Again, it's not so much the bow/crossbow, as it is the archer/shooter and their ability as well as the animals reaction time. My max is 40 yards with a compound. I can reliably hit a 2 inch target at 100 yards with several of my bows but at live game I max at 40 for several reasons. The top of those reasons are penetration. I like a full clean pass through. 2nd on that list is reaction time of the animal. Whitetail are a high strung animal and can damn near duck a bullet! Since your arrow is not breaking the sound barrier (yet as they keep getting faster
) then your string noise reaches that animal before the arrow and their reflexes are so attuned they can drop below that arrow in a short amount of time. With today's compounds exceeding the 300fps mark we are beating those reflexes pretty well out to 40 yards. So, all in all, EFFECTIVE range of the equipment itself not withstanding, PERSONAL range in my opinion should be limited to 40-50 yards max for either. And that 50 is stretching it. Practice well beyond that range for confidence but limit your shots on live game to 40 and you will find much more success in the taking of game when you get a shot at them.