[berettashotgun]

Spent the biggest part of the opening hours this morning looking at a sweet 12 pointer. Guessing the weight at 180-190. The leica ranged him at 608-625 in the patch he was milling around in. Watched him last night at around 500 yards- couldn't get a lock but did on a tree. I don't want to miss this one cause I'll never see him again, but really- how far is too far? BTW wind gusts this morning were an EASY 30 knots. I was shooting with the wind from left to right. .270, 140 hornady, 2950fps from this rifle. It'll shoot great, but I know better than to take this chance. So I guess I'm asking- how far would anyone else shoot? No mall-ninja snipers please, BTW- I was a harpoonist in the Coast Guard.:neener:

[fisherman66]

I have a point blank +-3" for 300 yard (or slightly less). There are no open spaces that big where I hunt. So...since I don't need to know the bullet drop at any range where I hunt I would limit my shots to 300 yards (150 in reality.)

If I were planning on a 500+ yard shot (assuming the conditions are right ie. little to no wind) I would have at least chronographed my load and mapped the trajectory. I personally would not take that shot with a 270. I'd want at least a 30 cal. bullet. I also wouldn't do it without a sub moa rifle. I say stalk this fine animal. He is worth your energy and hard work. JMHO.

[steveno]

personal opinion is that if the deer was 600 yards away you could probably find some way to get closer. the conditions that you describe would be no more than a 300 yard shot at most

[formerflyer]

With wind GUSTS at an EASY 30? Can you say, 200 yards? Get closer, friend, get closer.

[DigMe]

I would have tried to stalk in closer.

brad cook

[goalie]

THAT was too far. The good thing is that you KNEW it was, and you didn't try to make a shot that you were not prepared to make.

I sincerely congratulate you on your restraint.

[JShirley]

Strong wind gusts? Get close.

Then get closer.

I'd keep it under 200 meters with bad wind.

John

[Art Eatman]

I was messing around on my 500-yard range one day. A breeze from the left; nothing special. I held off about two feet upwind; hit near the vertical center.

I once was trying for a deer I thought was at 400 yards. There was what I thought was a light breeze (at least where I was) so I held on his nose and about two feet above his heart. I finally figured out from a bullet strike on the ground that the drift was more like a full deer length, and the distance was actually about 550 yards. Duh.

On general principles, I figure the maximum shot a guy oughta try is out at whatever is the limit to reliably hit the end of a beer can when using a field rest.

As far as wind and with a target as big as a deer's heart/lungs, inside of 200 yards just point it and pull. 300? Think a bit, first. :)

But if I see a buck out around 600 and he doesn't know I'm around, I figure i can get a whole bunch closer...

Art

[MNgoldenbear]

Just want to echo goalie's comment and praise. It's hard to pass on a shot on a great animal, even when you know it's out of effective range. Justifications keep popping up in your mind, and you have to keep a cool head to just watch the animal and pass on it. Hey, maybe this will give you 'good karma' and next time, a bigger buck will come into point blank range. :)

re: The note about a minute-of-angle gun -- definitely. If it holds up to that accuracy out to 500 yards, you're still talking about 5" of dispersal just from the accuracy of the gun. With that little margin for error, shooting on a heartbeat or at the wrong point in your breathing would be unacceptable. And that would be from a benchrest with a precisely known distance! I'm pretty lucky in that my .308 can do about 1-1/8" (3 shots) at 300 yards with my hunting load (165 grain BT @ 2725 fps). Still, this would leave me holding my 300 yard zero (lower heavy plex) about 3 feet high, and the bullet doing a leisurely 1850 fps or so by the time it got there. (Still in the velocity window for expansion on this BT they claim.) In wind that heavy, the drift wouldn't even be as big a problem as being bounced around and not being able to take a steady shot. As advised, in those conditions, I'd go with 200 yards or closer as a good range to be in. If it's that windy (35 mph), as long as the wind is coming at you or across your line of sight, it shouldn't be as hard to sneak up closer to the critter.

[Ankeny]

On general principles, I figure the maximum shot a guy oughta try is out at whatever is the limit to reliably hit the end of a beer can when using a field rest.
I wonder what that distance would be for the average hunter across the board? From what I see at the local range, not very far.

[Twycross]

In the best of conditions (no wind, clear visibility, dead sure of rifle zero, etc.), I might try for a 450 yard shot. Any complications will lower that. In your situation, I would have called max at 200.

[kbheiner7]

Frankly, I don't think most hunters should shoot over 150 yards. Sad, but true. Some guys are pretty good shots, but that doesn't entitle them to taking 600 yard shots at live game.

