long Range deer shot

[tikkathreebarrels]

Tikka

I'm thinking "why would you?"

Why would you what?

Depends on the terrain where one does the hunting, places like Wyoming there is very very little cover and antelope will see you coming from a long way off. Places like West Texas along with the flat prairie States, again very little cover and deer will see you from a long way off. In such environments long shots are usually the only way to go.

I realize that in the UK long shots are probably not the way to go given the size of the country and that most of it is has people around close by but over here, well it's a whole different ball game.


Blu

Yes, but don't you wish you had the skill to get closer? I suppose I ought to put my remarks into context. I bring down venison for my own consumption and I don't get to do it every day. The land over which I'm lucky enough to have permission to shoot provides very few opportunities for me to shoot beyond 300/350 yards (unless I sit in the truck in the gateway and not move). Half the pleasure for me is moving to a point of being within 100 yards of the target animal without it knowing that I'm there.

If I don't get that right, I don't take home bambi. Think of it as foreplay if you like :shakeshout:

Oh and don't you go thinking that our deer are dumb enough to stand still watching you get a bead on them: li'l old muntjac see you and go, 2 maybe 3 seconds.

[Blu]

Tikka, Fair enough now I understand what you mean, thing is out West in places like Wyoming, say for Antelope, the terrain is almost desert with light scrub. Creeping up on Antelope is a bit of a non starter because the minute those things see or wind you they are gone and there isn't very much cover for stalking.. Down in West Texas again it's mostly wide open plains (big sky country) and again getting close to the deer is a non starter, again the minute they see movement they are gone, hence the long shots.

Now here in Michigan were I live the average shot is around 50 to 200 yards depending how close you can get and again the terrain. Whitetails will lay up during the day in thick cover and venture out just as the sun is starting to set. They will usually use certain trails most of the time whilst moving between where they are laying up and their grazing areas and usually the same going back, keep in mind though they will not use the same trails all the time.

So before deer season there is a fair bit of work to be done identifying and looking for rubs and scrapes made by the bucks and identifying and figuring out their movements (our deer don't stand still either). After doing the work, come hunting season it's more a case of seeing if all the work will pay off and ambushing them while they move.

BTW I am aware that the deer over there don't stand still either as I've seen enough of them there as well. Just for the record I am not American, I'm a Scot born and bred who was kidnapped by a yank many years ago after she got me drunk on night.

Anyway I was not so much trying to get into the pros and cons of stalking, I was trying to point out that even at distance it is quite feasible to bring down deer without wounding them and having them run off, hence the neck shots. If as spud says he can hit something like a rabbit at 900 yards then there is no reason why he can't bring down a deer without trying to shoot for the heart and lungs. A neck shot will bring down a deer just as fast and kill it before it even hits the ground.

Blu

[tackb]

this subject has been done to death on forums worldwide !

ultimately it is down to the person pulling the trigger to decide if they are confident that they can make a clean killing shot ? everybodys ability is different , i've seen 'qualifyed' deer instructors who would struggle to make a killing shot everytime at 150m and i've seen others who could do it consistantly at 400m plus !

i strongly believe that to shoot targets at extended range improves your ability to hit live game at closer ranges with confidence ?

the only thing i find particulally annoying is the notion that it ok to shoot certain living things at extended range like bunnies but not deer as if one life has more value than another and to wound a rabbit/rat/crow is less wrong than wounding a deer?

i enjoy hunting in all it's forms but i wish people would live and let live a little and stop trying to project there limitations on others.

:cheers:

[Blu]

tackb,

the only thing i find particulally annoying is the notion that it ok to shoot certain living things at extended range like bunnies but not deer as if one life has more value than another and to wound a rabbit/rat/crow is less wrong than wounding a deer?

I agree completely but I don't think or believe for one minute that's what's being said or suggested here mate

i enjoy hunting in all it's forms but i wish people would live and let live a little and stop trying to project there limitations on others.

No one is trying to project anything mate, well not on here anyway. I was merely saying to spud that if he is capable of shooting a rabbit at extended ranges then he is more than capable of taking down a deer at extended range.

this subject has been done to death on forums worldwide !

So because it's been discussed on other forums are you suggesting we shouldn't discuss it here? It's the first time I've seen it discussed on here.

Blu

[tackb]

tackb,

the only thing i find particulally annoying is the notion that it ok to shoot certain living things at extended range like bunnies but not deer as if one life has more value than another and to wound a rabbit/rat/crow is less wrong than wounding a deer?

I agree completely but I don't think or believe for one minute that's what's being said or suggested here mate

I aggree with you , but take spuds attitude for example ? If you can hit a rabbit at 600yds then you can also kill a deer ?

i enjoy hunting in all it's forms but i wish people would live and let live a little and stop trying to project there limitations on others.

No one is trying to project anything mate, well not on here anyway. I was merely saying to spud that if he is capable of shooting a rabbit at extended ranges then he is more than capable of taking down a deer at extended range

I aggree but wait and and people generally start to project there limitations on others and say if you can't stalk close then you shouldn't be hunting ? They normally form this opinion without any knowledge of the others ability or terrain?

this subject has been done to death on forums worldwide !

So because it's been discussed on other forums are you suggesting we shouldn't discuss it here? It's the first time I've seen it discussed on here.

Not at all but trust me it's a very emotive subject in England with quite a few very opinionated people

I actually aggree with all your saying but I think my poor English and my poor ability to express myself in words may have caused you to miss understand my sentiment ? Sorry

Blu

[Blu]

tackb,

I aggree with you , but take spuds attitude for example ? If you can hit a rabbit at 600yds then you can also kill a deer ?

Actually it's not spud that is saying that mate, it was me who said that, but let me explain what I mean by that. Spud says he would be fine taking long shots on small game such as a rabbit but not on a deer at long range. Now I understand where he is coming from, on a rabbit using a high powered rifle you will either hit or miss. A high powered round hit on a rabbit is going to kill it.

Now then on a deer, a high powered hit doesn't necessarily mean a clean kill because of it's size and bulk so he prefers not to take those shots and I understand that. What I was saying or trying to say to spud was that when I have taken long range shots on a deer or pronghorn antelope I have always gone for a neck shot. The reason I do that is because it's a small target, if you hit the animal is going to go down and if you miss, well the animal is going to take off but when it does you haven't wounded it and caused it unnecessary suffering while you track it to finish it off.

I'm not trying to have a go at anyone here, I'm just trying to say that with long range shots there are ways to ensure a clean kill, that's all.

Blu

[spud]

i need to reply i suppose but not sure what to say as all commments so far are valid under certain conditions

[Blu]

Hi spud, all I was trying to say was that while I understand where you are coming from, if you are capable of taking a long shot on a rabbit and killing it, then you are capable of doing the same on a deer. Basically spud it's all about shot placement and knowing where to put the round in order to ensure a clean kill. On long shots I always take neck shots which has always ensured a clean kill. I have never had one go down and then get back up and take off on me yet.

Blu

[spud]

totally agree blu

[tackb]

Long or short range it's about shot placement.