What is the average distance you shoot when hunting?

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

What is the average distance you shoot when hunting?

I'd say over the past 20 years... if I averaged it out I'd say 110 is my current average. I havent shot very many deer under 50 yards. Seems most are in the 100 to 140 range. The farthest I've ever shot a deer was 155 using a rangefinder (good rest, deer feeding... knew my ballistics, felt good about the shot etc etc).

Perhaps its just a west thing but it seems shots here are usually double what average eastern shooters experience (ie: I hear alot of people who take their deer in the 50-60 yard range).

-DallanC

roundball

You can get any ranges here in North Carolina depending on how and where you hunt...I used to hunt over big soybean fields with a scoped MK85, and at the time, took my biggest racked mature whitetail ever at 165yds that way.

But didn't find it any more challenging than using a Remington 700/.30-06, and gradually got away from scoped inlines, settling on flintlocks & patched balls in fairly thick woods...longest shot I've ever taken with a sidelock muzzleloader was 70yds down an old loggers road where I could see that far...but normally I'm 25-35yds off to the side of heavily used trails that cross a creek or drainage ditch down in a thick bottom, so the range is always close.

And for me it's an enjoyable part of the hunt to be so close you can see their nose turn shiny wet black after they flick their tongue out on it, or see their whiskers, eyelashes, breath on a cold morning, etc...always gets my adrenalin pumping...makes precise shot placement easier, getting them to drop where they stand or at least within eyesight...shorter drags too Smile

Gil Martin · Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 6:50 am Post subject: It depends

Sometimes visibility is limited and that will shorten the range. My self-imposed limit with blackpowder is 100 yards or less. I practice at 50 and 100 yards and have established a confidence level. All the best...
Gil

shrpshtrjoe

Howdy. With the muzzleloader the farthest shot was about 110 yds but where i hunt it could be 20 yds to 200 ysds. I hunt a private farm (im lucky) where the land owner is a good friend and allows us to cut shooting lanes Very Happy

wich comes in handy for rifle season.

longwalker

While growing up in the East, I most likely never shot at anything past 40 yards. Rabbits, Birds, Deer.

Since moving West, Most of the Bird shooting remains about the same. I often hunt for "east river" deer with a handgun. So the shots here are close. I did shoot one at about 60 yards with a 44 magnum. However most have been within 10 yards. The "Western" shooting gets different. Mule Deer and Antelope will present long shots. I have made some long rifle shots over 300 yards in the western side of the state.

My method was to set a 300 yard zero on all rifles. Then practice estimating different distances and shooting at those targets. Praire dogs are great for this.

Flint54

As far as Big Game, Whitetail/Mule/Stika Blacktail Deer, my only Mule was taken at @75 - 80 yds, one Whitetail has been my longest kill and that was at @ 250 yds with my TC Contender. Every other one taken has been well under 100 yds, I would have to say my average would be @ 50-60 yds. I have one that was taken face on with my .357 S&W Mod 19 in Michigan at 10 yds and one here in NC that stood right under my stand. That shot was with a Redhawk .41 Mag at @ 6 feet between my legs. He was flattened.

delboy

Hey Flint - 6 FEET? You could have saved ammo and CLUBBED the sucker to death with the butt at that distance!!! Smile

Flint54

A club would have resulted in the expendature of too much personal energy! Twisted Evil

Knifeboy

I am addicted to the Coues deer hunting here in Arizona. The average shot is probably about 150 yards. I have shot one that was only about 40 yards away Smile

got lucky :). Sure makes for a lot of fun.

Knifeboy

Crackshot

70 yards or less, I like less best. Very Happy

yotebuster · Member Joined: Oct 16, 2005 Posts: 216 Location: Georgia

For myself and my son, true average is under 100 yards. I'd say 75 to 80 yards. However, we do have the opportunity to take some long shots on powerline right of ways and an abandoned railroad right of way. My longest shot is a measured 276 yards. Shot a doe with my 308, high shoulder shot dropped her like a bad habit. My son? Put one with his 260 Model Seven through the boiler room of a doe on the powerline. We laser ranged back to the stand three times. 366 yards each time. I doubt I'll ever top that one. We do shoot at the range throughout the year at long distances. Hand loading, practice and knowing how your bullet performs sure builds confidence when a long shot presents itself.

Spacedone · Member Joined: Nov 04, 2005 Posts: 266 Location: missouri

i have shot and killed deer when alot younger at 350 yards on river bottoms with a 303 enfield but my average deer shot is under 50 yards with 2 years ago i killed a 10 point buck at 30 feet.

gotta love brush hunting.

ive only killed one deer {ever} this year with BP and that was at about 90 yards

515034s10ring

In an exact 20 years of hunting, over 90% have been taken under 100 yards but within 50-80 yards. The rest of aprox. 10% has been taken from 5 feet to 300 yards.

redhed · Rookie Member Joined: Dec 04, 2005 Posts: 9

the farthest i've ever harvested was prob 75 yards. really on any of the land i hunt i think it would be hard to beat that do to brush and terrain. maybe someday when i purchase my dream 400 acres it'll be different Very Happy

Snyper

My closest was about 8 feet and the farthest so far was about 250 ydsl Farthest with a ML was about 150 yds but by far most shots are under 100 even if hunting big bean fields, I always try to pick good stands so I can hunt with anything I want from a ML to a revolver to a 7 Mag Sendero. Sees like whn I take the Sendero they walk out right under me and if I take the Dan Wesson they are 200 yds away. LOL