Bow yardage

[backstrapper]

During a debate on Blaze Orange someone posted they would bet both bows and compounds are accurate out to 100 yards. 

To be fair let me ask it this way:

How many guys here would take a shot on any deer with a cross bow or bow.  (please respond with personal experience not what you've read or seen on tv)

at 100 yards? 

How about 70 yards?

How about 50yards?

What's your comfort zone?

Me personally- 3 years ago I was confident at 50 (longest bow kill is 28-30) but since hurting my back my limit is 40

[SplitG2]

If anyone shoots beyond 40-45 yards with a bow please stop hunting!  Alot of things need to be right for shots that far.  Target shooting and actual hunting with a bow is very different.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

If anyone shoots beyond 40-45 yards with a bow please stop hunting!  Alot of things need to be right for shots that far.  Target shooting and actual hunting with a bow is very different.

Northe easten whitetails I would agree but western ranges are routinely longer. If you are limiting yourself to 40 yards and headed on a mountain goat hunt ....I would probably say save your money...you really just limited your possibilities.

with my practice time this past year I was comfortable at 30yds......years with more time I was comfortable to 40.....but all kills have been under 30

[backstrapper]

...you didn;t mention your opinion on the 100 yard shot.  Out west with high poundage they are putting it out 60-70, but 100 yards as the norm, not agreeing with that one.  Waht say you Culver  ;D

[First-light]

Limit to 40 yards, never killed a deer over 25. Never shot a crossbow.

[Geno C]

not that i would risk a low percentage shot out past 45 - 50 yards but i do personally know guys who shoot but let me clerify this TARGET shoot out 70 yards all day long and are SPOT on! ive also seen guys shoot out to 100 yards, only on videos tho so i can not vouge for them. I am surprised on how fgar some can shoot with these new bows.  I don't knock them at all, i wish i could shoot out to 70 yards (target of-coarse) because any archer knows long distance practice makes for a 20-30 yard chip shots...

in any event the guys i know who do shoot out to 70 yards do not take those shots in the woods, they purely do it for the practice it really does build ones confidence for that 30 - 40 yards shot. i wish i  could shoot out further then 40 yards to build my confidence up a bit more...

[SplitG2]

"you really just limited your possibilities"

culv, I understand western hunting is different however, I rather limit my possibilities than make unethical shots.  I would rather go home with tag soup ;D

[Geno C]

"you really just limited your possibilities"

culv, I understand western hunting is different however, I rather limit my possibilities than make unethical shots.  I would rather go home with tag soup ;D

lets not get into ethical lol... you personally may not shoot out past a certain distance but others may feel quite comfortable doing so... these guys shooting 50+ yards all day long will suprise you on a 50 yarder no doubt. again tho, im sure we have all been through this topic of an "ethical" shot is. im sure we all know by now whats considered eithical. But i personally know my limitations and if you do also then great. but somes limitations may be far greater then mine.

on the flip side of that i do understand on guys wounding deer but do you really think guys dont wound deer in close, 5 - 15 yard shots??? id say theres more percentages up close that are botched then the brave one who dares to sling an arrow out to 50.

just my 2 cents...

[Culvercreek hunt club]

...you didn;t mention your opinion on the 100 yard shot.  Out west with high poundage they are putting it out 60-70, but 100 yards as the norm, not agreeing with that one.  Waht say you Culver  ;D

BS on the 100 yards...IMO

[Fletch]

My max when everything is perfect is 40. But I would much prefer that 15 to 20 yard chip shot. This is with a compound bow, I have no experience with the cross bow.

[SplitG2]

Geno, I was giving my standards not for anyone else to follow.  I have hunted over 25 yrs with the bow and only lost one deer.  I'm happy with my decisions on all my shot placements.  Like you said the percentages of things that could go wrong with long shots goes up.

