RE: Do we "owe" it to anything/anyone to be accurate shots ?
 

Jimpo summed up my feeling.

If your longbow falls into your own ethical lines of an acceptable choice by all means us it! If not, I think you already know the answer! While we all have diferent reason for hunting and the choices we make regarding hunting, we do ultimately want to be successful as such setting yourself on a path that won't lead to that result is not a wise desicion and will not breed the confidence required to improve and built on past experience.

RE: Do we "owe" it to anything/anyone to be accurate shots ?
 

hmmmmmmm

Which is better ...

compound - 45 yard accuracy to the tune of 5" groups
crossbow - 30 yard accuracy to the tune of 5" groups
longbow/recurve - 15 yard accuracy to the tune of 5" groups

I know, as long as I stay within my effective range, right ? But we all KNOW when you're afield, and a 150" P&Y stud buck comes along wokring a scrapeline, you aint thinking "oh damn, that buck is 16 yard, 1 yard outside my effective range" - right ? And practice, in your confort zone, on a range or in your backyard groups aint going to be 2 hours motionless, in your cold tree stand shooting - right ?

So theoretically, I'd be more "ethiccal" and would be doing "our sport" better by going with equipment that allows me to put arrows - a higher % of the time - where I want them to go.

Right ?

RE: Do we "owe" it to anything/anyone to be accurate shots ?
 

Which is better for whom? To each his own!

Right! No matter which weapon you choose!

Absolutely!

RE: Do we "owe" it to anything/anyone to be accurate shots ?
 

BOWFANATIC - You didn't make much sense there. Reading from the bottom up, I'd say you're saying that a guy should use the weapono he's most accurate with in the name of the sport of archery and out of respoect for the animal - yet from the top down you say to each his own, shoot what you want to.

I choose a longbow, a weapon I (and most trad archers for that matter) am LESS accurate with in most any circumstance. That flies against what you were saying - doesn't it ?

RE: Do we "owe" it to anything/anyone to be accurate shots ?
 

I dont believe anyone else will have trouble comprehending what I said![&:]

What doesn't make sense?

First you said... And I said.. Meaning all have the same accuracy within their yardage limitations! So which is better for whom? Some like to get close to game , some like the long shots , which is better if they both hunt within their capabilities?

Absolutely not! Notice how I quoted your sentences that I responded to? I responded to each scenario you provided honestly with the information you supplied. You didn't say...the compound hunter shoots 1" groups at 15 yards -vs- the trad bowhunter that shoots 5" groups at 15 yds.. You said each of them could shoot 5" groups at different yardages. So hunt within your limitations.

Your too transparent stealthy!;) Dont beat around the bush , just get to your point man!

RE: Do we "owe" it to anything/anyone to be accurate shots ?
 

I said

you said



Okay. So I then said

Going on what you and I said above, I would be LESS etchical by using a bow that I'm not as accurate with - correct ? Yet you said ....

RE: Do we "owe" it to anything/anyone to be accurate shots ?
 

Whether you are ethical or not, has nothing to do with which bow you choose. It has to do with the decision you make when the animal is out of your effective range, with whatever weapon you brought. If I bring a rifle that I'm effective with out to 300 yards, and I shoot at a deer at 400, then I'm not being very ethical. If I bring a self bow that I'm effective with out to 12-15 yards, and I never shoot beyond that, then I'm making ethical decisions. It's not the weapon, it's the decision you make when that trophy is just out of your effective range.

RE: Do we "owe" it to anything/anyone to be accurate shots ?
 

I don't feel the above criteria is accurate enough at all.

Once you step into the realm of taking shots out of range because its a big animal.....weapon no longer has anything to do with it...it becomes plain old bad ethics.

I cringe everytime I here someone say they took a risky shot because "it was the only one they had" or "the buck was too big to pass up".

RE: Do we "owe" it to anything/anyone to be accurate shots ?
 

Totally wrong as far as I'm concerned. I've past on many deer because they were out side of my effective range.

That range shortens according to weather conditions(wind,rain) light and a few other factors.

Your batting 1000 so far wrong again.I practice alot with just one shot at a time.

Accuracy at the range? I watched a show where a world champion choked on a big buck,go figure.

RE: Do we "owe" it to anything/anyone to be accurate shots ?
 

I owe it to myself to be as accurate as I can be. It drove me nuts the two times I lost animals due to poor shots. It happens to everyone eventually. However if you are wounding animals alot get better or take up a new hobby.