With my son back in the US after being stationed in Germany, we were finally able to go hunting. We were in NW Colorado and returned yesterday. We started scouting and exploring the new-to-us unit two days before opening day. With this being his first pronghorn hunt, he had the lead so he learned as much as possible. He decided which buck he wanted to hunt for and patterned it the afternoon before opening day. After camping thru a night of high winds and driving rain at 36F, he stalked in under cover of darkness opening morning to the spot he thought would be about 300 yards away. When first light came, the rain had stopped and he found his buck at 180 yards. I came down from my over-watch (making sure other hunters stayed clear) to congratulate him but forgot the game bags. I was heading back to the truck when I spotted the buck I had wanted but was nowhere to be found the afternoon before. He was five hundred yards (502) up the side of the hill behind us. He and his harem were walking but his does started to run. He never changed his stride and I was concerned he would start running with them so I put a lead on him and fired. The shot was true but I could tell the lead was short. He was just standing still so concluded he was hit aft of the vitals. I sent 2 more rounds his way and he went down. I left my rifle in the truck so I didn't have to carry it up the hill. Half way up, I saw that he had rolled over and head was up. I went back and got my rifle and then climbed/hiked up close to put him away. Of the two extra shots, one clipped the top of his spine and the other thru the lungs but he just didn't want to give up the ghost. It was a great father-son hunt in beautiful country.

Well done Slim. Did your son get his buck as well mate, or did your shot spook him? It’s not unusual to misjudge a shot or windage at that range mate…it happens, but so long as you recover quickly and make corrections, all is good.

Son's was the first shot we heard opening morning. In this wide-open country, a range finder is a must have for me to connect with precision at these ranges. It is very challenging to estimate range with all the changes in vegetation and openness in God's Country. 500 yards is a long poke and I typically do not shoot a moving target at long ranges.

enjoy the eating....agree 100% 500 yards is 200 yards than Im comfortable with ,100yards more than will take if pushed.....
if thats the exit hole,no big deal...and you managed to recover animal so it cant of gone far....

Nice goats.

I agree with the others, 300-350'ish is long for me. Last speed goat I shot was in WY, I hit him at 250, he wheeled just as I hit him unfortunately and he went on a death run... pulled up and stopped at very long range, wobbly but still on his feet.

I had little time to estimate range, but knowing my ballistics well enough, guestimated the holdover and wind and let one fly. Hit him in the head. Google earth later showed that at 488 yards. Better to be lucky than good I guess.

My son got it all on video.

-DallanC

About a third of my shots on the elk, pronghorn, and sheep I have hunted have been 350 yards or greater. This was my longest on an animal. The ballistic range was 502 because it was up hill, 100 feet higher in elevation. Checking the map and coordinates back at home said it was 515 yards. I'm comfortable with doing these shots because I practice at these longer distances. We shot a target out to 400 yards both mornings before opening day so we were confident in our equipment. 100 and 200 yards become a bit mundane after getting comfortable at the longer ranges.

You talk about distances... when I should do the same here, I cross 3 countries... 1 big step and you jump from the Netherlands till Luxembourg France or Germany without touching Belgium

Aloysius wrote:

You talk about distances... when I should do the same here, I cross 3 countries... 1 big step and you jump from the Netherlands till Luxembourg France or Germany without touching Belgium