Intro... and need encouragement

[tecum-tha]

1.) Limit shot to 18-20 yards max.
After that, the deer reacts to the shot by dropping down and one cannot see that with the naked eye.
2.)I cannot believe that with drawing 26.5" and @53# you would need such a stiff arrow. 400? 340?
For a Samick Recurve, we would add 10# to the draw weight, 5# for fast Flight for a wooden arrow. Arrow length would be 28" BOP.That would require an 68# arrow. 26/deflection of carbon *1.2115= equivalent wooden arrow spine.
So, (26/68)*1.2115= equal carbon deflection required = 0.47 inch.
A 500 spine shaft sounds right (for a 125 grain head). Stu Millers Calculator tells me point weight up to 160 grains to match well. Depends if this bow is cut to center , past center or out of center. Strike plate thickness?
In order to get a shaft heavier, you fill it with braided nylon rope which you glue to the back of the insert. It needs to fit tight into the shaft. Best results if you do this in the first third or maximum in the 2/3 of the front of the arrow (weight tapering). Does do nothing on the spine and allows you to easily gain 100 grains in weight. No heavy insert required.
3.) Shooting from 34 yards is a no-no. No comment on that....
4.) How high is your tree stand?
I bet it is too high which will limit the deadly area on a deer considerably. Together with the longer shots where the deer react will most likely lead to high shots. Lung shots can be seen on the bubbles in the blood on the passed through arrow. If there are no bubbles, you don't get the lungs.
5.) Out of a tree stand you shoot down which will normally lead to high shots. If you bend correctly at the waist, your draw will somewhat shorten. If your arrow is borderline stiff, it will act now stiff= hit left.
The same happens later in the season with thicker clothes on. Your draw will shorten somewhat. A moderate weak or even borderline weak shaft is usually the better choice....
6.)What fletching do you shoot?

[oobray]

Thanks for all the tips. I usually don't start looking for atleast 30-60min, like I said I'm not new to bow hunting, just trad which as I get little bits better I realize more and more how different from compound shooting it is.

I've seen several say to limit shots to less than 20yds. Is this typical for trad. I can hit pretty confidently out to 35+ (In practice) which is why I elected to take the shot. But do trad bows typically have the power to kill at this distance? I'll definitely take the advice and keep them close till I get myself figured out a little better.

Thanks again for all the help.

[Leinsg91]

I know everyone is different but when I'm shooting left I'm not reaching my full draw which throws my bow arm left, and like what was said earlier when you shoot trad from a tree stand if your not bending right you probably won't reach full draw. There is no let off letting you know for sure your at full draw, like the wheelies

And you have to remember at 35 yards with an arrow speed of 163fps your giving that deer over 5/8 of a second to react, which a deer can move A LOT in that time especially with pressured deer. Turns that perfect double lung into something ugly real quick.

Keep at it and try flinging some arrows from a stand and see if something is a miss

[oobray]

I guess I didn't give enough thought to slow travel time of the arrow. I have a tree stand set up in my yard and shoot my 3D from it probably 3-4 sessions per month. Things seem really good but for sure you're right about how much the deer could move in almost a full second. I'll work on my self control and keep shots to <20yds.

[Schmidty3]

The buck I shot at this past weekend was at 28 yards. I was shooting from the woods, to the open, 7-12 mpg wind. He was cruising for does and walking at a decent pace. All the factors for no reaction were there. At the shot he turned inside out. Probably moved over a foot.

The first deer I shot with my recurve was at less then ten yards. A small buck. I shot him as he was walking figuring that he couldn't react as well if he was only standing on 3 legs. He dropped enough that my shot went high and I never found him.

[Yewbender]

Welcome! Keep your head up and stay positive. Not recovering and animal is a bummer but it happens. You will get lots of help here from very good people on this site. There are many good points made so far so hopefully they will help. Good luck.

[oobray]

Had a pretty good morning this morning. I went out with my daughter and because of that we got out a little late. Only probably 30min before light. She actually did a good job of sneaking in and before we got in stand I grabbed the card out of the trail cam. I brought my tablet so we could check out the pics. I try and keep things interested so she enjoys it. We hadn't even gotten the tablet booted up yet ( after making a loud boot up sound ) we heard the unmistakable sound of atleast two quadrupeds. It was still too dark to see really well but I could barely make out the figures of two deer about 30yds away. They meandered off before daylight and we looked at the trail cam pics. Looked like there was a spike an d two does there about 4 min before we arrived. So I guess we snuck in pretty good. About 45 min later we had another doe sneak in on us. While we were kinda goofing off and being kinda loud actually. She came in and we watched her eat for about 30 min at about 35 yds. So in taking all the great advice here despite her providing me with numerous good shots that were all in excess of 20yds so we let her pass. As she was walking away I tried a doe grunt but she looked back briefly and kept walking. What was really interesting though is at some point while the doe was eating another deer snuck behind us and winded us and started blowing. The doe just looked up, watched the deer run off while still blowing and then just went about her business. So good day, we had a great morning seeing deer and I excersized some self control. Maybe this evening!!

[Doc Nock]

Chad,

You wrote earlier your arrows are flying/hitting stiff and impact on game slightly left, which is consistent with a too stiff arrow.

Too many variables to decode in a series of posts.

Sounds like you strive for best shot placement, but don't want to ruin meat?  With a bow?

IT doesn't take much to miss the lungs on a deer, and there are, so, so, many ways to pull a shot.

Angle, broadside, 1/4 away, all have different results with same entry.

Good luck solving the riddle.

I won't speculate on any variance in tune or release..just ain't fair with the limited information.

Sharp and well tuned for consistency wins the game!

[oobray]

Well, to follow a great morning, we had a great evening. Sitting in the stand my daughter (again, she's 8) had the great idea to film our own hunting show. We watch the web show "bow hunt or die" pretty regularly and she wanted to do our own rendition. So after filming several interviews of each other in stand and generally just goofing off... this guy came in

 

Again, just like the doe he stayed Close to 40 yds. But we got to watch him for probably 30 minutes and my daughter got a good two min video. If I can figure out how to upload it I will.

[Schmidty3]

Whatever you are doing... Sounds like you're doing it right. Good job dad