Whats an affective range for a crossbow?
 

I have been hunting for over 25 years both bow and rifle ...Ive taken a good number of deer with both but never took one with a crossbow ...I am 58 years old and will be C/B hunting this year and was wondering what you guy's who have been doing it awhile consider an effective and responsible yardage to take a shot ...considering its a clear shot ... I own a 10pt Phantom and it is very accurate out to 50 yards but Im not real sure I would want to take a 50 yard shot ..I do know that at 50 yards the bolt sinks up to with in an inch of the fletching when shooting into "The Block" ...whats are ya'lls opinion ?

dd

35 yards is my max,can group out to 55 yards but feel
my best is at 35 with my Defender CLS and would be
the same with my Ten Point Curve.

40 is max for me. I can hit a tennis ball at 50 no sweat...but the tennis ball will be there when the arrow gets there.

Accuracy is not the main issue - the main issue is arrow flight time. Even if you are accurate at 50 yards, a deer can move quite a bit in the time it takes the arrow to get there. Crossbows are pretty loud, and deer have a tendency to jump the string.

For me, the closer the better. If you are accurate at 50 yards and under, you know the range, and the deer is relaxed - i.e. head down, feeding, then a 40 yard shot isn't out of the question. But for me, I limit my shots to 30 yards max- preferably closer, especially if they are on edge.

variables
 

Alot of variables, starting with the hunters abilities and ending with the body language of the deer. A totally calm deer with no wind and a rest allows a longer shot. I took a crossbow deer this year at 43 yards, my longest vertical about 35 or so. The deer was calm, no wind and looked relaxed feeding in a wheat field. It also had no pressure from hunting this year so wasnt on edge. If it was a 3D shoot the shot would have been in the 10 ring and it didnt go 20 yards. I have let deer half that distance walk because of one or more of the conditions. Buckeyefootball

What I fail to understand is this twit who has only owned one crossbow and for only a short period of time. Has little experience hunting with a crossbow. Chose a crossbow brand that is well below standard from all other crossbow brands, who now he thinks he is an expert and qualified to give people good advice??
Something is definitley out of whack with that!

lol!!!

I have a Parker Buck Buster 175... This bow shoots GREAT!!! Will keep 2" groups at 40 yards...

I shot the biggest buck of my life last year with it... It was last few minutes of light and the deer was in the wide open woods at about 40 yards... I shot him and heard the arrow hit... The arrow passed threw the 130lb field dressed buck and stuck in the ground... The bleade were bent on my Muzzy 100gr...

That arrow still had some thump behind it at 40 yards...

I would think with a GOOD xbow you could safly take 40 yard shots at a calm deer...

I will...

Oh by the way... I am by no means a expert with any bow

Grizz just curious who your referring to?

dd

I am new to the crossbow and own a relatively unknown model. I have hunted for a long time with several types of vertical bows and rifles. From my very limited experience with the crossbow they in my hands will be used very much as a traditional bow would. The crossbow does put a lot more push to an arrow than a reg bow but the length of push is much shorter and the arrow is much lighter. This is why I am limiting my shots to around 30 yds depending on the state of the deers alertness. Of course the bow noise has a lot to do with my shot consideration also.

Why are you on this guy's ass so bad. This is the 2nd trhead where you have posted the same thing. Both times you call him a twit and inexperianced but offer nothing in regards to the thread topic.