i think we all bowhunters have had a buck or doe around 40-45 yards. atthis distance theres alot that can go wrong and leed to an injured deer. jumped string/windage/elevation.40 yards is a long way for an ethical clean heat/lung shot. i was wondering if any of you guys or galstake this far shot?
for me personally i would only take this shot if the deer had no idea i was there and orno wind. if there was a little blow in the wind or the deer sensed something i would just have to watch and enjoy the deer at that distance. i practice at my 3d range at 20,30,40,50,60 yards. 20 and 30 are always grouping and just were i want the arrow to go. any more yards after that the arrow is all over the place. i beleive in take only close ethical shots. all the deer i ever had shot died within a minute of the shot, but i had a buddy who shot a doe at 90 yards and stuck her in the gut area, and it took hours to find that deer. this deer ran at least 600 yards from where the shot took place all that suffering and trouble just beacuse it was an unethical shot and the broadhead didnt peirce the heart lung region.
whats your thoughts on this?
-Bran

hmmm??, i kind of look at that senario as if i was out practicing on a target at that range whereby i had all time in the world to make a good placement shot, if all the conditions where in my favor and i felt confident my arrow was going to hit where it needed to i would then take that kind of shot.

Few years ago I shot a nice size doe at 38 yards. She was slightly quareting away from me. The arrow hit perfect except it just a little bit far back. It should have hit the liver and and got the back of the lungs.She jumped and twisted when the arrowhit her.I was shooting a 2 blade broadhead that didn't come to a point. I belive it was made by Bearand had a small flat spot about 1/8" wide at the tip that was also sharpened. The arrow went in the very back of the rib cage and came out through her guts and also cut the back of one of her ankles. Dad and I did not find her that night and then it rained late that night and all the next morning. Grandpa and I went on a random search in the woods and got lucky. Found her in a pond at the back of the woods. Meat was still good and she was tastey.I refuse to take a long shot since. 2 lessons. First use cut on impact broadheads that come to a point. 2nd Get themclose or let them walk. To many things can go wrong. I had a 160" 10 point jump the string and duct my arrow at 25 yards. If he can duct it at 25, imagine what he could do at a longer distance. Bow hunting is about getting close, not shooting long shots. If you want to take long shots then take up rifle hunting.

If that deer doesn't know your there and is browsing or just pawing around or something I'll take that shot any day. If there on alert no way. It would take less than 3/4ths of a sec for my arrow to hit at 40 yds. Just my opinion and the way I hunt.

A 40 yard shot is only acceptable to those who have an effective yardage of 40 yards. There are those that can make it without hesitation. I've taken two deer beyond 40 yards without incident. One was a 42 yard double lung and the other was a 41 yard double lung. I've never missed an animal beyond 40 yards seeing they were the only two attempts beyond 40 however I have missed animals well under 30 yards. The noise factor is a variable regardless of 20 yards or 40 yards, the animal will react one way or another or not at all depending and regardless. Wind factor only come into play on just that..windy days and elevation is less a fact at 40 yards than it is at 20 or under because of shot angle.

The only people that should take a 40 yard shot are those who has 40 yards in thier effective range and when the shot presentation is correct. There are those who should never attempt a shot beyond 30 yards and some less because of their own personal effective range.

The most important factor is to abide by your effective range and never push the envelope, for some that's 20 yards, for others it may be 40....you and only you can make that decision.

I too practice out to 60 or 70 (just for the heck of it). I have never shot a deer over 32 yards, luckily, however I havea great group out to 45 that I feel confident to make a double lung, under good conditions. Wind would play a major factor in taking a shot that long at a deer. Now, I did post a pic of a groundhog I took at 62 yards right in the shoulder and last night I took another at 61, a little back and he took my arrow. Anyhow, with practice, a properly tuned bow, a 40 yard shot can be a comfortable range, but luckily, we don't have to take it due to our homework and luck on deer movement.

Kelly

You said you practice out to 60 but only get groups at 20 and 30 after 30 it opens up. Then id say your effective range is 30 or less for an ethical shot at recovering the deer. Not to say it cant be done but if the groups stop at 30 so would i.........thank's......

Effective shot range varies from person to person. What one person thinks is too far, another guy will kill deer at repeatedly. Rob summed things up pretty well.

chiefks,
What does that little flat part on the broadhead have to do with your story? You still got full penetration, I don't see your point.

I can make that shot all day; provided the deer is relaxed and doesn't know I am there; sure, I have before. Last year on the last day of season I double lunged a doe at 50 yds asI was heading for my truck. She never knew what happened. Shoot within your capabilities is the answer. If you can't hit a target at that range then you have no business doing it on a wild animal.HCH

Think about what has to happen for a arrow to go into the back of a does rib cage on a slightly quartering away shot and go through her guts and come out her bellyand cut her back ankle. The only reasoning I can figure for the arrow to take that path is that the deer must have reacted when the arrow hit her. She must have jumped and twisted. I belive that has everything to do with that style of broad head I was useing at the time. A good sharp broadhead that comes to a point and cuts on impact should blow right through a doe at 38 yards as long as you don't hit any major bones.My arrow did not blow right though that doe, and given the shot placement it should have. My broadheads were sharp. However they did not come to a point. I think that slowed my arrow down and it took more effort for that broadhead to get into that deer. Which caused her reaction and my arrows reaction. So in other words. I did NOT get full penetration. If I would have then the arrow would have taken out the liver and possibly the back of the lungs and came out the other side and not came out her belly. I was maybe 12 feet off the ground, so down shot angle was not a factor. I was shooting 60-65 lbs draw weight at the time which is plenty and my arrows were 2117 xx75 shafts.Useing a good sharpbroadhead that has a good sharp point is essential.