How far would YOU shoot?

[Rich]

between 50 and 60

 

[Eterry]

We all know that our smoothbores can shoot almost like a rifle to 50-75 yards. However that may be, where is your personal cutoff distance for ethically taking a shot? Just curious. At this point (I am new to smoothies) I would limit myself to no more than fifty.

There's lots of variables in that question...
What are we shooting at? The kill zone on a squirrel is smaller than a moose. I'd take a shot at a moose farther than a deer, due to a larger kill zone.
Is said animal wounded? That makes a difference to me.
Are we shooting off a rest or offhand, that makes a huge difference.

Each situation presents its own set of challenges.
I think it's hard to lay down a blanket statement; I'd never shoot past "insert range" with a smooth bore.
Maybe that's just me.