Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting What is long range to you? (no flames!)

Ok guys (and the occasional gal), we all come from different back grounds, have different rigs, and practice differently. Got it. This is just a curiosity question. What does "long range" mean to you in a hunting situation.
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<br>Need qualifiers?
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<br>Ok lets start with: you are walking along and see a deer (or impala) walking broadside toward cover that may take them out of sight forever. No wind to speak of, clear shot and you are standing in scrub brush (so you can get a shaky rest but not rock solid). It is broad day light...clear...on a Saturday...southwest of a north flying sparrow.... What did I leave out?
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<br>You have 5-10 seconds to assume the position or pass.
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<br>How far are you willing to take the shot? If we assume the impala scenario you are on day 5 of a 7 day guided hunt, wounded game will cost you $400 and a lot of tracking time. So be sure you want to pull the trigger.
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<br>Ok me first:
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<br>I hunt fairly thick cover and am used to what you western guys would call close shooting, so I would not try that shot (with any of my rifles) beyond 150 yards.
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<br>Unless - I had shooting sticks ready for use in my hand. I've recently stretched my practice shots to 200 yards with shooting sticks and would now be comfortable with them out to 200. Hopefully more practice will let me stretch that more but right now that's my limit.
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<br>Next?

I shoot several rifles that would allow me an easy 400yd window of opportunity,for the described scenario. The 257Wby is my favorite..................

I had almost that exact scenario 4 or 5 years ago on a 5x6 bull at 300 yards with only shakey 6 foot high oak brush for a rest. Took the shot and killed the bull, but it was definitely pushing my limits.

200 yards. If he stops, make it 250.
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<br>Rick

Mssgn,
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<br>You just HAD to use the word SHAKY in there, didn't you? lol
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<br>My max distance would be 30 yards, IF I could lean against something to get 1/2 way steady. If not, the animal wins,,,,,,,this time,
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<br>In answer to your question on the topic line:
<br>Long range to me means any shot taken beyond 300 yards - for large game.
<br>For varmints (woodchucks around here) I consider any shot taken beyond 400 yards to be long range.
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<br>Have a good one, AND take it easy on SHAKY, lol
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<br>Don

With that scenario it DEPENDS on how I felt about it after taking the rest and IF I felt good about it, suppose it could be any distance out to a couple hundred yards or more. The key words being depends and if.(in case you had'nt noticed by the cap.s ) Long range for me is out beyond 350 yds to about 525(about the longest shot offered in the hills here).I took a 3 point blacktail at 516 yr before last and my brother in law took one of the same this year at 519. Both nice clean kills.He backed off from one this yr that I know about, and I'v passed on more than a few,just depends on how it feels. I got a "short" shot this yr, 278. At these distances we're using 300 win mags,3x9s,spotting scope and range finders, nothing fancy(though I would like to get my hands on some of that good stuff the real LR shooters are using) I'v got a new 7mm RUM Sendero that I would like to put a 4.5x14 if not a 6.5x 20 on when the vacation check rolls around. And a 30 in. Pac Nor, but thats Gene W.s fault, posting those loads that he did. Still working on what I can squeeze out of the 26 incher. BTW I was at a LR shooters site a couple months ago and I believe the guys there considered LR to start at 750 yds. Jeff

Yes Long Range to me on a calm non moving animal start's around 700 or 750 yard's.I would never shoot at a walking animal over 150 yard's or so.JScottRupp........That 7 Rum you have with enough practice is a very capable of taking animal's out to range's you probably would not want to shoot.You might want to look into the Nikon Monarch 5.5-16.5.I have one on my STW.Using the Leoupold Long Range base with the Burris Ring's with the insert's.I have enough click's to get me to 1325 yard's.But I limit myself to around 800 yard's with that gun..I also have a Nikon Monarch 6.5-20 on my Sendero in 300 Rum.With the same base and ring's can get me to 1375 yard's.I limit myself to around 1000 yard's with that gun.My BIG gun(300 rum) wear's a Leoupold Long Range 8.5-25.I use the Burris ring's with that too.Have enough click's to get me to about 2250 yard's.Might I suggest you try the 168gr MatchKing or the 162gr A-MAX out of your RUM....Get youself a good scope.Load up some good load's.Practice at different range's ALOT...And I do mean ALOT!!!!!!!And that RUM will do you well at extended range's....Let me know how you make out....Boyd....