Personally, if I've got a rock solid rest, a still heart, good equipment, no wind and a still, deer-sized animal I'm good out to about 450 yards.

[Dave McCracken]

My longest kill was about 275 yards, under good conditions and with good equipment.

Now, I'd try to get closer.

[JMusic]

I've shot groundhogs fairly consistantly at 350 - 400 yards in bean fields with a 270. Note I said fairly consistantly but I still missed some. When I was doing this I was shooting at them 6 days a week 1-5 shots a night. I have never had the oppertunity to try to shoot farther than that therfore would not make the attempt. On deer size animals or for any big game I doubt I would try a shot farther than what I had practiced or actually made. Your choice of the 140 grain bullet though gives you a ballistic advantage in the 270. If you want to try the shot go somewhere and shoot at that range. Once zero'd in go back and pray for a calm day. One more thing an accurate rifle at 100 yards may not be an acurate rifle at 400 or 500 yards. I don't know why this is but I have seen average rifles shoot good at longer ranges and very accurate rifles shoot average at long range.
Jim

[Harve Curry]

To much wind either way, and if you have not made those kind of shots on paper or steel you need to get closer, say 200 yards. I killed a coues buck at 625 yards down hill but I had been making those shots at steel rams all summer with the same rifle, and there was no wind.

[1911 guy]

First off, let me repeat the kudos for having the sense and morals to pass on an unethical shot. For some, it would be do-able, but not for me, either. My limit is 350 yards. That's assuming decent conditions and a rest. Offhand, I'm down to about 125-150 on game. I stretch it out more on paper, but paper won't gimp off and die somewhere.

[killzone]

All off the above is true. In your situation, I would have taken the shot. BUT if you really know the area where you are hunting at the time. In my opinion, we tend to find our wounded game much more easily when we have a very good idea where the game might die. I think it’s worth the headache

[12-34hom]

I busted a crow at @ 335 yards in a crosswind similar to what you describe.

I was shooting a 6mm AI. Scratch shot, but I'll will take it....;)

In your situation - what do you feel comfortable with? Is your equipment up to the task? How much do you practice - in what conditions?

Ethical obligations to your quarry demand that you use your best judgment before taking a shot that is anything but your best effort to take it cleanly and humanely.

Good Hunting.

12-34hom

[orangeninja]

I'm no marksman, never even killed a deer (just like to hunt 'em, not kill em) but have hunted, stalked and flushed a lot of them in Louisiana. Never had over a 300 yard shot and even that was WAY to far for my little 30-30 or slug equiped shottie. I did learn a few things about stalking though....if you can see a deer, he can smell you...so stay downwind. Move slowly and take your time, if he trotts off, no biggie, deer leave tracks. The main thing I learned is patience....which you seem to have.

I've gotten as close as 25 yards before...not routinely, but it's been done.

[berettashotgun]

Lot of good advice out here, BUT- there ain't no stalking in that enviroment- wide open :eek: plateau up to the hill. Wind was exactly at my back. I do shoot alot of high power, pretty regular 1000 meter target shooter with a couple of 7mm STW rifles, chart the rounds, reload, yada-yada-yada. Now in a tactical enviroment, you nick the BG-you won, I don't feel that logic applies here. I do think since a front is moving thru this week, I'll be there. If this bad boy is harvested I'll make sure I post a pic. BTW, My rifles are all sub MOA, except a darned old remy 7mm RUM, but wind is still wind and I was getting buffeted by the wind. I might try a different approach wenesday evening. Don't think I mentioned it, but I'm hunting down by Blair,OK aka Death Valley according to my best friend Shawn. He works the cotton gin in Martha.

[DigMe]

It sounds like you're very aware of your guns, range and abilities. Based on that you're probably a better judge of what's too far for you than anyone else here. Also sounds like you err on the side of caution, which is good as far as ethical hunting goes. Good luck this week. Hope you get him.

brad cook

[lycanthrope]

My farthest head shot with my 7STW was 330 yards. I can consistently hit a 8" circle out to 550.

30 knot winds and I'd limit it to 250 MAX. That is way too hot.

[Mantis]

I would never shoot at a greater distance than my regular practice range, or in my case, 300 yds using a Rem 700 in .308. I know the rifle is capable of making a kill at longer distances, but ethically, I wouldn't do it.

I've practiced extensively at ranges from 50 to 300 yards, so I know what adjustments I need to make to hit right on. Even so, I have a chart that I taped to the side of my rifle that shows the bullet drop at different yardages, and the number of clicks I need to put on my scope to be able to hold right on the animal.