I've only taken one deer at close to 400 yards in my life. I was using a rest inside a shooting house at the edge of a green field and cutover.
Every other deer I've ever shot probably 60+ have been shot at very close range,from about 8 to 80 yards. The majority of them were shot off hand running flat out.
When I first started hunting I tried to wait for the perfect standing broadside shot. I didn't kill many deer until I started just shooting deer. Most every deer has been shot in the chest but it might be from an extreme side angle or from the back down. I've only lost 2 deer that I shot and both of them were standing still at first and last light. They were shot with me sitting shooting off hand but I don't know what went wrong.
