The longest range kill I ever made was just over 900 yards on a Mule Deer. I would not have tried it but it was crippled already from someone else's bullet and was packing a rear lag that was swollen and infected.
My longest elk kill was 417 yards. Both of those kills were made with 270s.
Kills I have made on deer over 550 yards number about 12-14

Now for context, I have lost count of both my totals of elk and deer killed, but killing 2-8 elk a year for 40+ years (in several years 2-4 states each season) gives an idea of the number, and killing 4-15 deer a year over a 59 year period (also in 2-3 states per season) gives you an idea of the total of deer.

I stopped even firing at any big game over 500 yards as a personal policy over 20 years ago too.
So the "long shots" are very much in a minority.
Most of the elk I have killed have been at 150 and less and about 75% of them at 65 and less.
Most of the deer I have killed have been at 250 and less and about 50% of those being at 125 and less.

Also I have killed a LOT of antelope. And I do mean a LOT. Pronghorns are said to be the "long range animal" and so we hear and read and are told and told and told. But I kill them every year and most of my shots are at 150 and less, with many of them being at under 75 yards. In fact in the last 15 years or so I have killed about 25% of all my antelope with scoped rifles and the other 75% with irons sighted rifles and about 25 of them with revolvers (357s 44s and 45s) using the issue iron sights.

I can and I do shoot to 600 yards on my own land, and I can drive for only 15 minutes and shoot to 1600 yards. I shoot long range quite often for the fun of it, but I simply do not fire at game animals past 500. Not that I never did, but I guess I grew a brain as I aged, and had to admit to myself that in nearly 60 years of hunting I have never, even one time, EVER, had a need to fire past 500 yards for any reason on any game animal. NOT ONE TIME!
And as I said above, my kill count on game is pretty high.

I am very much a fan of learning to shoot at all ranges, but because it's a skill useful for defense of liberty, and I want Admiral Yamamoto's fear to be well justified.

But deer, elk and antelope are not my enemies. They are a blessing and I have respect for them enough to not try to use them as a stupid score card, and risk a cripple and/or a loss for no reason but my ego.

Last edited by szihn; 11/08/22.