Alaska Average 1st Shot Distance

[Thebear_78]

I might be in the exception here. My average ranges are a little longer than posted above. On Michigan whitetails I have shot them from less than 10 yards out to 400, the average shot probably in the 200-225 range mainly because my hunting property was set up so.

On moose my average tends to be 150 or so, Any further and it’s hard to judge legality, I could probably extend this since getting a nice spotting scope but still find myself really scrutinizing brow points and spread. My closest moose was 60ish yards with a muzzle loader.

Bear have generally been closer range affairs. Under 20 yards over bait but one shot across a bay at 325 yards.

Caribou have been the longer range animals from me. The vast open areas and often minimum cover lends itself to longer ranges. Quite often getting above then I have a much better view of the animal from 200-300 yards out. I have shot caribou from 120-519 yards. Always with a range finder and from prone or other very solid positions.

I imagine there are a lot of times when I could get closer but whenever I get into that comfort zone of under 300 yards I switch from try to get closer to find a good solid place to shoot from and take the shot.

In this topography due to the many humps and dips longer ranges just make more sense.

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[Blkram]

Great thread and responses!

On the flip side, my shortest shots on game (with both rifle and bow) are:
Whitetail 20 yards
Mulies 18 yards (bow)
Moose 18 yards (bow)
Elk 5 yards
Caribou 80 yards
Black bear 5 yards
Grizzly bear 8 yards
Bison 90 yards
Mtn goat 15 yards
Mtn sheep 30 yards
Antelope 36 yards (bow-spot &stalk)
Wolf 100 yards

To date I have not harvested an animal from either a treestand or ground blind, I have both, but have never taken them out of the box; just prefer spot &stalk hunting and the ability to move and adapt to the movements of the animal. Hard to change ...may use them in the future when my mobility is not as good.
I do use Montana decoys and find them effective to get into range, or even past other animals while trying to get closer to the intended targetted game.

 

[mjcmichigan]

Michigan white tail, numerous between 40 and 60, another cluster 90-105, longest at 135. First black bear at 50 yards (no blind- but sitting in a chair [emoji1])

I agree on the Bonded comment.


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[270elk]

My observation about shooting distances tracks closely with those that were published. My elk this year was taken at 80 yards. The last 5 elk were all taken under 200 yards. Again just my thoughts, the long-range shoot fad corresponds to the decline in hunting skills and effective marketing. More shooters are getting into long-range target shooting than into big game hunting. Technology plays a big factor and it sells. Hunting skills are time consuming, painful, and can't be marketed. Don't get me wrong, I love good weapons and gear but I choose to get as close as I can before I pull the trigger. If I can't get within my shooting limit, that animal gets a pass.

 

[Anonymous]

I've got to admit- I've softened a bit on how far is actually "long range" as the years have gone by and debating its merits wasn't really the rationale for the post.

I found the survey interesting for a couple of reasons. For all the chatter on the Internet about LR Hunting, it still appears that it's pretty atypical in the field- even in a place that lends itself well to LR Hunting and the results came from folks who are already on a forum at least partially talking about LR Hunting.

I think Europe also brought up a good point. I've passed a lot of LR shots that I'm pretty sure I could make because I tend to hunt a lot. At around 80 days a year in the field- I just don't feel any pressure to stretch the barrel all that much. If I were hunting the L48 in pressured areas in a 3 day season...I might feel different about that.

I'm also always interested in the "business" side of the firearms industry and the LR niche has become something of a marketing hot spot. So much to the point that a lot of younger hunters I talk to seem to think that they have to go afield prepared to make 500-600 yard shots routinely, even in the face of a lot of empirical data that says they don't.

The industry is selling a lot of folks on the idea of LR and equipping them with rifles, scopes and ammunition to shoot way out past Ft. Mudge, but hunters are shooting critters at what is doable with much less (expensive) technology.166 yards is pretty doable with a receiver sight and i've done a lot of shooting with a fixed 4x at that range. Maybe selling folks what they don't need or can't use has always been the way it is in the firearms industry, but I found it pretty interesting.

