Average shot on deer

[ratherbefishin]

I’ve killed a lot of deer,some really close( like stepping up on a rock hummock in salal and surprising a deer in its bed about 6 ‘ away ) and the longest, maybe 150 yards ,but the average shot was probably 50 yards or less.The old guy I used to know used his 25/35 and he had no problem filling his freezer with that.Obviously where you hunt and the terrain dictates whether you need the capabilities of a flat shooting long range rifle,but it seems to me anything that you can shoot with confidence is just fine,in fact the more powerful cartridges ie:7mm may be even less advantages than the moderate powered cartridges that dump their energy inside the deer rather than blowing right through without expanding ,or those high velocity rounds that kill the deer, but ruin a lot of meat.Admitedly,I’ve stepped back into the 6.5 x55 swede range ,even a 303 or 30/06 is overkill on coastal black tails ,it seems to actualy work better than higher velocity cartridges that the gun writers seem to be telling us we just have to have..and rush out and buy.Deer aren’t that hard to kill if you have a moderate cartridge and hold the rifle straight..

[Bugle M In]

30-40 yards for me, and use my 270 on just about everything in BC.
I can always find ammo for it and don't pay the extreme that some pay for certain specialty calibers.

[Gateholio]

,in fact the more powerful cartridges ie:7mm may be even less advantages than the moderate powered cartridges that dump their energy inside the deer rather than blowing right through without expanding ,.

If a bullet isn't expanding, it's more of a bullet problem than a cartridge problem.

[btridge]

I have shot alot of animals in the last 40 years, rangeing from 10 feet (186 7/8 inch mule buck!) to 500 yards,( 178 inch Whitetail!). It doesn't take much of a cartridge to dispatch a deer a 10 feet, but I carry a cartrige that will be just as effective at 500 yards. Why limit yourself?
My cartridge of choice is the 300 WM for the most part. I will carry other cartidges, but they will all have the ability to reach out.

My average shot will be VERY different than someone that shoots a 30/30 with open sights and never practises past a hundred yards. The average shot WILL be very different between a hunter that only hunts the thick timber and one that hunts a variety of terrain from heavy timber to alpine to open country.

So, for me, the limiting factor on the cartridge I choose is NOT the average shot I will take. It will be the cartridge that will still perform at the outter limits I will hunt to.

[Gateholio]

Shots on deer for me have been from 4 to 400 yards. Any 308 class cartridge would have worked.

I've used .223,30-30,7.62x39,308,3006,303 Brit, 7RM,30WM, 300WSM 338 M, 375 H&H, 375 Ruger.

[ratherbefishin]

I live on Vancouver Island where most of my deer hunting has been done and the typical blacktail a small deer and is taken at short range and in timber or overgrown clearcuts . Black bear share the same territory ,neither of which I have any desire to track through the salal that often is often so thick you can’t see your own feet,and you can walk right by a deer or bear that ran on you and never see it.This is as important in choosing a cartridge as the capability of shooting at 400 yards( if I could even shoot accurately at that range,frankly,I can’t, half that is pushing it) The venerable 30/30 is still in use and for a good reason,much like the Swede,( ballistically equal to a 270 after 100 yards,but with less recoil),they do the job and do it very well.

[Walksalot]

I have shot a few deer and elk,1 moose, in my day with the vast majority between 20 and 50 yards. I have shot one about 200 yards which is my longest but the bottom line is that I am not confident shooting distance because I don't practice shooting distance. I sight my rifle in for 100 yards and if the animal is much further then I try to get closer. Sometimes I get closer and sometimes the animal moves on.

[HarryToolips]

My average range is 20 - 200 yards for taking deer...never been a prob with a .30-06 as long as I do my part..

[mikhailmol]

All the deer I shot were shot with an SKS, so 7.62x39 cartridge. Rifle is cheap and semi auto, ammo is cheap. I comfortably shoot it up to 100 yards. Most of the deer I got were shot probably around 40-70 yards. Great gun for bush walking but I would like to get something as convenient as it but in 308 size in case if I get charged by a bear or want to go hunting a moose or an elk. Though finding those is probably even more difficult than a deer buck which I still haven't had success at harvesting. All the deer I got so far were does in an open doe season.

[lowball]

Average for here would be in the 100 yard range. I like a 120 grain bullet over 3200 fps. As we all know, not many deer stand still so most shots are at a moving target.

