I want to shoot a deer over 150 yards this year with my contender in 375 jdj. Any tips on shooting at 150 yards plus? I am thinking of a good pair of shooting sticks. Is more support needed? I also have a 30-30 and 45-70 barrel that I might tryout as well. The 30-30 will be cheaper to shoot anyway. I like the smell of burnt powder. I plan to start practicing long shots after turkey season at the hunting club.
I ordered some of the 235 grain corbon dpx bullets but have seen some reviews that they do not expand well. I will use them for practice I guess and use my original TC ammo for hunting.

With the right load in the 375 200 yards is nothing. You will probably need a very steady rest. I often use my backpack stuffed with a firm jacket or two rolled tightly. Practice is the key to anything we do in this sport. The 30-30 is a decent round. Read thru Ernies posts on long distance shooting he is a walking encyclopedia on the subject. Good luck during gobbler season.

The most important piece of advice I can offer is to hunt how you zero and zero how you hunt. If you sight in off of a fancy rest with a noodle grip your POI will change when you actually have to hold the weight of that gun in your hand. It is fine to bench that gun to check the accuracy or your loads, but be sure to confirm that zero from your anticipated shooting position(s) before you go hunting.

Practice is the way to achieve your goal

"If you sight in off of a fancy rest with a noodle grip your POI will change when you actually have to hold the weight of that gun in your hand."

I learned this the hard way one time. I was shooting my contender with the grip sitting on the table. When I shot freehand my point of impact changed. I guess with the gun not recoiling the same as when I was holding it free hand it changed my point of impact.

Shoot off a backpack-far more stable than sticks. Use 225 gr. Hornady SPs. Sight in 2 1/2-3" high at 100. You'll be dead on around 200-225. The deer is toast.

Pack is much more stable than shooting sticks. Typically, the closer you get to the ground the steadier you are.
Practice from your field position(s)to get a good idea of how you will actually shoot. Then confirm your zero and drops from your steadiest field position.
The BR table is not usually present when hunting.
Good luck with your 375.
TC's have always been more finicky to me than my XP's or MOA's in terms of going from the bench to field shooting.

DeerDad,

I like to shoot longer ranges than I plan to shoot. I am working on a 7-30 Waters now. I plan to have it ready for 200 yds and under. I am shooting out to 300 yds on steel targets. Then 150 to 200 will be a chip shot. I am a long range rifle varmint shooter mostly. When I started shooting 1000 yds benchrest, a 500 yds groundhog was much easier.

Mark

what bullet are you using for the Waters?

I would look at the area I was going to hunt and then build my practice routine around that. Where I hunt the land is flat as a pancake, the only contour we have are the fire ant mounds! Shooting off a pack in most cases would not work because that would be to low to the ground you would never see your target. I still hunt some, but most of the hunting in my club is from stands. I find that the best game shots I know are good because they know how to take advantage / use what is available to them and how to support their firearm best, and then apply proper shooting techniques.

All of our stands have rails that I can use to support my handguns, but they are all different, and shooting from the same stand a shot to the left is different then a shot to the right in terms of where "things" are to use for support and how I have to hold. Obviously the key here is practice, practice from real world hunting conditions and practice how to use your body, what to do with that dangling elbow, to get the steadiest hold. Can I brace it in against something solid or should I pull it in to my body for support?

Once you get the position part perfected you are half way there. A good supported position will not resolve poor shooter techniques! The less steady your shooting position is the more important your shooting technique is and needs to get just as much practice. Shooting technique basically consists of Breathing Control, Sight Alignment, Trigger Squeeze and Follow Through. I am constantly in amazement at the number of hunters I know who miss deer that were standing there, unaware of the hunter, 40, 50, 60 yards away; buck fever and bad technique. I also know very few hunters or shooters that really understand these shooting techniques, much less then applying them in their day to day shooting.

Master these techniques and a groundhog will not be safe from you and your contender at 200 yards.

My $1.02 worth. I will now step down off my soap box.

John,
I am shooting a 120gr Nosler BT for deer hunting load, and a 100gr HP Sierria for targets and steel, both loaded with a full load of Varget. The gun is zeroed 1" high at 100 yds with the 120gr. The 100 gr are 2" high at 100yds. At 220yds the 100gr are 4" low, 120gr are 8" low. I will adjust better this fall for a 200 yds shot for deer.

Mark

Great choice in bullet the 120gr BT are really good and make the 7/30 shine...with practice and knowing were your bullets are hitting at different yardages will really help! I use 120gr BT in my 7/30 and have had good luck with em, I also use the Barnes TTSX and have had good luck with em also on Deer and Bear!With practice and a good field rest you should have no problem @ 200 yds. Good Luck.