Shooters and Hunters: What's Your Best Ever Distance / Accuracy Personal Record?

[georged]

There are guys who can reach out to touch quadripedal furry things at 800+ yards... with blackpowder rifles that don't have scopes, for example.

And pistol shooters who can put 50+ shots into a silver-dollar-sized group at 50 meters... one handed.

And trick shot demo guys who can split pistol bullets on axe blades at 25 feet (a small balloon is taped to each side of the axe head to prove the split).

And so on.

Anyone here particularly handy with a lead slinging device who has a story to tell?

 

[bullet08]

Nope. Don't expect to shoot that far. More like 3 - 5 feet away.

 

[edger]

I once hit the broad side of a barn.

 

[doug535]

I once shot my eye out with a Red Ryder BB gun

 

[username]

i missed with a shotgun at a very close range during a cowboy action shoot after commenting how can you miss at this range with a shotgun.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I hit a target 300 yards away, around 2 1/2 by 2 1/2 ft. I don't even remember the rifle, I think.308? It was a superb rifle with a great scope. I can't imagine hitting something at 600 yards and further. I hit the target once in five tries.

 

[ashdigger]

Not a trick shooter. But I’ve pushed my 7mm Mag to 1,000 yards. Too far to kill, but far enough for a piece of steel.

 

[warren]

I've never missed whatever my weapon was pointed at. Of course, more than once, that weapon wasn't exactly pointed where I was aiming.

 

[Briar Lee]

When Ruger started making 44 Special Flattop revolvers in 2009 I wound up with a pair, both with the internals and throats worked by my friend Rod Gates.

I also bought a thousand Starline 44 Special cases and I’ve shot thousands of “Skeeter loads” (7.5 grains Unique under 240 grain Keith bullet) and a few hundred “Keith loads” (17 grains 2400 under 240 grain Keith) to where I can regularly hit a five gallon bucket at 400 yards.

A few years ago my middle son was trying to shoot a squirrel from a tree using a Ruger All American .22 and kept missing.

I asked if he minded if I tried, and I busted the squirrel at a laser rangefinder measured 63 yards on the first try.

He fetched it and I’d shot most of the neck away.

As he was skinning it he saw another one further away, and that one at 101 measured yards took two shots.

It’s difficult to explain but you can see the base of the Keith bullet as it flies and make adjustments, in the right light.

I’m no Elmer Keith.

But Elmer was not lying, about anything.

You want one of these and may not know it, yet. Buy a thousand rounds of Starline brass the day you get it.

 

[Tbaggins]

I once shot my largest antelope at a distance that I surprised myself with. I don’t know how far it was but 6-700 yards would be my guess. Wind was clipping along, it was shoot or don’t and never get a second shot. The area I hunt is wide open and the antelope will run when they see you a mile away. They have 8x vision by the way. I held several feet above the critter and my vertical crosshair on the edge of its ass and touched it off. Speed goat dropped, couldn’t believe when I walked up and the shot landed square in the vitals. Some might think a shot like that is irresponsible but sometimes it just feels right, and it’s a delicate animal that doesn’t require much to bring down. Also antelope is the finest table just short of beef. And by far the most unique animal in the west, they’re a treasure and true conservation through hunting story.

 

[romaso]

I once shot my largest antelope at a distance that I surprised myself with. I don’t know how far it was but 6-700 yards would be my guess. Wind was clipping along, it was shoot or don’t and never get a second shot. The area I hunt is wide open and the antelope will run when they see you a mile away. They have 8x vision by the way. I held several feet above the critter and my vertical crosshair on the edge of its ass and touched it off. Speed goat dropped, couldn’t believe when I walked up and the shot landed square in the vitals. Some might think a shot like that is irresponsible but sometimes it just feels right, and it’s a delicate animal that doesn’t require much to bring down. Also antelope is the finest table just short of beef. And by far the most unique animal in the west, they’re a treasure and true conservation through hunting story. View attachment 251551

Not a lot of cover or concealment out there! Good shot!

 

[romaso]

I've got a .54 cal flintlock and have thought about making chain shot like they used in the tall ship days to shoot away rigging, tie two .54 cal balls together. I might hit a lot more with that.

PS Flintlocks don't always fire when you pull the trigger. You need a good spark, dry powder & priming, etc.

