How far is too far?

[Japhy]

Just read a piece in Cowboy State Daily about regulating extreme hunting distances. A 2000 yd antelope shot has drawn attention in WY.

https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/06/06 ... e-hunting/

My experience is hunting whitetail in midwestern brush where 100yd shots are extremely rare and 20yd is more the norm.

What is a realistic limit?

[Zee]

One you can hit.

And your realistic is different than mine. And mine is different than someone else’s.
It can’t be defined or dictated. And should NOT be regulated. Period.

Every individual is as different as the gear used.

[CPJ 2.0]

One you can hit.

And your realistic is different than mine. And mine is different than someone else’s.
It can’t be defined or dictated. And should NOT be regulated. Period.

Every individual is as different as the gear used.

What he said.


As to the legislators if they happen to read this, go fudge yourselves. We don’t need MORE laws, especially ones that aren’t enforceable.

[Wambli Ska]

One you can hit.

And your realistic is different than mine. And mine is different than someone else’s.
It can’t be defined or dictated. And should NOT be regulated. Period.

Every individual is as different as the gear used.

Yep. I can’t make shots like Zee or Bernie, so why should they be handicapped by MY limitations. And BTW who’s going to monitor this regulation?!? And how?????

Maximum stupidity at work, again…

[PFD45]

As someone who knew someone who tried to "walk them in" on an elk across a canyon...I guess I can see both sides.
His hunting motto was "While there's lead in the air, there's still a prayer."

The only elk I shot with my .308 had a 243 bullet in her hind quarter. Dulled a carving knife on that one.

Seeing what Zee and co. does, I can understand why this would be seen as infringement.

[Zee]

I agree there are douche bag hunters that have no business taking some of the shots they take. But, there are douche bag drivers that shouldn’t be driving. And douche bag gun possessors. And just plain every way douche bags. Someone else’s bad decision or actions shouldn’t regulate mine.

[PFD45]

I agree there are douche bag hunters that have no business taking some of the shots they take. But, there are douche bag drivers that shouldn’t be driving. And douche bag gun possessors. And just plain every way douche bags. Someone else’s bad decision or actions shouldn’t regulate mine.

Well put.

[GrapeApe]

Re: How far is too far?

I have my self imposed limits. They might be slightly further than some peoples' but I'm fairly certain that they're a LOT shorter than Zedrick's, Ernie's Linfinder's and some others I know
And you know what? I'm okay with that.

Could I have a rig built (Hey JSD...) and practice to the point of proficiency for a 1k shot on game? Probably, given the time, money, place to practice that distance and the desire to do it.
My problem is that I lack 2 of the items listed. A long enough range, and more importantly, the desire to do it.

Should it be legislated? NOPE, you can't legislate common sense or ethics. Unfortunately, some of these folks that are purposely going out with the intent to launch a bullet ~1mile at game are lacking at least 1 of those, IMO.

[Zee]

To be honest, shooting game at long range is easier than stalking closer. Yes. I’ve done it and will still do it on occasion. But, it’s actually pretty easy. Getting close? That’s harder. And I prefer it. Once you’ve shot one animal at distance, the rest are the same. It’s just like a target. Wind and math. After that, easy.
For a new person to take their first animal at distance, I get that. Exciting. Once distance isn’t such the challenge it was, it’s kind of……..why? For bragging rights? Click bait? Then, I start to lose my awe.

[GrapeApe]

The terrain one hunts in also plays a role, again, IMO.
In these parts, it would probably entail a "hill top to hill top" shot, then you have to hike through the intervening valley, find where the animal was standing at the shot, confirm the hit, HOPING the bullet performed as expected at the SLOWER velocity at distance, and THEN start tracking through woods, briars and underbrush.

That doesn't take into account the 1-3 second time of flight, where you HOPE the game doesn't take a step or 2, turning your well aimed shot into a miss, or worse, a bad hit.


Too many things that suck the joy out of it for me

[Zee]

All those are mostly controllable. But, nothing, even close shots, are 100% outcome. .

[Zee]

The only deer I’ve ever lost was a 150’yrd shot. I was perfect. She moved at the last second, and I gut shot her. Didn’t find that beautiful piebald doe. I hate that. I’ve never lost a long range animal. But, I lost that 150 yrd doe. Erks me to this day.

[Bigslug]

The only deer I’ve ever lost was a 150’yrd shot. I was perfect. She moved at the last second, and I gut shot her. Didn’t find that beautiful piebald doe. I hate that. I’ve never lost a long range animal. But, I lost that 150 yrd doe. Erks me to this day.

Almost ditto. I managed to successfully follow up and finish my 2016 deer, but it wasn't pretty. From a mere 135 yards, he caused me some confusion over his barely legal headgear in crappy light and gave me a "shoot now or forever hold your Barnes" decision to make, while under the impression he was a better buck than he was. In that moment, he went from quartering towards me to broadside, and my bullet went right where his heart WAS - in other words, too far back. Fortunately, he lost his feet after only about 50 yards and the coup de gras wasn't complicated. He tasted good, but left a bad taste in my mouth all the same.

