If the definition of a good bow kill is less than 10 yards, then there is no doubt that a gun, or firearm is superior to a bow.

The first deer I ever killed with a bow was at 7 yards. Beng new to the archery game, nobody told me about bending at the waist, I dropped my bow arm and shot over the deer. Not knowing what had happened, the deer stood still and acctually sniffed the nock of the arrow sticking out of the ground. I re-nocked, re-drew, aimed lower, and spined her. Fairly terrible thing to see... though I had seen it before, I never care too. Spent my last arrow sinking another into her ribs to hurry the process along... that did the job nicely.

I cannot recall a deer that I have shot with a firearm in the last five years (which totals well over 100 deer including culls) that has gone more than 5 yards.... and that mostly from thrashing...in one case it was a cartwheel as the deer I shot (30 yards using buckshot this past season... headshot... comes from being a bird hunter I suppose... I impressed myself with that one) did a roll and a powerslide of sorts. I did shoot one with a muzzleloader this year at about 15 steps that I beleive it or not missed the scapula on. Broke the onside shoulder (quartering too) right at the joint. 300gr softpoint lodged about 1in right of her anus and broke the skin but somehow did not exit. I found one drop of blood 5 feet from the deer. She went about 40 yards in the open bottom and I heard her crash. I was in a ground tent... took me 30 minutes to find her . Should have known better than to take a quartering too shot... even if it was close enough to smell the acorns on her breath.

I've shot nearly 50 deer with the bow, and only had two not go at least 10 yards. Both of those were spined. The shortest I can recall that was not is probably in the neighborhood of 40 to 60 yards... but 70 to 80 is more the average. Have had a few that went closer to 200. But have NEVER (touch wood) had an arrow enter the body cavity of a deer and not recovered it.