Poll: Range where you take the most deer with a rifle

[Dr. Strangelove]

After reading another post concerning rifle sight-in range, I did some thinking about the range I have taken deer. It's overwhelmingly under 50yds.

Think about the deer (whatever variety) you've taken with a rifle, but deer only, please; and enter the most common range. I've purposely left the ranges rather broad, as I'm just looking for a general idea where most folks are shooting them.

[davlandrum]

Mine are all approx 75-100 yds.

[hogdogs]

I personally try to limit my slug shots from 65 to 80 yards and my .30-30 shots I consider 150 my absolute max but prefer out to 100. I am not usually in the open so I see most from 20-50 yards thus I opt for short guns... my 18 inch 20 gauge or my Marlin 336c .30-30 are my only centerfire long guns.
Brent

[Brian Pfleuger]

Never taken a deer with a "rifle", only shotguns.... do I count? Not that it would matter to me, rifle or shotgun.... I've never missed or not shot at a deer due to it being out of range.

[koolminx]

I normally shoot from 50 to 100 when rifle hunting deer, as in rifle season I don't need to be nearly as stealthy to get close enough for an accurate sure kill shot like if I was bow hunting. So it's easy to get within 50 to 90 yards of a deer undetected.

[Hunter04]

Out west for mule deer 200 yds very common for me

[rantingredneck]

I've taken deer from ranges measured in feet out to 350 yds. Vast majority have been within 50 yds though, with all weapons from bow, to pistol, to shotgun, to muzzleloader, to rifle.

[Dr. Strangelove]

The reason I mentioned rifles specifically is due to another poll about rifle sight in distance in "The Art of The Rifle" forum on this site. The majority of folks are sighting in at 200 yds or less, which seems reasonable to me, unless you just need the extra range for some reason.

I find it interesting to read the "is X-caliber enough for deer?" threads and the "he was quartering away running at a lasered 1.75 miles in a 30 knot crosswind, and I was losing the light fast, so I dropped him with a quick offhand shot" (not so much on this site). Most of my deer and those of the fellow hunters I know have been considerably less than 100 yds, I'm just curious to see what is the most common range. I realize the western folks will have some longer range opportunity.

[444]

The only rifle hunting I have done is here in the southwest US. I regularly practice at ranges out past 500 yards and with a wide open, broadside shot I feel comfident that I could make a 500 yard shot every time.
However, that isn't what you asked.
I have never shot a big game animal at a range beyond 100 yards. Most inside of 50 yards.
I have also taken deer with shotgun slugs as well as blackpowder rifles. I have probably never shot over 25 yards.

[reloader28]

I've shot 1 deer at 20 yds but the vast majority of mine are past 200. 3 days ago my 16 year old daughter shot a nice buck ( her 3rd ) at 265yds and last year her younger sister shot her first deer ever at 315yds.

[rantingredneck]

Much of the answers to this question will be terrain dependent.

The property I hunt has a few places where there are long shot opportunities, but most of the deer that you can see will be within 50 yds.

Thick woods round these parts.......

[Buzzcook]

When I started hunting my average was well under 100yds. For the last 20 years I've average just a bit over 100yds.
I changed from mostly woods to mostly orchards and farm land.
My 2 longest shots were ~250yds. My 3rd longest was ~150yds.

[taylorce1]

All mine with a ML have been under 50 yards. With a rifle every thing from 20 yards to 500+ yards. Really depends on the situation and if I feel confident I can make the shot.

[Sam06]

I mostly hunt with a Handgun, either a T/C in 30-30 or a 44 Mag. As a eastern US Deer hunter I have shot most deer and hogs from about 35-75 yds from a tree stand. On the ground its even closer. When I was stationed out west in WA State I hunted the Olympic peninsula and most of my shots on Black Tails, Black bear and Elk were with in 150 yds. I hunt Eastern MT also and I think the farthest I have shot a deer was a little under 300 yds, that was with a 308. I never hunted in AK but I fish there. If I was to hunt there I think either a 30-06 or a 45-70 would be my go to gun. Maybe a 338-06 or 35 Whelen if I was going for big stuff. Bullet placement and familiarity, read practice beats power every time in my book. A big Magnum super boomer is just not fun to shoot a whole lot. Plus I should be able to get close enough to a game animal, heck thats hunting not sniping. Thats just MHO, and its worth what you paid for it...............zip.................................Sam

[shortwave]

Ohio for deer is shotgun/handgun muzzleloader only. I`ve hunted all surrounding states where centerfire rifle is legal plus Tenn. and Georgia. Furthest shot has been about 130yds with a 270. Ironically, furthest deer shot with M/L was right here at 151yds. Average shots would be 50-75yds.

