Why the yardage exaggeration

[Steve S.]

I believe all of the stories; the more they are told, the truer they get.

 

[LoonWulf]

Longest shot on deer I've taken was lasered 220ish yds, shot 5, does that make me a 1k shooter?

I've shot a couple sheep farther out, and one goat. Carrying stuff across lavarock sucks, I dun do it anymore.

 

[Hookeye]

I am guilty of telling the same stories over and over, because that's alls I got
When something new happens, might beat that one into the ground.
No inventing.

Screen name............some folks think because I have an eye condition that I can't shoot.
It's even a bit of a joke at the :LGS.
Some have shot w me so they play it up.

 

[jmr40]

I only know one person who has ever claimed to have taken a longish shot and that is one of my wife's brothers. I have no reason to doubt him. He hunts with a custom 338 lapua and has put in the range time to know what he is doing. He has taken one elk, and one mule deer at 650-700 yards, many more at closer ranges. Both animals were bedded down in open ground with no way to stalk closer. Neither animal ever stood up after the shot. I'm not skilled enough to do that, and don't have the right equipment. But I've practiced enough to feel very good at 400 or maybe a bit farther. I've shot out to 600 with most shots hitting in the kill zone, but my comfort zone ends at 400-450.

There is nothing new about taking long shots. Jack O'Connor took quite a few 500+ yard shots back in his day and Elmer Keith finished off a wounded mule deer at 600 yards with a 44 mag revolver after a client he was guiding ran out of ammo for his rifle. No matter what the task, if you practice at it and become proficient you can make anything it look easy to those who have not. Long range shooting isn't that difficult and shooters today are far more likely to become proficient at the skills than previous generations.

With most bottleneck cartridges shooting pointed bullets a 300 yard shot is no more difficult than a 50 yard shot. There isn't enough drop to be a concern and wind hasn't had time to be a problem. A 308 shooting the same bullet diameter and the same bullet weights as a 30-30 impacts with about the same speed at 500 yards as a 30-30 does at 50 yards. If a 30-30 is a 100-150 yard deer cartridge, a 308 has enough power for 500-600. And with modern optics and range finders 500 just isn't that far.

 

[375supermag]

Hi...
I have shot quite a few deer over the years.
Most were within 100yds. Shot a spike buck years ago that was no more than 15 yds.
Longest shot on a buck was maybe 200yds across a snow covered swamp in Elk County, Pa.
Killed a few does on my ex cousin -in-laws farm many years ago that may have been that far across a cow pasture.

Longest shot on any game animal was a standing groundhog at about 250yds with a .30/06. I had a rest and plenty of time to make the shot.

Longest shot with a handgun on a deer was the only one I ever shot with a handgun...25yds at most with a Ruger Super RedHawk .44Mag with a 2x scope.

 

[GAF]

I think my longest shot on a deer has been 80 yards. I shot it once while it was standing still and I shot it one while on the run.
It piled up a few seconds later.

 

[P5 Guy]

I only hunted birds or water fowl. No shots were more than 30 yards.
Even 30 might be an exaggeration.

 

[Bfh_auto]

How many people actually take 1 yard steps? If you combine this with pacing to the downed game instead of where it was shot....

I've had people exaggerate shots that I have made. Sometimes it's just for the need to have a "good" story.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I’m pretty lazy when it comes to maximizing my range with a rifle. If the shot is beyond MPBR of my rifle and cartridge, then I don’t take the shot.

I should probably switch to a rifle that has a long MPBR. None of those are very interesting though.

 

[GBExpat]

Years ago I setup my own Known Distance Range, of sorts, here at the farm using reflectors positioned at multiple locations for use with my laser RF. It helped me a lot in properly eyeball-estimating distances in this type of terrain.

Until relatively recently, I have not glassed any of my rifles, so I was never tempted, I suppose, to exaggerate the distance of long, successful, shots.

When relating the couple of spectacular shots over irons that I have made over the years, I am the first to point out that Lady Luck gets all of the credit and even at that time, with that crystal-clear eyesight, I could have never duplicated the effort.

