shooting distance??
 

as some of you know, i'm totally new to bow hunting. what's the furthest distance that you would practice shooting at??

RE: shooting distance??
 

The farthest I can practice comfortably is 40 yards. I have my Tru-Glo 3 pin sights set for 20,30,40 yards. I have done 10 yard shots when experimenting with something and have ruined the fletching on a couple arrows, because I hit the same arrow with another arrow! [:o]

My best range to practice over and over and over is 25 yards and 30 yards. 40 yards is okay but always seems waaaaaaaaaaaay out there for accuracy.

Butch

RE: shooting distance??
 

40yds on target. But 30 is my max hunting! And most of the time I stay with in 25 yards when hunting.

RE: shooting distance??
 

I really like practicing at longer distaces. Many times I'll sit at 45-50 yards, and just take shots from there. Helps me with my stability, and getting my pin on the target.

Also helps out by making a 30-40 yard shot look close and easy. When I have enough room I will also take shots just to "see if I can do it" at 60 yards.

I take the longer shots about every third time I practice.

Other than that, I shoot at 40 yards and in, practicing shooting from stands, shooting in akward positions, and so on.

In the field, I'd never take a shot at a deer further than 40 yards. At 40 yards the deer has to be completely broadside for me to take the shot.


j

RE: shooting distance??
 

yea once u get to learn your bow, start moving out to longer distances like 50+ yards. the more you shoot, focus on your formand make sure you are teaching yourself the right way to shoot. Head to the archery shop and ask one of the staff to watch you shoot for a little bit. they can normally point out and imperfections in your form. after that warm up with some 20 yards, then 30 then 40 then 50 even 60 if you want. If you can start to hit pretty constant at 50 yards, move back to 20 and see how well you shoot. At 50 yards u may not be in the hitting the 10 ring everytime but trust me when that deer walks by at 20 yards, u'll be right on

RE: shooting distance??
 

I do most of my practicing from 30yds and closer. I go back to 40 every now and then just because i can but not very often. The majority of my shots on deer are about 25yds and closer.

RE: shooting distance??
 

I'll practice out to 40, mostly at 20 though. Shots at deer are 25 and under.

RE: shooting distance??
 

I practice out to 65yds that is all the room I have I regularly shoot 50 but keep my hunting to no more than 40 I do feel comfortable at that distance

RE: shooting distance??
 

Most of my practice is done at 35-40 yds. Less damage to the arrows then when shooting at shorter distances. I shoot a little bit at 50-70 yds too as a way to keep my form in check. It is all about focus and follow through. Practicing at longers ranges makes normal shots very easy and 35 yds possible as well. My average shot is less than 20 yds but my two biggest bucks were closer to 35 yds.

RE: shooting distance??
 

Whatever distance the arrow will deliver enough energy to kill subsequent with your confidence level. If you can group them and are positive it will kill the animal than go for it. That's something you have to find out. Myself I'm not venturing over 29 yards.

RE: shooting distance??
 

Thew bow club has an NFAA course so I screw around practicing out to 70 yards. It sure makes stuff look close up at 20 and 30.

Never have made a shot on an animal over 28 yards.

RE: shooting distance??
 

70 YARDS?!?!? [:o] Tell me you're kidding! ;) How can you see a clear bullseye target at that range?

Butch

RE: shooting distance??
 

thanks guys, i tell you what this site is really going to help me out!

RE: shooting distance??
 

I practice out to 50 yards, just for fun. I practice to 40 yards for hunting but have a actual 30 max for hunting. About the guys shooting 70 and 80 yards, I've seen guys keeping all arrow in a 12" group at those distances. Pretty amazing to me!

Good Luck!

RE: shooting distance??
 

I have a routine where a I shoot 6 arrows at 20, then at 30, then 40 then 50, then 40 then 30, then 20. I am very comfortable at 40 yards, given the perfect shot opportunity exists, and through my daily routine know that my sights and form remain true which is a tremendous confidence builder. I do however, make frequent trips to the proshop for re-fletching.....

RE: shooting distance??
 

Many archers make the mistake of whacking away at a target that is the same distance as their comfort level. THAT'S WHY IT'S YOUR COMFORT LEVEL!! You never push yourselves.

Find, or build yourself, a range that will allow you to shoot safely out to 70 yards. Yes, I said 70 YARDS. (100 would be better) Start working your way out to that distance. It may take months, but I GUARANTEE that your shooting will improve so much that you will be amazed. I once shot 28 days straight and never got closer than the 40 yard line. On the 29th day I shot my first 20 yard 300 game in my life. My previous best score was a 289. You can shoot 300s at 20 yards and be a crappy distance archer. I have two friends that were examples of this until recently. I could kill them at 50 yards, but not at 20. It's all mental. I wasn't scared of 50, they were. Once they became comfortable their short range game improved and so did their long range shooting. Now I'm getting beat again.

