how far do you shoot to practice

[sweet old bill]

I seem to shoot a lot at 25 yards and a max of 35 yards. I never have shot a deer over 25 yards in the woods during hunting.

[nyantler]

with trad bow it's always 20 yards and in.. except for maybe some novelty shooting at longer targets for fun

[bighorn]

with the newer compounds you can easily shoot past 40 yards in the right hands. they are very flat and forgiving. very common to use top pin out to 30. then have a 40 and 50.

[Fantail]

Typicaly 20 - 30. Long shot last year was the buck just under 35.

[Doewhacker]

I practice out to 60, cause its a challenge and fun.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I practice from 20 yards out to 50. I wouldnt shoot at a deer that far, but getting pretty good at 50 makes the 20 or 30 yard shots easier.

[Dave]

Practice at 25 yards and realistically take actual shots at deer within 20 yards or closer.

Dave

[fasteddie]

I practice out to just shy of 40 yards . It makes the 20 yard shots easier . On Nov 10 of 2008 , I killed a buck at 35 yards . It was the farthest I had ever shot at a deer . Double lunged him .

[phade]

Last year practiced at 42 and in. Longest I've taken a deer is 31 and 42 yards. The 42 yd shot was prime condition...every other shot has been 20 and in with most being 10-15 yards.

I plan on practicing out to 60 this year with a new range in the backyard.

[First-light]

I practice 20-30 yards. Never shot a deer over 25 yards and most shots were within 20 yards.

[MuzzyLoader]

I practice from 20 yards out to 50. I wouldnt shoot at a deer that far, but getting pretty good at 50 makes the 20 or 30 yard shots easier.

Ditto. 

Our regular targets are 'twix 20 and 40 yards. There's usually a group of guys that stick around and shoot out to 50 (putting a coupla' dollars on the line sometimes for fun).  It sure does help your concentration.

[G-Man]

I practice from 0 to 50 yards from and elevated position, and from 5-50 off the ground. All at 3-d targets. With todays fast bows the 10 yard and under shots are a lot tougher as you shoot a lot higher than you will at 20yrds and the 0 straight down shot is a lot tougher than most people think. I like to randomly set out 3-d targets at unknown ranges and partialy obscured behind branches/brush to create the most life like practice i can.(you can't always pick up a rangefinder when a deer is walking thru,or a turkey for that matter)

[Geno C]

20 - 30 and when i can shoot further i do.

[Doc]

Well the answer to that question is a lot different today than it was back in my tournament days. The NFAA course has an 80 yard shot on it so that's how it was 20 some years ago. Today all my shooting is tailored to hunting, and I never considered anything over 30 yards to be appropriate for live critters and my shooting ability. So today I restrict my shooting to 25 yards max and practice at 30 yards. I also throw in a few 40 yard shots just for fun, but serious hunting practice takes place at 30 yds.

[sweet old bill]

I am like you Doc in 19 69 I started with NFAA and that 80 walk up was a killer. Now I shoot most of my practice at 35 yards and 25 yards. I never so far in my 50+ years of being a hunter had a shot over 25 yards. I think if we were out west and they get shots out to 60 yards ....

[ny hunter]

30 yards max,I would not feel comfortable passed that.

[fasteddie]

Before they built the housing tract out back , I used to be able to shoot 55 yards . Practicing a few longer shots made the 20 - 30 yards easier . I doubt I would shoot a deer beyond 35 yards with a Compound Bow .

[sweet old bill]

Before they built the housing tract out back , I used to be able to shoot 55 yards . Practicing a few longer shots made the 20 - 30 yards easier . I doubt I would shoot a deer beyond 35 yards with a Compound Bow .

But at 69 going on 70 we  both need slow deer and close shots. With the compound 25 yards and under and if I have the recurve in my hand I sure like 20 yards or under.

Bill

[blkbearklr]

I practice out to 70 yards. I hunt the western states. Most of the elk I have called in come into about 40-45 yards. Have had some at ten yards. So I shoot long distance and hope for the best.

Joe

[fasteddie]

In the June/July issue of North American Hunter , there is an article called "The Distance Dilemmia" and the author does a lot of open range shooting . He states that he practices at double the distance of his comfortable hunting distance . He has shot elk at 45 yards .

[skyhunter]

10 to 50 yards and I shoot these distances all the time in the same shooting secession. I normally have a few blocks and a few 3D targets out at distances to cover a wide range where the next shot I take can be any one of those distances.

