Shot distances in the last 5 seasons
- Thread starter Pointdexter
- Start date
- Location
- Saskatchewan
I've been fortunate to have hunted a great variety of animals in many habitats and locations over the past five years. I do not believe it is required or desirable to shoot at long ranges in order to successfully hunt big game. Here's my past 5 years experience, summarized. None of these animals were missed with the first shot, but often a second shot and sometimes a third shot were taken. No animal was wounded and lost.
I did completely miss two shots attempted at tiny Klipspringer antelope in Zimbabwe while hunting with a .375 last year, trying for a neck shot with the big rifle so not to mess them up. One was about 180 yards and one was at about 20 yards LOL.
I did completely miss two shots attempted at tiny Klipspringer antelope in Zimbabwe while hunting with a .375 last year, trying for a neck shot with the big rifle so not to mess them up. One was about 180 yards and one was at about 20 yards LOL.
- Animal, cartridge, bullet, distance YD
2023
Impala 416 Rem 400 Swift Aframe 110
Wildebeest416 Rem 400 TSX 120
Elephant 416 Rem 400 TB Solid 6
2022
Moose 450-400 3" 400 DGX 90
Elk .30-06 180 Norma Oryx 90
Cape Buff. 375 H&H 300 SW. Afr. 80
Eland 375 H&H 300 SW. Aframe 150
Impala 375 H&H 300 SW. Aframe 120
2021
Whitetail .30R Blaser186 RWS Evo 210
Moose .30R Blaser186 RWS Evo 140
Elk 7x64 160 Bitterroot 260
2020
Pronghorn .25-06 115 Nos. Ptn 160
Elk 7x64 173 RWS H-Mantel 110
Black bear 9.3x74R 285 Norma Oryx 130
Black bear 9.3x74R 285 Norma Oryx 80
2019
Whitetail 7.62x39 123 Horn. SST 110
Giraffe 9.3x62 285 Norma Oryx 190
Kudu 9.3x62 285 Norma Oryx 170
Gemsbok 9.3x62 285 Norma Oryx 120
Cape Buff. 450-400 3"400 DGX 85
Wild boar .30-06 180 gr, S&B XRG 70
Elk 450-400 3"400 DGX 130
AVERAGE 124 Yd.
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Me and the kids 15 animals, 6 different species in Alberta, last 5 seasons from 10 to 420 yards, 163 yard average shot distance and 13 yards average recovery distance. Rifle and ammo off the shelf 3/4 to 1 1/4 moa for 3 shots is the norm over 3 different rifles same cartridge and ammo. Dial up was method used for going past 240 yard point blank which only 3 of those animals required. Dial a speed dial turret set for middle of our elevation/temp ranges for fall and winter, and lives under a dust cap. Set up, zero, drop data collection, done with own chronograph, targets, gongs in field conditions.
Apparently anything less than consistent 1.5 moa is mostly useless for even those who do prs and long range hunting.
Apparently anything less than consistent 1.5 moa is mostly useless for even those who do prs and long range hunting.
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To me, in the field, so many other factors play into accuracy that if you can take rifle accuracy out of the picture it’s one less thing to worry about. My stuff shoots .5 MOA out to 300 and as others have said, it’s not too difficult these days and certainly not if you roll your own.
My average would be close to 150 yards if I take out both extremes. Farm country with big fields.
My average would be close to 150 yards if I take out both extremes. Farm country with big fields.
I've shot deer and moose from as little as 90 yards to as much as 405 yards in the last 5 years. I have some custom hunting rifles that will shoot <1/2 MOA, and some factory rifles that shoot about 1 MOA. Regardless of what I spent on the rifle, I find the best load for my desired purpose for each rifle. While 1/2 MOA is not necessary for a hunting rifle, I take comfort in knowing that if I miss a shot, I only have myself to blame and not left wondering if my equipment failed me.
in the last five years with my goto hunting rifle, the closest was under 20 yards and the furthest to just over 370 yards, some with the scope on it, some with the irons.
I haven't shot a group with that rifle with the irons since 2010 when I orginally zeroed them, and about 7 years ago when I put the 1.5-5X Leupold on it .
I have match rifles that I shoot at the range with.
Every year before the season I test my accuracy by shooting one shot each at 50,100, and 200 with the irons and with the scope and irons alternately, ( the scope has Zeiss QD mounts on it) offhand.
It is not and never was a 5 shot , 1 MOA rifle, but it is an accurate hunting rifle.
My philosophy is that there are far more "hunting accurate" rifles out there than there are hunters.
Cat
I haven't shot a group with that rifle with the irons since 2010 when I orginally zeroed them, and about 7 years ago when I put the 1.5-5X Leupold on it .
I have match rifles that I shoot at the range with.
Every year before the season I test my accuracy by shooting one shot each at 50,100, and 200 with the irons and with the scope and irons alternately, ( the scope has Zeiss QD mounts on it) offhand.
It is not and never was a 5 shot , 1 MOA rifle, but it is an accurate hunting rifle.
My philosophy is that there are far more "hunting accurate" rifles out there than there are hunters.
Cat
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- Location
- Barrie Ont. Canada
Past 5 years and most of my hunting career I've shot deer from 15y to 150y with shotgun and rifle.
Lots of guys I've hunted with over the years happy to just ring the 8" steel gong at 80y with sometimes only the one shot. I have also watched those guys put meat in the freezer.
I like shooting more than that and also enjoy chasing tight groups.
Lots of guys I've hunted with over the years happy to just ring the 8" steel gong at 80y with sometimes only the one shot. I have also watched those guys put meat in the freezer.
I like shooting more than that and also enjoy chasing tight groups.