 

[Guy Miner]

Blkram - that grizzly at EIGHT yards gets my attention...

More on the story please?

Guy

 

[mjcmichigan]

Adding to you post, firearms industry needs more trigger pulls.. hence the buzz on target shooting.


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[Guy Miner]

I practice regularly with my hunting rifles to 300 yards, sometimes beyond. I've shot quite a bit at 600 yards, mostly with my 308 Win match rifle. Starting to ease back into that btw, after several years of NOT doing for various reasons.

Over the years I've kept pretty good track of the distances, rifles, loads used while hunting:

2017:
wolf @ 250
grizzly @ 40
mule deer @ 212

2016:
black bear @ 325
pronghorn antelope @ 245
mule deer @ 140
cow elk @ 338

2015:
mule deer at just over 200

2014:
mule deer at 340 yards
antelope at 160 yards

That's the last few years. The closest I've shot was a wounded black bear that I tracked down in the brush and killed at about 10 or 15 feet. That was pretty intense. I could hear the bear moving, and even breathing, but I didn't see it until I was that close! Was carrying my single shot Ruger in 375 H&H. Shot it twice, very quickly. Amazing how fast a single-shot rifle can be reloaded when I'm in a hurry...

Closest shot on unwounded game would likely be deer at 20 yards or so. Some irony in that story. I was ready for a 400 yard shot with my 25-06 and 100 gr loads at 3340 fps zeroed at 300 yards... I was in Wyoming, a place known for long range shooting... And I shot a 4x4 mule deer buck at about 20 yards... :grin:

I like the shots... up close. No, mid-range. No, I like long-range shooting... :mrgreen:

Mostly I just like hunting & shooting.

I know ol' JD338 has made both Very Long Shots and real short range wood shots as well.

Regards, Guy

 

[Thankful Otter]

Gerry, Gil I wonder where the myth came from about sheep and goats being a long range hunt ?

Gil is right about Goats, it is the terrain that is the problem, especially where Gerry hunts but it is also beautiful scenery

270elk, I agree with your statement, " many shooters are long range shooters not big game hunters"

Bear, I feel your pain, only my topography is usually white lol

Charles, EXACTLY. I always catch flak for advocating --a 348, lever, no scope, wood leigh bullets, low velocity

Scotty, also makes several good points in favor of long range and Scotty IS a hunter and are not bravado, but sound reasoning and his comfort level and equipment for long range shooting are better than mine.

John, Walrus are a very short range affair. Walrus hunting does not in my opinion fall into the "hunting" category, but the shooting category. Some do it for trophy, some to complete a "slam" and the native Canadians do it for "product"

Guy, you practice out to six hundred yards ? very impressive sir. I have finished several bears of all three colors at very short range and it never fails to get the blood pumping and why I like levers lol

Hodgeman, great thread, thank you.

oh, btw. If I set in a tree stand, I would freeze to death. I have never owned one, but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn once

 

[hunternyny]

thanks Cheyenne, admittedly I have never even considered hunting walrus

Scotty, makes an excellent point/points about us eastern's

 

[truck driver]

I wasn't going to respond to this because I have never hunted in Alaska.
My shots on game ( deer ) has ranged from 50yds to around 200yds.
I sight my rifles in for the maximum expected shot distance usually 200yds and then hold on hair.
For hunting in Montana I used a 3" high 100yd zero for all my rifles which allowed me first shot hits on a steel target at 400yds with my 338Win and 7mm Remington and felt I could place the first shot where I needed to put it.

One thing I have learned in 58yrs of hunting is to get enough time behind the trigger of the rifle/pistol you are planning to use.
If you can't get to the range and shoot then dry fire the rifle with a safety cap or dummy rounds working the action as if it was firing live ammo. Watch the scope reticle or front sight for movement when you squeeze the trigger and you will be surprised at how much it will move.
Since the rifle is already sighted in doing this will help you hit your target at longer ranges more consistently.
Sorry for getting off subject.

