with good softpoints, and you doing
your part, it will be fine to 300 yds, if scoped, 200 yds if iron sighted, given a fully exposed deer, sideways to you. If, however, all you have to shoot at is a small hole in the brush, to reach the dear, you have to scale back the ranges accordingly. That's if, of course, benchrest firing on paper target shows that you don't have a bent barrel, bad bedding, dinged muzzle crown, etc, and if you aren't firing in haste, from offhand. Wear electronic earmuffs while hunting. or at least, Norton's "Sonic" earvalves ($20 so that you are a lot less likely to flinch at the muzzle blast. The muffs let you hear small sounds better than just your ears can, but they "shut out' loud sounds. The earvalves aren't as good at shutting out sound, but they are handier in the field. They "whistle" in the wind, tho. There used to be (still is?) some outfit that sells a kit for you to make a casting of your ear canals, and then they make a plastic ear plug that custom fits your ear. It has a tiny hole in it, which suffices to keep out loud blasts.
Avoid the shoulder bones, and unless very close and using Nosler Partitions or some such premium bullet, avoid rear angle shots. Many softpoint wont exit with such shots, meaning no blood trail,a nd possibly, a lost animal.
your part, it will be fine to 300 yds, if scoped, 200 yds if iron sighted, given a fully exposed deer, sideways to you. If, however, all you have to shoot at is a small hole in the brush, to reach the dear, you have to scale back the ranges accordingly. That's if, of course, benchrest firing on paper target shows that you don't have a bent barrel, bad bedding, dinged muzzle crown, etc, and if you aren't firing in haste, from offhand. Wear electronic earmuffs while hunting. or at least, Norton's "Sonic" earvalves ($20 so that you are a lot less likely to flinch at the muzzle blast. The muffs let you hear small sounds better than just your ears can, but they "shut out' loud sounds. The earvalves aren't as good at shutting out sound, but they are handier in the field. They "whistle" in the wind, tho. There used to be (still is?) some outfit that sells a kit for you to make a casting of your ear canals, and then they make a plastic ear plug that custom fits your ear. It has a tiny hole in it, which suffices to keep out loud blasts.
Avoid the shoulder bones, and unless very close and using Nosler Partitions or some such premium bullet, avoid rear angle shots. Many softpoint wont exit with such shots, meaning no blood trail,a nd possibly, a lost animal.
