20 and under

[wollelybugger]

I have noticed that some of the shooters on here talk about shooting thirty yards. Do you think that thirty yards is too far for a shot at a deer or is it in range.  :confused:  
   I personally don't shoot at anything past twenty yards. I know my kill zone and would not feel comfortable past that distance.
   I am just wondering if I should practice at longer distances to increase my range. I hate not making a clean kill.  :confused:

[Bill Skinner]

I don't take shots over twenty yards either, I DO pratice out to 40 yards.  All land in Alabama is posted, I will take a long shot if I already have an arrow in an animal.  Some land owners will let me follow up with no problems, some land owners will not.  Being able to make a long shot does not mean taking it.  Bill

[GrnMtnTradNut]

We all stive for the 10yd shots and 20 will do if you can make it.It all depends on the situation and how wel you shoot especially under the pressure of a animal. I will not shoot further than I can keep my arrows in a 4-5" group where I want them to go. I shoot out to 50-60yds. It makes 30 and less seem easier. I know some do not agree but if you can't hit a 5" target 90% of the time then you should be home shooting and not hunting, we all owe it to the game we hunt. I know not all goes right and we all lose a animal at some point, if you have never made a bad shot then you do not shoot enough critters. Shoot within your comfort zone it is different for all of us, and yes shoot at longer ranges, it helps if we challenge ourselves and our brains, it will only make you're short game better.
Chris

[GrnMtnTradNut]

I will not shoot at any animal 50-60yds though not my hunting comfort zone probally 30yds, but I shoot pure instinctive so I never know how far till I walk it off, my brain tells me yes or no. Chris

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

I practice  lot at longer range, not to increase the distance of my hunting shots, but to increase my accuracy on closer shots. If you can group well at 40 or 50 yards, 20 is a piece of cake.

If the furthest I ever practiced was 20 yards, and then I took 20-yard shots at game, that means I would be trying to kill an animal with my most difficult shot. I won't do that.

To me, the challenge of the hunt should end at the shot. The shot itself should be a no-brainer.

[frassettor]

Originally posted by GrnMtnTradNut:
I will not shoot at any animal 50-60yds though not my hunting comfort zone probally 30yds, but I shoot pure instinctive so I never know how far till I walk it off, my brain tells me yes or no. Chris

I to shoot purely instinctive, and am not comfortable past 20-25 yards. It all depends on what my brain tell me, and how comfortable I am.

[pdk25]

What is right for some isn't right for others. Admittedly, my accuracy beyon 25 yards is dicey, so I definitely don't shoot over that.  Even when I shot compound and was accurate to 70-80 yards, I never shot over 35 yard, and only once over 30.  Just too much time for the animal to move.  Then it doesn't matter how accurate you are.

[JoeM]

I don't have a ton of in field experience to pull from.  I have killed a whitetail at 29 yds, I took the shot because the animal was already badly injured.  I don't think I would feel comfortable taking a 30 yd shot at deer under normal circumstances, they're to quick and my bow is not to quick.  I try to keep things int 22-23 yds and under area.  
But I would feel comfortable on larger animals like  elk or moose at 30 yds, bigger kill area, slower animal.  Joe

[Daddy Bear]

Always work on increasing your range for accuracy. If you develop your skill to accurately place an arrow in the kill zone of a 3D deer at 50yards, as an example, 15-20 yards becomes a cake walk.

As to whitetail deer, for me, reducing my range  on deer has to do with the whitetails fast reaction time and ability to move at split second speed. Even if I could hit a tennis ball 10 out of 10 times at 30yards, I'm always concerned that the deer may drop, wheel around, leap, and then run off to parts unknown long before the slow stickbow arrow gets there:) At some point with experience, you'll get a feel for this and know when it is time to shoot or it is time to pass and wait. But, always push yourself in practice by increasing your range.

Best,
DB

[Yellow Dog]

Just shot my clubs 3D shoot this past weekend. The compound guy's were laughing at me because I shot from the "kiddie" stakes, 10 to 25 yards max, my hunting range. Finished the shoot and went to the novelty targets that are set up to raise a little money for the club. Running deer on a cable, clay pigeons @ 20 yards and the dreaded long Elk @ 120 yards. Three arrows for a dollar. Shooting my A&H ACS CX 16RC, 47@28 but with my 30" draw length it's 51@30. Shot the long Elk first with the spotter watching thru a spotting scope, first arrow 3" over the back, second arrow 3" under the belly and next 7 arrows were all heart/lung shots. They were amazed that someone just "looking" at what he wanted to hit could do that. Way too much fun.

