Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Is a 300 yard self limit too limiting?

When I went elk hunting I didn't give range any thought. I did take the first legal elk I found. It was ranged at an even 400 yards. I thought it was about 200 yards so it was good to range it. If you have a .270 or .30-06 or bigger magnum, you could sight in at what ever range keeps your trajectory at 3" or less out to 300 yards. This would give you a center hold clear out to 350 yards.

A self imposed limit is one's own deal. More respect for such than one who will ignorantly try anything. There are archers with 25-30 yd limits that bag big elk quite frequently.

So you would've taken a shot, regardless of the range?

shoot what your;e comfortable with, personally id have zero issues shooting an elk out to 1K, but i shoot a lot to that range and further, and have guns that will shoot 1/2 moa (with me behind it, better with someone else I'm sure) elks a big critter, with a big kill zone.

I personally don't base my shots on arbitrary distances. I don't say "400 yards max".

I view it as high percentage shots and low percentage shots. I simply don't take low percentage shots.

Weather, terrain, fatigue, etc all come into play. On one day, with the right conditions, and a solid shooting platform, a 600 yard shot is not a problem.

On a day where wind is an issue, and/or a stable shooting platform cannot be attained, a 200 yard shot may be out of the question.

The very vast majority of hunters/shooters I have encountered think that wind is strictly a horizontal issue. That is simply incorrect, especially in the mountains.

Up drafts in the morning, down drafts in late afternoon, as well as switching winds can all have a dramatic effect on a projectile's flight. I have shot enough in the mountains to observe a 2 or 3 minute change in elevation at medium distance shooting (like 600). Watching projectile trace can reveal some previously unseen vertical issues, especially at max ordinate.

The flip side is I have seen short range shots that were low percentage, and should not be taken. Lots of guys will take a 100-150 yard shot at an elk or deer that is running all out, doing 35-40 miles an hour, or worse, going that fast quartering away. The result are often a pretty gruesome horrible and prolonged death for the animal.

Now with all that said, the majority of my shots on elk are 350-450 yards. There will always be the dumb comments about "you need to learn how to hunt or stalk, and I have never taken a shot over XXX "(usually significantly shorter range than what I typically find presented). It is obvious that they want to feel morally superior, implying that a 400 yard shot on an elk is unethical.

It probably is for them..

Good post Mackay ^^^^^

Practice makes perfect. Because you just never know.
All of my elk kills are under 100 yards. But I do a practice out to 200, 300 and 400. Me personally, after 400 yards is where I notice that small things add up and my groups open up. So my comfort zone max is 400 if conditions and set up is right. I did shoot a sub moa at 470 yards but that off of a bench.

Indeed, an excellent post Mackay......but seriously, if most of your shots are 350+ yds ya' need to stalk closer........



Casey

Certain areas of elk hunting will present longish shots, most elk hunting will present shots 200 yds or less......most likely a lot less. I always get the forum equivalent of a yawn when I say this, but for every elk out in the open, there's a bunch more hanging in the timber.


Casey

Can't help yourself can you.

Mackay_Sagebrush,

Those who can do and those who can't say it can't be done; and try to help those who can understand that.

No, I can't. Whenever you say something remarkable, I just have to make a remark. You never disappoint.

An objective answer to the OP's question can be reached by setting up some paper plates and firing away at different ranges, positions and wind conditions. At the point where you are beginning to miss this heart/lung sized target, you have reached your max. That point is likely much closer than you think.

A subjective answer is more difficult to reach - how comfortable are you in causing a magnificent game animal to escape only to die painfully in the following hours and days? If this posibility concerns you, conduct yourself accordingly. If that does not matter to you, than fire away but understand there is a price we all pay for your actions.

I've been on more rodeos that involved short range "snap" shots than 200+.

Perhaps your statement is accurate where you hunt, but that is hardly the case in many other places.

That is for sure Mackay!

I suspect that is because normally when I've taken game at longer ranges, say 275/300+ yards, the animal is normally rather at ease. Up close, they just might be moving out, or there might be difficult vegetation to shoot through, etc...

Last season I sighted my .30-06 in at 200 yards, with 165 gr Nosler Ballistic Tips, doing about 2900 fps. Stalked the cow elk and got to 338 yards before running out of cover. Went prone, rested the rifle on the backpack. Put the crosshairs right on her back and gently squeezed. Good hit! She was down quickly, after stumbling around a bit in the snow. Both lungs, both shoulder blades. On-side shoulder was trashed. With no lungs and two bad shoulders... Well, that worked.

Ya, I like 300 for a guideline - that's getting close to my max range. Practiced to 300 many times before the season and took a black bear at 325 yards a couple of months earlier, with the same rifle & load. Sometimes terrain and vegetation just keep us from getting those 50 yard shots. It was no great stretch for me to reach out to 338, after practicing so much at 300 yards.

Ol' Sagebrush is right about updrafts, downdrafts, sidewinds etc... At further ranges all that comes into play, in a big way. Fortunately on my hunt, the air was cold and still.



Taking the shot:


BTW - I like the paper plate target idea too, and have been using them for 20 some years as my standard practice target. If I can hit the plate, I can hit the kill zone. I do tend to use a steel gong at 300 yards, just 'cause I LIKE it!

Best of luck on the hunt!

Guy

While horseback hunting mule deer in Wyoming, a big bull started rounding up his harem to get them over the horizon. I lasered the distance at 400 yards. I remember thinking if I had an elk tag it would have been a pretty good chance I could have taken him from a sitting or prone position. My 160 accubond 7 RM load has grouped 5 shot 400 yard groups under 6" on targets. So, I consider that to be approaching my limit, I would try a bit longer on something as large as elk if my position was good enough to keep the scope steady.

With those ballistics, if you cannot hit an elk at 300 yards, then you have not practiced at all. Elk have a large kill zone and that distance is not a tough shot, even with the .308.

What is this?! I agree with you, smokepole. A rifle sighted at 200 yards and 9" low at 300 yards should be resighted at about 250 yards.