At my day job, I've spent 20 years working to make sure people don't botch shots under 15 yards, but I sure as hell don't think "There ought to be a law" There's such a thing as taking an unethical point-blank shot, just the same as there can be an unethical half-mile shot. Regulating that ain't going to change a fudging thing.

Trying to regulate the maximum distance we can engage a game animal at. . .seems a little like telling pro basketball players to never try from outside the three-point line, because the people in the bleachers don't think it's possible to make it.

This goes way beyond hunting. . . Doesn't seem to matter what people's political party is, a lot of them REALLY seem to want to micromanage other people's lives and not allow them to make the slightest decisions on their own recognizance. No sir, we don't need it.

[Japhy]

I hunted whitetails for a number of years first with a rifle then a Ruger SBH. I never lost a shot deer but i never had a long shot due to lack of visibility through dense cover. I hunted many of those years from an under cut oak tree on a dry stream that had been rechanneled. I even joked about just switching to a bowie knife and was concerned about keeping feet clear of the 44.

I agree with others here and oppose range regulation. I also know there are plenty of idiot hunters and plenty of serious violations to enforce.

[Admin]

Pretty much what Zee said. I know I can shoot at steel and targets a LOT further than I am willing to go on game. But that is MY restriction. I'm not going to say that someone who has the skills and confidence should be held to my own internal restrictions.

[shotgunshooter3]

One you can hit.

And your realistic is different than mine. And mine is different than someone else’s.
It can’t be defined or dictated. And should NOT be regulated. Period.

Every individual is as different as the gear used.

This. "It depends." I know a guy who hunts with a wildcat .338 based on a .300 RUM who has a DOPE databook out to 1K yards, and sets up on a hillside with a spotting scope and a wind meter looking for elk. I have a lot less issues with him shooting 1K than I do with some people shooting 100 yards.

For discussion's sake, my current personal limits are 400 yards from a stable position (IE prone or bench type set up), and 200 from a field expedient position such as shooting sticks or using a pack. This is with known wind, and with two rifles I'm very familiar with. I have a goal of getting more comfortable shooting longer, but I personally want a good "safety margin" of the performance of the round as well as my own abilities.

[Varmintmist]

There are a lot of deer hunters that shouldn't be breaking shots on deer at 50 yards. No skin off me but if you shoot your deer from a stand at 35 yards and hit it in the ass you are a hazard to anything living within a half mile.

[Bigslug]

There are a lot of deer hunters that shouldn't be breaking shots on deer at 50 yards. No skin off me but if you shoot your deer from a stand at 35 yards and hit it in the ass you are a hazard to anything living within a half mile.

It's a little disturbing the skills and abilities people often don't have.

I recently talked to a long time industry contact about how the stock red dot filler plate/iron sight on one of their pistols came with no loctite on the mounting screws. I asked if that was an oversight or intentional. He said intentional, due to shooters being less technically savvy than they were a decade ago - they get people bitching about how they work loose. . . and people bitching about how they won't come loose. A case of damned if you do, or don't.

Apply that same general lack of knowledge and ability to change a flat tire to correctly mounting a scope or working out M.O.A. corrections and you often see some truly facepalm-worthy things.

But I'm still on my original point - regulating those who can down to the standard of those who can't is not a road we need to go down. At the very least, the skills need to be allowed to exist SOMEWHERE so the idiots can be taught by SOMEONE.

[Varmintmist]

There are a lot of deer hunters that shouldn't be breaking shots on deer at 50 yards. No skin off me but if you shoot your deer from a stand at 35 yards and hit it in the ass you are a hazard to anything living within a half mile.

But I'm still on my original point - regulating those who can down to the standard of those who can't is not a road we need to go down. At the very least, the skills need to be allowed to exist SOMEWHERE so the idiots can be taught by SOMEONE.

And I am still on mine, just because its legal, doent mean you can or should.

Because you bought the gun blabbers latest and greatest magnumish deer slayer with the baby Hubble in the camo du jour doenst mean you can.

IF you have the skill set, you shoot to that limit or a little less. The way my deer rifle is set thats about 250 and that is about 2x the max distance I could shoot in my woods. Can I take a deer at 600? With the correct rifle, yes, not a real problem. 1K yes, steady wind or no wind I would take it so weather dependent.

[Scott E. Mayer]

One you can hit.

And your realistic is different than mine. And mine is different than someone else’s.
It can’t be defined or dictated. And should NOT be regulated. Period.

Every individual is as different as the gear used.

This.

[T'owd Mon]

I was always taught to get as close as you can and then a bit closer. I suppose the advantage in the U.K. is that when I am stalking a deer then I am the only one in that area after that deer and there is no competition as the ground is private and I have the necessary permission. I used to go to Scotland on some private forestry ground with a stalking guide at the end of the buck season to clear up any botched shots made by clients earlier in the season. Not wishing to be racist but it seemed that the worst shots seemed to come from Belgium. Always interesting work. Sika deer are always the hardest to get to. A good tracking dog is a must for those as they can run quite some way even with a good heart lung shot and will make for the thick conifers. They don't seem to realise that they are dead.

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