What's the big deal on hunting distance?

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Gulf Coast States

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • M118LR

    Master
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Joined
    Mar 27, 2020
    Messages
    2,726
    Points
    113
    Location
    clay county fl
    View attachment 134466

    I see the goal post keep moving.
    Yup, the D-2 Extreme in ballistic nylon.

    But back to hunting distance.
    A Hunter does thier best to stalk as close to the game as possible in order to ensure a proper harvest. The goal is to put food on someone's table. Therefore the longer the distance to target the more precise the marksmanship must be, and the less stalking skill is required.

    Paper target shooters attempt to hone thier marksmanship skills to levels beyond any practical game harvesting in quest of competition. Basic marksmanship skills are a prerequisite to hunting with a firearm, so one goes with the other.

    Now what about the Eradicators? If your not harvesting game for the table, are you a Hunter or a Shooter? I can tell you that prairie dog stew isn't as good on my palate as squirrel stew. So P-Dog shooting is far less interesting than squirrel hunting. Although nowadays squirrel hunting has ended except for the introduction of Grandchildren to the lessons of field to table. Wild hog hunting now supplies table fare for the homeless or indigent, I've lost my taste for the gamier side of pork. Plus the last time I ate any dog was on a stick in PI. So I've no desire to hunt coyotes. There is just a little venison sausage left in the freezer, so more of my efforts are devoted to harvesting venison than all the other critters still out in the field. The desire to Eradicate anything left me long ago with the end of obligated service. So you won't glean allot of info about eradication from me.

    So what do Y'all think is more important while hunting, how close or how far?
     

    Attachments

    • IMG_20200310_203350.jpg
      IMG_20200310_203350.jpg
      876.9 KB · Views: 59

    Jester896

    Master
    GCGF Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    9   0   0
    Joined
    May 14, 2017
    Messages
    2,533
    Points
    113
    Location
    SW GA
    So what do Y'all think is more important while hunting, how close or how far?
    Mine is a pawn shop USMC straight edge presentation sharp top and bottom in glass filled nylon zip tied to my LBH

    neither is more important...I find it useful to be proficient at both
     

    M118LR

    Master
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Joined
    Mar 27, 2020
    Messages
    2,726
    Points
    113
    Location
    clay county fl
    Mine is a pawn shop USMC straight edge presentation sharp top and bottom in glass filled nylon zip tied to my LBH

    neither is more important...I find it useful to be proficient at both
    Since I'm a bit nostalgic I have a straight edge and serrated edge version of all four services leather handled and kraton handled knives along with a few others.

    So which would you consider to be more prolific at on a ten inch moving target at 1950+ yards??
     

    G-rat

    Sit Violentiam Regem
    Staff member
    Super Moderator
    GCGF Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    61   0   0
    Joined
    May 28, 2019
    Messages
    4,066
    Points
    113
    Location
    Pace
    1k yards is awful hard for a follow up shot on a wounded animal. Especially since they'll be moving. I grew up in Maine and 150-300yds was about max on white tail unless you were under power lines. I always preferred to stalk but occasionally hunted from tree stands. When I lived in Idaho, I made a shot on a caribou at roughly 380ish yds with a .375 H&H. It made an almost 500yd dash before it knew it was dead from the lung shot. So I guess that'd be about as far as I'm comfortable hunting. I've no problem shooting at yardage much further out, but not for an ethical hunt.
     

    SAWMAN

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    9   0   0
    Joined
    Oct 21, 2012
    Messages
    13,937
    Points
    113
    Location
    Cantonment,Fla.
    A "test" that I used on sports before the hunt,as a guide in Main,was - -> put up a ten inch,plain white paper pie plate. Back off to 100yds a tell the sport to hit it. Then 200yds. Finally,300yds. If he can hit it in the center portion and not the ribbed edges,he was good to go.
    This was modified for a non scoped gun or a pistol shooter.
    I logged this info including info on the specific gun,chambering,bullet used,etc,and used it for the hunt. This,for moose,bear,deer,and coyote.
    This shooting was from bench and bag and I quickly noticed that in the field performance was usually different. This seemed mainly due to the shooters past expierances in the field.
    Had one sport put a 180gr from a 300Wby Mag in a moose at 400+ yds. As I recall,in my 20 years of guiding,that was the longest shot that I ever let a sport take.
    Had a female sport take a nice bear with a BFR chambered in 454Casull at 100yds also. I believe it had a 4X Leupold on top.
    All shooters are different. But from seeing it "ALL",the more expieranced(actual) hunter was the best shooter. And NOT the other way around. --- SAWMAN
     

