Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Average distance you shoot elk at

On average,at what distance do you kill your elk at? I know there'll be some close range kills and some that are longer than usual. But what would you say the "AVERAGE DISTANCE" is?

My average is around 50 yards, but I hunt with a muzzleloader.

250-300

Around 125 yards. Maybe a little further.

The longest one was 250yds +-. Closest was 60 yards.

The vast majority of mine about 100 yards.
I often hunt dark timber near treeline.

Most of mine have been in the 175-200 range, but I was lucky enough to find a dumb one this fall and shot him at 40 yards.

Right around 100 yards or so, maybe a little further.

Only one sticks out in my mind as a "far" shot, and that cow was "only" 350 or so yards.

200-225. shortest = 40 yds, longest= 425 yds

60-80 yards. Muzzle loader or center fire rifle

My average would be somewhere between 125 and 150 yards. I have shot a few at 25-40 yards and a couple at 300+ but most have been in that 125-150 interval.

average is about 300 yards.

very limited data set from me....

one 5x5 at ~35 yards in timber. could have used a .44 revolver at that distance.

and will be very happy if I repeat this October.

Avg-125/150 yds,longest was maybe 300, shortest was maybe 50yds.

Average for the last 12 (since 2000) is 238 yds. Shortest is 40 yds, longest is 487 yds.

Finally found my notes, did the math and rounded the average to 150 yards.

its been decades since any member of out elk hunt club has killed any elk at over 250-300 yards, and the last time we actually took the effort to calculate the average distance, it was in the high 80-90 yard range , thats probably got a great deal to do with the gradual shift from the 7mm and 300 mags many of the guys started with,to calibers like 358 win, 35 whelen, 45/70 and 450 marlin, and shorter carbine length weapons that has slowly taken place.
yes a good many guys started with a 30/06 and 180 grain-200 grain and 220 grain bullets and many of the older guys have stuck with that combo, and at least in our group the remington pump action 30/06 and 35 whelen, and BLR in 30/06 and 450 marlin and 358 win are very common.
my personal average is probably in the 70 yard range with several shot at under 35 yards
I usually have my 35 whelen, and 450 marlin rifles along, sometimes my 375 H&H carbine,



most of the areas I hunt look like these pictures

75-100 yards, I like hunting the thick dark stuff.
I like to shoot far for fun but I hunt as close as I can get.

Hunting the wide open areas of Wyoming, my shots have gone from 125 yds to 318 yds, with most being over 225 yds.

Steve

I've hunted elk mostly in Montana, but also in British Columbia, Idaho, Colorado and New Mexico, so the country has varied some. Have also killed a couple with a bow, but have killed a couple about the same 40-50 yard range with rifles, so threw the bow-kills in there too.

Average is 159, longest 375--the longest range I've ever shot at an elk.

Most of my elk hunting has been in Wyoming and Colorado, with a bit in Montana. My preference has always been for hunting the black timber, and the areas around timberline. Nearly all my hunts have been with a centerfire rifle.

That said, my average elk shooting distance is pretty close to 80 yards, plus or minus 20 yards.

Shortest distance is 15 yards, longest is 200 yards.

WyoM70