Once you are out to 70 yards and shooting "archers M.O.A." (1" groups per 10 yards) start changing things up. Shoot off of one knee, shoot off of both knees, shoot while leaning around cover, shoot from your blind, shoot from your treestand, shoot...shoot...shoot. Make it tough. Now do all of this out to 70 yards. YOU CAN DO IT. If I can do it, anyone can.

Now, add some surprise one shot practice to your training regiment. If you are going out to mow the lawn. Grab your bow and fire ONE arrow at your target from your knees. Do it just like you hunt. Do this as much as you can. It will build your confidence and train you to make the first shot COUNT. Do this out to 70 yards too.

Now, do all the above with broadheads. Buy 6 of your favorite broadheads and use them as target heads. Don't screw with the dull practice heads. Train yourself to respect the sharp ones and you're less likely to get hurt in the field. Shoot those heads out to 70 yards...don't be afraid.

By pushing yourself to greater distances you will do a couple things. First, you will fine tune the archer. If you have a form flaw at 20 yards you can only imagine what it will look like at 50 and 70.

Second, it will force you to fine tune your bow. That little arrow waggle that you allow at 20 yards?? imagine what happens at 50 and 70. Fine tune those broadheads. A group that is off from your field points at 20 will really show up at 50.

Push your limits and your bows limits and both will become a fine tuned killing machine. Be timid at 20 and you will always be timid at 20. Imagine what a SLAM DUNK SHOT that 18 yard deer will be after you've been squinting at tennis balls from 70 all summer.

I don't advocate shooting deer from beyond anyone's confort distance. Practicing WELL BEYOND that distance will only make you MORE comfortable at your "ethical" limit.

Do it for the best reason of all.... FUN Shooting at big distances is fun. Forget the cost of arrows and broadheads, just build a bigger backstop:D

RE: shooting distance??
 

While hunting I'll usually set things up so 25-30 yards is about the furthest point to shoot.

But when I practice, my backyard only allows me about 25 yards to practice. So when I do 3D shoots I'll shoot at some to the longer distances just to practice the long shots.

For some reason I seem to be able to focus better shooting at 3D targets then bullseyes at equal distances.

If you can find 3D shoots in your area I highly recommend them. They'll build alot of confidence and help out with judging distances in the field. Check out www.bowsite.com and enter your state and check on the 3D shoots button.

RE: shooting distance??
 

;) I won't attempt any shot past 30 yards at live game. It awes me when I read about those long shots but in my experience there is just too many chances for a wounding shot or total miss. I have very good vision with the help of my specs but those tiny twigs at beyond 30 yards are OUT THERE. I'm just too conservative to take those chances. Besides, I more fully appreciate those times when I can draw them in real close, not realizing there is an armed hunter ready to end life. Just my opinion. I commend those folks that feel confident at longer ranges, I guess it just boils down to comfort level.

RE: shooting distance??
 

I practice in my back yard out to 70 yards, with and without my range finder on my 4 different 3-d targets. I have yet to take a shot at an animal past 30 yards, but out here in the open plains of eastern Colo., playing spot and stalk on antelope, I would feel comfortable taking a 50 yard shot if and when the perfect situation arises!

RE: shooting distance??
 

Butch, 80 yards is distance that is required for NFAA. After you do it a few times you get a feel for it. One thing for sure it will show a flaw in your form.

There can be 28 targets one after the other, or you can have a 14 target The course is set up like a golf course, its alot of fun. The guy that owns the local bow shop is a national champ. He stacks them at 80. What's wierd is waiting for the arrow to hit at long distances.

RE: shooting distance??
 

Wow what a great point. See learn something valuable everyday here. I've never shot outside 40 yards. I guess I thought I would never in the woods where I hunt so why waste the time practicing. I never saw the flipside to doing it. It makes perfect sense if you're shooting arrows from 60 yards trying to pinpoint them, my gosh 20 - 30 will seem like a chip shot!! Wow what a revelation. Thanks for that tip. Just like in golf. You sit there and practice 230 yard 3 irons to a green then go to 70 yard wedges it seems like you can't miss. See another golf coorelation. God I love the 2 sports how they coincide!!

RE: shooting distance??
 

Anything past 40yds is very humbling for me:(

RE: shooting distance??
 

Jsasker, I've spent some time behind targets that's for sure.

NYBH, After shooting at 70 that kill zone looks pretty big at 20. You see the long drive world championships on ESPN last night. Longerst drive in the competition was 408, 384 won it in the fianals. They said a guy in his regional hit adrive of 510 wind aided of course.

.You never seen me hit a golf ball.lol.

Another golf coorelation don't lift your head when shooting at 70 yards.

RE: shooting distance??
 

I used to only practice 20 yard shots. This past year I have been shooting up to 50 yards. My grouping at 50 is not as tight as I would like it, but I now feel confident in shooting out to 40 yards on a deer.

RE: shooting distance??
 

Practicing shooting at greater yardage than what a person is comfortable and consistently accurate at is not for everyone. Factors that come into play shooting past 40 yards can throw some shooters accuracy off, befuddle him or her, and cause the person to start readjusting their form and gear until they end up with a mess, and now do not know what went wrong or how to get back to where they were at.

