Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Realistic Distance For Ethical Kills

There are high percentage shots and low percentage shots.

Plenty of people who hunt take shots at running game, well under 100 yards that don't even come anywhere close to making a clean kill, if they hit the animal at all.

To put an arbitrary number such as 700 yards as max indicates to me a novice long range shooter. From one hour to the next conditions can change enough that a shooter who may be comfortable shooting out to 1200 yards in ideal conditions, would choose not to take a shot at 1/4 that distance.

Conditions generally dictate what a max distance is, in regards to a high percentage shot on a game animal or anything else.

The bottom line is that a person should only be taking high percentage shots. It does not matter if it's with a .44 mag or 300 win mag. Kill clean and set a good example.

I've watched a lot of antelope hunters. A lot. And shots at our ranch can be very long if you're a bad hunter, or you want the shot to be long, or both. Once in a while there is no way to close the distance and sneak closer (this is usually still a poor argument for taking a long shot since enough animals are there to choose from that you don't have to stretch things.)

Here are some things I've seen "long range" hunters do: I've seen them show up having not sighted in their rifle and/or with no idea about what the their trajectory is other than what's printed on the back of a box of factory ammo. And I've seen them show up without rangefinders or with rangefinders that don't work worth a damn.

Now I'm sure, no one reading this would ever do those things, right? Of course not.

Well how about showing up to the hunt having never shot the rifle past 2-300 yards? Most guys live in cities and shoot at ranges that only go out to 2-300, and the ranges often don't allow people to get off of the benches. You think that "old army training" from 30 years ago still makes you a crack shot from a sitting position that you haven't tried in years? How about never having run a few shots over a chronograph? These things happen more often than not. Yet the hunters show up thinking they're "good to 4-500 yards" since they're sighted in at 200.

A lucky few, and I mean very few, show up to their hunt with a rifle that's pretty accurate - either an tweaked factory rifle or a full custom - and they've spent a fair bit of time at the range with it, maybe having worked up a pet load for the rifle. It's a legit sub MOA rifle, heck, they've got photos of the groups on their phones to prove it. They've even shot the rifle at 5 or 600 yards and also at 1000, and they're confident they can kill a buck at 5-600. They might even crank one off at 700 - if the buck wasn't moving.

So what's wrong with the that? Well, things I've seen include: the hunter shot all of those fine groups on windless days. In fact he only goes to the range on windless days, even after load work up is done. He still doesn't get off the bench. He's not in good shape. He's using a hash mark reticle instead of elevation turrets. He doesn't know what altitude he's hunting at (I've told several hunters the altitude of our place, but I can't recollect ever having one ask me for it). That 500 yard target the hunter shot at? It's a 30" gong that he can't go downrange and inspect, so he's estimating group size and location. And the 1000 yard gong? It's as big as a VW Bug and the hunter has no idea where he hit it.

The end result of this guy shooting at 600 yards is a rodeo, or, if he's lucky, a clean miss. (As an aside, what's up with the hunters who have an ugly rodeo and then have the animal mounted? Who wants to look at that mount and be reminded of incompetence? That's no longer a trophy in my book, regardless of "score.")

I could go on but the bottom line is most hunters live in the city, not in big country where they can practice long range shooting properly, nor do they know how to dope the wind. Most hunters mean well and try but can't get it done reliably at long range. Those that can shoot on days when a 9" group at 300 yards is a hell of a group. And because they've seen that, and worse, they often have the judgment to pass on iffy shots at unwounded animals. If I had a guy show up with a .338 Lapua, saying he "thought" he was good to 1000, I'd ask him to leave.

The morning after antelope season, when the hunters are on the road going home, I have to drive the ranch, check the windmills and count cattle. I see the birds eating the eyes out of the bucks that were gut shot and ran off and died uncollected, and I see the bucks that got legged and are laid up in the shade of a lone tree or windmill. They stand up stiffly and hobble at first, then find an amazingly good gait, considering. But they're not going to outrun a coyote. Ranchers carry 22-250's or 243's to put them out of their misery before coyotes eat them alive. Most "long range hunters" never see those shots.

You owe it to your animal, the quality of the meat, and your memory of the hunt, to be better than "I think I can kill one at X yards."

I've watched a lot of antelope hunters. A lot. And shots at our ranch can be very long if you're a bad hunter, or you want the shot to be long, or both. Once in a while there is no way to close the distance and sneak closer (this is usually still a poor argument for taking a long shot since enough animals are there to choose from that you don't have to stretch things.)

Here are some things I've seen "long range" hunters do: I've seen them show up having not sighted in their rifle and/or with no idea about what the their trajectory is other than what's printed on the back of a box of factory ammo. And I've seen them show up without rangefinders or with rangefinders that don't work worth a damn.

Now I'm sure, no one reading this would ever do those things, right? Of course not.

Well how about showing up to the hunt having never shot the rifle past 2-300 yards? Most guys live in cities and shoot at ranges that only go out to 2-300, and the ranges often don't allow people to get off of the benches. You think that "old army training" from 30 years ago still makes you a crack shot from a sitting position that you haven't tried in years? How about never having run a few shots over a chronograph? These things happen more often than not. Yet the hunters show up thinking they're "good to 4-500 yards" since they're sighted in at 200.

