How Far is an above average shot?

[wobblegobble]

whats an average to above average shot with these caliber guns?
7mm?
.243?
.30-06?
My guess for the 7mm- 250 yds....243-150yds....30-06-200yds

 

[knightrider]

flat country your way short in capable hands on all of them for sure on the 243

 

[DaveB]

Ton of variables. Bean field or forest? Piggy? Deer? 12 point monster or fat doe?

I'd say your estimates were pretty good. My younger brother killed a deer at a paced 175 with my 243, 105 grain partition. Bullet did not exit. Deer dropped at shot and kicked and flopped 50 yards downhill.

 

[wobblegobble]

I know there are many variables but on average in an open field?

 

[BSK]

Do you mean the average shot the gun is capable of, the average shooter is capable of, or the actual shot distance taken with these weapons?

If it is average distance of shots actually taken in TN, I would guess under 50 yards for every firearm.

 

[wobblegobble]

what the gun is capable of with the average hunter?

 

[TNReb]

what the gun is capable of with the average hunter?

Average hunter? :) Keeping in mind the average hunter never practices with large caliber rifles... I'd guess the average hunter probably misses (or makes a poor shot) past 200 yards.

I like to reference this chart to get a quick ballpark glance at what a rifle should be capable of. Take it with a grain of salt...

http://www.chuckhawks.com/rifle_trajectory_table.htm

 

[BSK]

what the gun is capable of with the average hunter?

Average hunter? :) Keeping in mind the average hunter never practices with large caliber rifles... I'd guess the average hunter probably misses (or makes a poor shot) past 200 yards.

With a gun pinpoint accurate to a mile, and from a bench-rest, I think the AVERAGE hunter could make a killing shot at 150 yards. With the same gun WITHOUT a rest, the AVERAGE hunter will struggle to be accurate beyond 50-60 yards.

 

[HuntFish714]

Well in my opinion any way everything but the .243 I zero for 200yards. .243 from what I've noticed from trajectory is good zero at 100 with groups atleast to 200yards. For the .223 I love the 200yard zero for coyotes and my m-4 with NATO rounds is zeroed at 300yards. Just the way I like it and have found to work. A reminder tho im from idaho and arizona and like hunting flats.

 

[348Winchester]

My longest shot was at a Large mule deer in eastern Montana with a 270. It was 315 paces. I used a small tree to help steady the rifle.

My average shot in Tennessee has been about 40 yards. I shoot rifles fairly regularly and consider myself to be above average. With a good rest I would shoot to 300 yards. Offhand, no more than 100 yards and then only if there was good light. In fading light I would only shoot offhand to about 50 yards probably even less.

 

[farmin68]

whats an average to above average shot with these caliber guns?
7mm?
.243?
.30-06?
My guess for the 7mm- 250 yds....243-150yds....30-06-200yds

What do you mean by average with these particular calibers?

 

[Wobblyshot1]

what the gun is capable of with the average hunter?

Average hunter? :) Keeping in mind the average hunter never practices with large caliber rifles... I'd guess the average hunter probably misses (or makes a poor shot) past 200 yards.

With a gun pinpoint accurate to a mile, and from a bench-rest, I think the AVERAGE hunter could make a killing shot at 150 yards. With the same gun WITHOUT a rest, the AVERAGE hunter will struggle to be accurate beyond 50-60 yards.

You hit the nail on the head!

 

[farmin68]

what the gun is capable of with the average hunter?

That answered my question. Ballistically speaking, the calibers you mentioned all have pretty much the same trajectory from the muzzle to 400 yards and farther.

With the average hunter, the most capable gun would be the one he/she is most comfortable shooting, and that is almost always the one with the lightest recoil. Provided the caliber is sufficient (and all mentioned are), the shootability of a rifle is far more important than knock-down power.

