.308 For Roe 400+ yards?

Now as someone who has shot deer at extended ranges I can honestly say I do not have a problem with the shooting of deer at long range. However, to do so humainly requires a lot of skill and experience, and should not be done by a beginner, wich I can tell you are by the question you asked. Most of us who shoot long range put 1000s of rounds down range a year at ranges over double we ever expect to shoot at live quarry.
 
If this had been a long range sniper kill by one of our lads this week, a good example would be...

Craig Harrison (born November 1974) is a former Corporal of Horse (CoH) in the Blues and Royals, a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and as of November 2009 holds the record for the longest confirmed sniper kill in combat, at a range of 2,475 m (2,707 yd).


Mention deer and most people want to nail OP to the yard arm!!

There is no balance with this type of post, A pat on the back for one, a kick in the sack for the other...


Tim.243
I think craig Harrison would of been just as happy with a body hit the fact that it turned into a kill was just a bonus . im not kicking anyone in the sack but to say you cannot get closer than 350 - 400 yards shows a lack of fieldcraft
 
Ok thanks all, just to confirm, yes I am new to this and no I haven't even attempted to take a shot as I had the ethical doubt in my mind, hence asking for your thoughts, which are now very clear indeed. Please don't jump down my throat as I'm still trying to learn and am more than willing to take on board any help you guys can give me, which is greatly appreciated. Regarding the fences they are the typical shabby fences that have been up since the last king died so it wouldn't take a lot of breaking. The land owner believes that these deer are to blame. I have not seen them doing the deed in person so could maybe rule that one out. Apart from forestry roads the only access to the ground is via a green lane (at best) 14 miles from the main road which leads to a 55 acre patch of flat ground, no cover to get behind apart from a line of feed troughs at the other end ( this is where the deer are mainly) so as soon as I get to the distances previously stated they must get wind of me/spot me not sure still learning chaps.. And gallop off out of sight. I'm awfully sorry if my post sounds ridiculous but like I said I'm new and looking for info! Many thanks,

Regards, Ranger338
 
Just read some of the posts this afternoon but not all. It may have sounded ridiculous to those with experience but not necessarily to those without. If you are not too far away from me I'd have no problem taking a look with you to maybe give you a few ideas and not looking for any stalking myself, have plenty enough to look after at the moment. If interested, just send me a PM
 
cammo up and get there early,,then sit and wait/watch, you can do it if you try hard enough,,,,,had a pregnant doe walk up too me last week i just stopped took my phone out and she stood on the road while i took three pictures before she shrugged and walked off,which was unusual for me because they usually leg it!!!,
 
Just read some of the posts this afternoon but not all. It may have sounded ridiculous to those with experience but not necessarily to those without. If you are not too far away from me I'd have no problem taking a look with you to maybe give you a few ideas and not looking for any stalking myself, have plenty enough to look after at the moment. If interested, just send me a PM


A first class response there.
 
Hi,

The whole idea of hunting Deer is the Stalk NOT the Kill, in 30 years of hunting i had no joy in the kill only trying to get as close as i could that was the Buzz.

In the Military if you cannot get closer than 300m max to your tgt you fail the stalk and that with with a 308 rd.

You are not trying hard enough, stop thinking and start crawling before you walk.
 
We all have different capabilities so some may be capable of shooting deer humanely at longer ranges than others. These ranges can change according to the situation, ie. environmental and shooting platform. One of the key factors in producing humane kills is to know these personal and situational limits and to all ways shoot within them. I have shot deer at distances that others may not so I am not opposed to the idea but I do not take these shot often. It is often quicker and easier to get a bit closer than to set up for the long range shot. I would say I shoot more paper at distance than deer.

I would suggest putting a target out to the distance you would like to shoot at to measure your own capabilities and in different conditions. One of the limiting factors is the effects of the wind. For this reason I choose to shoot a bullet with a high BC so this is affected to a lesser extent.

