Thread: What distance do you shoot game animals?

Originally Posted by Woody

A few decades back I would have said 10-200 but as I have gradually become less mobile i tend to hunt easier and more open habitat; thus now fit better into the 100-350 bracket. ( and try for small ones in a place where its all downhill to the truck

You would not be alone there......I would be beside you for starters.

Originally Posted by andyanimal31

This question opens a big can of worms.
A fully zeroed and validated rifle and then using the appropriate environmental data into a quality ballistic app with a chambering with enough punch for starters.
Then you have your own shooter ability.
Then there is wind.
I'm very comfortable out to 600m in not to bad conditions and in perfect conditions with my big banger 1100m.
But then to qualify that I do a lot of long range target shooting as have my own steel range and another 2 close by that we use.

I have total faith in my weapons systems and ballistic solvers so then I just have to decide is it an ethical shot on the day.
My 2 cents


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No can of worms !!!
Par for the course
Depends mostly if not solely on your terrain etc that you have to hunt in
I shot the mid North Island for years and my average distance on shots was 5-20m
But I had no open terrain/country it was all bush and the very occasional track shot without bloody Toe Toe blocking the line of sight

Originally Posted by Sarvo

No can of worms !!!
Par for the course
Depends mostly if not solely on your terrain etc that you have to hunt in
I shot the mid North Island for years and my average distance on shots was 5-20m
But I had no open terrain/country it was all bush and the very occasional track shot without bloody Toe Toe blocking the line of sight

That's a pretty accurate statement I would say. Most Goats I've taken have been 5-50 mtrs with the odd pig thrown in there but thats generally bush hunting. The last few fallow were at 140 and 385 mtrs but that was open area. I had one lined up at 680 mtrs which would have taken but a fawn was present. The fallow were all with a big banger rifle also which I am comfortable shooting and would probably go to 800 if I thought shot was worth taking...but rifle capable of reaching out alot further than that.

From 3m in the thick shit to 1000m in the open but most would be 50 to 500m. Got 4 animals this week, closest being 20 odd meter pig with 22mag and fallow at 250 odd with the 7saum

My furtherest deer taken was 350m, but I’m far more comfortable out to 250m

That yellow 200 litre drum in or around centre of photo is 500 metres...can you even see it let alone put a bullet in it?

My last half dozen animals (deer and pigs) have all been within 30m and have got to within 25 of another half dozen deer with the bow. Even the last few on the tops have been under 100m.

Originally Posted by DavidGunn

That yellow 200 litre drum in or around centre of photo is 500 metres...can you even see it let alone put a bullet in it?

Attachment 147860

Is it on the switchback below a large squareish rock

Originally Posted by Ground Control

350m is my self imposed limit and it is rare for me to shoot that far because I prefer to be 200m and under .

pretty much the same here....shot wallaby on run today at 40ish yards....last deer was finished off at 40ish after lightly wounding it freehand at 120ish.

Originally Posted by Marty Henry

Is it on the switchback below a large squareish rock

Since about 2010 my closest animal was 20yds, furtherest was 634yds. Average is about 320yds. I mainly hunt the Canterbury tops.

I shot a fallow buck at about 115m just after lockdown, this would have been my longest shot at a deer for over a decade. Most deer would be under 50-60m, the closest was a spiker at about 5m. Have shot animals out to about 300m but not commonly and not for long while.

Majority would be between 15-60m for me. Closest less then 1m from the end of the barrel and furthest 230m probably only 5 deer shot over 100m

Originally Posted by DavidGunn

That yellow 200 litre drum in or around centre of photo is 500 metres...can you even see it let alone put a bullet in it?

Attachment 147860

I think I found the drum....


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Originally Posted by tiroahunta

I think I found the drum....


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My trusty 25-303 with a 90 gr bullet...shoot a sparrow off it. Probably unscrew the caps at 1000 or so with a 75 gr.