hunting/shooting distance

[Engraver99]

New to crossbow - I have an excalibur crossbow 200# pull/305 fps and am sighted in with broadheads at 20 yards. I picked the excalibur because I do not have any bow shops near by that stock strings and cables for changing. The recurve crossbow allows me to do that with minimal hassle. The scope calls for shooting it in at 20,30,40,50, and 60 yards. I think the farthest I would shoot a deer with any bow would be about 30-35 yards. I have a 1 pin sight on my vertical bow sighted in at 26 yards. Should I bother sighting the cross bow  in at the above ranges or just see where the ballistic scope dots put the bolts out to in yardage. What is a good consistent killing range for a crossbow?

 

thanks

[Jdubs]

Depends on your skill set with that xbow.  I'd zero and practice at the ranges you expect to take a shot.  

I passed up a big-bodied 6 pt last year because I never practiced at 35-40 yds where I ranged him chasing a doe.  

Edited November 2, 2018 by Jdubs

[Nytracker]

Not that I condone shots at longer distances but I have been practicing with my crossbow out to 60 yds. My self imposed limit with my outfit is 35 yds for hunting. Back many moons ago with the verticle  bow use to shoot an 80 yard walk up in field archery. Practice at longer ranges magnifies mistakes and made me a better shot. Same with the crossbow for me . I have heard alot of people talk about how easy a crossbow is to shoot at 100 yds shots . I don't see it . After I sited in I practiced  sitting kneeling off sticks and off hand, and yes even off the garage roof. I think a person with the right said up could take longer shots but I honestly believe the risks out way the rewards for me.

Edited November 2, 2018 by Nytracker

[Core]

I'm setting a limit at 41 yards, which is my third reticle on my xbow.

I practice with xbow and vertical well past ranges I would shoot deer at. I practice at 40/50 yards with vertical all the time, and am a good shot, but man even out in the woods a deer at 30 yards without magnification just seems like a really small target to me, so I start getting worried even at 25.

30 yards with my xbow is pretty comfortable, even if at the range I am accurate much further. things can happen like string jumping or whatever.

[grampy]

My range stays the same, be it vertical or crossbow. 30 yards. Have shot and practiced both out to 60 yards. Makes the 30 yarders much easier. I want to be 'sure' of a quick clean kill.

If anyone is into shooting for distance, firearms season opens in the SZ on the 17th.

Save the longer shots for then.

[Robhuntandfish]

the reticles on mine are set 20,30,40,50 and they were on out of the box.  But I would only shoot at anything 40-45 if broadside and would aim a little low for string jump.  I think it depends on each person and their and the equipments ability.  Do what your comfortable with.  I worry about penetration on anything over 40-45 unless its broadside.  But mine is a tackdriver and with the scope its a different game than the regular bow.    

and my xbow is a lot faster than my regular bow.  - ever shoot for the same spot at 20 and 40 with 20 pin with bow and xbow?   the difference in drop for me anyway is quite a bit.  xbow at 20 and 40 are only slightly apart 20 and 40 with regular bow is a much bigger gap.  

Edited November 2, 2018 by Robhuntandfish

[BizCT]

I have the Excal Vortex 200lb since 2010. I don’t use the chevron’s on scope. I am set dead on at 25yds. I hold a little low under 20yds and high at 35 and 40 based on my prior testing. I just prefer to hold high or low on crosshairs rather than use those chevrons


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bolt action]

As others have said you should practice and then based on your practice, hunt at ranges that you feel comfortable and confident with. I have a Carbon Express Advantax which shoots around 315 fps. I've practiced out to 60 yds and have split arrows at 50 yds. Based on this, if all the other variables made sense, I'd feel good taking a high probability shot out to 50 if one presented itself.

[Core]

35 minutes ago, Robhuntandfish said:

the reticles on mine are set 20,30,40,50 and they were on out of the box.  But I would only shoot at anything 40-45 if broadside and would aim a little low for string jump.  I think it depends on each person and their and the equipments ability.  Do what your comfortable with.  I worry about penetration on anything over 40-45 unless its broadside.  But mine is a tackdriver and with the scope its a different game than the regular bow.    

and my xbow is a lot faster than my regular bow.  - ever shoot for the same spot at 20 and 40 with 20 pin with bow and xbow?   the difference in drop for me anyway is quite a bit.  xbow at 20 and 40 are only slightly apart 20 and 40 with regular bow is a much bigger gap.  

http://www.bestcrossbowsource.com/crossbow-arrow-ballistics-calculator

My vertical drops about 2X as much from 20-40 as the crossbow.

Note, though, that penetration doesn't drop that meaningfully at distance. Even out to 50 yards your kinetic energy drops by less than 15%. 

[Nytracker]

Good to know about kinetic energy drops so smallshould have looked at that. That is subjective based on overall energy/speed and weight of bolt per set up I would imagine.

Edited November 2, 2018 by Nytracker

[Engraver99]

thank you all for the responses. I sighted in at 20, 30 and 40 and am pretty comfortable shooting at those ranges but in the woods alot can go wrong ie hit a branch you didn't see, miscalculate yardage, etc. so I think I am going to keep it within my bow range 25-30 yards this year till I get more practice time in. I can consistantly get it in a 2" circle at 40 yards on a vice and about 5.5" offhand but then my offhand shots really deteriorate the further back I go due to a lack of practice. At 20 yards off hand I am at about 3" and 30 yards at about 4" - so fairly comfortable up to 30 for live targets. thanks for the responses and tips everyone.

