This is a common question asked about long-range rifles. As with most complicated questions the answer is—it depends. When shooting steel in a match, some bullets and cartridges are capable of accurate fire beyond 2,000 yards. A good example is the .300 PRC shooting Hornady’s 230-grain A-Tip. In a military role, that’s about the effective range of the ammo as well, even though there are some recorded shots at significantly longer distances. Those are the exception, however, rather than the rule. For hunting, the max effective distance of a long-range cartridge is much closer. The reason is that the rifle and ammo must be accurate enough to make vital zone hits every time, and the bullet must have enough retained velocity to quickly and ethically kill the animal. This is to say nothing of the shooter’s skill and judgment, which must be exceptional as well. As a rule of thumb, any shot on a game animal farther than 650 yards becomes a very dicey affair—and even that is a poke that should only be considered under rare circumstances.