Define short, medium, and long range

salzo

Ive been reading several reloading books, have been to the range a few times to test my loads-settled on the most accurate load of my tests-but some things I am not sure about, the biggest issue is distance suitability for a particular bullet/load.
All of the books I have been reading refer to "close" medium" and long" ranges-but what they do not do, is define these terms.
For me, up to 30 yards is close, up to 80 yards is medium, and 80 to 125 yards is a long shot. I am quite certain that my definitions wouldnt square with those of the books I am reading, but they make no mention how far each of these categories are.
So is there a standard definition or standard to decide what category a certain distance falls into?

Ray B

For me- Short range would be the range at which a shot will hit the raget without any elevation of the muzzle needed. Medium range is what would normally be "point-blank" that is, where the sights are adjusted and with a center hold, the bullet will strike the target. Long range is when the barrel, sighted for medium range, needs to be elevated 12" to put the bullet on target. Very Long & Unethically Long are distances beyond that. So the distances applicable to each category depend on the cartridge/arm involved.

Tailgunner1954

Close is inside of 300yd
Medium is 300-700yd
Long is 700-1200yd
Ultra long is over 1200yd
90% of the shooters are not qualified to hunt medium range
99% of the shooters are not qualified to hunt long range

As someone said, A man has got to know his limitations.

nononsense

salzo,

"So is there a standard definition or standard to decide what category a certain distance falls into?"

The short answer is no, there isn't an all encompassing standard that is in place to assess product performance based on distance.

What makes it even more confusing is getting all of our opinions of the same subject. Everyone has a different set of standards that they apply to their hunting depending on a multitude of variables.

The best bet is to continue with what you're doing right now, ask questions and read as much as you can. Use the manufacturers websites to gather information and create files on your hard drive to help you organize the information that you gather. Read articles on hunting websites, read some of their forums, ask questions. It's not going to be something that you can just come by automatically. It takes some time and effort to build a base of knowledge if that's what you want to do.

Then make some decisions, buy what you think is right and go to the range and shoot some tests. The testing with your parameters is what will make the difference and your findings and opinions may very well be different from ours. Share what you discover with us.

Best.

Ray B

On second thought, I've added another criteria to determine short, medium, long range. This method is not related to the trajectory of a bullet, but to your eyesight. Short is where without any aid, you can clearly see and resolve the target. Medium is where you can also see the target but need to use corrective lenses to see it's detail clearly. Long range is when magnification is needed to see it clearly.

RCrosby

And so the answer is,
"There ain't no answer."
Too many variables, most already mentionned. Sighting equipment, accuracy of firearm/cartridge combo, ability of shooter, size and toughness of quarry, hunting conditions, etc.
What you need are ballistic tables that will give you a reasonable estimate of remaining velocity at given ranges, manufacturer recommendations and field knowledge regarding bullet performance at various velocities and enough practice at expected ranges and under field conditions to give you confidence to know when to pull the trigger and when not to. The standard for clean, quick, one shot kills should be as high as you can possibly make it.
Good luck,