How Do You Make Long Deer Shots?

[Oh Shoot]

Was shooting my new .30-30 Marlin today.

I never deer hunted growing up, just small game/birds.

This is my only larger caliber rifle, and with newly tweaked cheapo scope, was putting all in 8" plate at 120 yards. I'd say with practice and a little more scope tweaking, maybe can cut down to 4-5" circle.

BUT this was shooting off rest. Not solid bipod, but just little soft rest on top of ammo can, sitting down. Offhand, standing up, even steadying with strap wrapped around arm, I was lucky to hit the plate 1 out of 5.

I know that probably half the deer shots in TN are taken at 50 yards or less, but how do y'all make longer ones? Offhand, or with those long stick bipods, or what?

How do most of your shoot from ground blinds and/or tree stands? Just offhand?

Maybe I've just gotten beau coup unsteady in my advanced years, dunno.

- OS

[gregintenn]

I usually find a convenient tree to fashion a rest from. I also use the front of my climbing treestand as a rest. I never shoot at a deer any further than point blank range without some sort of support.

[Garufa]

Congrats on the .30-30! If it's new, might need to give it some time for the barrel to break in a little, then the accuracy should improve. That is unless you've found a way to defeat the Micro-Groove.

I'm not sure myself how accurate that round is out to that distance.

What model did you get? BTW, I might have sold you mine if you'd asked.

[Oh Shoot]

Congrats on the .30-30! If it's new, might need to give it some time for the barrel to break in a little, then the accuracy should improve. That is unless you've found a way to defeat the Micro-Groove.

I'm not sure myself how accurate that round is out to that distance.

Well, I dunno, but the Marlinites say they do a a few inches or better at 200 yards with conventional shells, and better than that with the Hornady LE stuff. I was just shooting Rem CoreLockt 170 gr.

What model did you get? BTW, I might have sold you mine if you'd asked.

I probably should have, John, if I'd only known...I should know to ask you about ANY gun first! ...just got the ole uncontrollable urge at Dick's couple of weeks ago. It's the cheapo 336A, which Marlin doesn't even show onsite any more, although seems same as 336W, except it has the end barrel "cap" instead of barrel band.

Truly no name scope came with it, doesn't even say "Marlin" or even "made in China" on it. (3-9 x 32). After rebate, $325 for whole thang.

Mac

[Oh Shoot]

I usually find a convenient tree to fashion a rest from. I also use the front of my climbing treestand as a rest. I never shoot at a deer any further than point blank range without some sort of support.

Well, that's a little bit of comfort, thanks.

I don't expect to be deer hunting, unless it's after The Meltdown, just curious to gauge my (lack of) handheld marksmanship.

- OS

[Guest Muttling]

I'll shoot up to about 100 yards standing and using a sling wrap, but I far prefer shooting from a rest of some sort. It can be prone, a hay bale, a tree limb, etc. If you're 100 yards out and the deer is calm, it's not hard to find a rest.

I've taken them at ranges of up to 400 yards with a rest, but I don't think the .30-30 has a good trajectory for the longer ranges. (This said, I've never hunted with one so I really don't know.)

On a final note, I like bolt actions and find the lever actions to be too light weight. Heavier weapons tend to be more accurate at range, but good in the brush.

[Guest KarlS]

I don't expect to be deer hunting, unless it's after The Meltdown, just curious to gauge my (lack of) handheld marksmanship.- OS

Why not? Get out there and have some fun and practice your hunting skills before the meltdown. You don't want to sharpen your hunting skills after TSHF. Shooting long range takes practice and just feeling comfortable with your rifle. Go have fun and go through some rounds.

Try sighting in first with a bench rest and then start offhand shooting. That way you know if one goes off the plate it's you and not the rifle.

I have never used a bipod on big game rifles. Just me. That's a matter of choice but I never cared for the added weight. Bipod users will attack me over this I'm sure, but I've always found something to use at the time I needed a long shot. Anything from a daypack to tree or rolled up coat.

Go shoot and have some fun. Your accuracy will improve.

[GKar]

Been working with a new-to-me 336 (with a 4-10x40 scope) lately, too. Like somebody above suggested, I first worked from a bench rest at 50, 100 and 200 using Federal Power-Shok 170gr softtips. When zeroed at 100, needed to shoot about 4-5" high at 200 to find the mark. Then I switched to offfhand, leaning against a post for some support. Certainly more scatter, but within a few rounds got to where I could put them on a 6" circle reliably at 100, most of the time at 200. Switched to Hornady 160gr LE's...at 100, shot about 3" high, and spot on at 200 while never moving scope adjustments.

[gregintenn]

A lot of the long range shots on deer happen out of someone's mouth sitting around a gun store. I have shot a deer at more than 370 yards, but I don't normally take that kind of chance. Most are well within 100 yards, and still shot using some sort of rest if at all available.

[jess01999]

Was shooting my new .30-30 Marlin today.

I never deer hunted growing up, just small game/birds.

This is my only larger caliber rifle, and with newly tweaked cheapo scope, was putting all in 8" plate at 120 yards. I'd say with practice and a little more scope tweaking, maybe can cut down to 4-5" circle.

BUT this was shooting off rest. Not solid bipod, but just little soft rest on top of ammo can, sitting down. Offhand, standing up, even steadying with strap wrapped around arm, I was lucky to hit the plate 1 out of 5.

I know that probably half the deer shots in TN are taken at 50 yards or less, but how do y'all make longer ones? Offhand, or with those long stick bipods, or what?

How do most of your shoot from ground blinds and/or tree stands? Just offhand?

Maybe I've just gotten beau coup unsteady in my advanced years, dunno.

