What is your real hunting distance limit?

I really wonder how many read the full description. I can’t imagine anyone shooting off sticks or resting against a rock or tree at 600 or 700 yards in a hunting situation. Prone with a short bipod and some other improvised stabilizers yes, but not a set the sticks up or lean against tree and shoot situation.

Prone off back pack 468y aoudad 1 shot, 400 yards oryx bipod prone 1 shot.

Sticks my farthest is 200y on a moose.

But I like to try for 200 and under with sticks

I agree 100% with @375Fox , the longest shot off of sticks I WAS going to attempt was in the Eastern Cape on a waterbuck bull at 277 yds. No way I could get comfortable or stable off the sticks. There was no way to get closer so we backed up the hill to a little flat opening at 287yds. I was able to get prone and using my binoculars as a makeshift bipod I made the DRT shot on a magnetic waterbuck bull.

All situations: 300 yards.

Ideal conditions I would consider up to 500 with either my 300WM or 7mm RM, but I’ve also never encountered ideal conditions while hunting. Past 500 yards, there are just too many uncontrolled factors for me to try a cold bore shot on an elk or similar (animal movement, crosswinds, etc).

400 for me is the practical number. I have harvested a vaal at 405 yards from a prone position with a shooting bag on a rock--very steady. I have harvested a mule deer off a peak tripod standing at 365 yards. I would prefer to be much closer but with practice and knowledge of your weapon system we can extend our practical range. I took an antelope last week at 210 yds with 20 mph wind with measured gusts much higher. That shot was off a Spartan bipod while prone and my binos under the back. It's hard to shoot much further at home in SC to say I practice at further distances. As such that is my personal max range.
I also took a klippie at 150 yards off a leather strapped tripod, but this was after a full spring of practicing off shooting sticks.

375Fox said:

I really wonder how many read the full description. I can’t imagine anyone shooting off sticks or resting against a rock or tree at 600 or 700 yards in a hunting situation. Prone with a short bipod and some other improvised stabilizers yes, but not a set the sticks up or lean against tree and shoot situation.

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I havent shot off of normal sticks in years since switching to shooting off tripods with direct attach. I use it hunting all the time, my kids have shot all there animals utilizing a triood too. Its a more efficent faster setup than sticks. At the age of 12 my oldest daughter was hitting steel every shot standing up on a tripod out to 600yds.

This is a video of me shooting a 12" plate at 500 yards standing for reference.

Wyfox said:

I havent shot off of normal sticks in years since switching to shooting off tripods with direct attach. I use it hunting all the time, my kids have shot all there animals utilizing a triood too. Its a more efficent faster setup than sticks. At the age of 12 my oldest daughter was hitting steel every shot standing up on a tripod out to 600yds.

This is a video of me shooting a 12" plate at 500 yards standing for reference.

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It’s a very impressive tool, but if it broke and you had to use a standard tripod, backpack, or lean against something what’s your realistic limit?

I’ve shot game beyond 600m but I choose not to do that anymore. I got to the point where I questioned whether I was really hunting when I could move around and talk at a normal level to my brother for elevation adjustment and getting better shooting positions etc. without the animal having a realistic chance of cottoning on to me.

Most of my hunting is iron sights with a limit of around 150m. With a scope I will still go to 300-350m if needed.

I’m not proud of any long shots I’ve taken but I am proud of the closest ones. Tracking and stalking to within 10m of a mature red stag this year was as good as hunting gets for me.

i have shot moose and caribou at a touch over 400 yards (405 and 409) ranged. with a 375 ruger at that.

so that is how far i would shoot with a great rest and a rifle i really know. but 300 yards is a solid number that i would shoot with the right rifle and rest.

200 yards was the limit in africa. 200 yards is as far as i would shoot or allow a hunter to shoot a brown bear. (and that is far).

Given your exact variables, my vote is 200.

I’m not sure who you guys are that think you can hit an animal cleanly at 500-600 yards off sticks or in off kilter hunting conditions (no prone) but I must call bullshit to some degree.

This long range shooting craze has gone too far IMO. Shooting at long range under ideal conditions (bench or prone) at a range, with specialized equipment assembled specifically for that purpose is one thing, but with an average set up as specified (not top tier long range gear) off sticks or leaning against a tree or rock at 500-600 yards, come on man.

I voted 300 yards, but I would add that it depends on the game I’m hunting among other factors.

After all, dangerous game isn’t dangerous at 100 yards. And I’m also willing to push my limits when hunting varmints vs game animals.

The other factors I mentioned. Wind, weather, terrain, shooting position, how I feel at the moment, rifle/cartrige/scope combo I’m using, level of urgency, how much confidence I have…and many others. They all play a part. If I was pushed and all conditions were perfect, maybe 450 yards.

405 yards on a Mule deer off my pack in the prone position. I wouldn’t shoot over 450. I much prefer to shoot them close enough they have powder burns on them. But sometimes that’s the shot you have. I would not shoot live game over 450 and even then the conditions have to be good. I have shot steel much further but I know my limits.

I am a long range shooter and I enjoy shooting from a distance. But, when hunting, I rarely have the opportunity to shoot at an animal that is significantly so far. I mostly shoot at distances up to 70-150yds. I limit myself to 300-350yds if the conditions are ok

375Fox said:

It’s a very impressive tool, but if it broke and you had to use a standard tripod, backpack, or lean against something what’s your realistic limit?

