What is the Typical Distance Range You Kill Big Game At?

[HARPERC]

All to say, when you consider this non scientific dissection, the numbers make sense to the imagination that the majority of peoples shots (on average) are under 350y when rifle hunting.

It is a niche hunting crowd, and depending where you live can be a limiting factor alone.

I think the poll is helpful in the sense of normalizing the under 350 yards, and hopefully helping newcomers get a sense of perspective regarding how many of us are really using those longer ranges.

 

[dfanonymous]

I think the poll is helpful in the sense of normalizing the under 350 yards, and hopefully helping newcomers get a sense of perspective regarding how many of us are really using those longer ranges.

It should NOT really normalize it though in all cases. There's never been a reason to shoot animals at 800+ but some actually have the skills, then the opportunity, and once and awhile they take it, utilizing that skill.

Normal is relative to how I explained: where you hunt. Normal in Virginia, vs normal in Wyoming are two different things. Normal in the badlands is different than normal in Texas, which is different than New York. Places that you even have the ability to shoot game at long range with any sort of consistency, and without special tags you'll never draw or private arrangements is: Arizona, eastern califonia (x zones), Nevada, Colorado, East Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and lastly the Dakotas. However, something I didn't explain in the last post is, consider how people hunt, and the old age of people of this forum…. which seems full of people (on average) who don't seem to be doing high effort hunts.

It's not in my interest to help new people, or negotiate out of state hunting for the mass's as it's plenty saturated every time I go out. People should have to work hard and figure it out like most of us have. That said, in the states I've mentioned, it's not at all uncommon if you're off the roads, high on the ridges, glassing and moving, and using your maps wisely to pick general glassing points, to spot game at 500y+ on a "normal" basis.

Because it's easier to get archery tags, and because I enjoy the stalk, I prefer to get close….but I almost always find them 2/3 up a mountain, down in a sage flat, cool draws, canyons benches etc, and I have most certainly made those 600y to triple digit shots.

 

[Mr. Magoo]

It should NOT really normalize it though in all cases. There's never been a reason to shoot animals at 800+ but some actually have the skills, then the opportunity, and once and awhile they take it, utilizing that skill.

Normal is relative to how I explained: where you hunt. Normal in Virginia, vs normal in Wyoming are two different things. Normal in the badlands is different than normal in Texas, which is different than New York. Places that you even have the ability to shoot game at long range with any sort of consistency, and without special tags you'll never draw or private arrangements is: Arizona, eastern califonia (x zones), Nevada, Colorado, East Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and lastly the Dakotas. However, something I didn't explain in the last post is, consider how people hunt, and the old age of people of this forum…. which seems full of people (on average) who don't seem to be doing high effort hunts.

It's not in my interest to help new people, or negotiate out of state hunting for the mass's as it's plenty saturated every time I go out. People should have to work hard and figure it out like most of us have. That said, in the states I've mentioned, it's not at all uncommon if you're off the roads, high on the ridges, glassing and moving, and using your maps wisely to pick glassing general glassing points, to spot game at 500y+ on a "normal" basis.

Because it's easier to get archery tags, and because I enjoy the stalk, I prefer to get close….but I almost always find them 2/3 up a mountain, down in a sage flat, cool draws, canyons benches etc, and I have most certainly made those 600y to triple digit shots.

It wasnt very clear what youre trying to say here.

 

[General RE LEE]

This is interesting and not at all surprising. It's also rather humorous. All the hype you hear and all the interest in the highest BC possible in bullets is all for naught in the hunting world. At under 500 or so yards, BC has little importance in the scheme of things. PRS and 600-1000 yd benchrest shooters certainly benefit from best BC bullets at the distance they shoot. The rest of the majority of us.... meh. Yet, high BC bullets sell very well. Guess we want all the advantage we can get - real or imagined

Someone recently posted a thread wanting advice on a good bullet for his 308. Most recommendations were high BC, heavy types. I asked him what's the farthest he would shoot and what he was hunting. He said 300 yards and deer. I told him get some 130 grain Barnes TTSX and load them to 3000 FPS and let er rip. Take out the drop guessing game and 130 grain copper bullet going 3000 FPS will kill deer like lightning.

 

[dfanonymous]

It wasnt very clear what youre trying to say here.

How so? lol

 

[FEENIX]

It should NOT really normalize it though in all cases. There's never been a reason to shoot animals at 800+ but some actually have the skills, then the opportunity, and once and awhile they take it, utilizing that skill.