I may have gotten part of that from my maternal grandfather. On the wall of the entrance hall of his farmhouse (which is ~500yds from where I sit), hanging from one of the mounted deer antlers is a grouse tail. When asked about his reason for saving that (ratty) spray of feathers he would tell of the time riding his horse not too far from his house in Snowmass (probably about ~1910-1915) and a grouse burst from the brush. On urge, he whipped out the pistol from its hip holster and took the shot. PUFF! Pure Luck, as he explained ... but worth saving as a reminder.

 

[Picher]

My dad is getting up there, forgets a lot of things now.
Pretty disgusting the revisionist history of events/growing up.
He was a jerk in a lot of ways, seems to be telling stories to garner sainthood.
However, his shots on chucks, the yardage was legit.
Funny, he never deer hunted. Has problems w blood and dressing stuff. Can't even watch minor surgery on TV shows.

I worked for my plumber father and got used to lots of bad stuff, so nothing seems to bother me anymore. Dirty diapers were a snap with all four kids. Gutting deer not a problem, but didn't like cleaning ducks...bad smell!

 

[redneck2]

My hunting buddy shot a deer at 279 yards with my .358 WSSM. Looked like a lot farther but we lasered it. I suspect most guys would have guessed it at 350 or better. It looked like 5he other end of the county

Shot a small fox at 420 yards with a .22-250 when I was 17, back in the 60’s. At that time, a 400 yard shot was considered pretty much impossible. I know the range because the field was exactly 440 yards

 

[Jeb Stuart]

All the deer I have killed have been within 25 yards. I have belonged to numerous clubs and would say that is about average for all.

 

[Hookeye]

How many people actually take 1 yard steps? If you combine this with pacing to the downed game instead of where it was shot....

I've had people exaggerate shots that I have made. Sometimes it's just for the need to have a "good" story.

3D archers get pretty good at making a step.
I was checked w rangefinder. I was +/- a yard............to 75 yards.
That flat ground though.
When going up or down hills one has to think about what they are doing, or if unsure, subtract for error.
You can do that and get darn close too.
Measuring fields and then checking w steps gets you dialed in.
And.........if there ever is a question.........deduct. Never add.

So if you say it was 300........it might be closer to 325.


You don't walk to the critter and count steps, or start halfway there.
You either start out trying to measure or not.
Gotta think about what you are doing, if you want a good number.

Now w laser rangefinders the stepping skill just not needed.

 

[danez71]

Longest shot on deer I've taken was lasered 220ish yds, shot 5, does that make me a 1k shooter?

I'm no athority on this, but no, you can't make the 1k claim.

The ft = yds or 3X rules apply.

Generally, at least my understanding is, the ft = yds rules applies mostly to pistols.

Since your shooting rifles, you apply the 3X rule.

Realistically, you're a 660ish yrd, "but could at 800-850 yds" shooter on the Internet.


Good job, bro

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

I used to carry a .30-06 on deer hunts here in Okieland.

After several years, it occurred to me that the longest shot I ever took was ~80yds, and that was a side-hammer muzzle-loader. I did kill that doe, double lung and took off the top of the heart.

I no longer even carry a rifle during during rifle season.I now use a .44 Mag Ruger SBH. I limit shots to under 75 yds, and don't feel handicapped.

And I certainly don't miss the extra weight of the rifle.

 

[Duster340]

Been hunting over 40 years (Woodland in WI &IL) and have taken a fair number of deer with shotguns, rifles and muzzle loaders during that time. My longest shot was a tad over 60 yards, the typical range is 30-40 yards, closest was 10 yards. For me it's always been about putting that meat in the freezer. That said, most of the swamps, wetlands and forests I hunt are so thick, deer could be standing on 2 legs dancing and flipping me the bird at 100 yards and I'd never see them lol!

 

[Hookeye]

Right or wrong, having blasted varmints for a while...........

I think HP rifle under 300 yards is short, and over 300 is long.

Of course that's w bipods and the critters small (chucks).
Without bipods I'd proly limit myself on deer to 300.

