[longrifle346]

I KNOW for a fact that the right rifle can make a humane, one-shot kill on deer sized animals out 400 yds and further. I shoot beanfields in NC and chop(cutdowns) in Florida. I shot a 7MMSTW for years because I love that downrange ballistics/energy combination and I've put boxes and boxes and boxes of 140gr Corelockts downrange at various distances up to and past 400. If you tear a dollar bill in half and pin it at 400, and give a PRACTICED shooter four shots from a solid rest it'll come back with 8 holes in it! And the right rifle with the right load in PRACTICED hands will bodyslam deersized targets. RANGED and PRACTICED are the operative words!! I'm just sad to say those two terms might not often colide in the deer woods as often as they should!
Do I WANT to HAVE to make 400 yd shots? ABSOLUTELY NOT!! I try to be ALOT better woodsman than that. But if the right buck steps out at that RANGED distance and I have what I feel is the right rest I'll eat backstrap that night!

[dmsbandit]

Posipete,

The guns are not the issue. Any gun from 243 winchester to the various magnums will kill a deer at 300 yds.

The issue is you needing to practice regularly at 300 yds with your gun. You should shoot at least 20 rounds every other week at long ranges from field type postions. Shooting off a bench is fine if you need to dial in the gun, but the biggest factor with hitting targets [be they paper or flesh] is getting your body to hold the gun and acquire the target. Practice, practice, and more practice.

I've spent the last months working on loads for my '06 fro a North Carolina hunt this October. Now that the gun is set, now I'm practicing at 200yds from a shooting stick for the next 3 months. Shots in NC could be 400+ yds, or 50yds. I'm deadly out to 100 from the sticks now, and I'll work my way out to 300yds as the summer progresses. When you practice alot, it's surprising what you can accomplish.

[lefty o]

we'll just take this way back again........ most people that are out there hunting with rifles have no business taking shots at live animals at 100yds, much less further, regardless of what equipment they are using.

[Full MeTal Jack]

Practice, yes sir. Also hold the rifle in an off-hand shooting (standing) postion prior to hunting season is or will be benificial. Get your muscles accustom to the position. Just like before a competition shoot I'll place a black dot on 3x5 card in the kitchen/breakfast area stand in the bedroom and dry fire similar to a competition. Miss Pat freaks when she walks into the bedroom. A 223 muzzle pointed at her. "I told you what I was doing!"
Also will sit in the sitting position and watch TV too. She thinks I'm nuts.
Practice

[toolman]

I made the longest shot of my deer-hunting history the last day of the season on Jan. 6th.
The only tag I had left was a buck tag and the only buck in sight was a small basket-rack standing in the midst of several does @ almost 300 yds across a bare wheat field with the wind gusting 15-25 mph @ right angles. I waited for the shot (turn, walk out of the crowd, wind to calm slightly, etc) and dropped him with a neck-shot. The shot hit 2" to the left of where I was aiming and he never took a step. We measured the distance @ 280 yds and I was using a .270 w\130 gr. handloads.
I don't like taking shots over 200 yds, but sometimes, you don't have a choice and you have to rely on skill and practice.