- OS

Congrats on your new rifle purchase. If you have never done any deer hunting then don't. You will get hooked and spend more money than you can ever imagine on hunting gear............almost as expensive as collecting guns. But seriously my hunting partner has killed more deer in McMinn and Meigs County than anyone I know and almost all have been killed with you guessed it a .30-30 with open sites!! I don't think that he has killed any at 100 yards with that gun though. With that said me and my buddies were just talking the other day and between the 4 of us the question was brought up "have we ever killed at 100 yards or more". Between the 4 of us only 1 had killed at more than 100 yards and that was in West TN. We all have killed many deer but none at more than 100 yards. Don't get me wrong I can see getting 100 yard plus shots but the odds are around here of it being less. I have the oppotunity to shoot at well over 100 yard but I did not feel confident (my fault). Good luck on hunting and you we see why it is addicting......during your first deer sighting and kill shot you will experience something that I think will get you hooked.

Sorry for rambling.......but to answer your question........I always steady my gun on my treestand or prop up on a tree. I still look for that confident long shot but haven't really had many opportunities where I hunt.

[1gewehr]

The culprit may actually be your "newly tweaked cheapo scope". With glass, you usually get what you pay for. Some of the 'cheapo scopes' are unsuitable for recoil more stout that a .22short. Your scope may not be securely mounted as well.

See what kind of groups you get with iron sights at 100 yards. If you do better without the scope, you have the problem identified!

[Warbird]

In this area most people won't have a shot at much more than 100 yards due to the heavier typical coverage of trees. A few weeks ago I hunted for grouse in upstate Michigan. They hunt deer on the same property. The country is heavy alder forest. To get more than a 20 yard shot they have to clear out some shooting paths. And you are rarely likely to even see the deer until it pops into one of these cuts. It is that thick up there.

With a 30-30 especially you won't have to worry about shooting farther than 100 yards.

I will first try to find a boulder or something to set my pack on and shoot off of that. If that isn't around, I will try to find a tree.

My longest shots at game have come in sparsely wooded areas. In every instance I either propped my pack on a rock or used a bipod. I am not talking about a bipod mounted to the gun, but an expandable one (which works great doing double duty as a walking stick in high country). In those cases I will shoot standing only if I have to. I prefer to sit and have the bipod set high enough to sit somewhat at an angle and see right down the scope. Only as a last resort will I shoot prone, most especially with a large caliber or magnum rifle. I find use of a bipod inconvenient in this area of the country where shots are usually taken faster and the sound of setting up would run the animal off.

I would say if you are sitting in a blind in a chair that a bipod might be a good solution. If in a tree stand perhaps a good solution is to sit where your knees are up in front of you and your back is supported by a tree. Rest the gun on your knees.

Lastly remember how to rest a rifle. Whatever rest you use, it should always be firmly set on the forearm. Never use the barrel to hold the weight of the gun. On a lever action this has less effect than a bolt, but still can mess up your shots completely.

[Oh Shoot]

... Good luck on hunting and you we see why it is addicting......during your first deer sighting and kill shot you will experience something that I think will get you hooked. ...

Oh, I don't have any plans to hunt anymore...I've spent mucho time in outdoors in the past, have seen many deer in the wild (although I've seen more in the last 25 years in what I called suburbia when I was kid!). Used to damn near trip over boar in Tellico while squirrel hunting, etc.

Too many hobbies now, and fishing used to be my primary outdoor passion anyway, gonna get back into that soon as possible. This was mainly question as to how folks shoot at longer distances (non-bench) and figgered you hunters were the likeliest guys to ask.

If I need wild game, I can start with all the doves (and pigeons - let's call them squab, yum!) that are a few feet away from my back deck right here in town. Only need a handful of birdseed and my BB gun!

The culprit may actually be your "newly tweaked cheapo scope". With glass, you usually get what you pay for....

Yes, thanks for comment, and I'm fully aware of that. I certainly didn't buy the gun because of the scope. Grabbed it because it was actually $30 cheaper than I could get it at WalMart without a scope.

I'll shoot some more, iron and scope, and see. Probably just need to work on breath control and stance first - I never really spent any real time shooting at 100 yards or more. Of course my nervous system is probably not first rate anyway ... (besides normal age, I'm one of those guys who doesn't really remember the 60's-70's all that well).

- OS

Edited November 13, 2009 by OhShoot

[Oh Shoot]

... Lastly remember how to rest a rifle. Whatever rest you use, it should always be firmly set on the forearm. Never use the barrel to hold the weight of the gun....

Wow, thanks for that.

I HAVE been guilty of that.

- OS

[Guest Mugster]

Shooting sticks, mostly.

[gregintenn]

Here's why I use a rest when I can. Today I didn't. I thought I could easily make the 40 yard shot on a very nice 8 pointer without a rest. As I felt a little rushed, I decided to throw up and shoot off hand. All I found was a wad of hair. No blood, no deer. I;ll be using a rest from now on. The added excitement of a trophy deer and the anxiety of making the shot before your cover is blown can't be replicated while target shooting.

[saintsfanbrian]

Add one ounce of to a yard glass.

Turn up the glass and drink.

A really long deer shot.

[Guest dart67eb]

Try going to an appleseed to improve your skills. With that set-up and an M14 sling you should be able to do 100yds standing, 200 yrds sitting and 300-400 yds prone. You will need to know the bullet drop vs. your zero and remember that the standard 30-30 round loses a lot of energy after 200 yds.

[Guest dart67eb]

Here's a link to make a nice shooting stick. I made one for what I had laying around the house. Varmint Al's Bi-Fur-Pod Page