As you can see by the several posts you have received, the senerio you used is certainly covered by EACH persons "ability" UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. Everyone has answered honestly.
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<br>Long Range hunting is different to every hunter. A 200 yard shot may be called long range to one hunter while a 1000 yard plus shot is Long range to another.
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<br>The yardage ALWAYS depends on the scenerio, the equipment one has, the level of experiance the person has, plus the style of Longrange hunting he pursues.
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<br>I honestly like to wait till the animal STOPS before I take any shot at him over 100 to 150 yards. If he dosen't stop, he can live to fight another day.
<br>I certainly wouldn't shoot at a "running" animal regardless of the range.
<br>Sometimes a loud whistle from the hunter, will stop a "walking" animal at the closer ranges you mentioned in the scenerio.
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<br>Darryl Cassel
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Damn Darryl you beat me to it.. youmust live at yur computer or have one in your shop.
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<br>I personally would unfold my bi-pod lie down get solid.
<br>and..... whistle or somthing to get the animals attention. If he stops I squeeze the trigger but only out to about 400-500 yards. His "stop" may not be long enough for much farther than that. If he doesn't stop, I don't shoot.
<br>I clarify my statement by saying I have practice routinely out to 750 yards from my bi-pod. I am confident to that range.
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<br>Given the scenerio he doesn't stop and his "gait" is that of a casual walk or a browsing walk. I wouldn't shoot any further than 100 yards and even that is Very very Questionable.

I reckon since my rifles that are capable of making shots over 200 yards, all have Harris bipods affixed to them in deer season, it would depend on whether or not is was feasible to use the bipod within that short time frame.
<br>I have spotted slowly walking or standing deer at ranges slightly over 400yds and dropped them from a solid, prone bipod rest.
<br>Since I typically hunt deer in varied terrain and with several rifles, it would depend on what I was totin' and where the shot was offered, whether I'd pass or shoot. I seldom pull the trigger on anything that I'm not pretty sure will drop anyway, whether carrying a 444 Marlin in the woods or a 25-06 on a hilltop.

It depends upon the terrain, my ability, and several other things. I hunt in one place where it is open, and you can find a deer you shot 200 yards away, and in another place, where, while there are open areas to see across to the other side of the hollow 150 yards off, you would need somebody sitting from where you shot to guide you to the deer, or else you wouldn't find it. Most places there, you can't see deer that far away though. In the other place, you can see them up to a half mile if you are watching. That's the terrain.
<br> My ability, long range when I am shooting offhand begins at 50 yards. I am confident at that range, and a tad farther as well. If I can get a lean to steady my arm some, even if I am offhand, I can shoot to 150-200 yards perhaps, depending on how steady it is. Sitting is good to 200 yards as well. Anything beyond 200 yards is pushing it, unless I'm in prone or have a really good rest, like the fork of a tree or something. It all depends, I can sit here and say what long range is. Maybe in the field, I won't think it's long range, or I might think it's too far. But I think all of us know long range when we see it.

Do I have 5-10 seconds to assume the position, or 5-10 seconds to shoot ?
<br> 5-10 secs to shoot probably means 75-100 yds. 5-10 secs to assume the position means 300 yds. E

Now you are on the right track. Long range is different for each hunter. The important thing is to practice enough to know your effective range first and then work to refine that.
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<br>To answer the secerino; I could not say if I would shoot until I actually looked through the scope. Long range for me ( with a rest and everything feels right ) starts at 400 yards. I have killed prairie dogs out to 700 yards and I know what the wind will do.
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<br>I just don't take long range shots in a hurry. If I don't have time to get everything settled in perfect I pass.

Thanks for all the replies guys. It's amazing how different our backgrounds are. As noted, the important thing is to know when to take the shot or pass based on our comfort level.
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<br>I read an article in a hunting magazine last night that said that unless you were 90% sure of hitting the vital area, pass on the shot. That surprised me. 9 out of ten times is just not enough. My feeling is that unless you are SURE that you can make the shot, pass it. No guessing.
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<br>Yeah I know we all miss due to unanticipated events (wind, twigs, nerves, etc) but I can't believe that anyone would pull the trigger at an animal wondering if they were going to hit it in a vital area or not.
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<br>Just my 2 cents.
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The distance where the shooter has to start manipulating the sights in order to prevent holding over the top of the animal.
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<br>Mike

5-10 seconds just isn't very much time to get steady for a very long shot, especially with the constraints of a shaky rest and all involved. If the animal is walking into an area I probably will have a hard time tracking it in, or finding a blood trail, I probably won't shoot if it is much over 150 yards. Unless winded, I can usually shoot pretty well offhand to that range fairly quickly.
<br>Obviously, from the posts above, each shot is different and each of our abilities is different. I admire those that have the self discipline to let a shot go if things aren't right. I have refused to shoot many times when the situation isn't just right. The most common is when I see deer moving through a thick pine or fir forest. Even though it seems fairly open most of the time, shooting betwen trees at a moving animal is much tougher than it seems.
<br>Great post, Mike- Sheister