[Nytracker]

Aim small miss small my friend.

[JRod 8G8H]

I would love a 20-30 yd crossbow shot... I'm comfortable out to 40 yds.. after that my bolt drops considerably which is where I would recommending doing most of your practice..

[nyslowhand]

My Xbow's scope has ranges/dots from 20->50yrds. Can hit 3" bullseye at 50yrds using a rest. Have shot a couple deer at 40yrds, but would never shoot beyond that distance. Well.. never say never, suppose if an 18pt BB shoot broadside at 50yrds I'd be thinking twice about my self-imposed range limit.

I'm a life long bow hunter that has been (semi-)converted to Xbows for several reason, mainly I'm an old fart. So the aspect of the "up close & personal" bow hunting I've enjoyed for decades has carried over while using a Xbow, scope or no scope.

10 hours ago, grampy said:

If anyone is into shooting for distance, firearms season opens in the SZ on the 17th.

Save the longer shots for then.

Amen, brother!

[Hunter007]

Just because deer can move a good distance  before a arrow gets  there on long shots,     I limit myself to 30 yards  with archery equipment. 

 

[BizCT]

When I was kid playing basketball, I used to say my shooting range starts where I enter the gym.

For hunting, my shooting range starts when I enter the woods!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Core]

5 hours ago, Storm914 said:

Just because deer can move a good distance  before a arrow gets  there on long shots,     I limit myself to 30 yards  with archery equipment. 

 

This piqued my interest again in another thread. Since I don't know reaction time of deer I'm using 100 ms, but if that is a reasonable assumption, this calculator: https://keisan.casio.com/exec/system/1224835316

indicates that from an arrow shooting an average speed over the distance of 330 fps (reasonable for modern crossbows), the deer could not drop more than 2" at 30 yards. Out to 40 yards the drop could be as much as 6", so it certainly becomes an issue to think about at that range.

[OtiscoPaul]

I don't have access to BGF's linked video about alert deer jumping the string...but the conclusions were clear:

No xbow or bow beats an alert deer at 40 yds.

So either aim low or keep it inside 30.

All but one of my buck harvest have been inside 20 most 15...bow and gun, more fun to get them close IMO.

[airedale]

For my way of thinking no matter what the weapon being used so long as it is one capable of making the kill it will always come down to how proficient and confident the shooter is in making the shot. If I am confident I can make the shot then I will take it.

Al

[Hunter007]

57 minutes ago, Core said:

This piqued my interest again in another thread. Since I don't know reaction time of deer I'm using 100 ms, but if that is a reasonable assumption, this calculator: https://keisan.casio.com/exec/system/1224835316

indicates that from an arrow shooting an average speed over the distance of 330 fps (reasonable for modern crossbows), the deer could not drop more than 2" at 30 yards. Out to 40 yards the drop could be as much as 6", so it certainly becomes an issue to think about at that range.

Yep and   the margin of error  between you making not so perfect a shot plus the deer moving also increases after about 30 yards .

 

[mike103]

This is my third year with the Xbow. I have a Ten Point Titan. The scope has points for 20,30,40 and 50. I practiced at all four ranges and was very comfortable up to 50 yards.

In ‘16 a 6pt showed up at 50 yards at a slow trot. I was in a tent and had a good rest. Used the 50 yard pin and double lunged him when he stopped. He went 100 yards or so. My first and only bow kill.

I don’t see a problem as long as your equipment is good, sighted In properly, and your confident of your ability.

Every other deer I have seen with the xbow either I did not want or he thought it was gun season and stayed out too far.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[G-Man]

On 11/2/2018 at 12:20 PM, Engraver99 said:

New to crossbow - I have an excalibur crossbow 200# pull/305 fps and am sighted in with broadheads at 20 yards. I picked the excalibur because I do not have any bow shops near by that stock strings and cables for changing. The recurve crossbow allows me to do that with minimal hassle. The scope calls for shooting it in at 20,30,40,50, and 60 yards. I think the farthest I would shoot a deer with any bow would be about 30-35 yards. I have a 1 pin sight on my vertical bow sighted in at 26 yards. Should I bother sighting the cross bow  in at the above ranges or just see where the ballistic scope dots put the bolts out to in yardage. What is a good consistent killing range for a crossbow?

 

thanks

 most crossbow scopes allow you to dial it in for fps. sight at 20 and at 40 and its all set at all ranges.. you never know a deer standijg broadside in an open field looking away from you is a buck of a lifetime.. be nice to. know you can take thay shot at 40 because your scope is set.  you can limit yourself to ranges your comfortable with i 99 %  of cases but the need will arise when conditions are perfect..for a bit longer shot. 

additionally when sighted in off  a rest at further ranges you will much tighter groups at closer ranges i stead of well its a 3 in circle good enough at 20...  you will be breaking nocks at close ranges and holding a nice tight group at further.. 

[SilentStalker]

I’m new to xbow as well. I practice out to 50, am confident at 30 hunting with all the variables. Been practicing a ton off hand and that has helped my confidence big time. 

[JFB]

Until you acquire ESP to know whether or not the deer is going to react to the sound of the crossbow, you would be wise to keep your shots to 30-35 yards. Sure, you may be able to hit a stationary target at 50 yards but a deer that hears the snap of a xgun is not going to stand still all of the time. A lot of wounded deer result from this long shot guessing game.