 

[muddyboots]

I have shot them from 5 yards to 350 yards. It's not the gun but the shooter. I grew up spending all day on Saturday shooting against buddies for cokes. After awhile you will get pretty good. With that said I bet my average shots on deer are about 50 yards. Lol

 

[BSK]

Since I began hunting in the ridge and hollow hardwoods of TN almost 30 years ago, my average shot distance with a firearm (both MZ and centerfire) is right at 35 yards. Shortest was straight below my stand and longest was around 150 yards, but shots beyond 60 yards have been very rare.

 

[HuntFish714]

If you guys are only shooting out to 60 yards why not just use a bow and save the brass money lol :-p

 

[BHC]

My experience is a little different I'd say the avg distance of deer I've killed with a gun is about 80 yrds.. We take 30+ deer a yr at our club, and would say most shots are 75 yrds or more... That question is a little broad, the avg hunter may not even zero there gun every yr... I would think the avg avid hunter, most on this sight, can comfortably shoot a deer out to 200 with all those except .243 possibly

 

[MUP]

I've taken a few deer with rifle and ML at just under 100 yds offhand. I tell you, it takes a few breaths for me to steady out for the squeeze. Way different from a good solid rest wo a doubt.

 

[benellivol]

I've killed a doe with a 30-06 that, when shot with a rangefinder, was 215 yards.

Most of mine are within 75 yards of my stand though.

 

[KPH]

If you guys are only shooting out to 60 yards why not just use a bow and save the brass money lol :-p

May be some of us don't like to bow hunt.

 

[BSK]

If you guys are only shooting out to 60 yards why not just use a bow and save the brass money lol :-p

Most of my mature buck kills have been at less than 20 yards. Yet you won't catch me with a stick and string in my hands! Give me a real killing weapon! ;)

 

[DaveB]

Out West there is no such thing as a 20 yard shot except on TV.

Average shot distance is one of those values that only has meaning to the person doing the shooting. On the lease we can have deer pop out at 20 or 120. If you don't have confidence in your ability to take the shot, then don't. As an opinion, it takes a lot of practice to go from tree-stand shooting to a TN bean field.

 

[HuntFish714]

Ya I gotcha lol just havin fun. There has also been many a deer and elk I've let walk as angles at further distances are more important and gotta have the least area for failure. Im good with my bow to 70 yards but only take those shot on solid broadside animals... sorry for jack in the thread

 

[Hawk]

I know there are many variables but on average in an open field?

Depends on the terrain. It is not unusual to have long shots where I hunt and 300 yds is about as far as I will shoot.


Three hundred yards, a rest, deer still, broadside, shooting 270 or 7mm mag

Corner of woods is about 3/4 mile and the bean field is 500+ acres

 

[mike243]

Hawk them fields are very hard to gauge distances ,without known landmarks or a range finder more folks will miss than hit when it gets away out there, I unloaded the 300wm 1 time at 500y I misjudged as 300. my brother had sighted the rifle in for me due to work & he had it 12" high at 100y so I was probably shooting over them any way lol

 

[Ridgerunner665]

This all depends on the shooter, as has already been said a few times...

A skilled, well practiced, shooter with a 30-30 can accurately shoot farther than a novice with a 7mm Rem Mag.

Give that 7mm Rem Mag to the skilled and practiced shooter...and he can put deer down clean at 800 yards...much past that, the bullet slows down so much that it no longer expands properly...most require about 1,800 fps to reliably expand.

Give him the 30-06...and its 600 yards.

243...it gets pretty weak past 300 yards, can be accurate much farther, but that little bullet can't do much damage once it slows down.


If you're asking about point blank range...as in, point and shoot, no holdover or scope adjustments...then for the 7mm, 243, and 30-06...its 250 yards for all, given proper barrel lengths and muzzle velocities...if they're sighted in for 200 yards.

Sight them in for 250 yards (this is what I use)...and they'll reach to 300 with 3-5 inches of drop, below the point of aim.

 

[BSK]

A skilled, well practiced, shooter with a 30-30 can accurately shoot farther than a novice with a 7mm Rem Mag.

Well said.