Distance of shots?

[widow sax]

If the shot feels good I take it practice at all yards and angles back to 45. when I set myself up for deer it is for 20 and under and for elk size game 30yrds. When stalking I dont range if I feel it I will take it sometimes close dose not feel good either so I wont take it. Widow

[thunder1]

Most of the deer I've taken have been 20 yards or under. I did take one at 40 yards. The field was wide open and I had practiced a lot at that distance. The situation was the best you could hope for with no cover. The shot was good and she was meat in the freezer. But that's the last at that distance.

[adeeden]

20 yards is a long shot for me! I prefer them 10-14 yards and set up all my stands for that shot.

[K. Mogensen]

Originally posted by Brian Krebs:
This has a lot a whole lot to do with where you live; if you hunt from a ground blind; if you hunt from a treestand if you spot and stalk; and if you practice out to long ranges.
 In the east and in the west - if I put up a treestand it will be to provide me with a shot under 25 yards- and too: with a ground blind.

 If I am spotting and stalking; in open country with lots of distance practice- my range is not known until after I shoot; and pace it off.

 I once saw a herd of elk walk by an opening for a clear shot in some brush. I shot over a calf elk; and then under a cow elk in less than a minute- the size differences threw me off as to distance.

  Bears- I am up to 17 kills and I have never shot over 20 yards; all but one shot have been at or under 15.

 My first deer with a bow - it headed towards me with a bunch of deer; and then it fell behind- in the one day absence of hunting; the farmer had torn down the fence row the deer walked down to get to where I was at. The buck was confused - and so was I- I had no idea the fence was gone either as I walked in - in the dark.
 So the buck was walking away- and I knew it was out of range; so I shot my rubber blunt way past and over it - to try and turn it around. It stopped and then continued; and I shot again over and past it by 15 yards. It turned and came to me; where I made a fine shot at 16 or so yards.
 
 I tried that again when bowhunting here in Idaho; I had a herd of over 100 deer walk by me at ten yards; followed by a P&Y buck. Then one doe that apparently was in heat - ran back to where they came from- an open hillside.
 The buck followed. So I shot my rubber blunt over the doe; and she headed my way. Then she turned and headed back towards the hill again. I had been glassing that hill; watching the deer herd walk down it-  and had just walked down it a half hour before.
 I remembered my first deer taken- and tossed a broadhead tipped arrow way past the doe- and it smashed against a rock; and the doe turned and headed my way again.
 The buck was hot on her - then she turned again and ran over towards the hill; and I took another broadhead out and shot that arrow as far into the air as I could: to get to some rocks on the hill. I  really wanted to get a shot at that buck !
 Well that arrow went up; waggled in the wind; stopped; and came straight down.
  It hit that doe right between the shoulders and dropped it right in its tracks.        
  I saw down in disbelief; as the buck walked past me at ten yards.
  I gps'd the position I was in; and went to where the doe hit the dirt- it was 187 yards.

 I am ashamed of that shot- and so proud of the 20 and less yard shots I have made !!!!  

 Shoot when you feel total confidence.

Would have loved to see that. What a shot!

[SteveB]

Any yardage that feels right in the woods.
Practise up to 80 yds or so.

[glenbo]

I like to keep my shots 15 to 20 max in the woods.I practice a little further shooting targets but rarely past 30 yds.Stump shooting is a totaly different story.Any thing I can reach ill shoot at!

[unregistered]

Whatever feels right at the time. Wacked a Rabbit at about 50 once. Drew back and things just felt right so I loosed.

[THE PIG STICKER]

SteveB can you consistently hold a pie plate group at 80 yards?
If so that is amazing with trad equipment.

[Hill Hunter]

I was watching my Fred Bear vidieo's and it said "The archer must get within 50 or 60 Yards to make an effective shot" So I need more practice.

[SteveB]

Originally posted by THE PIG STICKER:
SteveB can you consistently hold a pie plate group at 80 yards?
If so that is amazing with trad equipment.

Did I infer that I could?

[amar911]

I don't try to calculate the distance prior to shooting. Instead, I try to determine whether I think I can hit the animal lethally with a high degree of certainty. That usually means my shots will be less than 30 yards, with most of them significantly less than that. I still think the best way to practice for hunting is by shooting at various distances between a point as far away as I can consistently hit and a point just a few yards away from me. For me, trying to think of the distance to the target, especially when hunting, is a recipe for disaster.

Allan

[THE PIG STICKER]

amar911 I agree with you i dont think about yardage. But yardage is always in my mind after the shot.

[Covey]

25 yards and in! I can shoot farther but don't like to. Ideal shot is 15 to 18 yards. JMO! Jason

[pokeanhope]

I pratice out to 25yrds, but I prefer my shots to be at 15yds or less. At 15yds i hold on what i want to hit, at 20 hold 6inch's high, and at 25 a foot high.

[varmint101]

My average shot distance is probably 23yds.  My favorite shots are 10yds.

[glass76]

I'm in the 20 yd and under category.

[Sam McMichael]

20 and under is comfortable. 25 is a bit far.

[joe ashton]

25 yards or less.   I particularly like 5 - 10 best.  Got two elk at 5 yards....

[NDTerminator]

Really stretched it on the one I bumped off with my Lee Signature Hunter last year, 22 yards.  The shot was longer than the blood trail, which was 20 yards...

My longest kill shot in getting onto the last 20 years has been 25 yards, and that includes using compound sights/release...

[Wary Buck]

I went through all my successful harvests a few months ago and if I recall my average kill was about 14 yards.  I think the range was from 3 yards to 32.  I really have to be feeling good to attempt a shot longer than 20 yards.

Most of my practice is at varying distances from about 6 to 28 yards.  I should do more shooting at the close ranges...and also more at 28-40, though I don't intend to try to increase my hunting range (just thinking it would make me a better shot overall).

I've had a trio of long kills with sticks (28-30-32), but have certainly passed up a lot of shots in the 20-30 yard range because I didn't "feel it" at the time.