    SAWMAN

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    9   0   0
    Joined
    Oct 21, 2012
    Messages
    13,937
    Points
    113
    Location
    Cantonment,Fla.
    And - -> I bought a K-Bar some years ago when I was invited on a flats fishing trip out of Port of the Islands just south of Marco Island.
    I ended up using it on three different trips and being continously subjected to salt water,it held up pretty well. It is a newer model in stainless or coated in some silver stuff.
    Will post a pic later. On back deck now drinking a double cappuccino latte and eating a croissant.
    (Yeah right .... ??) ---- SAWMAN
    ADDED PIC - -> The blade took a serious sharpness. I also sharpened the top 2 inches of blade for pierceing as I do most of my single edge blades including my "tested" Randall. --- SAWMAN
    20211024_110624.jpg
     
    Last edited:

    M118LR

    Master
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Joined
    Mar 27, 2020
    Messages
    2,726
    Points
    113
    Location
    clay county fl
    A "test" that I used on sports before the hunt,as a guide in Main,was - -> put up a ten inch,plain white paper pie plate. Back off to 100yds a tell the sport to hit it. Then 200yds. Finally,300yds. If he can hit it in the center portion and not the ribbed edges,he was good to go.
    This was modified for a non scoped gun or a pistol shooter.
    I logged this info including info on the specific gun,chambering,bullet used,etc,and used it for the hunt. This,for moose,bear,deer,and coyote.
    This shooting was from bench and bag and I quickly noticed that in the field performance was usually different. This seemed mainly due to the shooters past expierances in the field.
    Had one sport put a 180gr from a 300Wby Mag in a moose at 400+ yds. As I recall,in my 20 years of guiding,that was the longest shot that I ever let a sport take.
    Had a female sport take a nice bear with a BFR chambered in 454Casull at 100yds also. I believe it had a 4X Leupold on top.
    All shooters are different. But from seeing it "ALL",the more expieranced(actual) hunter was the best shooter. And NOT the other way around. --- SAWMAN
    Took a bit of bourbon and a little time to choose the words of this reply. So since you started serving Our Country prior to me, back when you began serving this country in Southeast Asia, I was earning my Boundaries Waters Guide License, by the time you tacked on your second class stripes I was signing my Quetico Provencal Guide License, before you left obligated service I had earned my Guide License in the State of Alaska and had tired of taking Greenhorn Flatlanders of consequence afield, So Thank You for your service Sir. So I'd been servicing clients for at least 2 decades before you got into the business, and tired of the entire affair. By the time you dipped a toe into Southeast Asia I'd gone through the Rights of Passage as a Coureur de Bois. But I didn't get into the Southeast Asian fray until you had already started your second tour. So tit-for-tat on experience, and our opinions are just our opinions. Ain't many benches or bags afield so sitting, kneeling, prone, but more importantly standing unsupported while shooting adds extra weight to the scale if I should ever take a client afield again. Any client that considered an unsupported standing shot at over 200 yards would need to prove it within my eyesight prior to me backing them. Yup, that milk jug at 200 yards would determine how close we would need to stalk prior to me Green Lighting a Clients Standing Unsupported Shot. I might have been paid to chase wounded game into the brush, but I wasn't going to like it at a normal fee. So I decided if I considered it worth my time and effort. Perhaps standing supported by timber is the most wobbly of 300 yard shots upon your paper plate that I'd allow a Client to attempt if I had to chase into the brush to retrieve a wounded animal. YMMV.
     

    SAWMAN

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    9   0   0
    Joined
    Oct 21, 2012
    Messages
    13,937
    Points
    113
    Location
    Cantonment,Fla.
    We used to have a impromptu."shoot" in Maine.
    A raw egg,held by some small strings,hanging from a target stand,completely still,at 100yds.
    You could shoot any rifle,pistol,or revo. The rifle shots had to be OFFHAND.
    We would each put 10 bucks into the opening pot. Then it cost you 3 bucks per shot. First person to break the egg,got the pot. Hitting a string did not count.
    Fun shoot and after 10 shots or so some money to be msde (OR LOST).
    Shooting offhand will quickly humble most accomplished shooters. --- SAWMAN
     