[KodiakHntr]

Average distance? Probably right around 200 yards I suppose. Closest was around 10
yards, longest laser’d distance was 492. *May* have been one or two that were longer than that, but back before range finders.

Closest was a whitetail with a 264 Mag and a 140 X bullet, longest was with a 243AI and 105 Amax on a 4x6 muley.

Any and all deer I have shot could have been killed with a 243, and a significant number of them were with a 6mm.
I’ve used 223/223AI, 243AI/6mm, 264mag, 7wsm, 308 Norma Mag, 300wm, 300 Ultra, 338 wm, and probably a few others I can ‘t recall off the top of my head.
Currently all my deer hunting is done with a 223AI or 243AI, depending on terrain and mood.

[RyoTHC]

I try to keep track of my shots,

bears my average is right around 70 yards
white tail my average is 50 yards
mule deer my average is just over 200 yards.

[twoSevenO]

Closest 20 yards on a blacktail.
Furthest 400 on a mulie.

Both with my 243 Winchester.

[Pioneerman]

Not high speeds that cause damage it is bullet choice, and if the bullet does not expand then it is again bullet problem, high speed should open your bullet right away, it is when they go to slow that expansion is less. I have taken deer from 25 yards out to just over 500, but everyone is different in what distance they will feel comfortable shooting

[todbartell]

About 90 yards for the deer I have shot

[tomahawk]

Closest mule was 6 ft, I was sitting a few feet below a game trail watching a cut in front of me and heard a sound, twisted my body in a half circle and a 4 point was staring down at me, I was able to slowly swing the gun around and point it at his chest and he folded in his tracks. Longest was 265 yds. Ive called in 3 blacktails to arrow range of 7 to 32 yds and called in four 4 point mules to inside 60 yds with the rifle. 3 whitetails called/rattled to inside 25 yds. Most spot and stalks are 70 to 265 yds out and a guess of average would be 125. Most with a 30-06 and some with a 300 WM

[RiverOtter]

Stupid question, but does SKS(7.62x39) ammo come in expanding bullets?
I generally assume that army surplus ammo is FMJ and therefore illegal for use on big game animals.

I don't own or shoot one, hence my question.

[CRhunter]

Federal fusion makes a hunting bullet for 7.62x39

[Gateholio]

Stupid question, but does SKS(7.62x39) ammo come in expanding bullets?
I generally assume that army surplus ammo is FMJ and therefore illegal for use on big game animals.

I don't own or shoot one, hence my question.

There is a number of x39 soft point ammunition offerings.

[RICKADY]

When I finally shoot one I will post, maybe this weekend, looks like my 270 should be fine, as long as I do my part.

[RackStar]

> 100 yards for me. The areas I hunt deer these days has no cut blocks, just timber

[hickman]

Most deer later in season (November) <100yds. Alpine mule between 100 and 200yds.
Last weekend 4pt at 50yds in timber.
270win 130gr Hornady Interlock handload.

[TyTy]

i've shot deer from 20-180yrds. For myself it has not been the distance so much as steep angles that create difficulty. Once you start shooting over 45 degrees up or down you need to compensate. Scope magnification & distance matter as much as caliber at this point.

[whitlers]

i've shot deer from 20-180yrds. For myself it has not been the distance so much as steep angles that create difficulty. Once you start shooting over 45 degrees up or down you need to compensate. Scope magnification & distance matter as much as caliber at this point.

Sound advice

20 yards to 300 yards but most for me have been within 100

[john-brennan]

70-200 yards is where most of the animals have been taken for me but I have had to reach out to 400 a couple of times, 270WSM i only hunt mule deer now.

[tripleseven]

I've gone 7 for 7 on one shot kills on blacktail and mule deer (and a 6x7 rosie elk) since I switched to a 300 wby mag. Most of which have been bang/flop and none have gone more than 30 yards. Have I lost some rib meat? Sure, but theres nothing better than for sure dead. I won't be changing to anything lighter unless I have reason too. Shots were between 40 and 300 yards, probably averaging 100 yards or so.

[Camp Cook]

I've shot over 100 deer most were from 30 - 125 yards some way out further I started with a 270 Wby then a 30-06 then moved up to a 308 Norma Mag used it for over 20 years.

I now shoot T/C Contender and Prohunter single shots last 10 years I've shot 12 bucks with them closest was 34 yards a 22" barreled Contender in 45-70 furthest was 225 yards with a 19" barrel in 6.8SPC last was appr 125 yards with a 21" barrel in 7-30 Waters.