever pulled the trigger on and the sickest i've ever felt after a hunt.

This is why I do not take head / neck shots. Hopefully you just creased him high and he was fine. If it hit him low it could have damaged his esophagus and it did not end well.

Steve

 

[5RWill]

This is why I do not take head / neck shots. Hopefully you just creased him high and he was fine. If it hit him low it could have damaged his esophagus and it did not end well.

Steve

I never found a carcass. I assume he still is or hope anyway. I think the brush was was the real culprit. 150yds in an open field I would take all day on many deer. I used to purposefully neck shoot but i don't disagree with your point. It's a risky shot.

 

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