[Curveman]

I've had the exquisite pleasure of keeping up with the compound boys and even beating some in our squad at our 3D range. Just this past one we were razzing each other and I told them I could shoot into the kill zone from another 10 yards behind where they were shooting. I nailed it!    That being said, I can only reliably put it in from no more than 20-25 and prefer less. I've had some good days with my c-friends but I would not risk a day/shots like that on an animal!

[BowHuntingFool]

Originally posted by Jason R. Wesbrock:
I practice  lot at longer range, not to increase the distance of my hunting shots, but to increase my accuracy on closer shots. If you can group well at 40 or 50 yards, 20 is a piece of cake.

If the furthest I ever practiced was 20 yards, and then I took 20-yard shots at game, that means I would be trying to kill an animal with my most difficult shot. I won't do that.

To me, the challenge of the hunt should end at the shot. The shot itself should be a no-brainer.

Well put Jason, well put!

[Roy Steele]

I killed 33 bucks with selfbows and can't remember one over 15 yards.Although I can shoot to 20 I never set up that far.It's mainly a personal thing.25 years ago I shot a recurve and long bow.And I shot quite a few bucks at 20 and one at 25.It's all in what your conforable with.I know compound shooters that do not think twice at leting an arrow go at 50 yards.
  As you get older closer means more.You must become a hunter before you can become a shooter.Unless your hunting 10 rings.

[john fletch]

I did something simliar a few years ago.  On an 'open' 3-D shoot, I had to shoot from the 'Adult male' stakes.  Humbly conceded to the training wheels shooters.  Then I asked two of the ramrods for a 'bumper match'

I only aksed that I chose the shots (all were safe and technically possible - especially for a trad/instinctive shooter)

The other stipulation was that you only get one arrow per target and 3 seconds to shoot from when you touch the stake will the bow in rast position and the aroow not drawn.

They were quite surprised when a guy who had turned in such a low score cleaned their clocks!  Both of them 'faulted' on nearly 1/3 of the tragets becuse they could not make the shot in the 3 second time.  Other times they missed completely.

I dod not get all 'inner vitals', but never missed an animal with a shot that would not at leawst been trackable and mortal.  No shot was over 25 yards (1st 10 tagets of a 28 target course)  Most shots were under 15 yrads.  Some werr thick cover, some kneeling over logs and rocks - sort the real deal.

Made them think again about how they set up there future course.  Did not have opportunity to shoot at that event again and have since left Washington.

The moral of this story is that is more about the hunt and the shot choice rather than the distance.  If I do get a clear and open shot at game that has not been alerted - I may go up to 35 yards.  Last year I took a 25 yard shot at a big Whitetail doe - but she had sensed me and jumped the string by nearly 6 feet!

[Kingwouldbe]

From hunting with the bow and arrow By Saxton Pope:

One evening as we returned to camp, making haste because of the rapidly falling night, we startled a deer that plunged down the steep slope before us. Instantly Compton drew to the head and shot. His arrow led the bounding animal by ten yards. Just as the deer reached cover at a distance of seventy-five yards, the arrow struck. It entered his flank, ranged forward and emerged at the point of the opposite shoulder. The deer turned and dashed into the bush. As it did so the protruding arrow shaft snapped; we descended and picked up the broken piece. Following the crashing descent of the buck down the canyon, we found him some two hundred yards below, crumpled up and dead against a madrone tree. It was a heart shot, one of the finest I ever hope to see. Compton is a master at the judgment of distance and the speed of running game..........

At eighty yards Young shot an arrow and pierced him through the chest. The deer leaped a ravine and took refuge in a clump of bay trees. We surrounded this cover and waited for his exit. Since he did not come out after due waiting, Compton cautiously invaded the wooded area, saw the wounded deer deep in thought; he finished him with a broad-head through the neck........

 
 

Times have changed.