Oh and Cheyenne if you want to hunt out of a tree stand you can carry a heater with you to stay warm while in the stand just don't use a climbing type stand since there isn't much room in one of those but I guess it would be hard to find a tree out on the ice to climb. >)

 

[mcseal2]

I haven't hunted Alaska yet, but hope to pull the trigger on a moose this September.

My longest shots have been on elk. The area I hunt it seems I'm either shooting across a canyon it takes hours to cross at elk feeding in a small clearing, or I have to be in the clearing with them. I haven't been lucky enough to get real close to one I wanted yet. My two bulls came at 478 and 614yds.

I've taken a few mule deer and only one has been under 300yds, but none were over 400yds. The biggest was killed at 188yds, next biggest at 358, third biggest at 313. I finished off another guys wounded buck after he hit it in the ankle at long range and ran out of ammo missing it at 400yds.

Antelope I have taken a couple at 300yds and 175yds.

Whitetail I have taken from real close to about 330yds. I shot a buck at 150 and does at 276 and 321yds this year. I set up most of the time to be 225-325yds from where I expect to shoot a buck though, I am confident at that range and I can get in and out without spooking deer easier than if I'm real close. I hunt mostly pasture ground that is fairly open and those smart old bucks pattern me as much as I pattern them I think.

I guess I'd say I'm really confident in most conditions inside 350yds, and out to 600yds in great conditions. I don't always try to get much closer than that 350yd distance unless there is a terrain feature that lets me do it with a high probability of success. If I can get prone and steady at 350 I'm not going to try real hard to get closer on a trophy class animal. I do love to see how close I can sneak to animals I don't plan to shoot to keep my woodsmanship up and not just my shooting.

 

[SJB358]

Great topic. We all hunt in different areas under different circumstances but I’ve never seen anyone not benefit from practicing long... seems to make the close shots much easier.

 

[Blkram]

Guy,
The grizzly was actually taken on a mtn goat hunt. I did not find the goat I had actually climbed the mountain for and we moved to the other side of the range to look for some other billies we had scouted the week before. As we came around a corner, the grizzly was feeding at 20 yards. He ran out to 40 and stopped to look back at us. He then came back to 8 yards, and we figured that was close enough for that 6' bear that did not seem to be afraid of people. Exciting as it was the first opportunity I had to take a grizzly bear. Have seen many other grizzlies in that valley over the years, but have not been offered a good opportunity for another; distance, location of the bear, or the bear was aware of us and did not offer a shot at an unwary animal from an uphill position ( something my Dad, an experienced guide, always told me to only hunt grizzlies from uphill whenever/wherever possible, do not shoot a wary grizz from a downhill position and keep it less than 100 yards whenever possible).

Cheyenne,
I think that many think that sheep and goats are long range shooting targets because most have spent tens of thousands of dollars for a hunt that usually lasts from a say as little as 5 days to 21 days, and will take the first shot opportunity at these trophies that they get, which quite often presents itself at longer ranges, uphill, downhill or across canyons, etc.
I guess it really depends on the circumstances of each opportunity. So many variables come into play. Position of the animal, terrain that the animal is at that time, ability (or assumed ability/inability) to get closer, time of day, wind and weather conditions at that moment or during the upcoming stalk, hunting ability, confidence and experience of the hunter and/or the guide, time left in the hunt, etc. There is a lot of pressure to harvest a trophy on these expensive and difficult hunts (difficult as in the level of time, money and commitment to save, plan, travel, hunt, climb (read physical exertion), and determine if the animal is legal, let alone of trophy quality to get to the point where there is an opportunity to harvest one of these animals. For many people that live in places where they can only see short distances such as the eastern US, those wide open places of the west side of North America and in the mountains and valleys of its various mountain ranges has a profound effect on them, and when they do not have the forest and its various features to hide behind or help them slip closer unseen by their quarry is very different to them. They are not used to using the dips and hollows to get closer in wide open places. Those that are used to hunting in more varied terrain types do it as it is second nature to us, whereas it is something new encountered by others, and must be learned and adapted to.

