Need some insight

[crappyice]

Tonight I WHIFFED on a doe at SIX YARDS(and that may be further than the actual shot).

 

Here's the set up:

She came from behind left of me. Like a Billy goat, she begins to climb a Rock ledge that starts near the base of my tree. When she is at my 9:00 she is only about 3 yards away -takes another step on the ledge her head behind a Small tree, I draw. Two more steps to clear some branches which also puts her slightly above my elevation. I stick the pin behind her front leg and squeeze. She jumps back runs 25 yards hunches over a bit but stays standing. I was about to send the "smoked em" post and she walks away no worse for the wear. My arrow exploded after Impact with the rock ledge and it is perfectly clean but in many pieces.

 

Before I blame the fever or shakes or anything else, I was perfectly calm through the whole experience which is rare but true.

 

Some of my thoughts. I never practice that close with a deer slightly above me-form breakdown? Wrong aim point for that distance and angle?

 

If I had a lasso, that's a dead deer!

 

 

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[Bowshotmuzzleloader]

Did you peek and not follow through thinking it was easy shot ...

[moog5050]

You will shoot low on a 20yd pin that close.  Some people use a 30yd pin that close.  But you shouldn't miss the deer entirely.  Probably a combo of low shooting and peaking.   Just a guess. 

[NFA-ADK]

At 5 yards I have to use my 40 yard pin.   I agree with Moog5050 you shot low.  Hard to tell with different set ups and bow but at short range like that is a higher pin.  Next time aim higher or wait for the 10 yard shot it happens when in the heat of the moment, not compensating for the shot, I have done it too often!   Test your bow at  5 yards and see where you need to aim as a test.  It will help with close shots like that one and you will know where to aim.   Keep at it you will get em! 

[crappyice]

Thanks for the thoughts- 40 yard pin at 5 yards- I never would have expected that. I really don't think i peeked but who knows


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[The_Real_TCIII]

That would be 35 yards for my bow, as stated you have to test it but I am surprised you missed entirely

[Hock3y24]

my 30 yard pin is used if i'm on the ground within 8 or so yards. you gotta account for the difference between your sight picture and actual arrow path. For sure low, a clean miss is never a bad thing though!

[Doc]

You are correct. Everyone should take a shot at 5 yards just to be familiar with the weird things that happen.

[crappyice]

The more I think about it the more variables I am realizing existed that I never planned/practiced....since she was walking a pretty steep ledge, the body angle was close to 45 degrees(her front legs were higher than back legs).
"This will be easy" may have crept in my mind causing a laxed shot.
She was slowly walking up the ledge-Since she was so close I didn't want to risk stopping her with a noise so she could have been stepping awkwardly on release.

I am just happy it was a clean miss. Thankfully there are 89 days left to right my wrongs


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[Moho81]

Holy crap now I gotta go home and shoot at 5 yards to see what happens. I fairly new to this Bow thing and assumed 5 yards would be the same as 10 yards. Thanks for posting your mis adventure as I have learned something from it. 

[brownclown]

this use of an a 30-40 yrd pin at 5yrds, is this for when shooting from a stand or only at relatively equal hunter target levels?

[land 1]

On 10/2/2017 at 9:32 PM, crappyice said:

 

Tonight I WHIFFED on a doe at SIX YARDS(and that may be further than the actual shot).

 

Here's the set up:

She came from behind left of me. Like a Billy goat, she begins to climb a Rock ledge that starts near the base of my tree. When she is at my 9:00 she is only about 3 yards away -takes another step on the ledge her head behind a Small tree, I draw. Two more steps to clear some branches which also puts her slightly above my elevation. I stick the pin behind her front leg and squeeze. She jumps back runs 25 yards hunches over a bit but stays standing. I was about to send the "smoked em" post and she walks away no worse for the wear. My arrow exploded after Impact with the rock ledge and it is perfectly clean but in many pieces.

 

Before I blame the fever or shakes or anything else, I was perfectly calm through the whole experience which is rare but true.

 

Some of my thoughts. I never practice that close with a deer slightly above me-form breakdown? Wrong aim point for that distance and angle?

 

If I had a lasso, that's a dead deer!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

did the same thing last yr on a doe, right under her i used 20pin and aimed low thus a big wifffffffff

[crappyice]

Glad I could help!!!!
Tried to replicate the shot today with my target elevated and 6 yards away- low arrow was with my single pin starting right on the pink.
In the pink was with the pin (single pin set to 20 yards) three inches above the pink.
That plus I must have aimed a bit low thinking it's so close confirms all the previous suspicions.



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[The_Real_TCIII]

this use of an a 30-40 yrd pin at 5yrds, is this for when shooting from a stand or only at relatively equal hunter target levels?

Either

[brownclown]

9 hours ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

Either

thanks. I guess i need to play around with this. I knew differences in height could effect pin choice but wasn't aware that it could effect shots the are close to parallel.  I typically have my stands high so making a double lung shot at under 10yrds in not a shot i consider ethical. it is just too likely to only hit one lung so i have never taken shots any closer. My ideal range is 15 to 40 but deer don't always follow expectations or hopes. lol .  glad i read this and will be practicing tonight.

[The_Real_TCIII]

43 minutes ago, brownclown said:

thanks. I guess i need to play around with this. I knew differences in height could effect pin choice but wasn't aware that it could effect shots the are close to parallel.  I typically have my stands high so making a double lung shot at under 10yrds in not a shot i consider ethical. it is just too likely to only hit one lung so i have never taken shots any closer. My ideal range is 15 to 40 but deer don't always follow expectations or hopes. lol .  glad i read this and will be practicing tonight.

Its always interesting when its a super close shot. In our 3D league if I pull into the lot and see a bunch of guys up real close to the practice butts I know right away theres a -5 yard shot on the course lol. We should start a new thread: Post a five yard shot using your 20 yard pin, along with your bows speed

[BowmanMike]

1 hour ago, brownclown said:

thanks. I guess i need to play around with this. I knew differences in height could effect pin choice but wasn't aware that it could effect shots the are close to parallel.  I typically have my stands high so making a double lung shot at under 10yrds in not a shot i consider ethical. it is just too likely to only hit one lung so i have never taken shots any closer. My ideal range is 15 to 40 but deer don't always follow expectations or hopes. lol .  glad i read this and will be practicing tonight.

Difference in stand height should not influence pin choice if you bend at the waist. Shooting from 10' up is the same as 20'.

I did the test with a piece of string  to see if bending at the waist is necessary. Take a string and hold it in your bow hand and pull back and hold it tight. Now aim down and dont bend the waist and you will pull it out of your bow hand,thus changing your draw length and the top half of the bow gets used more and makes your arrow hit high.

[Taylormike]

Are you positive you did miss?  The only reason I ask, you said jumped and then hunches over a bit.  That seems like possible gut or intestine.  With the arrow exploding you can't really check it.  There would probably be very little blood.  Crazier stuff has happened.

[crappyice]

I guess exploded is a bit of an overstatement- I found the arrow in two pieces- the thunderhead lost two blades and the tip is bashed pretty good- no blood on the head or either part of the arrow. She Stood about 25 yards away after initially running and gave me a broadside view(through brush of my tree)- clear look at her- no holes or leaks.

 

 

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