About 5 or 6 threads down is a post "I wanna go trad, but how do I get started". There is a lot of good information in the thread.

However, I would like to answer your question on shooting distances by using information gained from a couple studies conducted about 15 years ago on bow hunting whitetail deer. Over the years I have made a notebook binder of interesting articles or studies. One study was on the loss rate of bowhunters compared to rifle hunters. It was found that rifle hunters lost 17% and bow hunters lost 17% of the deer that was shot or wounded. The same percentage, no difference. However, in the study, it was found that compound hunters had the highest loss of deer for archers, recurves and long bows had the lowest percentage (the combined percentage came out to 17%). The reason was shoot distance. Compound shooters take longer shoots. Recurve and long bow hunters take closer shoots. This study promped another study on shoot distance vs recovered deer. The study found that as shoot distance exceeded 30 yards, losses rose significately.

Now I will give you my opinion. Archery tournaments rountinely set targets beyond 30 yards for compound users. This has lead many compound shooters to believe that they can and should take shots over 30 yards because they can hit the kill area on targets. Hunting videos show people taking shoots over 30 yards and reinforces the idea that long distance shooting a live deer is OK. Targets are perfectly still, but a live deer is never still. It may not be walking, but it is still moving. A deer looks one way, then turns it's head to the other side, the deer's body bends and the shoulder blade slides over the kill zone. A deer is feeding. It looks still, but it moves one front foot forward and moves the kill zone forward. This may not be a big deal at 20 yards, but at 40 yards, it is the differnce in a short blood trail, or a long blood trail, maybe lost animal or a wounded animal that may not survive the winter.

The only other thing that I would recommend is not using mechical heads. When open, the blades are not layed back. They chop instead of slicing through the meat. Usually, mechical heads open much wider than fixed blade heads. Chopping and large wideth heads do not penatate well.