[bcarver]

longest- 285 yards .270 winchester 150 grainSpeer Grand Slam from model 70.
shortest about 7 yards same bullet.
most common- 80 ish yards.

Both times 200 yard zero.

[Kreyzhorse]

I hunt in the woods of Kentucky. The longest shot I've ever taken at deer was 50 yards. I'd guess all of my deer have been taken between 30 and 50 yards.

[cornbush]

In Utah and Idaho most of my shots are between 250 and 400 yards.

[Tomas204]

I throw sticks at them ,I can hit things at 80 yards with my Bow ,

[FrankenMauser]

I agree. This poll would be more accurate (if you can call an internet forum poll accurate...) if it was broken up into 'regions' of the country, or types of terrain.

When I lived in Florida, I couldn't see more than 30-40 yards.

Here, in Utah, most shots end up in the 100-200 yard range.

[trooper3385]

I was raised hunting in West Texas where the hunting is more wide open with rolling hills and mountains. The majority of the shots I made were 200 yds plus with several at 300 to 400 yds. I hunt in South Texas now where the majority of the hunting is done from blinds due to the thickness of the brush down here. The majority of the blinds I hunt out of are set up where the shots are usually going to be 150 to 200 yds. I have one blind that the shot will usually be 250 to 300 yds.

[Art Eatman]

A bunch of us used to lease a ranch not far north of Uvalde, Texas. Rolling hills, lots of brush, many oak mottes and some open terrain. I guess the majority of us got our deer at around 100 yards, give or take 20 yards. Some shots were longer; I killed one buck at 450 and one at 350.

But, walking hunting after I got to know the ranch very well, I was kicking Bucky out of bed at mid-day at as close as fifteen yards. Felt sorta guilty about using a rifle.

Same guilt trip for the last mule deer I killed in the Davis Mountains. I walked up on him, waking him up from his mid-day nap. About 30 yards at most.

[James R. Burke]

Looking at the poll it's kind of funny. Everyone talking about 300 to 500 yard shots like they are nothing, and sighting in to be extra high at 100 yards so your on at x yards and so low at x yards. We sight dead on for 100 yards, and know the rifle good enough for something alittle more or less. Today myself and the wife were checking our rifles at 100 yards at a local gravel pit you can shoot at. There must have been ten differnt trucks pull in to check there rifles. They were all shooting at about 50 yards. We had to wait half the time because they were so far in front of us. They were shooting all the biggest and best out there. Were we hunt deer it is free arm, and most folks after 100 yards cant hit squat free arm past 50 yards, but they are ready for that 300 yard shot that will never happen.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I agree. This poll would be more accurate (if you can call an internet forum poll accurate...) if it was broken up into 'regions' of the country, or types of terrain.

This is just for my own curiosity, I posted it with vague ranges and no location info because this is a national forum. I wanted the "data" to reflect the most common range nationwide without regard to terrain type.

I posted the same poll on a Georgia specific forum. It does have some spill over into surrounding states, but most respondents are from Georgia.

Here is that poll: http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=436251

With 132 Hunters responding as of this post, the GA forum reports 90.91% of deer taken at 100 yards or less. Adding in the 150 yard responses brings it to 95.46%

As of this post on TFL, with 69 hunters responding, 73.92% of shots are at 100 yards or less. Add in the 150 yard responses and we get to 85.51%.

This is just for my own personal information, I have been curious after reading all of the sight-in range posts and debates about super long range calibers.

Certainly a flawed survey, and only targeting one species of game, but it does appear that the overwhelming majority of deer are taken at 150 yards or less, with the vast majority of that being 100 yards or less.

[FrankenMauser]

I see.

Certainly a flawed survey, and only targeting one species of game, but it does appear that the overwhelming majority of deer are taken at 150 yards or less, with the vast majority of that being 100 yards or less.

The statistical break down could probably be paired with population density of the area where most "short range" replies came from, and show a strong correllation.