BowhunterSteve

[:-]Man oh man, did I kick the bee hive with this question or what!? The reason I posed said topic in the first place was because of a guy I work w/ who brags about his "last pin being @ 90 yds".He talks about,"I shoot a doe last year @ 70 and passed clean through...and you say that's slob hunting?", etc. etc. In light of this kinda stuff, I stated (my opinion) that anything over 50 @ a whitetail is flat nuts. This promted a rather heated, intense reaction from him, and in the end nothing was ever accomplished. Butfor all of you who shoot past the 30's, please tell me you're using a BLOODY RANGEFINDER!!! I mean, you wanna shoot 45, 50, 60, fine, but you owe it to theanimalto be certain he's standing@ 48 and not 41yards away. But hey, if you've done it, props....you just won't see me do it, not at 50.

tschammel

The whole problems is when people do it once they think that it's going to be like that every time. You said it bowhuntersteve, we as bowhunters owe this to the animal.

gselkhunter

The fact is I never use a range finder! Don't need one, don't want one. I have walked and shot in the woods and fields with judo points for so many years now, I just learned how to do it. And my practice range is 80yds, it is all about form and tuning and doing it. Shooting an animal at 40yds, I don't even think about. And the bottom line is that if you don't practice at long range you will never be able to understand how someone else can shoot that far and be comfortable with it. Todays compound bows will easily kill animals at eighty yards if set up right, the bow isn't the problem. I am saying if you don't ever shoot any farther than 20yds in practice, don't try and shoot an animal at 30yds. But if you are that kind of shooter don't judge someone that can shoot at 80yds. You have nothing to base your judgement on. And as for making a mistake in taking a shot and wounding an animal, if you hunt it will happen to you sometime. OH, PS I killed my Ram at fifty five yards. And he didn't hear a thing, he just felt it. Only went 60yds.
Gselkhunter

ScentLok32

40 yards is my max range...I personally feel that the speed and kinetec energy of your arrow plays a major part in taking shots at 40 and longer as well as your accuracy and confidence...if you can hit a deer past 40 yards accurately but all your going to do is wound it then I wouldnt take the shot...I hope that maybe with all the new technology going into the new bows and arrowsI can effectively extend my range but for now I believe 40 is a great number for anyone...

huntingson

I can truly see both sides to this argument. I see a lot of people who shoot at distances way beyond their abilities, but I also know that there are some people out there that can circumsize a gnat at 40 yards with a bow. I 100% agree with tschammel that no one should take bad shots that will wound animals, but I also think that long distance shots are reasonable under the right conditions. I feel comfortable taking that shot. I practice at much longer distances than I would shoot in a hunting situation, and I have shot enough animals that I can shoot at them as though they are a target. I don't feel guilty at all for taking that shot. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't feel terrible if I wounded one. It just means I am confident that if I choose to shoot a longer shot, then I will make it.

mez

This one always kicks a beehive. TS I understand and respect your opinion. My opinion differs and it comes from my experiences in 22 seasons of hunting and shooting a bow. I have no problem with your thoughts on distance all I ask is that you respect my opinion and others on the issue. No one is right or wrong, it is something we all need to decide for ourselves and ultimately it is what we can live with. I don't believe in wounding animals and leaving them and if I think there is a good chance that I will do so I don't take the shot. I let my experience dictate what I do and I'm comfortable with that. In the end we are all hunters sharing the same passion.

isatarak

The farthest I have ever shot a deer was a doe at just under 35 yards. She was standing broadside with her head down when I shot. I ended up hitting her in the spine with the arrow sticking almost straight up and slightly angled back. She would have to have turned almost 90 degrees and dropped her rear a quite a bit from the time I shot til the arrow hit. I'm not saying I wouldn't take that shot again, but nothing is guaranteed.

Howler

I can't agree with ya. Why is it so important for all of us to make our equipment as quite as possible? NOW, if an animal is further away, the sound I make will not be as loud as if I was closer to it!
It comes down tothis, shooting the animal without it knowing there is any threat near by. If the animal is in a feeding, or at least relaxed state, then that will reduce the risk of an "arrow ducking" reaction more than any distance between you and the animal! Sure it will here the shot at 50 yards, BUT it won't be as loud as if the shot were from 20 yards!

spudrow

It's 20 yards for me. Every year I say I'm going to attempt a 30 yard shot but never do. In practice I hit 4 inch groups at 40 yards, but to me it's just too risky.

mobow

The original question was what our maximum CONFIDENT range is. Mine is 50, and if someone has a problem w/ me shooting at a deer at 50 yards with my modern archery tackle, I gotta tell ya.....I don't give a darn. If conditions are right, I'm shooting. If someone tells me I am less of a hunter for it, well, that's their right and opinion. But it's not going to stop me from doing it again.

Now, if you ask me what the farthest shot is that I've TAKEN....25 yards. This entire thread has turned into judgement of who's a better hunter, and it's simply not the point. Just because I would shoot at one 50 yards away DOES NOT make me a better hunter (or shooter) than someone who's range is 20 yards. The same applies vice versa as well.

Everyone has to know their limits and stick with them. That's what it's about right there. I will not make any apologies for working hard to improve my effective range. If stretching that range helps me feed my family (that's why I hunt afterall, to feed my kids) I REFUSE to make an apology for it.

I will also say that if that causes me to wound and not recover a deer, I tell you I've done everything possible to prevent that from happening, and though I will make every effort to recover said deer, if I don't,YES, I will feel badly about it, but it won't stop me from doing it again. Same applies for a close shot as well. If the same thing happened at 20 yards, I wouldn'tREDUCE my effective range!Hell no! I would take the first 20 yard shot that came along.And don't tell me that hasn't happened w/ 20 yard and closer shots too, because IT HAS. In fact, I dare say it happens more, but that may be only because there are fewer shots taken at longer ranges, so I wonder what the ratio is...That I don't know.