What do you think your ethical hunting distances are?

I feel really good on a pair of sticks out to 250, I’ve lucked into some shots that were a lot farther away than that. If i have the time to get prone I’m confident in stretching that out a bit farther. I love getting them inside of a 100 yards but sometimes it doesn’t work out that way. I hate to let them walk away…. I used to shoot out a barrel a year in PRS matches but these days I’m just about hunting.
 
I only use a rifle on does if we need more shot and it’s generally just riding and shooting. Only shoot if there’s more than one…singles tend to be buttons. Farthest has been maybe 200yds and that was across a pond.
My farthest with the thermal and coyotes is 203yds. I probably wouldn’t shoot that far normally but I can’t range worth a crap on the with a thermal. I actually still didn’t know it was that far until I started walking to get the coyote. The field is only 220yds long and daylight with a rangefinder gave me my distance.
I will say this, I normally just archery hunt other than riding and shooting does. But shooting hogs and coyotes out to 200yds has really built my confidence up in thermals.
What else built my confidence in my “cheap” rifle (different post reference) was it shoots the exact same POI with or without the suppressor.
Guess overall, 200 is what I feel most confident with. We just don’t have a whole lot of opportunities much farther. Mainly because we can’t see much further than that.
 
Becoming proficient in the use of shooting sticks can make you a better and more confident shot.
i have been using shooting sticks for over 30 years.
Yes I agree 200 yards is a good compromise after experience with shooting sticks (includes practice at range)
the longest I have attempted and taken a Deer was 310 yards, sitting, resting back on a tree on sticks across gully shot.
i have seen deer further, but have not taken the shots.
practice is the key, and in different positions, sitting, kneeling and standing.
Jay
 
For called Coyotes 99% of my shots are 300 yards or less. 95% of those are 200 yards or less. I’ve shot a few(very few) out to 400 yards over the last 35 years.

Good Hunting Chad
 
dirtytough said:
After learning a lot of rifle scopes don’t hold absolute zero, it’s not a stretch to believe thermals have an even harder time maintaining perfect zero since they are mechanical and a computer.

I will say I mainly shoot sitting or kneeling while thermal hunting. 300 isn’t that hard of a shot with a solid tripod/head sitting or kneeling with my thermal. I like 125ish yards though if I could pick the range.



That’s way out of my league. I’m only good to 45ish with my bow :)
Click to expand...
I used to archery hunt a lot in my younger years. That is hunting deer at it's best. A lot of scouting goes into getting a deer that close.
 
dirtytough said:
After learning a lot of rifle scopes don’t hold absolute zero, it’s not a stretch to believe thermals have an even harder time maintaining perfect zero since they are mechanical and a computer.

I will say I mainly shoot sitting or kneeling while thermal hunting. 300 isn’t that hard of a shot with a solid tripod/head sitting or kneeling with my thermal. I like 125ish yards though if I could pick the range.



That’s way out of my league. I’m only good to 45ish with my bow :)
Click to expand...

yes… what you said
 
If the coyote is sniffing the end of the gun barrel, Im okay with that but otherwise prefer shots of 250 yards or less.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top