Hitting a Pie Plate at 400 yards

[Danny Boy]

We have 100, 200 & 300 yard ranges at our club.

I put a few hundred rounds down the 200 & 300 yd ranges each year (slacked off last year). I never had enough practice at ranges longer than 300 yd.

The field condition is quite different than at the range. Unless one scores at least 80% times at the 400 yd range you will miss or injure the game in the field which will lead to long tracking effort.

Unless I am confident in the kill I wouldn’t pull the trigger. Hitting the game at 400 yds shouldn’t be that tough, however, killing it with one shot is not easy. Fewer than 10% of the hunters can do it consistently.

 

[chuck nelson]

Pie plates are big. 400 yds isn't far.

 

[martinbns]

400 yards from field positions can be a difficult shot or an easy one.

The longest shot on game I have ever made was 350. My concern about them is usually involves the animal moving a bit or me getting the angle of the animal slightly wrong. I've had mild adventures far less than 400 when I misjudge the angle of the animal and miss the vitals(or at least hit them marginally).

Typically I practise out to 300 metres at the range, before I went to AFrica I shot the 300 metre pig often enough at our range off the sticks they probably had to replace it.

 

[chuck nelson]

Pie plates are sedintary.

 

[pharaoh2]

The range in town had steel turkeys out at 400 yards. Off a sandbag rest with my .300 I could knock them down with relative ease. I did it just for fun, but I'm not confident enough in my shooting try to that in the field. Get closer, it's more fun.

 

[X-fan]

I find it interesting that no one answered the offhand part.

Given a 2 MOA target at 100 yards and shooting with a normal heartbeat I think I could guarantee 1 hit in every 2-3 shots.
With an elevated heart rate and given that the target is 400 yards away making a hit would be more luck than skill...I would like to try it to test myself!

I have practiced a 400-600yd prone drill enough times that I am confident (given decent weather) I could make this hit (with a favored and tuned hunting rifle) pretty much every time....I do run an adjustable turret.

With one of my LRT rifles this is a chip shot.

 

[chuck nelson]

Getting closer is at times not an option. Prone over a pack with your zipper in the dirt is a pretty darn solid platform. My father used to think I was stupid flinging lead past 300yds, but once talked into it giggles aloud when clay pigions come apart at 400yds and he's on the trigger. Prone. Over a pack. He thinks it's easy, but he's always been a good field shot. Always.

 

[Sluice]

about the best I can do is a six inch group off the bench with my hunting rifle at 300 yards and that does not give me the confidence to hit a live animal at much over 250 yards at max.

I have shot metallic turkeys out to 400m from the sitting position with a .270 but I would not take the same shot at a live critter.

Just my choice others do what is right for them

 

[Gatehouse]

Here is my gong, 420 yards, prone over back pack. I shot 2 shots lying prone in the back of my truck and 2 lying prone in the dirt. Same point of aim.

 

[Gatehouse]

I won't take an offhand shot past 200 yards...Unless I was flinging hail marys at previously wounded game...

But we do have agong at 330 that I fling lead at offhand. I hit about 60%- not good enough for hunting.

 

[martinbns]

Here is my gong, 420 yards, prone over back pack. I shot 2 shots lying prone in the back of my truck and 2 lying prone in the dirt. Same point of aim.

Are those hits from the King?

You are right about the prone over a backpack thing, it's just about as solid a rest as you can get.

 

[Gatehouse]

The King will be getting a work out once the McMillan stock is bedded...Those hits are from the 300WSM.

 

[todbartell]

400 is a long ways, our range only goes to 330. In the field I have only taken pokes that long at coyotes with no success big game I have limited my shots to 250 yards

 

[Calum]

The steel Ram at out old range was set at 200 meters.
So 200 meters off hand is about my limit for now.

I wish I could try my Benelli R1 300 WM out to 400 meters, as 200 it's dead on.

Most our Van Island Deer usually show themselves withing 50 meters anyway.

 

[joe-nwt]

Not surprisingly 8” is also the approximately size of the kill zone for a large game.

 

[Jasonsmack]

For most of us prairie shooters, 400 yards is pretty normal. It is often much easier (for me anyway) to take my time and make an accurate prone shot at 400+ yards than it is for a moving 100 yard shot. If you can walk up to within 100 yard distance on a deer here on the praires, you have probably found one that somebody else has shot already.

 

[unstableryan]

The farthest deer I've shot was a one shot at 175 with a 7mm rem mag when I was a kid. I missed with a Winchester m94 30-30 and my old man told me to try his gun. It worked better.

Since then the farthest has been at about 110. Two shots, the second not needed but the deer was still moving up the hill. It would have been a short go after the first round pretty much destroyed everything important. Just an ignorant tough deer.

Most of my deer (almost all whitetail) have been at 30-70 yards and one shot drops them, though I've fired a couple to the base of skull area to make it quicker. I will not watch pain, even if it's pretty quick. It's usually short range, it's the kind of bush I seem to hunt. There's a lot of big open mulie area around here, but I have never got better than a 2x3 point so apparently I'm not taking it seriously. It's ok. Food is food and whitetail usually taste better.

I've been hunting with a husky 3100 .270 Winchester most of my life, a great rifle, my grandpa had lots of deer and lots of moose with it but I recently bought a Marlin 1895 in 45-70 because it makes more sense to me. When I got it I put a 3-9 X 40 scope on it, on big tall see though sites, but have since denounced the scope and just taken it off. Scopes are good, but that one did not fit the rifle right.

I'll get to the point of being confident at 300 or 400 one day, but it's not needed yet. I want to be confident at 200. 100% sure I can do it. Until then I will keep shooting.

I'm not using .30 cal super mags or anything like them and I'm ok with it. One day I will need a 300 win mag for some reason and then I might be more comfortable, but till then, I'm good.

Hunting is hunting and stalking. Shooting is 400 yards. No disrespect to people that can hit a pie plate at 400 or 500, but it's not really hunting as I was brought up with.

Maybe I am envious, it's a very difficult skill.

Ryan

 

[Camp Cook]

No your being realistic...

 

[warrenb]

I'm not skilled enough to even dream what taking a 400 yard shot must be like.

 

[Levi Garrett]

For most of us prairie shooters, 400 yards is pretty normal. It is often much easier (for me anyway) to take my time and make an accurate prone shot at 400+ yards than it is for a moving 100 yard shot. If you can walk up to within 100 yard distance on a deer here on the praires, you have probably found one that somebody else has shot already.

If hunting was easy , liberals would hunt, get as close to game as poss, thats the ethical way.