Normal is relative to how I explained: where you hunt. Normal in Virginia, vs normal in Wyoming are two different things. Normal in the badlands is different than normal in Texas, which is different than New York. Places that you even have the ability to shoot game at long range with any sort of consistency, and without special tags you'll never draw or private arrangements is: Arizona, eastern califonia (x zones), Nevada, Colorado, East Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and lastly the Dakotas. However, something I didn't explain in the last post is, consider how people hunt, and the old age of people of this forum…. which seems full of people (on average) who don't seem to be doing high effort hunts.

It's not in my interest to help new people, or negotiate out of state hunting for the mass's as it's plenty saturated every time I go out. People should have to work hard and figure it out like most of us have. That said, in the states I've mentioned, it's not at all uncommon if you're off the roads, high on the ridges, glassing and moving, and using your maps wisely to pick general glassing points, to spot game at 500y+ on a "normal" basis.

Because it's easier to get archery tags, and because I enjoy the stalk, I prefer to get close….but I almost always find them 2/3 up a mountain, down in a sage flat, cool draws, canyons benches etc, and I have most certainly made those 600y to triple digit shots.

Agreed! Also, you can never satisfy everybody.

 

[Mr. Magoo]

How so? lol

Had a brain fart I guess. Reads fine now lol

 

[Rich Coyle]

I had to just assume it's for rifle hunting, and not just hunting. I hunt more archery than anything…it's more competitive, it's easier to get tags, and frankly it's a blast that I get more out of then lobbying a bullet across a canyon.

That would put my shots under 100y.

So I'm left to assume by "hunting" the OP means rifle hunting. In which case it's almost a split between 500-850 yard distance with the slightly higher average being in the 500-650 class, not surprisingly. For me.

So-in-law shot a coyote with bow and arrow at 89 yards. What would that correspond to for rifle?

 

[dfanonymous]

So-in-law shot a coyote with bow and arrow at 89 yards. What would that correspond to for rifle?

What do you mean "how will it correspond?"

89y is 89y. How it corresponds if you add averages in to your rifle hunting kill distances, is another question. I'm sure people still remember how to average.

The point is, rifle hunting and bow hunting are two different things. Even if you see the animal at 2 lightyears away and you have a opening for a shot, you'll still be stalking into bow ranges, at least where I hunt out west. Where as when I'm hunting with a rifle, I simply forgo the stalk and worry more about getting a lane where applicable and building a position. Especially 600y away. Even pronghorn can be pretty relaxed around people 600y away.

 

[DarryH]

I like to push distances when shooting. My gun club only goes out to 600 yards. On the farm I had a range out to a half mile. The farm is gone so some of my skills are rusty. Never had the funds for real high end guns and optics. Prairie dogs, varmints, seldom over 400 yards. Deer, never had to shoot over 85 yards, and I almost felt guilty at that. I like to use old military and cowboy guns. I like to get within 15-30 yards, like with my bow. I do practice with my modern scoped guns and have zero worries on deer to 300-400 yards.
I like shooting my buddy's .338 Lapua. I may have to consider one and try to find a place to stretch it out. May have to do that in the reversed order?????

 

[Hard rock]

It wasnt very clear what youre trying to say here.

I would think thats 1 that shoots farther than 500 yds. My perception I could be wrong

 

[Ernie]

This year has been short range for me. I have been in a walking boot or a cast, and so I have only been out with help from friends.
Buck antelope at 342 yards and a buck whitetail at 190 yards.
Both with center-grip XP-100's: 26 Nosler and 6.5-284.
I get out of the cast today, and will go back into a walking boot

 

[Mr. Magoo]

This year has been short range for me. I have been in a walking boot or a cast, and so I have only been out with help from friends.
Buck antelope at 342 yards and a buck whitetail at 190 yards.
Both with center-grip XP-100's: 26 Nosler and 6.5-284.
I get out of the cast today, and will go back into a walking boot

Some serious cartriges! How hard is it to hold onto that xp100? I'll bet its lively.

Good luck with the healing.

 

[Timnterra]

Of the 20 kills I can remember the distance of going back to 2011 I have an average distance of 389yds but I don't think that's the right way to calculate it. Of the 20 I have 11 kills under 350, 5 kills from 350-500, 2 from 500 to 650, 1 from 650-800 and 1 over 800. So I guess the real answer is less than 350yds.