 

[bullet08]

I've got a .54 cal flintlock and have thought about making chain shot like they used in the tall ship days to shoot away rigging, tie two .54 cal balls together. I might hit a lot more with that.

PS Flintlocks don't always fire when you pull the trigger. You need a good spark, dry powder & priming, etc.

Once was shooting flintlock with boy scouts. Was told to keep it pointing at the target if it doesn't go off. Sometimes, there's delay. One of the boy pulled the trigger, but there was no "boom". Waited forever until the guide came and took the rifle, put gunpowder and tried again. Worked that time.

 

[woodsroad]

I ised to shoot competitively, with the AR, M1 and WW1 era bolt guns like the 1917 and Mosin. Shot and medaled at the National Matches, Canp Perry Ohio several times. Unfortunately, the vision in my right eye has deteriorated enough that it’s no longer enjoyable to compete. I still enjoy plinking, but it’s now mostly with optics at closer ranges.

 

[JOHN72]

I remember in the army, shooting periodically with the CETME, which used the 7.62 caliber. A machine gun, which is now only used for parades and official events at military bases ... It is a heavy weapon, with a range of I think 1500 meters. And with that caliber of bullet, it was catastrophic if it hit you. Until NATO ammunition arrived. The cetme, colloquially called poplar in its C-64 model, like other previous rifles of the Spanish armed forces, was the assault rifle of the Spanish Army developed in Spain by the Center for Technical Studies of Special Materials:
Designer: Ludwig Vorgrimler
Maximum range: 1600 m
Rate of fire: 750 rounds/min.
Caliber: 7,62 mm; 5,56 mm
Magazine: Curved, 30-round detachable, model L Straight, 20-round detachable, model C
In Service: 1958-present (Guardia Civil)
Ammunition: 7.62 x 51 cetme; 7.62 x 51 NATO; 5.56 x 45 NATO

 

[blackpowderpiper]

PS Flintlocks don't always fire when you pull the trigger. You need a good spark, dry powder & priming, etc.

I do most of my hunting with a flintlock and yes, they can be finnicky. Attention to detail is required. A properly tempered frizzen, a good sharp flint, a well tuned lock, an open touch hole and dry prime are all important. Using actual black powder is a must as the ignition temperature is much lower than the substitute powders. I've been fortunate and never had a misfire on an animal. I'm not a long distance hunter, preferring to get up close and personal with my quarry. While venison features heavily in my yearly diet, I let more animals walk than I actually take.

 

[PA Piper Mike]

A buddy of mine invited me along to his range which has steel targets every 100 yards out to 900. I was able to plink steel with my DDVR7 with Aimpoint micro red dot out to 500 yards. That thing is a tack driver. However, I couldn't hit the 600 yd one. At that distance, I was so high over the target, I had little to no frame of reference to aim at.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

My memoir may be titled, "Pheasants I've Missed". Just a reminder it's that time of year!

 

[woodsroad]

I remember in the army, shooting periodically with the CETME, which used the 7.62 caliber. A machine gun, which is now only used for parades and official events at military bases ... It is a heavy weapon, with a range of I think 1500 meters. And with that caliber of bullet, it was catastrophic if it hit you. Until NATO ammunition arrived. The cetme, colloquially called poplar in its C-64 model, like other previous rifles of the Spanish armed forces, was the assault rifle of the Spanish Army developed in Spain by the Center for Technical Studies of Special Materials:
Designer: Ludwig Vorgrimler
Maximum range: 1600 m
Rate of fire: 750 rounds/min.
Caliber: 7,62 mm; 5,56 mm
Magazine: Curved, 30-round detachable, model L Straight, 20-round detachable, model C
In Service: 1958-present (Guardia Civil)
Ammunition: 7.62 x 51 cetme; 7.62 x 51 NATO; 5.56 x 45 NATO

View attachment 251588

Predecessor to the German G3!

 

[JOHN72]

Predecessor to the German G3!

A destructive weapon, just the sound alone, was already terrifying. Then we were assigned something totally different, a green plastic cetme, which looked like a toy rifle, one of those used in the duck shooting fair, hahahaha. Thanks friend for the information. We also used an automatic submachine gun. I think it was from the same period as the cetme, or maybe older. This is the Star Z-62. submachine gun.