Is training at 100 yards good enough?

[ringorock]

Some of us are lucky enough to own or have access to long range shooting opportunities on a daily or common, practical basis. Others are lucky enough just to have access at 100. Some less fortunate have access to even shorter, 25 yards.

Given the circumstances, is it ever enough to train at shorter distances to hone trigger and breath control and then rely on theoretical ballistics and wind calculations to reliably and accurately hit your target at long range? Or, should you only hunt long range when you have consistent access and opportunity to shoot at actual long ranges?

Let's consider anything above 300 yards as long ranged.

I'll argue that practicing at shorter ranges coupled with experience in drop and wind calculations is better than practicing long. You can practice long all you want, but conditions will often change even in the same shooting session.

Obligatory that my opinion comes from someone with absolutely zero experience in shooting over 300 yards, but I don't think it's unreasonable to hunt longer ranges if a shooter understands the math behind making a shot. All of this comes from my gastrointestinal track.

Thoughts?

 

[rayjay]

The thing I hear mentioned most often is bad range estimation. There is no way you can learn this without actually shooting at extended ranges imo. If I thought I was going to be making long shots on a regular basis I would come up with some sort of life sized silhouette or something ??? that would allow me to eyeball and use my optics on the actual prey. Some scopes have a range estimation setup built in but it's far better to experience it on the range with the life sized target than to just have a book learning idea of what to look for. This life sized silhouette and your optics [ scope and binos ] could be done in a place where you could not shoot. Mostly just to get a handle on range estimation. Once you can accurately state the range it's just hold over after that.

 

[tree cutter 08]

Need to practice at the distances you intend to shoot under the same conditions. Low light, wind rain, hunting blind or stand. You will find out how good you aint if you dont. 300 yards is a long ways.

 

[GeorgiaBob]

I guess my answer is, don't shoot AT game with any rifle or at any range you have not practiced. Ballistics and range finders do work, to a degree. But every weapon, every load varies slightly. Georgia shooters are perfectly fine practicing at 100 yards because we seldom have a shot at a deer any further away. Elswhere, conditions may allow/require much longer shots. It would be foolish to attempt those shots without practice at range, with the same weapon, under similar light, wind and altitude, and using the same load.

If you can't practice for a 400 or 500 yard shot when you are at home, but want to shoot sheep in the Rockies or a Mule deer in west Texas, plan your trip to allow time for practice at long range. If you do have the experience to make "long" shots, you still need to practice at your destination to get used to the altitude, lighting and range estimated! And if you cannot make the shot you want at a certain range near where you are hunting - consistently - on paper, then don't shoot at game at that range.

 

[NCMTNHunter]

Learning to deal with those changing conditions at the range is what makes you capable of making (or choosing not to take) longer shots in the field. All the math and/or ballistic charts in the world won’t do you a bit of good if you haven’t shot your rifle at those ranges to know if the math matches up to what the gun is doing. I practice a lot at 500 yards. I have taken out to that distance as well. My range time at that distance has taught me that I don’t need to take that shot unless it’s dead calm. Even though I have played around with wind adjustments at that range it is not a risk I’m willing to take with something’s life on the line. There is just too much you don’t know only shooting at 100 yards.

 

[georgia_home]

I think you should prepare for shots you feel likely to encounter where you’ll be hunting.

That can be very different comparing a thick pine hunter to a powerline or beanfield hunter. Or a western brush or hill country hunter.

And it would really be a shame to take a trip of a lifetime and miss a 300?400? Yard shot because you didn’t prepare for it. If your hitting a 4” circle at 100y, and miss the elk, or hit his toe, at 300, that would stink if it was because you never practiced, learning how to minimize the effect of the variables.

 

[rayjay]

I once read an article that said to go run until your heart and respiration rate were well elevated and then practice your shots at game. I've never done it but I could see it being beneficial.

Also, if 4" is all you can do at 100 then that's about as far as you should shoot at game. 300+ requires a tack driving rifle and a shooter capable of getting the most out of it from varying rests. Taking an improvised rest is also something that needs thinking about and practicing.

 

[Big7]

I think someone made this a "sticky" in general hunting forum. I posted this many times before it "stuck". A valuable resource for almost any situation. It is free to use and reproduce.

I might suggest # 6 down. Red and green dots and directions on how to use are right there.

I only have 1 "thumper". It's a 30-30 bolt carbine that I still have to put back together.
I'll likely use # 6 just like the directions state.

All my other centerfire's are "boomers" except my .243's and I set those a little different. (meaning all my centerfire's) except the 30-30. The # 6 sets your rifle 3 inches high @ 100 yards. Plenty more different targets to choose from.
You will enjoy this site for many reasons. ENJOY !!

http://mytargets.com.

