I think its pretty funny that people can't understand that some people can shoot better at 50+ yards than others can at 30 yards. Effective range is all depending on the person, how much they practice, their equipment, the conditions and situation of the shot, and their confidence. If anyone thinks a 50 yard shot is irrespncible I think they need to practice a bit more.

Yes, I'm a newbee, and yes I feel it's irresponsible to shoot 50 yds at an animal. Somehunters can pull it off, if conditions are right. Most hunters I know won't take that shot. You can hit targets all day long at 50, and better. In the field it's another story. Passthru79, what's so hard to to understand. The chances of an animaljumping string are huge at that distance, but you already knew that...........right?

It was gettin' a little deep there for awhile. Had to get my boots on and get my shovel out.

A shotgun slug or a .30 caliber bullet is still moving at a pretty good clip 60 yards from the muzzle, but at that distance an arrow has slowed down quite a bit.

I can nail a target no sweat at 60 yards and I even have a pin set for that distance. But targets don't move.

Put me down for 30 yard max on critters.

Did the thread title say anything about ethics? I must have missed something. I thought it said "your maximum range". And since both range and ethics vary between people,who thinks we shouldstick to the question asked?

I am sighted in out to70 yds. so I guess that is my bows max range right now.Max range on a game animal isbased onthe situation and the circumstances, period.

Have any of you "ethical shot range" people ever heard of Saxton Pope, Arthur Young,or Fred Bear? Justcurious.

You know, I have watched alot of hunting video. I have seen some of the "pro's" miss a deer or maybe not make such a great shot on a deer, even at a closer range.Like mention, there are alot of things that can go wrong the farther you are from the deer.IMOthe farther the deer is, those chances of something happening go up.
I like to stay around 30 to keep those chances as low as possible, because I don't only owe that to myself!
Crutch

I have shot stationary targets(3D deers) at 127 yrds consistent in the kill zone with my set up. But83 yrds is my furthest kill to date. I am still looking to better that distant some day. I do it just to say hey, I whacked it at 127yrds with a bow. I practice every day for couple hrs with my bow and rifles also. My rifle furtherest kill is 839 yrds. I am just good.

I understand what you are sayingbut at the same timeI know howmuchpractice I put inand the precautions I takewith my bow to keep it quiet, fast, and accurate (like most doI'm sure).I letthe situation dictate the best shot. I could have a deer come in at 30 yds.that's real spooky and jittery and Iknow that is not going to be an animal that I willprobably get a good shot at and the probabilityof it jumping is higher due to its behaviorso I will more than likely sit tight and let it walk. But giveme a 40-50 yd shot (quartering away/broadside)at a calm deer that is feeding/grazingor otherwise undisturbed and you may as well Cancel Christmas for that one. It comes down to individual choicesthat we all make based on our personal confidence levels/shooting abilities, hunting/deer experience, and situational details of each hunt/shot. If you know your bow, know your range (to target,rangefinders help), know your ability, and judge the deer (behavior), then you alone are the one best suited to make the call on what shots you take or don't takeand if they are ethical or not. Just my .02.

It's not a question of can I hit a target at 50 or 60 yards. I can, every time.

But targets don't move and if a gust of wind hits my arrow, no harm done. But at 50-60 yards away, by the time my arrow gets to the animal, a gust of wind or a bit of a move by the animal can turn an on target shot into a clumsy miss with an animal dying a couple days later unfound.

When I put 60 yard max down, I should have specified the situation. When I am hunting whitetail back east, I would never imagine taking a shot that far. There is much greater opportunity for closer shots.

Now put me into another situation on spot and stalk for antelope. You may hunt several seasons before getting a shot as close as 40 in open grass country. I have spent an entire day crawling with a herd getting no closer than 80 yards. And when I was at 80, there was no way to get up to take a shot.

Hunting late season mulies in the open sage brush is another story. According to a study done here in Idaho, the average shot was 49 yards.

Shooting past your max distance is only irresponsible within itself. To better my max yardage, which was about 10 feet many years ago, I decided to start practicing. I have been shooting 3 nights a week for the last 10 years or so and blind bail in my garage 1 or 2 nights a week. I shoot around 25-30 tournaments a year, and never take my hunting bow apart including broadheads which I try to shoot once a week during the off season.

Practicing longer shots will increase efficiency greatly. If I can group my arrows with broadheads in a 3 inch circle at 60 yards, why would I pass up a shot on a relaxed animal at 60 yards? Last year I had a better shot opportunity on a 62 yard mule deer than I did at 20 yards. I took the 60 yard shotafter Ipassed up a huge 4 point mule deer buck at 20.

Call me irresponsible for taking longer shots if you want, but the only 2 animals that I have ever lost were in my very early years, and both were under 20 yards.

I agree with the fact that hunting is different than 3-D, It is very important to read the animal in each situation, notice that I said that I take the long dogs on RELAXED animals.

If you ever get a chance to hunt the big sky country and have a limit of 20-30 yards, there is a good chance that you may be taking your tag home......

You know, I find it rather ridiculous that hunters in this forum find it necessary to explain themselves regarding their own personal ethics. I find it fairly humorous that some people can't seem to grasp the fact that ethics are a personal decision and that no two people may have the same capabilities as one another let alone the same ethics or values.

Ethics are personal, don't argue it.