[backstrapper]

A 60-70 yard shot at a mullie, goat, etc....on a cliff or in a field with a 70-80 pound newer bow and a hunter that practices year round is a ethical shot.  A 25 yard quartering too shot in thick brush by anyone is an unethical shot.  Range ain regards to ethics depends on the shooter, the equipment, the terrain etc... Just because you have done it doesn't make it wrong. 

[Geno C]

[Geno C]

Geno, I was giving my standards not for anyone else to follow.  I have hunted over 25 yrs with the bow and only lost one deer.  I'm happy with my decisions on all my shot placements.  Like you said the percentages of things that could go wrong with long shots goes up.

agreed...

[Culvercreek hunt club]

"you really just limited your possibilities"

culv, I understand western hunting is different however, I rather limit my possibilities than make unethical shots.  I would rather go home with tag soup ;D

I agree...I am not capable of making an ethical shot at 60-70 yards. my equipment and skill level is not there. So I wouldn't book a hunt like that. I hate to put the word ethical into this thread as Geno mentioned but the KEY is your limitations and understanding them. I say if you can sit at the range and consistently dump arrows into a paperplate out to a given yardage that would be your outside limit on your BEST day under PERFECT conditions. Personally i wouldn't run over 75% of my range limit. So before I would start shooting at deer under hunting conditions at 45 yard I would have to be range perfect at 60...but that is for me

[Doewhacker]

Well I practice out to 50-60, and do good from that range, but I have yet to see a need for that far of a shot in the hunting situations I have encountered. I would feel fine shooting 50 under the perfect conditions. The farthest I have shot was 40 and that was at a wounded one some one else hit, yes I hit it and yes we got it, other than that all of my shots are 35 and under.  The key here is practice, and having a properly tuned bow/broad head.

[Geno C]

"you really just limited your possibilities"

culv, I understand western hunting is different however, I rather limit my possibilities than make unethical shots.  I would rather go home with tag soup ;D

I agree...I am not capable of making an ethical shot at 60-70 yards. my equipment and skill level is not there. So I wouldn't book a hunt like that. I hate to put the word ethical into this thread as Geno mentioned but the KEY is your limitations and understanding them. I say if you can sit at the range and consistently dump arrows into a paperplate out to a given yardage that would be your outside limit on your BEST day under PERFECT conditions. Personally i wouldn't run over 75% of my range limit. So before I would start shooting at deer under hunting conditions at 45 yard I would have to be range perfect at 60...but that is for me

well put culver, im with you...

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Great shot on the video.....too far back and what a great backstop.....the vehicle I mean...the stop arrows very quickly ??? . I hope they can see past those trees on the left

[backstrapper]

that vid is funny, first shot back to the right in the liver 2nd shot high just nipping a vital, third shot is a great shot.  Hope that guy has patient deer that will give him three shots, haha

[First-light]

For 100 yards I thought it was pretty good.

[Geno C]

yeah seriously.. i thought they were great shots for 100 yards... i only posted it to show that their are people out there who can shoot 100 yards. notice it is a deer TARGET guys right. its not a moving deer. I WISH i could shoot out to 100 yards like that while taget shooting. i bet that guy can group like a crazy man at 50 yards...

[Culvercreek hunt club]

For 100 yards I thought it was pretty good.

Damn good on a range....i couldn't pull it off....and I would need a metal detector to practice it...lol....to find the misses

[First-light]

For 100 yards I thought it was pretty good.

Damn good on a range....i couldn't pull it off....and I would need a metal detector to practice it...lol....to find the misses

Me too, that's funny!

[Geno C]

thats only one vid i found in the 5 second search lol. im sure there are others... i will repeat tho even if i could do it on paper i would not on a live animal but im sure that guys confidence is pretty high for some of the distances others on here say they will not take....

im with you guys tho, id need something to find my arrows shooting at that deer lol

[backstrapper]

I'm thinking that string tracker gizmo they were selling back a few years ago would help me find my arrows plus at 100 yards I would need a scope not a peep sight and a 3D elephant!