Your longest ethical shot.

[MBTcustom]

Last year I was on the Arkansas Christmas hunt and on the next to last day, a deer gave me a broadside shot 320 yards away. I was shooting a 300winmag and I was very familiar with that rifle's ballistics at that range and it looked like an easy shot so I leaned on a power pole for support and squeezed off a shot. The deer spun around three times and died 3 feet from where he was standing. I was satisfied to see that the bullet had impacted 1" lower than the spot I was trying to hit, meat in the freezer.
The next day, I was in the same spot and saw a heard of nice deer grazing on the next ridge (ranged at 600 yards exactly) I glassed them with my scope and figured that if I had a bipod and could get prone, I could probably hit the big one. There was practically no wind and it was a level shot, ridge to ridge, on an overcast 50 degree day. Humidity was 50%. I decided not to chance it because I had not been practicing with this load at that range, but I felt confident that had I had the right rifle, and 1000 rounds through it at that range, I could have easily made that shot.
So I asked some questions on the gunsmithing side about building a lightweight custom rifle for this specific purpose. I was surprised to find quite a few members who feel that a 600 yard shot is an unethical thing to contemplate, even if Carlos Hathcock himself was behind the trigger. I always figured that 600 yards was my limit for shooting a deer no matter what rifle I was shooting or how much time I had behind it simply because it is unlikely to see a deer further than that, and it is hard to get a rifle that will still put a deer down with authority at that range. However I was not prepared to be told that I should never attempt a shot like this under any circumstances, no matter how competent I am as a rifleman.
So my question is: What is the longest shot you would consider making on a whitetail deer or similar sized critter if your back was against the wall? Hypothetically, lets say if you miss you starve and if you make the shot, it goes in the record books.
This is with your best rifle that you own, shooting jacketed or cast.

[ku4hx]

Optically measured 330 yards; Caribou (Canada) 2000. Load was 180 grain Nosler Ballistic tip at a clocked MV of 3,100 fps from a BAR. Powder was 71.9 grains IMR4350. Never tasted sweeter meat.

[gray wolf]

Tricky question--
The longest shot I would take would be one that I felt 99% sure off a hit fatal.
One that I had full confidence in making, doping the wing included.
HOWEVER you stated if it were a miss The person would starve.
In that case If I couldn't stalk up closer--I would take any and all shots before I got so week that I couldn't track the animal if I missed.

[SciFiJim]

So my question is: What is the longest shot you would consider making on a whitetail deer or similar sized critter if your back was against the wall? Hypothetically, lets say if you miss you starve and if you make the shot, it goes in the record books.
This is with your best rifle that you own, shooting jacketed or cast.

On the basis of if I miss I starve, the ethics of hunting deer get left at home. I would try the longest shot my rifle is possible of getting the bullet and hope I got lucky.
Under the circumstances of hunt or starve, I would use my 8mm Mauser. A 1000 yard shot is unlikely, but not an impossibility.

However, on a normal deer hunt, a 200 yard shot is about the max I would try.

[geargnasher]

Tricky question--
The longest shot I would take would be one that I felt 99% sure off a hit fatal.
One that I had full confidence in making, doping the wing included.
HOWEVER you stated if it were a miss The person would starve.
In that case If I couldn't stalk up closer--I would take any and all shots before I got so week that I couldn't track the animal if I missed.

Exactly what I was going to say. Ethics change when the game switches from sport to survival.

Ethically, and I usually hunt with small calibers like .30-30 or 6.5X55, I limit shots to well under 200 yards, most shots are less than 50. The reason is I prefer to stalk game, therefore I don't practice with these calibers at anything beyond 200 yards.

Gear

[Rangefinder]

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

It was the last 15 minutes of the season--literally. I had an either sex/either species deer tag and hadn't even seen good sign for several days. I was on a ridge top and started glassing knolls and ridge lines across from me to see if there was anything moving out for an evening grazing. Waaaay over across several knolls and half-way up a paralleling ridge I could make out a deer grazing on what looked like a willow patch on a run-off cut. I made some estimations, braced against a tree, and let it rip---7mm Rem Mag with 165gr. jacketed soft-points. A soon as I recovered and glassed the spot where the deer was I didn't see anything. The first thing I thought was "D@&% it, now I've got to hike all the way over there just to verify I missed by 20 feet..." Well, I didn't. It was a fat muley doe and the bullet arced in right on her spine at the base of her neck. The reason I didn't see her when I glassed was that she was DRT and fell into the cut she was grazing in front of. I lasered it later and read it at 951 yards.

Now... saying that, I also have to say that was NOT what I would really call an ethical shot. It was a shot of desperation when I was much younger than I am now. I use to shoot 1000 meter matches and had my own private 1000M range. With either my 7mm Rem Mag Sendero or my Custom 6mm Rem. I can tap 9" plates all day long at that range. But I still wouldn't likely repeat a shot that far on game. 400 doesn't really bother me, 500 is about max if all the conditions are right. The fact of the matter is plates don't move. With a flight time of a second to a second and a half, game could decide to take a step, turn, any number of things during the time you fire and the bullet impacts. Even if you did everything right, that is still a factor beyond your control that could affect the shot very drastically.

Stalking is a skill best acquired. My closest shot is point-blank with my Winchester on a 2x3 buck that I snuck up on to the point there was no aiming--I raised the muzzle and fired from my belly one-handed---there were powder burns on his side from the muzzle blast.

[bowfin]

425 yards on an antelope doe with a Remington 700 in .270 Winchester. Dead calm and silhouetted on top of a hill in the Oglala National Grasslands. I took one shot.

350 yards on a moving buck someone had shot in the foot, using a .308 Winchester Savage 99 with a Weaver K3W scope. I took this shot because I felt obligated to try. This took more than one shot. Four, if I remember, two hits through the ribcage.

