How Far Can You Make Successful Kill Shots ?.

[rich pierce]

A lot depends on how much I’ve been shooting that gun recently.

 

[Loja man]

There’s a lot a good conversation here! The OP has some excellent points. Knowing your limitations is key! So much can obviously change from one hunting situation to another. The OP “exercise” is excellent especially for those who are new open sites and traditional muzzleloaders. My brother-in-law has hunted elk his whole life, but it’s been with scoped unmentionables. He bought my New Englander to do Blackpowder hunting this year in Kentucky with me. With a rest, he was struggling to keep his shots on a dinner plate size target. That was even with peep sights, which I would consider easier than traditional Buckhorn’s. Yet he can consistently make 300 yard shots with his unmentionables on Elk. I think to him it was very shocking. And helped him realize his limitations.

For me, I would say 50 yards without a rest and 75 with the rest. Taking into consideration, good light and lack of obstacles.

 

[Jedidiah]

Very few shooters, and especially non target shooting hunters, are unable to put a bullet into a paper plate ( about the vital area of a deer ) at 75 yards when shooting off hand .
To find out what I call your maximum personal point blank range . MPPR, for each position what you should do is set up a paper plate ( about 12") and shoot one shot at it from off hand , sitting and prone from 25 yards then 50 yards 75 ,100 etc .
The distance you can't hit the plate from any position is the past your MPPR for that position , so you walk back towards your target 5 yards , repeating until you hit the plate , you are not looking for a bull just a hit as the plate represents the kill zone for a deer.
You try this from each position until you are confident you have the correct position for the distance you are wanting to take a successful one kill shot .
If you hunt on foot walk 100 yards then take the shot to find how much a little exercise can affect your shooting accuracy .
If you shoot off a hard surface remember the rifle will shoot away from that surface , you need your hand between the hard surface and the rifle , same if you use a vertical tree trunk as a rest for a shot .
This is a one shot test not a grouping exercise or sighting in , multiple shots negate the information you can gather on yourself .

You rarely get multiple shots in the field, IMHO!

 

[Jedidiah]

I hunted in NW Penna. Lots of trees! All my deer were shot (unmentionables) at 70 yds or less, several at 30yds etc as the deer came from behind and went past me, and did not know I was there. I am a still hunter, and if the wind is right, i can sit so still that a deer will walk past me within 10 ft or less. I had to let a few get past me a few yards so i could shoulder my firearm without startling them! In those woods unless there was a "cut" for power lines or a "right of way" where you might get a shot 100-150 yds , you did not get shots that were over 50 yds max. Like I said, lots of trees and undergrowth.

 

[Uncle Miltie]

I could never find an animal that would stand still long enough for me to take a shot.....

 

[Jedidiah]

I could never find an animal that would stand still long enough for me to take a shot.....

I understand, but a few of mine were just walking very slowly and "Browsing" as they went, very slow. You know ,a few steps then they stop, look and listen, a few steps , repeat. I would have to be patient and wait till they put their head down to browse etc, so I could shoulder my firearm with out being seen. Some times 30 seconds seemed like an hour!! I have never taken a shot at a running animal. I think it ends up turning out poorly for most people with wounded game!

 

[longcruise]

I don't know what size plates you use in the USA......

Based on our rates of obesity, we us plates larger than any other nation.

However they are absolutely nothing to do with what I am talking about , what I am saying is you need to know when your ability to hit your target ,with whatever position you are using and with whatever firearm you are using, runs out .

I think your drill is excellent advise. It's a giant step up for the those who do their practice from a bench. From my own observation as a member of a club with over 900 members (not strictly a ml club) that is what most do.

What's popular with many traditional archers is "stump shooting" or "roving" wherein one wanders the countryside and shoots at random targets. I do this occasionally with ml and it is an enjoyable eye opener.

Not everyone lives where it's possible to do this but a great alternative is the woodswalk at a local shoot.

 

[Jedidiah]

Based on our rates of obesity, we us plates larger than any other nation.



I think your drill is excellent advise. It's a giant step up for the those who do their practice from a bench. From my own observation as a member of a club with over 900 members (not strictly a ml club) that is what most do.

What's popular with many traditional archers is "stump shooting" or "roving" wherein one wanders the countryside and shoots at random targets. I do this occasionally with ml and it is an enjoyable eye opener.

Not everyone lives where it's possible to do this but a great alternative is the woodswalk at a local shoot.

I agree. Shooting form the bench does not make one ready for the hunt. You must practice from improvised rests etc to simulate the field. It is totally different. Every deer I have take I used a fallen log/tree as a rest or was literally lying prone in the snow to make the shot. etc.