While I am confident at 40 yards and getting much better out to 50, as "G-Man" stated, that does not mean you are a slam dunk at 20 and less as many seem to believe. G-Man also pointed out how difficult short steeply angled shots can be and yes it is easy to blow these shots and hit high if you do not practice them. Now add in the 1 pin shooter who sights his 1 pin at 25-30 yards and he is now shooting at a target at 15 yards who by the way has the tendency to drop at the release of the shot, and here you have the recipe for many high bad hits. Ever wonder why you see so many spine shots on TV? Reality is that those "dropping in their tracks" spine shots are the lucky ones that they show you; they don't show you the other high hits for obvious reasons.

I hunt a lot out in the midwest and yes you have scenarios where you are hunting a field/ foodplot /farm  edge where that 50 yard shot can come onto play, and I will not hesitate to take that shot if I have practiced it enough and I am feeling confident at that time. (confidence is key)

You can never think as many do that because you can hit out to 50 that you can't blow a 12 yard shot. I practice the two shots back to back and I can put in right in there at 50 and then go and blow the 12 yard shot.

That's why I keep practicing.

[MuzzyLoader]

GREAT POST Sky! 

Grouping arrows in an 8" circle at 50 yards does not guarantee a 12 yard 'chip-shot', however it does wonders for your confidence.

[sweet old bill]

I do think when you practice out to about 50 yards and then get a 10 yard shot you sure feel that you can hit the close shots. That why for years I shot the NFAA field round were you shoot from 10 yards out to 80 yards.... I still in all my years of hunting have never shot a deer over 25 yards, it must be that I hunt in heavy cover. Or I can be at 70 years young I just do not see how to get a arrow thru to the deer body...the eyes as well as the rest of me is on the down hill...that was a good post Sky and wish you well with your new rig, are you selling your older Bowtech bow ??? they still say that model is there best sellling ever...

[skyhunter]

GREAT POST Sky! 

Grouping arrows in an 8" circle at 50 yards does not guarantee a 12 yard 'chip-shot', however it does wonders for your confidence.

How true, and we can never underestimate how imortant it is to be confident during the moment of truth. A good shooter can often make a bad shot by being unsure and not believing in themselves. It can be a tough game even when you have prepared as best you can.

Play golf? Kinda the same thing going on there. You're shooting to a target and have practiced to the point where you know you can execute the shot, but when it comes down to crunch time; it's kinda like all bets are off, and you have to really hold it all together to pull off a good shot. I guess at a certain level it can become automatic and instinctive, but I have also seen many a great golfer fold like a tent.

That's what makes a great sport; the outcome can never be a sure thing; whether it's a 3 ft putt or a 12 yard chip shot at a deer. No "coulda's" in sports like you often hear.  Guys that say "I coulda shot that one or this one" really don't get it. You haven't really done it until you actually do it.

[skyhunter]

I do think when you practice out to about 50 yards and then get a 10 yard shot you sure feel that you can hit the close shots. That why for years I shot the NFAA field round were you shoot from 10 yards out to 80 yards.... I still in all my years of hunting have never shot a deer over 25 yards, it must be that I hunt in heavy cover. Or I can be at 70 years young I just do not see how to get a arrow thru to the deer body...the eyes as well as the rest of me is on the down hill...that was a good post Sky and wish you well with your new rig, are you selling your older Bowtech bow ??? they still say that model is there best sellling ever...

  Yes, I can see how the long range practice would give confidence with short shots, and while confidence is of upmost importance, the difficulty on short range shots has more to do with the angle as these are often taken out of trees where a 2 inch error in elevation is magnified by the extreme angle of the shot.

I would also agree that long range shots are difficult to get to an animals body in a wooded setting. When taking a shot in an open area, the shooter seldom has to factor in how the line of flight compares to the line of sight. Many do not understand how much these 2 lines can vary, and yes you might see a line to your target in a wooded setting but if the shot is a long one chances are the shooter is often forgetting about what the true line of flight really is. More often than not when taking a long distance shot, obstacles above the shooters line of sight are actually blocking the arrows true path to the target.

I guess I do have 2 Allegiances now as backups (2005 + the 2007) and a 2004 Diamond Machete set up for turkey with a red dot. I have given away most of my other backup bows though the years when I see someone; usually a youngin who is interested in bowhunting. I used to sell them but now I see someone who can't really pay what the bow is worth, so I just give it to them and hope they will keep the sport going. One kid made up for it by supplying firewood for deer camp, so I gave him my Darton Executive 3D. I gave my main hunting buddie"s teenager my Mathews Ultra II, and another Darton Maverick I sent to a hunting buddy out of state who was having a hard time.

I rather see someone enjoy the bow then worry about what I can get for it.