    SAWMAN

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    9   0   0
    Joined
    Oct 21, 2012
    Messages
    13,937
    Points
    113
    Location
    Cantonment,Fla.
    My rep as a "tough" guide spread quickly. I did not have to guide to earn a living. I rejected sports that other guides accepted.
    If a potential sport wanted to hire me,I would mail out a questionnaire to them that must be returned before I accepted the job.
    That in itself would turn off some potential clients.
    After about 5 or six years I would have repeat customers and their sons and daughters, and my guiding branched out to ATV'ing,snowmobiling, and camera "safari's".
    When the moose lottery finally got going I had two or three sports per short season,but got paid good money for dealing with typically,800-1000lbs of dead weight.
    I even branched out into big,primed winter coyotes,and crows.
    I did this as a buisness with the support of a Maine sellers certificate and a FFL.
    But as time passed I realized "old is cold". I quit guiding and without that there was no reason to stay in the cold country. (SADLY) --- SAWMAN
     

    16gauge

    Expert
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Joined
    Jul 4, 2014
    Messages
    301
    Points
    43
    Location
    Semmes Al.
    Maybe the real question here ( and I'm trying to stay on the topic) is at a distance up to 1000 yards, are you sure there are no other hunters near that area? Unless you were absolutely sure that another hunter, club member or whomever is not in the line of fire, then that is a risky distance to take a shot.
     
    Last edited:

    .22 cents

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   1
    Joined
    Apr 17, 2021
    Messages
    1,290
    Points
    113
    Location
    Pee Cola
    So since I've proven to be effective effective on ten inch targets at 1K yards, what range should I be Harvesting Bambi at?
    What's the big deal on how far away a shot is taken at Game Animals?
    I've scored plenty of hits at 1K yards, why shouldn't I take the same shot at Bambi?
    Awaiting Y'all's response.
    We owe it to the animals we hunt to be ethical lights out hunters. 1000 yards is losing a lot of energy even on a good hit. Deer don’t “plink” like a steel plate. You might be tracking forever and may not find the animal by dark for example if it doesn’t drop. Wounding is bad we know that. If not for any other reason, a deer that doesn’t die fast dumps all its adrenaline and the meat isn’t as good. Choot ‘‘em closer
     

    M118LR

    Master
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Joined
    Mar 27, 2020
    Messages
    2,726
    Points
    113
    Location
    clay county fl
    Perhaps it's the litany of firearms articles & forums that tempt folks to take shots afield at over 300 yards. How many times have Y'all heard I wouldn't hunt with or own a rifle that shoots groups larger than a dime or quarter at 100 yards. Like SAWMAN said, if you want to be humbled just set a Coke can (Moxie Bottle) on it's side at 100 yards, stand up and shoulder your dime sized group shooting rifle and puncture the the bottom of the can/bottle with your first attempt.

    Shooting from most field conditions and maintaining 3 MOA can be challenging to most, and without continuous practice even those routinely capable will see thier skills erode over time. Trust me when I say that you may be able to retain the ability to hold dime sized groups from the bench for years without practicing, but even six months without practicing unsupported shooting while standing with your rifle at the shoulder is going to make a noticeable difference to tiny group figures. Prone or prone off a bipod is always preferred to sitting or kneeling, but shooting positions that don't have you standing at full height can be compromised easily by scrub brush, under growth, marsh grasses. Whenever possible find a way to support your rifle prior to taking any shot afield. Hitting an 8 inch vital circle while standing unsupported at 200 or 300 yards aren't simply multiples of hitting 8 inches at 100 yards, the shooter inconsistencies also multiply or add to the amount of error. Every year prior to High Power Rifle Season you hear that you should trot that dime size group shooting rifle out to the range and confirm your zero. It's sound advice. Now perhaps a couple of days after that try taking it back to range and puncture an eight inch paper plate while shooting from the shoulder standing unsupported. Add significant emphasis to the point of impact of that first round, after all it's supposed to be the ONLY ROUND NEEDED. Hey give er a try, what's so hard? We all know that the rifle can do it..............LOL.
     

    Jester896

    Master
    GCGF Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    9   0   0
    Joined
    May 14, 2017
    Messages
    2,533
    Points
    113
    Location
    SW GA
    i find all of this odd...it went from shooting supported on a truck hood with a bipod at 600 or prone with a bipod in the bed of a truck to standing unsupported at 1,2 or even 300 yards.

    There are folks out there that manage to hit the X or 10 ring in High Power Across The Course matches at 2 and 300 yards and prone at 600 on a regular basis...with open sights.