 

[Ben Meyer]

I've killed a lot of deer, with every kind of hunting implement, and I don't think I've ever taken an offhand shot at one with a firearm. There's almost always "something" to use as a rest. And IMO, it's always better to use a rest.

I shoot muzzleloaders offhand frequently. I use the bench for load development, and sighting in. I'm confident in my offhand shooting. But when hunting, if there's a rest, even just a tree to lean against, I'm using it. Every time.

 

[Jedidiah]

I've killed a lot of deer, with every kind of hunting implement, and I don't think I've ever taken an offhand shot at one with a firearm. There's almost always "something" to use as a rest. And IMO, it's always better to use a rest.

I shoot muzzleloaders offhand frequently. I use the bench for load development, and sighting in. I'm confident in my offhand shooting. But when hunting, if there's a rest, even just a tree to lean against, I'm using it. Every time.

 

[Brokennock]

"Lighten up Francis "- Sgt. Hulka

I do agree, so many variables in hunting. With iron sights, lighting being one of the biggest. Angle of the animal another, but if you're going hunting and looking for a text book shot to take you will be a hungry man. Each situation must be assessed , might be a 25 yard max range in one situation and may be 100 in another, with sometimes seconds to decide. Even the best well planned shots can be off the mark due to an array of variables. Carry on.

Sorry man, but I have been fighting this attitude of, "minute of bad guy," or in these cases, "minute of deer vitals," since I started teaching practical pistol shooting 25 or so years ago. This attitude irritates the heck out of me. It can be dangerous in the practical shooting arena or unethical in the hunting arena.
If minute of bad guy is the best one cab do with their pistol or carbine under controlled range conditions (and controlled emotional conditions), that person is in for a very rude awakening if ever really put to the test. At best, they will lose, at worst, they will shoot and kill the wrong person (we had an actual case of that here some years back). With hunters, if the best they can do at the range is keep all their shots in an area (can't even call it a group) the full size of the vitals, at known distances, under controlled conditions and with no emotional stress, it leaves them wide open to a variety of factors causing them to at best miss completely, and at worse wound an animal leaving it to suffer. The animal suffers because some human settled for, "good enough."

Sorry.
Like I said, the subject gets me fired up, so off I went again.

 

[Quicksilver]

The closer the better, but up to 100 yards with a iron sited ML on deer/pig sized game if conditions allow. I never take off hand shots at game animals with a ML.

 

[deerstalkert]

once i learned that i didn't "NEED" to kill something, and that if i did kill something all the fun stopped and work began, i was a much better hunter.

 

[kyron4]

Sorry man, but I have been fighting this attitude of, "minute of bad guy," or in these cases, "minute of deer vitals," since I started teaching practical pistol shooting 25 or so years ago. This attitude irritates the heck out of me. It can be dangerous in the practical shooting arena or unethical in the hunting arena.
If minute of bad guy is the best one cab do with their pistol or carbine under controlled range conditions (and controlled emotional conditions), that person is in for a very rude awakening if ever really put to the test. At best, they will lose, at worst, they will shoot and kill the wrong person (we had an actual case of that here some years back). With hunters, if the best they can do at the range is keep all their shots in an area (can't even call it a group) the full size of the vitals, at known distances, under controlled conditions and with no emotional stress, it leaves them wide open to a variety of factors causing them to at best miss completely, and at worse wound an animal leaving it to suffer. The animal suffers because some human settled for, "good enough."

Sorry.
Like I said, the subject gets me fired up, so off I went again.

It's all good, I just couldn't resist that quote, "Stripes" is full of good zingers.

 

[Togo]

I shot a russian boar at 90 yards with shooting sticks, he did the 30 yard run and went down. That was with my TC 58 Big Boar. Because of the drop from 50-100yrds I ended up putting my sight on the top of his back, It ended up being a perfect shot.

 

[SDSmlf]

"I like to hunt, before I pull the trigger." - (can't remember at the moment)

I believe Elmer Keith is credited with saying ‘I like one-shot kills where possible and prefer to do all my hunting before I shoot’.

Edit: Corrected spelling

 

[deerstalkert]

Elmore? i can just imagine he was called that and worse.

 

[SDSmlf]

Elmore? i can just imagine he was called that and worse.

Got to love auto correct.

 

[deerstalkert]

Got to love auto correct.

it certainly adds spice and levity to the innerweb!

 

[1BadDart]

Not much stalking deer goes on in my part of the country, stands or blinds for the most part. Being a bowhunter for years and hunting from stands most of my rifle shots were relatively close. I have killed several deer with my .50 GPR in the 75-100 yard range. These shots were supported in some way, not off hand. I wouldn't be afraid to take a 50 yard offhand shot on a deer if the situation called for it. I shoot a lot of offhand air rifle and quite a bit with my .40 muzzleloader. You have to know your abilities and equipment.