Joseph

For skilled shooters and skilled bowhunters with their gear and themselves fined-tuned, a 30 to 40-yard shot can be difficult under " field" conditions. For most novice bowhunters, a 30 to 40-yard shot at a live deer under field conditions is nothing short of " I shot an arrow into the air, where it landed I know not where."

Until you acquire consistent proficiency, I would drop (raise) the 30-yard and 40-yard pin and set your (3) pins for 10, 20, and 25. If your bow is to be a soft or hard cam bow made in the last 10 years, these range setting should do you well and cover all the ranges in between and past the 25-yard pin which you will have to determine with your setup.

Why the 10-yard pin, you ask? Because you can miss a close shot as easily as you can a 20+ yard shot? Many bowhunters have and do, especially novice hunters. It is not uncommon to find shooters that tweak to the ultimate to hit the spot and group well at 20, 30, 40, 50-yard, but seldom, if ever, practice shooting at ranges of 10-yards and under and at steep angles.

Until you determine the trajectory performance of your shafts at particular distances and angles, and the actual kill zone that is available at certain distances and angles; for you, trying to " Kentucky" a 20-yard pin on the available spot of a deer that is 10-yards and closer -a deer that most likely is going to drop several inches when you fire, can easily be misjudged and often ends in a miss. You will still have to " Kentucky" that 10-yard pin for a very close shot, but it will be much easier than trying to do so with a 20-yard pin.

http://www.gcomag.com/112k2/atkinsonweb.htm

Do not allow yourself to acquire false confidence beyond your consistent level of proficiency; especially proficiency in the field which (proficiency) involves much more than hitting a spot on a range at known distances.

Shooting (range) targets at ground level at known distances does not fully prepare you for actual hunting conditions in the field. Typical range shooting is mainly for the purpose of tuning your bow, your equipment, and your form. How you and your gear perform on a range does not always and exactly transfer to the field.

You have plenty of time to learn to shoot greater distances, but until you become consistently proficient with a bow, why exceed your present limitations? Anyhow, regardless of the kills that are made, or professed to have been made, at 30, 35, 40, 50+ yards, most kills are still made at less than 25 yards, and many are made at yardage under 20-yards.

Once you become proficient IN THE FIELD, you can stick a pin on your bottom bow-limb and make some of those 80-yard shots some shooters claim that they have made.