    Once again the the goal posts keep moving.
     

    M118LR

    Master
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Joined
    Mar 27, 2020
    Messages
    2,726
    Points
    113
    Location
    clay county fl
    i find all of this odd...it went from shooting supported on a truck hood with a bipod at 600 or prone with a bipod in the bed of a truck to standing unsupported at 1,2 or even 300 yards.

    There are folks out there that manage to hit the X or 10 ring in High Power Across The Course matches at 2 and 300 yards and prone at 600 on a regular basis...with open sights.

    Once again the the goal posts keep moving.
    The goal posts don't move, you have already given me your bottom line. Two shot stop at 606 yards with a 6.5 that doesn't deliver 1K ft lbs of energy at that distance and you utilized a 140 grain SMK which Sierra specifically states should not be used for hunting. Somehow I don't feel that most folks should follow such guidance.

    Palma shooters manage such feats at 1200 yards, and F Class Shooters can use glass at 1000 yards. But folks seem to be hinting that they don't consider those accomplishments on paper as shots that should be attempted on game. Sounds allot like they think ethical hunting is different than shooting paper. JMHO so far.
     

    Jester896

    Master
    GCGF Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    9   0   0
    Joined
    May 14, 2017
    Messages
    2,533
    Points
    113
    Location
    SW GA
    yeah...you weren't paying attention...1 sighter and 1 kill shot. I suggested that you should use a MV of 3300fps...that would give the 142gr SMK a little over 1800 ft lb I do believe...TOF is also about .64 That is 3 Times the energy of a .357 @ 25 yards with the same weight bullet. You do remember that if the BC is .626 @ 2850 it is higher @ 3300.

    Can't tell anybody here that kind of energy will not kill a deer....certainly not me.

    should I conclude from your line of thinking that people shouldn't shoot deer with a .357 at 25 yards because there isn't enough energy

    next you will try to tell me that the 1350 ft lbs from a 150gr 30-30 @ 100 yards is marginal and hunters shouldn't use one.
     
    Last edited:

    M118LR

    Master
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Joined
    Mar 27, 2020
    Messages
    2,726
    Points
    113
    Location
    clay county fl
    yeah...you weren't paying attention...1 sighter and 1 kill shot. I suggested that you should use a MV of 3300fps...that would give the 142gr SMK a little over 1800 ft lb I do believe...TOF is also about .64 That is 3 Times the energy of a .357 @ 25 yards with the same weight bullet. You do remember that if the BC is .626 @ 2850 it is higher @ 3300.

    Can't tell anybody here that kind of energy will not kill a deer....certainly not me.

    should I conclude from your line of thinking that people shouldn't shoot deer with a .357 at 25 yards because there isn't enough energy

    next you will try to tell me that the 1350 ft lbs from a 150gr 30-30 @ 100 yards is marginal and hunters shouldn't use one.
    The .44-28 has been used effectively on deer in America since it's inception. Since M118LR retains higher energy at 1000 yards can I conclude from your line of thinking that 1K with an SMK just like you used would be Okay at 1000 yards? Not to mention I could just use factory loads to due so.

    BTW: "143 gr (9 g) Hornady ELD-X 2,710 ft/s (830 m/s) 2,283 ft⋅lbf (3,095 J)
    Test barrel length: 28 inch
    Source(s): Hornady,[1] SAAMI,[2][3] C.I.P. [4][5]"


    You did note that my response aligned with the General Consensus of the other members of the forum have been telling me? You determine your own ethics. The Military and Civilian Ranges I use revoke your privileges for even attempting to fire upon any wildlife. While I've shot well in Palma, F-Class, Service Rifle, and Silhouette Competition, the only ethics questions on paper is a regard for the rules.
     

    Jester896

    Master
    GCGF Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    9   0   0
    Joined
    May 14, 2017
    Messages
    2,533
    Points
    113
    Location
    SW GA
    #1 I am not using any of 6.5s in your list from Wiki...I don't own a Needmoor
    #2 a lot of difference between 600 and 1K ...not sure why you keep moving it out to 1K
    #3 that was one of the alternative bullets I listed that have similar BC as the SMK that was more suitable for hunting
     

    44Ruger

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Joined
    Nov 13, 2020
    Messages
    258
    Points
    63
    Location
    Pensacola
    The only important question not yet covered in this incredible 1000 yard kill "hunting question" thread would be are you going to use a leather sling or a cloth sling on your 30/30?
     

    Latest posts

    Top Bottom