 

[transfixer]

In my opinion you should practice at the longest range possible within reason for the type of area you're hunting, if I'm hunting clearcut I'll practice at 300yds, and sometimes even further, in pine woods I sometimes have shots at 200yds, and try to always practice at 200yds, if you're on at 200yds, you'll likely only be 1.5 to 2.0 inches high at 100yds, depending on your scope mounts and scope, I've always mounted my scopes as close to the barrel as possible, using the lowest mounts I can get away with, I also try not to go above 42/44mm objectives so I can keep the centerline low to the barrel, that allows me to shoot from 25yds out to about 250yds, with only a couple inches or so of elevation variation. Even practicing at 200yds I'll double check the rifle at 50yds, and 100yds, and 250yds, to verify where the round will impact.

If you only shoot at 50yds or even 100yds, there is no guarantee where your round will impact at 150 or 200, how high your scope is mounted will affect the outcome, as well as bullet weight, and velocity. you can't always go by ballistic charts, they are generally worked up using 24 inch barrels, which most of us do not hunt with.

 

[LittleDrummerBoy]

Practicing and zeroing a bit high at 100 yards will have you good to 200 yards. Lots of tricky stuff happens past 200 yards. I estimate every 100 yards beyond 200 doubles the difficulty of the shot. Thus a 400 yard shot is 4x harder than a 200 yard shot, and a 300 yard shot is 2x as hard.

 

[treemanjohn]

It's not as simple as making a ballistic calculation to hit at longer range. You have to practice at longer range. North and South Point of impacts don't play a major role at longer distances, but East and West points of impact make a tremendous difference. It's also not as simple thinking that you are hitting one inch off at 9 o'clock equating to two off at 200

 

[greg j]

For me personally, i limit my shots to 200yds or less. I was invited to a long distance range one time several years ago, out to 500 yrds. I was able to hit the target consistantly at 100 and 200 yrds
but beyond that i had a very hard time estimating hold over and wind drift. There were several guys who hit the 500yrd target just about every time. There was one young man who had a world war ll french 8mm mauser with open sights who
shot a 5 inch group on that 500 yrd target. We were all very impressed. I never even hit the 500 yrd target.

 

[Big7]

For me personally, i limit my shots to 200yds or less. I was invited to a long distance range one time several years ago, out to 500 yrds. I was able to hit the target consistantly at 100 and 200 yrds
but beyond that i had a very hard time estimating hold over and wind drift. There were several guys who hit the 500yrd target just about every time. There was one young man who had a world war ll french 8mm mauser with open sights who
shot a 5 inch group on that 500 yrd target. We were all very impressed. I never even hit the 500 yrd target.

Possibly 7MM if it was French. They didn't use 8MM.

If you seen one of them, it must have been re- barreled. Unless it's something I don't know about.

Germany shot the 8MM.

 

[Jim Baker]

Firing a rifle at targets of any range range is helpful. Most hunters miss because of flinching vs. a poorly sighted rifle.

As for zeroing in this method is as good as any and has always worked for me.

https://gungoals.com/how-to-sight-in-a-rifle-scope-at-25-yards/

Also look up and download online ballistic charts matching your caliber and load.
These charts allow you to put in different calibers and loads to see the trajectories at different zeros.

 

[JustUs4All]

It is certainly best to practice at the ranges and in the conditions you plan to hunt but this is not practical for a lot of hunters. Practice at 100 yards is best for 100 yard shots. Any practice at any range is better than no practice.

Even dry firing beats not firing at all as you can learn how to acquire your target, how to manage your breathing and how to control your trigger. You can also practice how to take advantage of various rests that might be available to you in the field.

 

[greg j]

Possibly 7MM if it was French. They didn't use 8MM.
It was so long ago that i don't remember the exact caliber. All i know is that the kid
shot with open sights and hit a target at 500 yrd and we went out and measured a
5 inch spread.

 

[JustUs4All]

It also gives you confidence in your shot which is one of the most comforting and calming things to have with you when you decide to shoot a live target.

 

[GeorgiaBob]

My problem with practicing at 500 yards is finding someone with a golf cart to give me a ride out to the target!

 

[ryanh487]

Don't shoot any farther than you've trained.

Calculations are nothing but theory until you've verified them. Missing a deer at 300 yards is no big deal. Wounding one because you think you know where the bullet should land is.

 

[Permitchaser]

Ive shot 600and 1,000 yrd. NRA competition. If you know the ballistics of your bullet and load you can get pretty close at any yardage. For hunting i sight my rifles in at 100 yds then go up an inch or two depending how far I think I'm going to be shooting. Most deer in GA are killed between 50-75 yds
I hunted a box stand last year and i killed a coyote at 100 yds. And 305 yds with my
22-250
I'll be hunting coyotes this year with my Savage AR. I loaded up some 77 gr. Sierra Match bullets and from the ballistic chart i received from Sierra i can calculate from 300 out