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There's always alot of variables.

To answer your question I'll use this example; This bull was across a canyon pushing his cows over the next ridge. I threw my pack over a large boulder and straddled it to create a solid shooting position and killed him at 650yds.
Rifle: 300 Norma w/230gr Berger at 3150fps, Schmidt Bender PM2 10x42 fixed power.

Wyfox said:

There's always alot of variables.

To answer your question I'll use this example; This bull was across a canyon pushing his cows over the next ridge. I threw my pack over a large boulder and straddled it to create a solid shooting position and killed him at 650yds.
Rifle: 300 Norma w/230gr Berger at 3150fps, Schmidt Bender PM2 10x42 fixed power.
View attachment 802289

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Thats good shooting. I can gather from your writeup that your qualified for such a shot. Most hunters are not...

I’m quite surprised by the number of you who won’t cross 300. I watched my little pregnant daughter kill a mule deer standing off quad sticks at 300 last weekend-because she has practiced it with her awesome dad hundreds of times and it seemed routine for her. My own deer came closer and was boringly routine. Today’s equiptment and bullets absolutely can and will do the job. That said, I am also a bowhunter and love to get in close!
I do not intentionally shoot long distances on game. Sometimes it just happens that way.
I once guided an elk hunter who insisted we back up as far As we could so it was a better story. He and I did not part on speaking terms.

Firebird said:

I’m quite surprised by the number of you who won’t cross 300. I watched my little pregnant daughter kill a mule deer standing off quad sticks at 300 last weekend-because she has practiced it with her awesome dad hundreds of times and it seemed routine for her. My own deer came closer and was boringly routine. Today’s equiptment and bullets absolutely can and will do the job. That said, I am also a bowhunter and love to get in close!
I do not intentionally shoot long distances on game. Sometimes it just happens that way.
I once guided an elk hunter who insisted we back up as far As we could so it was a better story. He and I did not part on speaking terms.

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You have covered a great deal of ground with few words.

The most important word (for me) in your statement is "PRACTICE".

It's key for us to be honest with our own individual ability based on our level of experience.

The firearm industry is experiencing a life-saving resurgence pushing long-range shooting. There is good and bad in this, but I digress.

Long range shooting has become “too much of a good thing.” I do understand about aging and the physical difficulties that come with it. And I know most don’t have good range access which I am fortunate to benefit from. And some of you have never had a chance to look at game hundreds of yards away. So I do understand some of the nuances involved.

I’ve never needed to shoot game past 300 yards until I won an Elk hunt in Colorado. The outfitter told me I’d better be able to shoot past 500 yards if I wanted a decent chance. He wasn’t lying, it was ridge to ridge shooting!

I practiced with my Hells Canyon barreled Tikka in 300 wsm for months before at my range with 650 yards of distance. I was confident I could keep under MOA at that distance… assuming the wind was playing “nice”!

A couple days into the hunt we spotted the bull I eventually shot late morning. He was with cows feeding back into the base of one of the ridges that jutted into a large valley like fingers. We waited until he bedded down and hiked back from the ridge we spotted him on and back out to the “finger” of the next closest ridge. There was ZERO chance we wouldn’t spook him if we tried getting onto his ridge. Even if we did we couldn’t get a shot off as it was too thick and steep.

We set across from him into a shooting position (I was sitting up with my back against a bolder, gun mounted in a tripod and lightweight shooting bag on my knee bracing the rear of the rifle. We were expecting him to getup from his nap and keep working away from the tip of the finger closer to us into another opening (350 yards away). I ranged him bedded down at 651 yards. I had to chuckle since I had said to the guide the first day if there was zero wind I’d max at 650 yards.

There was zero wind at the moment the cows got up and started feeding away from us. My guide, Chance, told me earlier if he gets up and goes the other way we back out as we can’t get closer. I looked through my NX8… peaked at my dope card and dialed. The bull stood up looking at the cows…. (We also had a storm that was coming in the next day and it was bad enough we’d have to head back to grand junction according to the outfitter…)

“I’m going to shoot him…” I said to Chance… “no wind, send it” was his reply. I squeezed the trigger and shot. It seemed like a month before anything happened and I thought I’d missed and heard Chance say, “you hit him good shot…” and then I heard the thump of the bullet. The bull ran down the mountain, “range…” I said to Chance, “550…” I peaked at my dope card and shot him again. He still stood there and Chance was worried he’d keep running and told me to keep shooting until he dropped. I shot that bull four more times until he laid down!

Took us a couple hours to hike down and back up to him only 550 yards away. The pack out was miserable to say the least but it was an unbelievable experience!

The longest shot I have taken on game is 585yds. It is not something I boast but it is something I train for. I much prefer closer distances. I find the most difficult thing in shooting longer distances is wind calls. In this case it was morning and calm. Looking across the canyon we could see no wind. We set up the shot and fired, nothing. My guide didn’t see any impact. Shot again, guide spotted impact. Elevation was good, windage was to the left, I made the adjustment with the Horus TreMor3, fired and the elk dropped on the spot. My setup was a 8mm Rem Mag, 198gr Hammer at around 3050fps, wearing a Horus 5-20x50.

I am neither pro nor against long range hunting. I think preparing for the conditions that you may face is prudent. That includes the gear you plan to use.