 

[Hookeye]

MZ my farthest is 178, no scope, offhand from ground.
Shotgun, 165 (rifled bbl, scope) offhand from treestand.
Handgun, 150, irons, offhand, from ground.
Bow, 45 wheels, 25 recurve, both from treestand.
HP rifle.......75, ground.

LMAO..............HP rifle..........75.
Is what it is.

Them rifles be cheatin yo!

 

[Hookeye]

I really like my .35 rem 760.
Think the cartridge a 150 yard and in deal.
My rifle does shoot good enough to go past that.
But I won't.
Have a .30-06 if I feel the need.
And a .243.
Ok guys.............race this afternoon (the ol lady will have it on- I gave up on Indy years ago).
Rather watch Isle of Man TT stuff.

I gotta hit the range now.
.22rf stuff.

Report later

 

[Hookeye]

I only hunted birds or water fowl. No shots were more than 30 yards.
Even 30 might be an exaggeration.

Birds are tricky to judge.
I've shot doves out to 50, back in the lead allowed F&W days.
Mowed area was to 40.
Dropping them out in the standing flowers was cool............and doable opening day. Could go by feathers to find where dropped.
But then the DNR planted grass between.......and it was tough.
2nd day, w feathers laying on top of waist high grass..........it was a PITA. Doable, lots of effort.......and itchy.

Thus ended the long dove shots.
Then they said no lead.........so 40 w steel was a long one (steel sucks- try for 30 and in to make it tolerable).

Have shot geese to 50 yards, Bismuth #2's.
Could not connect at 60. Tried a couple of times, saw clouds go behind. Brain does not compute lead that far.
50 is my limit. Period.

A 10 ga w BB Bismuth...........could fold em past 60 I reckon. I'd like to have an SP10 to try it.
But that's a lot of money for something my brain probably can't do.
Big honker at 60.........drop like wet wash rag..........oh yeah. Wish I could.

 

[Chuck R.]

Terrain to some extent dictates, kinda like the hunting version of METT-TC.

For a long, long, time the majority of the game animals I took (except for Chamois & Elk) were under 100 yards. Started hunting western KS on walk in areas and I've yet to kill anything under 200, most have been closer to 300 or just over. So my equipment and practice routine have changed.

 

[entropy]

Nope. Everybody lies....on the Internet.

And that's the truth. <miss Emily Ann giving a raspberry>

Like Hooda Thunkit, my longest deer shot (that connected) was 125 yards with a muzzleloader, even though I had zeroed every centerfire deer rifle in like a laser, and had a rifled shotgun barrel.

 

[alfsauve]

Went to hear Chuck Yeager talk at NRA convention years ago. They told him to tell hunting stories. He got up and admitted that he'd s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d his hunting/fishing stories so often he didn't know what was the actual facts. So he asked if the audience would rather hear him talk about flying. Thunderous, standing ovation.

 

[Slamfire]

I have shot and hunted all over my home state of Arizona. Hunted UT, WY and KS. Either my 06 or 243 are the rifle I use. I've bagged most varmint critters that are able to be hunted. I've taken Whitetail, Mule deer. Pronghorn, Elk and Black bear. In my 40 years of hunting, my longest shot at game has been 360 yards. I'd say over 70% of all game I have taken is between 130 to 210 yards.
But I hear a vast majority of shooters and hunters declare they take this animal or that animal at 500 + yards all the time. Or they are bagging game while shooting off hand at running game 400 yards away and bowl em over with one shot. I find these stories quite unbelievable. Seems no one gets the deer at 100 yards, or shoots ole Wile unless there half mile away.
Am I wrong?

Exaggeration and bragging by people is not a new phenomenon. I consider these stories to be creations of individuals who have low self confidence. They lie to build up their self image.

But, there is a group of guys who regularly shoot at game at long distances. And they occasionally hit an animal. Most of the animals hit are injured and run off and are never found, but do die an agonizing death, hours, if not days later. These characters only brag about the animals they collect, not the ones that got away. It is likely these characters are self centered, lack empathy, because they consider living animals as nothing more than arcade targets for their amusement. They care nothing about the pain and suffering they cause, only that they "hit" at ridiculous distances. Which then, they brag about.