Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Have any experienced deer hunters here never really taken a long shot?

225 yards is my one and ONLY longish shot. I have killed well over 100 deer and all have been 10 yards to 120 yards. VERY few over 100 yards. Majority have been 50 yards and less.

In 42 deer seasons I can only think of 1 deer that I shot that was over 100 yards away.

I am still getting experience but have shot a bunch of deer. It depends on the conditions, time of season, size of the deer and the gun I want to shoot.

Everywhere from a 380 auto at 65 yards to a 30-378 at 798 yards...

I enjoy both taking long shots and stalking in close. I have been getting more and more into the "long" range stuff lately, but grew up bowhunting so closer shots are nothing new to me...and have both ends of the range spectrum covered this year.

While I easily could have got closer if I wanted to, I took this rag bull (an elk is a deer right?) in Wyoming at a layered 528 yards. I have been practicing a lot the last couple years and felt 100% confident out to 700 yards, so 528 was a chip shot. I was actually hoping to get a shot in the 500-600 yard range to prove I could do it. I realize this yardage is child's play for some people and equipment, but I was pretty happy with how it all worked out.


Then just the other day I hit the other end of the spectrum, and could have killed this buck at a farther distance if I wanted to...but sneaked closer (almost too close) and took him at 25 yards.


Both hunts were fun as hell, and both gave me a feeling of confidence.

Good stuff....

Sam, you're missed in the basement.

Please come back and ogle the plentiful skanks and wenches with us.

I grew up hunting in North East Pa. and my longest shot there was about 160 yds. across a small hay field. Most of the other deer were shot at 35-50 yds. and only a couple others were shot 50-100 yds. The terrain there was such that in some places you could fall not hit the ground it was so thick. A lot of these deer were shot on deer drives where I was stationed near thick cover and short ranges were the norm. Since I have moved out west I have had little interest in whitetails ,but their habits tend to be near thicker cover or broken ground, Leading me to believe the could still be a 100 yd. shot. Mule deer here are much easier found at distance and shots tend to be longer.

P.S. It is AWeSOME to see Shrapnel posting again!!!!!!!!!!! He raises the "Real" up a notch or six...........

150 yards here. Most shots are close due to the terrain and amount of cover.

You been ML hunting? Deer chasing any?

Poked one off hand this afternoon standing at 150 paces. Drilled him textbook behind the shoulder broadside with a 270 grain soft point.
Dashed 20 yards spurting and flipped azz over head.
Done and done.

From the looks at the distance most whitetails are killed,just a good hunting bullet is all you need.Those really high B.C. bullets don't do a lot until you start getting in those really long range shots.

A couple just over 300 yards.The last buck I killed was 151 yards according to the rangefinder. But the majority are/were between 50-100 yards.

Locally, most killed under 150 yards.

Out west, I've killed deer and elk at ranges between 150 and 400 yards. Not sure either is long distance.

Yeah. Some.

I pulled the trigger on a pretty good one and hit a branch .

I've toppled pronghorn antelope well beyond 200 yards while hunting in western South Dakota. But for whitetails, mulies, and coastal blacktails my longest shot was about 125 yards or so. I typically hunt within the forests and foothills with my older Glenfield carbine in 30-30.

Sherwood

Until I was 24 yrs. old, I killed all my deer with buckshot and all the kills, except for 2 were 50 yds or less. 195 yds is the longest kill on a deer with rifle. Most of the deer I've killed have been 75 yds. or less. Where I live, unless you have a field, pipeline, or high line to hunt on, you cant see more than 75 yds and most places, you cant see that far.

Longest whitetail shot was 576 yards. Longest Mule deer was just over 300. Longest elk was a shade under 400. I practice with a friend out to 600 or so to be 'ready' should that length be required. Otherwise, the vast majority of the game animals I've taken have been from 250 and below with probably 75% of them being under 150.

Really depends on the terrain, the equipment and the abilities of the hunter. Most of the several dozen deer I've taken over the past 50+ years, were within 100 yards. Either in the woods, or out in open fields or cow pastures. Open sights or scoped sporters, in cartridges that are up to the task.

But I've also taken several deer using a bipod with the appropriate rifle, out to 500 yards. Same rifle used to take woodchucks at even farther distances, so that made for good practice over many years. Where I hunt, have the choice of being in the woods, along field edges - or setting up where much longer shots are possible. Last year, the best buck I saw all season, was close to 600 yards distant in a big hay field. Since I didn't have the "right" rifle, chose not to take a shot.Was watching a brushy creek bottom at the time, but only saw does down in there that day.

Know several people that commonly compete at 1,000 yard BR matches, who like to set up and shoot deer at ranges that'd make most of us shake our heads. Not my cup of tea, but they do very well at it.

Almost all of mine would be 100-150. I have one at about 250. My personal limit is 300yds if the right shot presents itself. Long shots ain't a big thrill to me. Ain't why I'm hunting.