Thread: longer range hunting

Just use what you've got. Sight a couple of inches high at a hundred, or zero at 200m if you wish. Hold dead on the shoulder out to 250m, or just below top of shoulder at 300m. The vast majority of deer are shot within 200m anyway. And 300m is a long shot under normal hunting conditions for most hunters - even for the most experienced. At 300m under hunting conditions, your rifle will shoot better than you'll be able to. Don't worry about different loads for different scenarios, find one that shoots well through your gun and just go hunting. Or just buy some factory ammo that shoots well through your rifle. A 308 is a great all rounder for hunting in NZ, you don't need fancy loads. Iuse one load through my 280 from 5 metre shots on deer in the bush, to 600 metre shots on tahr in the mountains. A well place shot has the same result. For your first deer I would be placing more emphasis on the stalk rather than the shot - there is a lot more to shooting a deer than just putting one on the deck at long range. Get in close and experience the hunt.