I am like GS. I will practice out to 100 yards. I could probably make 90% kills on bulls at that yardage. Notice that I said %. In bowhunting elk I wil never take percentage shots. A good way to keep yourself from pushing the limits when the bull of a lifetime steps out ,is to remove the pins that are out of your good kill range. That way you will be less likely to shoot outside your effective range. When I go onto the hill, I only have a 20 and a 30 yard pin. I can stack for 40 if needed. That keeps me within my 100% kill range. I have never had to use anything other than my 20 yard pin yet. Usually they are right in your lap. If you can practice and shoot consistantly at farther yardages then go for it. If you are not shooting good at these yardages then move in. Perfect practice makes perfect. Your confidence may suffer if you are not grouping at these yardages. I for one am not a big supporter of practicing in the wind either. Practicing in the wind can easily breed form flaws that will carry over to calm days and can breed target panic in one way or another. I could go all day about practice confidence but we could start a whole new thread on that. Just practice until you find where your comfort zone lies and when it comes down to crunch time, make your shot count with a cool head. I practice yardage judging all year for competitive shooting and can usually guess to within a yard or two out to 50 yards, but I still make use of a range finder when hunting. I wear it around my neck and tucked into my jacket. When I set up on a bull I will range trees, rocks etc. I find no shame in using one for hunting. GS brings up good advice though, as you should not learn to rely solely on a range finder. You should learn to do it without also. Because like anything else it could break, or be sitting at home on the counter when it is time to use it. Good luck on your hunt and keep the wind in your face.