A lucky few, and I mean very few, show up to their hunt with a rifle that's pretty accurate - either an tweaked factory rifle or a full custom - and they've spent a fair bit of time at the range with it, maybe having worked up a pet load for the rifle. It's a legit sub MOA rifle, heck, they've got photos of the groups on their phones to prove it. They've even shot the rifle at 5 or 600 yards and also at 1000, and they're confident they can kill a buck at 5-600. They might even crank one off at 700 - if the buck wasn't moving.

So what's wrong with the that? Well, things I've seen include: the hunter shot all of those fine groups on windless days. In fact he only goes to the range on windless days, even after load work up is done. He still doesn't get off the bench. He's not in good shape. He's using a hash mark reticle instead of elevation turrets. He doesn't know what altitude he's hunting at (I've told several hunters the altitude of our place, but I can't recollect ever having one ask me for it). That 500 yard target the hunter shot at? It's a 30" gong that he can't go downrange and inspect, so he's estimating group size and location. And the 1000 yard gong? It's as big as a VW Bug and the hunter has no idea where he hit it.

The end result of this guy shooting at 600 yards is a rodeo, or, if he's lucky, a clean miss. (As an aside, what's up with the hunters who have an ugly rodeo and then have the animal mounted? Who wants to look at that mount and be reminded of incompetence? That's no longer a trophy in my book, regardless of "score.")

I could go on but the bottom line is most hunters live in the city, not in big country where they can practice long range shooting properly, nor do they know how to dope the wind. Most hunters mean well and try but can't get it done reliably at long range. Those that can shoot on days when a 9" group at 300 yards is a hell of a group. And because they've seen that, and worse, they often have the judgment to pass on iffy shots at unwounded animals. If I had a guy show up with a .338 Lapua, saying he "thought" he was good to 1000, I'd ask him to leave.

The morning after antelope season, when the hunters are on the road going home, I have to drive the ranch, check the windmills and count cattle. I see the birds eating the eyes out of the bucks that were gut shot and ran off and died uncollected, and I see the bucks that got legged and are laid up in the shade of a lone tree or windmill. They stand up stiffly and hobble at first, then find an amazingly good gait, considering. But they're not going to outrun a coyote. Ranchers carry 22-250's or 243's to put them out of their misery before coyotes eat them alive. Most "long range hunters" never see those shots.

You owe it to your animal, the quality of the meat, and your memory of the hunt, to be better than "I think I can kill one at X yards."

EddyBo,

Nice buck there. Good on you for getting dialed in before your hunt.

Yes, I've had some slob hunters, but I've had many very good hunters and some good long range shooters hunt with us too. I'm happy to call many of them friends today. And I have nothing against long range hunting as long as the shooting doesn't involve, well, guessing/hoping and wounding.

Some of the best hunters were not great long range shots - they had great stalking skills, and/or had enough judgment to limit their shots and were patient enough to wait for a shot they knew they could make. As you know, skill, judgement and patience aren't for sale at the local gun store.

Here are some things I've seen "Azzhole" hunters do: I've seen them show up having not sighted in their rifle and/or with no idea about what the their trajectory is other than what's printed on the back of a box of factory ammo. And I've seen them show up without rangefinders or with rangefinders that don't work worth a damn

There is a difference between long-range shooting and "hunting". The traditional hunting skills of stalking and woodsmanship are not needed. The critter is not confronted and taken. Actually it reminds me of the difference between house to house combat and using a drone. With the drone there is a lot of tech but no ground skills.

I say keep the first shot within either the shorter of 300 yards or the distance at which you can hit a cantaloupe 100% of the time on the first shot . Then improve your stalking and hunting skills.

There must be some self imposed limits. Just cause you can do something does not mean it is a good idea to do it .

Hey TexasPhotog,

I have a problem with the "long range hunter" label pinned on guys who obviously haven't a clue. It lumps them in with others who have done the work to actually make it happen.

I kinda have a problem the with entire label, "long range hunter" to tell you the truth.

It implies that the guy shoots animals at long range and only long range.

Take JohnBurns and Scenarshooter for example. They are some of the best long range shooters who frequent this forum and have made some long, long kills, I wouldn't apply the label "long range hunter" to. I'd bet they'd not pass up a 100 yard shot on a big game animal they wanted to shoot because it was too close.

They are hunters who are skilled shooters.

They have perfected their skill to match the capability of their equipment.




I think "Azzholes" is a more accurate term for the Goobers we're talking about. "Posers" come to mind as well.

I like the way your post reads now...




...but then I've never been accused of being politically correct.

I love when people assume things about people's "hunting" skills due to the fact they can shoot long range. I have hunted just about every way imaginable, including going archery only for a number of years. I hunt how I like as long as it is legal and as long as I am sure I can cleanly kill an animal. I do not really want other's limitations or ideas of what is "ethical to them" imposed upon me.

One mile kill is incredible eddybo!

.8+ BC at 3400 makes it a lot less impressive Especially since we shot there a whole bunch at targets right where the pigs would show up. We did have a few that moved while the bullet was in flight, but most stood there long enough for good hits. Getting them to come out with enough light is the trick.