ArthurP, First of all I resemble that remark about using a fast bow and shooting at animals at 30 or 40 yards or whatever you said. I shot my first deer with a bow at 35 yards and double lunged him and He only went 40 yards. My second deer that year that was last year not this past one was shot at 17 yards. I have no problem with shooting at 45 yards and don' t think I am wrong and am totally thrilled with taking an animal (deer) at that range. Now don' t think that I would pass on a buck because he was too close and I want to shoot at him farther away. Not even close. I really am enjoying bowhunting since I started in fall of 2001. But don' t think that I have been only shoot a bow since then NOPE I have shot for years and have been taking lessons from professional and shot some competition also Albeit I did this years ago. BUt I have no doubts about me hitting the mark on a deer at 45 yards ITS a DUCK SHOT. I don' t consider a long shot till after 45 yards. And no I hear you saying why do you hunt with a bow then! I enjoy the challenge to it. I enjoy the practice involved and all the preparation involved in finding that perfect place that will bring a deer to within 45 yards. Not like muzzelloader or rifle season where you just have to be in an area that can look over a couple 100 yards to be able to harvest him.

I hope you are not saying or questioning me for my beliefs as to my ethics and joy of bowhunting because I would take a 45 yard shot. I guess if it is then I would say to me a 45 yarder to me would be like a 15-20 yarder for most.

I am enjoying bowhunting more and more as time goes by and I do like a fast bow. I also wont shoot a needle at the speen of light. Moderation moderation moderation. If I can shoot a bow that shoots an arrow of 550 grains at 250 or a 400 gr arrow at 325 I want the 400 at 325 Its just me I like the feeling of being able to having a flatter trajectory with the faster bow. Now another reason I have is to my first buck I took that was at 35 yards. I didn' t expect to see him come from that direction totally not where I thought he would of came from but it does happen as we all know. Well he came in a direction that I didn' t know and I didn' t have any shooting lanes in which to shoot. So I just watched and looked ahead to see where he might go and where I can take a shot at. So I find one and see that I have to be able to put my shot through 2 trees then under a branch and over a branch If you can see this in your mind it makes up a little square for me to get the arrow there. Now this little area I had to shoot from was about 15 yards before the deer So I needed the speed of the arrow to have a flat enough trajectory to make it through the space and stay flat enought to make a good hit. Well As stated before I double lunged him and he only went 40 yards.

So I guess with this case speed helped me out. ANd No range finder was used at all. If I had a slower bow I couldn' t of shot at this deer. But as it is he was my first with a bow and is PROUDLY displayed on my wall. He is not the biggest buck but a nice 8 pointer and am as proud as hell.

I can still remember every detail from that hunt and I am smiling now as I type this.

And just incase you think I am nuts or not a consciencous hunter or non ethical hunter I had this past year the biggest buck I have seen in the woods for me that is. He was a beauty of an 8 pointer. I had him come in to about 5 yards of my stand and I didn' t shoot do to not the right angle. He was only straight at me and then went straight way no good shooting angle. I was crushed but I felt good to be able to see him and not make a mistake of shooting at the back of an animal and having the chance of wounding him.
I just hope to get a crack at him this year. Well that is about as good as I can put it for me liking a faster bow than a slower bow providing I can shoot them equally as well.

Brian