My mantra is no one has a 400 yard rifle until they have shot it at 400 yards, or a 200 yard rifle until they have shot it at 200 yards.

The first question I ask if the deer is over 200 yards is "Is it going to come closer?" Second question is "Can I get any closer?"

[RugerFan]

Back in 1991 I shot a bear at 300 yds with a bolt .308 and a caribou at 500+ with a 300 Win Mag (with j-bullets). Both times I was laying in the prone with a rock solid rest. With whitetails I suppose I would shoot to 300 yds under optimum conditions, but probably no further.

[Char-Gar]

Not enough choices on the poll.. I would have picked 300 yards. Even then it would take a man with calm nerves, and the willingness to pass up the shot, if he is not 100% certain of a clean one shot kill.

[MBTcustom]

Good answers! I especially like Rangefinder's with the powder burns!

[x101airborne]

Well, not only does "ethical" pertain to the situation, but also the person. That being said, I shoot varmints a lot longer off than I do licensed tag restricted game. The longest shot I have ever made on a deer is 305 yards with a witness. The longest shot I made on a varmint was a coon at 765. It is not that the shot on the deer was all that hard, I just dont feel the need to shoot that far when you only have two tags a year. That, and I enjoy hunting so passing one up that is "too far" is easy for me. Maybe not for someone who has two days a year to hunt and only sees one animal. Now I will try a shot on a hog out to 1000 yards. I dont care of the outcome because they are destructive and we have so many. I dont think anyone feels bad about gut shooting a prarie dog, ours are just a little bigger and stink more.

[onesonek]

Ironsighted is one thing, optics is another. But basically, I prefer to hunt my way in close as possible, or I pass. For the most part, I sight in with a given load, for a PBR of 1/2 to 1/3 the animals kill zone. But generally there, 4" for deer sized, 6" for elk, sometimes less, seldom more. If conditions are near pefect, I will push that if necessary, but never off the hair. Once that distant is reached, I just feel too many things can go wrong. I would much rather pass, to hunt another day. Big game is one thing, shooting Prairie Dogs, Vermin, and pest are another. Beyond that, I have only shot one big game animal over 250 yds., one of those last day last hour scenarios. And that was still within PBR of my load.
In a survival situation, that may change things up to a point. I would have to weigh the circumstance of the moment. But also feel, most times there's other food sources to get by, until a better oppritunity comes. In that case, the possible waste on one round might mean life or death also. No sense in taking chance or adding risk, unless absolutely necessary,,,at least in my way off thinking.

[southpaw]

The furthest shot I would consider would be 400 yards mainly because I have not shot further than that. I figure that I would be good enough to hit the critter but not in a vital spot. Now the longest shot that I have taken was a ranged 150 yards. What can I say I am a woods hunter.

Now if we are talking shoot or starve I am not very fond of starving. I am with the others ethics would be left at home.

Jerry Jr.

[Blammer]

I'll know this week after I get back from hunting.

I'm ready to ding something at 300yds if need be.

[wtfooptimax200]

Based on the key term of 'expert' and longest ethical, I voted 600 AND varies according to ability. I think 600 yard shots are ethical for an expert BUT any appropriate caliber for the game being hunting and the long range.

[btroj]

Poll is somewhat flawed. Survival tactics are not designed with ethics in mind. In a pure survival situation I may take risks I would not in a hunting for pleasure situation.
I hunt purely for fun so I look for a quick, clean kill. I prefer shots inside 50 yards and consider 300 a practical max.
I don't think your abilities from a bench at known ranges on a calm day mean diddly in the field. You need to know you can make the shot froma field condition, under stress, potentially tired, and make the shot independent of weather. That changes everything in my opinion.

I bet most hunters are best stating under 200 yards.

Bad

[Gee_Wizz01]

I believe the maximum ethical range, depends on the rifle, the caliber, and mostly the ability of the person behind the trigger. My longest shot was just a little over 440 yds with a 30-06. I was 22 and practiced several times a week at ranges up to 400 yds. I fired prone off a sandbag from the picnic table in the front yard. I knew the range because we had just strung a barbed wire fence that weekend and we had measured the distance. A few months before I got a coyote at 350 yds using the same table as a rest. That was 39 years ago, these days my limit is about 250yds. I don't have the eyesight and steady nerves I had back then.

Gary

[leftiye]

Three inches high at 100, three inches high at 200, right on at 300, 8 inches low at 400. It's called point blank sight adjustment. If you can hold tight enough that you know you are going to hit it where you point, it's dead.

[cbrick]

For just about all of us hunting is a sport. Starving to death is not a sport so of course that's a total game changer.

I've never been in a kill it or starve situation but I believe that if I thought the shot had any chance at all I would shoot. Any chance at all is far better odds than certain starvation and death.

Want to change this shoot or starve game a bit?

You have a very long and difficult shot, it's kill it or starve. You have one round of ammo left . . . What to do now?

Rick

[DLCTEX]

Two years ago I had shot prairie dogs at ranges exceeding 500 yds with a 257 Wby. and was confident in my ability to hit a deer at that range. My grand daughters husband came to hunt and was a new hunter. We put him on deer from 50 to 100 yds. and he missed them all. He was with me when two does approached and I told him I was going to shoot one, then the does turned and ran at an angle and didn't stop until they were a lasered 503 yds. away. I told him I was going to shoot the big one and he said they were pretty far. Shooting from a rest I dropped her in her tracks and he almost fell over and said how can you even hit one that far. I mostly did it to make the point that it was him and not the gun as he had been thinking. Antlerless are almost vermin here as we are over run and were issued 150 doe tags last year and filled 139 of them, donating most of them to the Texas prison system.