Scotty,
It is the same in archery; practicing at longer ranges breeds confidence and competence that assists in executing the shorter shots when hunting.

 

[1100 Remington Man]

I have hunted Big Game in IA,SD,CO,WY,MT,ID and I have only once shot to a little over 500 yards on a Antelope. The average distance on Antelope around 290 yards and one as close as 35 yards.
All other Big Game animals have been under 250 yards if memory serves me correctly.
I do know the Magnum craze hit me in the early 1980’s and I thought I needed a long range rifle so .264 Win Mag is my Deer & Antelope rifle and I have it set up for shooting long range but I never have had a shot I could not of made with my 6mm Rem. On Deer or Antelope.
If I had to guess most Mule Deer have been shot under 200 yards and this is in open country and Whitetail Deer most under 100 yards.

 

[Guy Miner]

Blkram - thanks for the details of that short-range grizzly shot!

Guy

 

[fremont]

My average is 160

 

[salmonchaser]

I don't have good records, some old photos help. Lazed range finders have changed everything. Once we had those, rifle technology and techniques rapidly followed.
Someone mentioned above deer start to look pretty small and wavey at 400 yards. So do elk as far as I'm concerned. I'd rather get close any day. I've taken a few critters over 400, some around 300, a whole bunch around 200
or less. I've been hunting for 50 years, bought my first lazer range finder about 10 years ago. I learned I had been overestimating deer and under estimating elk.
While this ground lends itself to long range shooting, most of the time you can get closer.
If I had good accurate records on distance, all big game combined I would bet the top of my bell curve is right around 200 yards.



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[Europe]

Hodgeman, what a great thread

Salmonchaser, I read your post about hunting 50 years and realized if I consider bunnies, birds and tagging along with my father that I have been hunting for 70 years ==where in the heck did all those years go ? I think in my case the reason I always shot such short distances ( under 300 and usually under 200 ) was my comfort level. I never had the comfort level like you fellows do or even my husband did at shooting an animal at 500 yards plus. Also in the early years, we didn't have a range finder and other equipment that make long range shooting easier today, so that might be another reason that might be added to the various reasons that we all shoot at different ranges and our comfort level in doing so.

Also what one is trained to do when young. I will use Gil and Cheyenne as an example. Their elders taught them at an early age how to stalk and hunt and therefore that is what they still do

Also finances when I was a youngster just wasn't there, for good scopes, spotting scopes, expensive rifles, we didn't hand load, rangefinders, etc

I wonder if the old timers here, like my friend Dr Mike and others understand the point I am trying to make

 

[sask boy]

Interesting post . I may have a little longer average on shooting game as I hunting most of my big game on the plains of Saskatchewan.
The Whitetail buck is my favourite hunt and as in most places the big bucks do not get big and dumb :wink: . I believe that my average on a Whitetail is touching 200 yards as I have shot a few at 50 yards but alot more at 300 yards.
I have only been bear hunting 1 time and was able to anchor 2 and they were both at 55 yards now again the Moose I have shot have varied in distance from 50 yards to 350 yards but have only shot cow moose. Again the cow moose I have shot at farther distances have been farmland moose and mostly because I have chosen to shoot them at a distance, however the last moose I shoot in the fall of 2016 was only 88 yards as we agreed to shoot dry cows only.
Now Elk have been have been somewhat longer distances for me as I have shot only 1 cow Elk at under 100 yards and that was my first one. I have likely harvested 10 or so and most have been in that 250 to 300 yard mark and the longest was just over 500 yards.
Antelope distances have changed as when I was young we had a regular season and the animals were a lot more wary of humans but for the last 15 or so years we have had a drawn system so I would say between the 2 the distance would likely be around 125 yards .
My average on the game I have taken is right around 185 yards.

Blessings,
Dan