LongBomber
CGN Regular
- Location
- Fernie, bc
The furthest would be an elk at 519, almost everything else would be under 50-60y. In 5 years 5 whitetails, the furthest at about 125, the rest from 14-50y. Couple bears 34 and 45y. Moose at something under 50 paces. I shoot LR almost every weekend year round, but animals just seem to like being close to me ��#
Same for me, I am on the line from 200 to 1K almost three times a week with my irons match rifles, but my hunting rifles only get shot during the hunting season and almost always inside well inside 300 at an animal !The furthest would be an elk at 519, almost everything else would be under 50-60y. In 5 years 5 whitetails, the furthest at about 125, the rest from 14-50y. Couple bears 34 and 45y. Moose at something under 50 paces. I shoot LR almost every weekend year round, but animals just seem to like being close to me ��#
Cat
huntingfish
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Quebec City
FYI, the average is the sum of all distances, divided by the number of shot taken ;-)
David
lmao, and 94.4% under 300 yards, yup keep the hunting rigs for hunting, the play rigs for playtime lol, i'm trying to get in the Fudd club, I think I'm almost there
and 98% inside 500, we talk about it, but now can see that's the case, very few animals are hunted and killed reliably past 600 so from mpbr up to that line is LRH, a very disproportionate amount of work is required to go beyond so you best love guns and have a lot of free time, or you can set up for where 98% of happens without any fat in your gear or methods, the prs type rigs just likely to slow you down and have you meet Murphy for actual hunting and long range hunting, elrh is for the tiniest percentage of no life balance hardcores
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still good data to use overall, many can squeak a few over 300 and low into the 400's but the majority under 300 and vast majority under 200...I'd like to know where and how you have to hunt to have an average shot distance over 500 the past 5 seasons lol, bad hunter? or just prefer the sniper action and only have filled a few tags?
Well; speaking only for myself there were times when my MO was to get on a vantage point and kill every F ing thing that ate grass on an opposing slope or 2. Get set up with a can on one rifle, a couple hundred rounds even if I might just get 20 of (but you might leave your useable barrel there) . Switch to a cold rifle for the longer shots or when you can’t see though your scope anymore. It sort of drags the average up.
There are worlds that you can’t even imagine; and yet you seem to think you know something.
I wonder what the percentage of hunters on Canadian gunnutz forum is travelling to distant lands to cull game at high volumes? Does that still qualify as 'harvest' as the poll suggested? Pretty sure we all read that guys buying their local tags and hitting the bush come fall for their annual needs but fair point and thanks for the answer, one might wanna put the comment in as it's a pretty unusual situation but at least we now have the answer. Even though I knew you did that work I didn't put it together that was going to be a fit in this thread.
Most of what you can do from prairies to mountain tops in Alberta over several decades will still qualify one to know stuff, not everyone learns and retains at the same rates, not everyone tries a lot of the options available either lol. Enjoy the cull work, closest I've come to that would be clearing infested quarter sections of gophers a few bricks a day over a few days.
There’s only 3 guys that voted 500 plus. I told my story, well at least in part. Don’t know who the other 2 are, what their circumstances, back-storys or skill set is, but I’m sure willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
In some areas 300 yard shots are a fantasy. I’ve hunted with people that thought 95 yards must be 200 plus, not that it makes a bit of difference. Then there’s guys that think 500 yards is stupidly easy, and with the right guy in the right situation they are right.
Best not to judge too quickly.
In some areas 300 yard shots are a fantasy. I’ve hunted with people that thought 95 yards must be 200 plus, not that it makes a bit of difference. Then there’s guys that think 500 yards is stupidly easy, and with the right guy in the right situation they are right.
Best not to judge too quickly.
I agree with all of that! I've been at the long range thing awhile and took plenty of criticism in the early days. I've learned where not just my limits are about the game but where almost everyones are too because they generally aren't in our capabilities. Many can learn to keep things sub 2 moa in most field conditions. There's only so much one can do reliably in field conditions on live animals of certain size kill zone with things in the 2500-3200 fps range (tof .5 - .75 seconds). There are natural laws that govern the vast majority based on those things and I learned them. People do try to argue against them but many come around to the same conclusions but just don't verbalize it as accurately as it could be. Lots of prs shooters feel they will only hunt at half the distances they compete for example, I just verbalize the reasons why, they don't take it that far but they can feel the difference required.
Loved your Weatherby cull adventure, would love to know if you've done similar with the opposite end of the cartridge selection (like 6.5 CM with 140 match) the efficiency end of it, long barrel life, low recoil, using super high bc/sd of moderate construction to get the work done in flight and terminally? That 300-700 yard cull you did would be ideal for the 6.5 CM 140's on the high efficiency end of spectrum. Would love to hear how that would compare to the overbore warp speed sad bc/sd Weatherby event one day. Many ways to skin the cat. Would love to hear the other two guys also and how they ended up with such unusually high 'average shot' distances the past 5!!!! seasons. We're those on real tags? I live where western hunting is a thing and I got into pushing my abilities to gear abilities long ago because of it, across the basin or valley and prairie and crop fields distances are as normal here as bush hunting. I let my success on hung up coyotes help dictate how far was realistic on big game. I applied lots and at times of my peak shooting the 500 yard stuff is pretty easy. It still is under the right conditions and circumstances with the rigs I've set up for it, breaking moa or less shots when it counts is something I can still do reliably and typically rise to the occasion under pressure due to being at it from 7 years old, fall apart is not what I do when it's time to close the deal. On real tags though, that prep is a distant back up plan to getting the odds into way higher favour and that almost always means getting inside 400 and preferably 300.
