How many of you are planning to shoot a deer over 300 yards?

[wadu1]

Many years ago, I used to shoot M16's at 300M and M14's at 600m+ with iron sights. Got the need for long shots out of my system back then. My longest shot was on a Wyoming Mule Deer at 224 according to my crude range finder. I did pass on a bigger buck at about 600 (guess) beyond my range finders' capability.

[Dirty Mike]

I never plan on it but I practice it so I'm prepared incase I need to

[Magnum_Willys]

Its getting harder and harder to recruit and hold hunter interest and participation with reduced hunting seasons and opportunities.  If long range hunting is another challenging segment like bow hunting and muzzy that helps main interest and participation.  All for it. 

[CarbonHunter]

I like to practice twice as far as I am willing to shoot at game. That said I practice 1,300-1,400 yards in the off season. But rarely shoot over 500 during the season at critters.

[baldopepper]

Kind of funny, one of my long range shooter friends ran into a buck while hiking to a spotting spot. Admitted the deer was only about 50-60 yards away and trotting thru a small opening.  He admitted it kind of confused him a bit and when he finally got a shot off it was a clean miss. Decided he needed to spend a little time practicing his close range snap shots.  Gave us a good laugh when a guy who hits the gong every shot at 1000 yards would miss a deer at 50 yards. Different skill set involved.

[mountainman]

Kind of funny, one of my long range shooter friends ran into a buck while hiking to a spotting spot. Admitted the deer was only about 50-60 yards away and trotting thru a small opening.  He admitted it kind of confused him a bit and when he finally got a shot off it was a clean miss. Decided he needed to spend a little time practicing his close range snap shots.  Gave us a good laugh when a guy who hits the gong every shot at 1000 yards would miss a deer at 50 yards. Different skill set involved.

Yep, gotta practice every possible scenario👍

[pickardjw]

This assumes the regs are biology/game management driven.  Too often they're emotion driven.  "OMG he can kill Bambi's dad at 1000 yards.  We need a law".

Bambi’s dad was a stud though.

[Boss .300 winmag]

Kind of funny, one of my long range shooter friends ran into a buck while hiking to a spotting spot. Admitted the deer was only about 50-60 yards away and trotting thru a small opening.  He admitted it kind of confused him a bit and when he finally got a shot off it was a clean miss. Decided he needed to spend a little time practicing his close range snap shots.  Gave us a good laugh when a guy who hits the gong every shot at 1000 yards would miss a deer at 50 yards. Different skill set involved.

Did you teach him how to stop a deer when they are moving?

[baldopepper]

Over the years the only way I've found to for sure get a spooked deer to stop is a well placed bullet. Trotting at 50 yards I've seldom had a problem getting em to stop, but learned to shoot quickly hunting the thick oak brush in Utah. Kinda like jump shooting ducks.

[hunter399]

Over the years the only way I've found to for sure get a spooked deer to stop is a well placed bullet. Trotting at 50 yards I've seldom had a problem getting em to stop, but learned to shoot quickly hunting the thick oak brush in Utah. Kinda like jump shooting ducks.

The deer around my woods , whistling, clapping,or grunting,meh meh, all that . Most mature bucks will run faster . 😂
They don't stop.

[Skyvalhunter]

With the increased cougar population and soon to be wolf population I have a tough enough time getting them to stay around to see if horns are there

[Mtnwalker]

Over the years the only way I've found to for sure get a spooked deer to stop is a well placed bullet. Trotting at 50 yards I've seldom had a problem getting em to stop, but learned to shoot quickly hunting the thick oak brush in Utah. Kinda like jump shooting ducks.

One could make the argument that taking snap shots on moving animals in thick cover is much more likely to result in poor shot placement than taking your time, setting up properly and dialing on a stationary un-spooked critter at 600 yards. If you're confident in your skillset to do so then more power to you, but that's a pretty good illustration of how ethics isn't a black and white issue and how it all boils down to the individual and what they're comfortable with. IMO 90% of the hate against "long range" hunting is simply one generation being uncomfortable with something they're not used to because they didn't grow up with it being the norm.

[hunter399]

Here in the NE . Sucks cause you only have a few month window to practice any shooting. Then fire season hits . Seems fire season is getting longer every year. It's sucks when you want to practice up before bear and other hunting season starts.

[baldopepper]

Over the years the only way I've found to for sure get a spooked deer to stop is a well placed bullet. Trotting at 50 yards I've seldom had a problem getting em to stop, but learned to shoot quickly hunting the thick oak brush in Utah. Kinda like jump shooting ducks.

One could make the argument that taking snap shots on moving animals in thick cover is much more likely to result in poor shot placement than taking your time, setting up properly and dialing on a stationary un-spooked critter at 600 yards. If you're confident in your skillset to do so then more power to you, but that's a pretty good illustration of how ethics isn't a black and white issue and how it all boils down to the individual and what they're comfortable with. IMO 90% of the hate against "long range" hunting is simply one generation being uncomfortable with something they're not used to because they didn't grow up with it being the norm.

Personally not a long range shooter hater.  If that's how you enjoy hunting, that's fine with me.  You are correct it's personal thing.  I started going hunting in the fifties. Very few hunters had scopes and if they did they were not variable, usually 4 power and fogged up constantly. The equipment we used simply didn't allow long range shooting.  You either got good at fairly short range,open sight shooting or you didn't get your deer or elk. Heck, if the gear to shoot long range had been reasonably available we'd have used it, so I don't resent the hunters who use it now that it is available. Personally just am comfortable and enjoy hunting the way I grew up doing it. Now days, for me, the hunting experience means way more than the actually shooting part anyway.
 

[boneaddict]

I guess my long range game is lacking.  Out of the 50 or so deer and elk I have shot, only one was over 300 yards.  A shot I probably shouldnt have taken, but did so without thinking and was successful.