Distance

[Onehair]

I practice at 40 -50. Hunting proficient at 30.

[La. bowhunter]

I dont shoot past 20 yards at game I prefer a 8 to 12 yard shot and 12 yards is my longest shot to date. In the back yard I shoot out to 25 to 30 yards but dont shoot that far at game.

[Mike Vines]

I practice out to 40, but will not attempt to shoot at anything over 25.  Practicing at 40 makes 25 seem so much more easy.

Small game as far as I need to, for deer 30 and under if I am shooting good. If my stump shots for the day are not the best, 20 yards and less.

[inthere10x]

Prefer my hunting shots 15 yards or under,  proficient to 20 yards and practice random distances including 30 yards +.

[myshootinstinks]

I'd rather take a shot at 20-25 than at 10-15. Comfortable to 30 yds.  Longest kill I estimated at 35 yds.

[longbowray]

30-35  closer the better

[Chris Shelton]

I hit can hit the 8 ring at 50 yards constantly:)!!!!!!!  But i wont shoot past 30 in hunting situations!

[cbCrow]

I practice to 25yd. but limit my hunting shots to 20yds. or under. I would prefer 12-16yds. for those shots.  

[Possum Head]

25 for me but if you're new to the game and sinkem at 25, next fall 30 aint unrealistic.Shoot often and pic-a-spot.

[Hopewell Tom]

I haven't shot anything, YET, but like the comment about the time the arrow takes to get there the farther out they are. That's what I notice about the lobs I take at longer distances mostly to watch the arrow fly. 20 yards seems maximum for me, with the closer the better.
You have to be well set up though, my chance last season at a nice 8ptr was about 10 yds, but he stopped and looked right up at me and Mexican stand off time for about 2 seconds and back behind cover he went. I'm too new to be too critical, but longer shots at small game are seen to be OK, but isn't that a bit disrespectful of the living being? Poorly hit anything is not good.

[Margly]

I have a limit of 20 yards.
But if there is a wounded animal, well then there is a different story.
Right now I`m rebuilding my shooting from a heavy attack of target panic, but before this hit me, I always did practice out to ca 60 yards because of if there is a bad hit, I`ve would like to have the confidence to know I could manage a hit at these distances.

I`ve been hunting in Africa and the awareness of these animals tells me that a shoot further than 18-23 yards is at least for me out of range. I have never hunted whitetails or any game in the USA but I do believe that they also are fully capable to string-jump. I have never seen a video of pig-hunts where the pigs are totally cool and stays perfectly angled for a shoot for more than a second either    

Margly

[Dick4bows]

If the deer is alert, 10 yards.  If the deer relaxed 20 yards.  I agree with a previous response, it's how long the arrow takes to get there.  Dick

[Stiks-n-Strings]

No farther than 20 for me. I like up close and personal. For real.

 Trad bows don't have the speed that wheelies do and for most guys that are into trad it's about getting close from what I can tell.
 
 I agree with the comment about the shot feeling right as well. I had a 170 or better buck at less than 10 yds this past season and let him walk. The absolute biggest deer I have ever seen in the woods, but the shot wasn't right. It was good enough just being there. 3 or 4 years ago I would have been pissed that I didn't take a shot and just being there would not have been good enough.

 Sure was great seeing him 5 times through season and watching him do his thing. He survived through the winter and I bet he's gonna be a brute this year. So maybe next time.
 
 Stiks

[jsweka]

20 yard max for me too, but I'm with Margly - if the animal is already wounded and I'm taking a follow up shot, I wouldn't think twice about shooting farther.

When I practice in my yard, I do a little drill to see my effective range.  I shoot three arrows at a time.  If all three are within an 8 inch diameter circle (approximately the size of deer's vitals) I move back 5 yards.  If two of the three are in there, I shoot from the same distance again.  If only one is in there, I move up 5 yards.  Most days when I'm doing this drill I end up bouncing back and forth between 25 and 30 yards, so to be conservative I'll restrict shots at deer to 20 yards and less.  This afternoon I was shooting pretty good and could have moved beyond 30, but I ran out of yard:)  Shooting at 30 yards sure makes those 20 yard shots seem easy.

[Blackstick]

I've never killed anything with my bow past 15 yards.

[Ragnarok Forge]

25 yards and under.  I prefer 10 to 20 yards.  The point of trad is to get close.  Remember the old saying "hold your fire until you can see the whites of their eyes".

[Ground Hunter]

The challenge is NOT how far you can shoot.  The challenge is getting close.  H

[BOWMARKS]

I do most of my practising 20 yards and under , not very consistant past that so thats where I will keep it!!

[BigStriper]

Ideal 12-15 yards,No more than 25 yards,

Kurt