It is apparent from what you have said and admitted to that you have little experience. Some on here have offered to give you some of the benefits of theirs, I would suggest you should take them up on this offer. Good luck, remember to learn how to walk before you run
 
Agreed, yep it's all being noted! More advice the merrier. I shoot a lot of F-Class so reading wind speed and direction is of upmost importance and is becoming second nature now.
 
Get on your belt buckle 👍
Remember what gives your position away.....shine, shape, silloutte, smoke, shadow, fast movement and bright colours, haha

Hope all works out good 😎
 
400 yards? I can't even see that far, and if I can't then you can't. Shame on you for suggesting it. If you can't get all cammed up and stalk in close enough to pluck their eyelashes out before you shoot them then you should probably take up another hobby.
 
Hi there fellas! I'm currently in a job where working with ballistics is a daily routine and was having a little brain storm. I've now gained some 2000 acres of Roe rich permissions of which most is open hill bordered by forestry. So here we go. Legal requirement to take Roe in England/Wales requires a muzzle energy of 1700 ft/lbs correct? I've tried many a time to get within some half decent range of these beauties to no success, about 350 yards on a good day. Now for the science! If I were to shoot one with a 95 grain .243 at this distance, the terminal ballistics is equivalent to shooting it at 100 yards with a .222.... No good in my eyes as the energy transfer and penetration would not be sufficient enough to offer a clean kill. So... .308. Given my circumstances this seems a much more effective round at this range as it offers the same ft/lbs of energy at 400 yards as a .243 would at 175, giving a far better chance of humanely dispatching the beast. Can you see where I'm coming from? You may say 'well get closer mun' tried it, doesn't work, tried it some more, nope still no! What's your opinions chaps?

I guess your knowledge of ballistics is limited or you would not be asking which is fair enough,alot of us come here to learn new stuff , so, if you can shoot sub moa in field conditions and your 75gr+ bullet is doing 2650fps at 400 yards there wont be a problem but I suspect this is not the case.
 
Well done for sticking with the thread ranger338.

If u don't know any different its not ur fault.

The best thing i'd advise is book some stalking with someone (or take that very kind offer up) and let them guide u and show u some fieldcraft etc. Plenty of very good experienced stalkers on here to take u out.

Even at the ranges ur talking about u could be the best shot shooting only on windless days but if u have no experience of reading deer it could be about to move as u pull the trigger, not such a big issue at normal ranges esp if taking H/L shots.


On the fences i will almost guarantee it is hill sheep causing the damage and not deer, hill sheep tend to be as wild as anything and will turn small gaps into massive holes in no time even in modern fences. Roe will almost always jump a fence not barge throu it the way sheep do
 
Thanks for some good advice chaps, have taken that very generous offer and have had a few PM's offering some great advice for which I'm extremely grateful for. Just a shame that some have to jump down my throat given half a chance. Did I say I'm going to shoot these deer at 350 yards? No. Simply asked for some thoughts on the matter. If this was someone else asking a similar novice question I'm pretty sure a lot of you would really knock someone's confidence. I don't mind I'll live and learn but just for future reference, take it easy on the new guy.
 
No offence to the OP but I see more and more of this in the stalking world, as more and more people are coming into the stalking world
I saw another post from the OP where he was shooting targets at a mile so I don't doubt his marksmanship, but I do doubt his field craft..

If you want to be a stalker learn field craft, stalking is not about how good a shot you are,many good stalkers are not great shots.
The sport is in the STALKING trying to get as close as you can, the actual shot should be almost an anti climax, no need to Bea fantastic shot if you can put a bullet in the kill area of a beast at 200 yards that's more thanvood enough, most shots when stalking wi
ll be considerably less most woodland shots are at less than a 100 yards and even on the open hill not many are over a 150.

It should be about the stalk rather than the shooting at least for a recreatkonal stalker , if the shooting is what does it for you stick to targets.
 
Back
Top