Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Average shooting distance

I realize that I'm painting with a very broad brush and the answers will vary greatly, but I'd like to know the average distance in which your taking elk with a rifle.

If it's not too much to ask, please include the distance of your closest rifle kill, distance of your longest rifle kill, the average kill distance and the state and type of terrain you're hunting.

Idaho, very open terrain. Often see elk at 1/2 to 1 mile or farther.
Shortest distance, maybe 50 yds. Longest, 350. Average, 100 to 150.
I've never shot one in black timber. Mine have all been in the open or along edges as they're moving in and out of the timber. If you bump them out of black timber, they won't quit running for 5 miles and they won't be back.

I have shot a several at 10-15 yards and one out at almost 400, but most have been between 125 and 175 yards. The last time I averaged shots from my field notes, the average was 147 yards. The three that I have killed since then wouldn't affect that number very much, if at all.

First one was ranged at exactly 400 yards. The shortest distance was 72 long steps. The other three fell somewhere in between.

200 yds or less.

42 closest, 430 longest. Average is around 180

I think I have shot maybe four elk past 200 yards. The rest have been less than 125 yards. Most are in the 60-70 yard range.

Average distance is under 200 yards, probably somewhere between 150-175 yards.

Average distance is WELL under 200 yards, probably somewhere between 80-120 yards,and keep in mind if the average is lets say 100 yards theres a bunch of 40-50 yard shots to average in with the few rather rare 190-270 yard shots.
yeah! all the magazine articles I read make it seem like 400-700 yard shots are normal, but obviously the area you hunt has a huge effect on your average opportunity for even seeing an elk. elk are not stupid, during the first few hours of hunting pressure they rapidly travel to steep, remote or well wooded cover, thats less pressured to avoid most huntersyes I'm sure theres areas in CO. and WY. where youll get longer shots, but I darn sure have used a 358 win, 340 wby 35 whelen,and 375H&H a whole lot more under 200 yards than over that distance.
a couple years back we had a club meeting and we took a brief survey and in 30 plus years not a single member had even had the opportunity to see or shoot at any elk out at 300 yards, most were shot at an average ranges closer to 120 yards which means a good amount were shot at 30-60 yards in the thick timber



Id also point out that several times Ive helped guys pack out elk they shot at "350-500 yards" what when we paced out the place they shot from to the dead elk sure , took less paces and the guys held dead on with a 2" high at 100 yard zero and the bullets miraculously, shot remarkably flat! needed no hold over to hit near the aim point , even with a 358 win or 180 grain 308 win

Unless something has changed, Bugle publishes yearly a survey taken among successful elk hunters, I believe, at an annual convention.

As I recall, the average distance for all in the survey from all elk-hunting states ranges from 110-130 yards. What this means in reality is people who enjoy target shooting at live [elk] targets at ranges dramatically exceeding 200 yards are in a distinct minority - thank goodness.

Others conclusions or deductions might include: many older firearms and cartridges will do a more than adequate job; muzzleloader hunting is a reasonable option, and probably more fun; more attention could be paid to watching with wider view binocular, and stalking with wind in your face; in learning about elks' food and cover preferences during the hunting season; and on, and on.

Final hint: Using Craig Boddington's rifle will not make you a good hunter. Too many hunters waste too much money buying advertising hyperbole.

Hope this helps.

last 3 were less then 100 yards

I've shot 33 elk.

On three different occasions, I shot bulls that were about 30 yards away. Two were running.

Longest was too far away for the range finder to get a fix on a good reflective object. I guessed that it was about 500 yards. I watched him casually grazing for about 15 minutes. It took that long to dope it out. Shot twice and hit him twice.

Most kills have been between 150 and 200 yards.

I live in Colorado where terrain is mountainous, usually heavily treed with some occasional meadows. I like hunting in aspen groves.

KC

closest was 20 yards, longest about 300 yards. Most were 40 to 75 yards

I hunt primarily in Colorado for elk, tend to hunt small openings in aspens next to black timber and in the black timber itself at elevations between 8500 and 10,500 feet. I've shot 4 bulls in the past 6 years - closest was ~ 30 yards in the timber, farthest was ~ 225 across a small aspen meadow. The avg has been ~ 100 yards.

Since I started chasing elk seriously about 9-10 years ago, I've had shot opportunities every year, some years the shot comes together, some years it doesn't. Twice I've had shots that I wasn't comfortable with mostly due to distance and wind. Far and away most elk I see are between 75 and 200 yards - mostly because thats how I set myself up. I make that point because I think the terrain and hunting style determine your length of shots. I love to sit and glass. I normally do so with the intention of finding out where elk are going and to set myself up in their way on a future date. As a result, most elk I see are within reasonable shooting distance when I see them.

My closest shot was approx. 125 yards. My longest shot was close to 225 yards. My average shot is about 175 yards. We hunt elk in Bear Lodge Mts. of Wyoming. I've had very good luck with my Savage lever gun in .308 shooting 180 grain core-lokt ammo.

Sherwood

I've shot 4 elk in 7 years of chasing them, it's pretty open country so there isn't much sneaking to get closer.....the distances were:

150
300
360
379

I have shot and killed six Elk , four bulls and two cows shortest distant around fifty yards longest five hundred ten yards on the range finder

I've only shot 3 elk and all 3 where right around 300yds. Nearly double my average shot distance on pronghorn...

The interesting thing about elk hunting is the success rate is around 17%. Of that 17%, probably 80% of those hunters kill elk regularly. That can account for closer shots as elk are darned familiar with there environment and just walking up on a wild elk isn't likely. Successful elk hunters know how to kill elk.

I hunt elk in timber, mountainous areas and open country. I shoot elk when I see them, the distance has varied from 60 yards to over 600 yards. I have also found that you can't eat anything you don't kill so limiting my elk hunting to just bulls isn't something I do.

I would guess that all things considered, I have taken around 10-12 elk at 450 yards to 660 yards, 15-20 at under 100 yards and 35-40 between 100-350 yards...

From 43 to 430 yards. Most under 200 as a few were archery harvests.