Once some shooters start stepping back beyond their comfort zone, they have a problem with an unconscious trait of getting too deep into the string and canting their bows. Usually indicated by low and right or left hits, depending on whether the shooter is right or left-handed. One indicator of this habit is staggered pins…if they use multiple pins. No matter how hard they try, some shooters cannot permanently rid themselves of this phenomenon.

It is one thing to shoot fieldpoint mounted shafts at greater distances than what is considered an average hunting shot, it is a whole different story when shooting broadheads. As a shaft begins to lose its velocity, the broadhead has the tendency to take over control of the flight. Some people barely know the basics of setting up their gear. Flight problems can be a migraine headache for them. Additionally, some setups will perform well within a particular yardage, and not as well beyond a particular yardage.

As for practicing long shots making close shots a snap or a walk in the park, I do not agree. Having an ability to be accurate at greater distances might provide more shooting confidence, but when it comes to shooting a live animal with a bow, there is no such thing as a closer shot being "ho-hum" easy no matter how far away you can hit the spot on a target. In fact, close shots can often be harder to make depending on angle, and that fact that your slightest movement can be detected and the sound of your bow and the arrow in flight can send the deer to its belly as it prepares to speed away. I have made kills where I considered the shot to have been an easy shot, but never before the deer is down.

I can shoot accurately out to 65 yards, but I never shoot past 40 when preparing for hunting. 40 yards would be the maximum I would shoot at a deer. Therefore; my gear and my form is precisely set for 0-40 yards. My confidence is at its max when a deer is in my set fire-zone. However, I approach each shot the same even though the deer might be only 10 yards away.

In my opinion, the "comfort zone" is the maximum distance a shooter can consistently shoot accurately with the same adjustments, other than corresponding pin height.

RE: shooting distance??
 

Yeah I caught a little of it. It defies the laws of physics what they do to the golf ball. I can't even fathom how.

good place to start!! I found in my vast studies of golf and the golf swing that your chances of succesful contact with the ball increase dramatically when you are looking at it. lol ;)

RE: shooting distance??
 

When I practice I routinely shoot out to 50 yards. I don't shoot these distances in anticipation of ever shooting a deer from that far away. I find that it breaks up my shooting if I take a few long shots and then move back to normal shooting range. ;)

RE: shooting distance??
 

An archer sees how far he can get from a target and still hit it. A bowhunter gets close enough that he can't miss.

RE: shooting distance??
 

Now arthur while that is a clever statement and I can certainly appreciate it. You know as well as I do that even the best bowhunters are perfectly capable of missing the Gulf of Mexico when they're standing knee deep in it, given the right circumstances;)

RE: shooting distance??
 

SA - That's why it's called 'hunting' and not 'killing.' ;)

RE: shooting distance??
 

I shoot long distances because it's fun and I enjoy it. Yes it does make the kill zone look alot bigger.

You did state bow hunting practice. Well that I do from a tree stand with my broadheads at distances out to 40 yards. I place my targets at unknown distances. I wear my actual hunting gear as much as possibe. I take only a few shots and then come back in a little while.

Is this thread going to become a pi$$ing contest too. I'll go drink about 2 gallons of water ,cya soon.

RE: shooting distance??
 

I practice 70 yds. and go out to 100, now that is cool waiting for the arrow to hit. I killed 2 deer this year, 1 was a 6pt. at 43 yds. and a doe at 52.

RE: shooting distance??
 

pppppppiiiiiiiiiiissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss sssssssss. Seems contagious lately doesn't it?

RE: shooting distance??
 

Some people have to wear Depends while they are typing.

Actually the first post read "practice shooting." Just went back and checked.

RE: shooting distance??
 

my furthest practice shot normally is about 40 yds. I most often shoot 20 yds. the furthest i have killed a deer at is 28yds. The majority of the ones i kill are about 1-15 yds away.

RE: shooting distance??
 

I practice out to 50 yards but in a hunting situtation my shots are never over 30 yards. I shoot an older bow and it looses a lot of speed and punch at further distances.

RE: shooting distance??
 

Since the question asks about practice, I practice with BH's out to 60 yards. If the pins fron 20-60 align up, it's a good indicator of spine and rest position with a bubble.

RE: shooting distance??
 

I practice out to 40 yards and I'm very confident out to that yardage when hunting.

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RE: shooting distance??
 

I usually practice out to about 300yds, the trick is laying your target on its back because your arrows are coming in vertical.......really makes those 20yd shots seem easy. Now when hunting I like to keep it at about 80 yds, although with the new Mattech Firestorm Cougar Mag LX-VFT (i.b.o 650 fps) bow I'm getting for Christmas I should be able to double that distance...but thats just me.

Sorry guys had to do something to keep my self entertained here at work on Christmas Eve. For real I practice out to 50yds, have never shot a deer at more than 30yds.