Max hunting distance

[Lee Lobbestael]

What is your guys' max shot distance when hunting big game? Small game I will shoot at at any distance but deer I am only confident to 15 yards at the moment. I have been confident out to twenty or a little over but I took a couple month break from shooting and currently my max effective range is 15 yards. Seems so short

[Trenton G.]

When hunting small game, if I have to think about whether or not I can make a shot, I don't take it. If it just feels right, I take the shot without thinking about it.
I've never shot at a deer yet, but I feel confident out to 25 yards.

[Tradcat]

As crazy as it sounds, inside 20 yards from the ground. 15 yards or less from a tree stand. I routinely practice out to 30 yards but shooting at a live creature requires you to use ethics and to be honest with YOUR effective shooting distance. Right now, these are my distances

[Zwickey-Fever]

I shoot and practice daily at a elevated position at various ranges out to 20 yards with the occasional 30 yard shot for the possibility of a second shot on a wounded animal. I always try pushing my shooting ability and practice every hunting scenario possible. So, 20 yards is usually the max for me but as I said I would send a arrow at a wounded animal at 30 yards in a blink of an eye if need be.

[longbow fanatic 1]

Hunting deer, my distance is 10-15 yards. Elk, I would shoot 20-25 yards (maybe).

I shoot my bows on average four to five days a week. I also shoot distances out to 50 yards during 3-d season. That said, I have wounded deer before and I feel much more comfortable getting them as close as possible.

There seems to be a difference from western spot and stalk hunters to eastern blind and tree stand hunters for what is a viable hunting length shot. I hunt western Iowa whitetails like someone out west would spot and stalk mule deer.  I practice from 'point on' in.  With my current bows that is about 55 yards.  Shot timing is much more critical when shooting over 25 yards.  As a ground hunter, stealth is much more critical under 20 yards.

[BWallace10327]

I will take a shot that looks right if the confidence is there.  My shooting method seems to allow for that.  With that being said, I've yet to see a shot looks right that turned out to be 50 yards.  If evaluating shots that I've taken and made, 40 yards is about tops, but less is the norm.

[Terry Green]

Moved to PowWow

[kleine]

15 or under,  out to 20 would be my max but it would be a have to feel right moment.
But I just keep my setups to 15 or under, I owe it to the animal to make the shot right!

[Sam McMichael]

20 yd. is max but 12 - 15 yards is preferable.

[Terry Johnston]

very comfortable 20 and in, but did take one deer at 23 this year. just depends on the circumstances.

[Pine]

25 yards and under .

[Pointer]

Somewhere around 25 yards give or take a bit

~20ish yds for deer sized game (I can only remember 1 shot 20 or further in the last 10yrs). ~30ish yds for big critters like elk. A lot of it is feel for me. I will take a bit longer shot if everything feels right, but will not take a close shot if something does not feel right!

Bisch

[Shadowhnter]

For deer, 20 yards max, but I really want them 12-15 yards.

[screamin]

I am extremely confident to 25 yds but have taken animals as far as 32.

[Daz]

I don't think in terms of "distance". It's a "red light/green light" kind of deal for me.

I once passed on a nice bull elk that turned out to be under 20 yards and have center punched a mule deer buck at what later gps'd to be 37 yards. Some times it just doesn't "feel right". Other times you just know it's a dead animal walking. Animal posture, lighting, and my general sense of focus all come into play in determining what trips the light.

I passed on my dream bear last spring after an hour long stalk because the light never went green. He was under 25 yards a few times, but he was always at off-angles, and moving enough or me to not be able to hold a steady focal point on him. In the end i spent 15 minutes in what would normally be "dead bear range", but he walked off.

Later in the fall, i smacked a ruffed grouse off of a log at 49 loooong paces,and i knew he was dead before i drew my bow.

FWIW, i shoot regularly all year around at distances out to 80 yards (mostly roving), so my shot indicator system is always in calibration mode.

[Orion]

Most folks effective range is a lot less than they think it is.  When I taught Bowhunter Education, we asked students to tell us what they thought their effective range was.  Then we asked them to prove it by shooting through a vitals cut out on a deer size steel target.  Most wouldn't accept the challenge, and most who did, didn't make it through the vitals at their effective range.

Shooting at targets isn't the same as shooting at a critter, which is always a high stress situation.

[Msturm]

10-25 is about my area of confidence. I got a goat at 30 ish once and I felt really good about the shot from beginning to end. So I am going to say no farther than 25 yards except for the exceptions.

Msturm

[Friend]

My effective range varies with the complete actual situation including my own confidence level.

On whitetails, the longest shot attempted was 18 yards and on turkeys 17 yards max, which was successful yet was at the limit of my comfort zone.

Have been successful on larger quarry at extended distance.

Even a hint of lack of confidence easily prompts me to set the bow down despite the distance.