How far is too far?
 

Just curious how far you can accurately shoot your hunting set up? What is the max range you feel comfortable shooting?

RE: How far is too far?
 

For me, it would depend on the current weather conditions, and the attitude of the animal I was thinking of shooting.

Obviously, bad weather would shorten my comfortable range, as would the condition of the animal. If an animal appeared excited, or anything except completely relaxed, I don`t like to take a shot.

I know you probably want to hear a number, and I don`t have one. I can safely say that on a practice range, I can hit a 5" bull 10 out of 10 times with broadheads at 50yds.

Would I shoot a deer sized animal at that distance? I won`t say never, but I sure like those 15 yd shots better.:D

RE: How far is too far?
 

I am the same as BC the closer the better even tho I practice out to 80 yrds.
My comfort range is around the 15 to 25 mark.
To me it is not how long the shot is but the challange of getting as close as i can.

RE: How far is too far?
 

I like to take my hunting setup to the range and shoot at 60-80 yards. It' s great practice and lots of fun. However, when hunting I don' t want anything farther than about 25 yards. For me, the challenge is to see how close I can get, not how far I can shoot. My closest shot was 6" . That was a real intense experience.

RE: How far is too far?
 

Straight...
that doesn' t qualify as a shot....it goes under the " stabbing" category;):D

details...please[:-]

RE: How far is too far?
 

I practice out to 50 yards and can keep all my arrows in the vitals on a 3-D target but wouldn' t shoot at game that far. 40 yards would be the maximum.

RE: How far is too far?
 

I practice out to 40 but wouldn' t shoot anything over 30. I actually prefer 15-25 yards as my ideal.

RE: How far is too far?
 

With an electric range finder and an animal that is standing still and you are feeling confident I think 40 yards would be appropriate.

RE: How far is too far?
 

Thanks Big Country. That was the answer I was expecting. Are most of you that have posted a reply shooting whitetails from stands, or still hunting mulies and elk in the mountains?

I grew up shooting whitetails in the mid-west where I rarely shot over 20yds. Now I live out west where there is a lot of action 40-50 yds. With a finely tuned set up, good wind conditions, a calm animal, and a laser range finder these shots can be taken with confidence.

Although I agree with all who stated they prefer the 15-20 yd shot, I think you would be greatly limiting opportunites if you did not have at least a 40yd pin while hunting the prairies and open range in the mountain states.

Thanks to all!

RE: How far is too far?
 

I' m with everyone else in this. I regularly shoot 60 yards on the range and shoot rather well... well... most of the time.:D But in hunting situations, I still feel too much can go wrong, so I limit myself to no more than 40 yards. This shot still has to be pretty good weather conditions and a calm animal.

RE: How far is too far?
 

Can`t speak for anyone else, but, yep, most of my big game archery hunts are from treestands.

If I was hunting out west where longer shots were more the norm, I would expand my shooting distance, if conditions were right.

I would not go overboard, but I could see me going to around 50-60 yard max on elk sized critters. Like many other guys on this board, I practice a bunch, and I know my limitations.

Plus, since I am creeping into the " old fart" stage of my life, I have shot enough critters that I don`t lose complete control when shooting at game. Now, after the shot, I get a little silly!;)

RE: How far is too far?
 

I practice out to 40 yards. Hunting, I don' t shoot over 30 yards. 20 to 25 yard shots are gravy. If the biggest buck of my life stood broadside at 40 yards with no wind and no brush looking the other way and I was able to " rangefinder it" ............Yeah I' d shoot, but thats not going to happen.

God Luck!!

RE: How far is too far?
 

Never shot a deer any more than 25 yards. But if that ellusive Elk presents a good opportunity that I am comfortable with I' d be confident out to 40 yards but not a foot farther.

RE: How far is too far?
 

I practice at times out to 70 yards. I planned on being able to take shots at deer out to 40 yards, but I may decrease that slightly.

RE: How far is too far?
 

I practice out to 30 yards and hunt 30 and under.

RE: How far is too far?
 

:DI practice up to about 70 yards with my hunting rig. Most of my hunting is from a treestand and a small percentage from ground blinds. Under ideal conditions my max yardage would be 40 yards. Favorite range is 15-20 yards. I once killed a doe at 4 yards from a ground blind.....;)

>>>---DAVIDP---SILERCITY,NC--->

RE: How far is too far?
 

IBEP instructors around here have a good method of teaching you to be honest with yourself on what your maximum effective range really is. They ask when you enroll what your max effective range is. Then take a steel deer with the heart/lung area cut out and covered over with cardboard, painted the same color as the deer and start you at that range. The you have to run to the target and back, pick up your bow, nock an arrow, draw, aim and shoot with your heart racing, about like it would be when a deer comes into range. If you' re wrong, your arrow is dead meat. ;)

RE: How far is too far?
 

Dan, I live and hunt in western SD. I do hunt whitetails out of treestands, but there is really no thick timeber here so a 40 yard shot out of a stand is very feasable. The wind is the biggest factor here, would have to be a fairly calm day for me to take a shot at 40 and that isn' t real common.

RE: How far is too far?
 

I thought I answered this already, but I guess not!:)

I feel very comfortable out to 35 yards. If the conditions are perfect I will shoot to 45....not likely, but I' m confident.

RE: How far is too far?
 

When hunting, 30 yds. in an optimal situation. Brush, wind, rain, trees,... all affect that though.

RE: How far is too far?
 

If you have to take a hunting shot at more than 15 or 20 yards then you' re not hunting close enough to your feeder or bait pile. :D

RE: How far is too far?
 

Robert-

You missed the point. In many states bait piles and feeders are illegal. Bow hunting is done the hard way.

RE: How far is too far?
 

My max is 25 yards and we do hunt mule deer on foot. Honestly, in the area we hunt 99% of the shot opportunities that we have had were 30 yards and usually much less. Could have shot one at about 4 ft. last year, but couldn' t get my bow through all the brush and wasn' t sure what affect poking just 1/2 the arrow through would have on the shot!

RE: How far is too far?
 

Dan, I didn' t miss the point. You missed the big grin.