How Far to Take a Shot?

[Sixby]

Wherever the shot feels right and I am sure I can make it. How close or how far that is may depend on how I feel about the situation and how I am shooting at that particular time.

[Shawn Leonard]

I have to agree with Swamper. If everything feels right I will shoot quite a ways farther than mentioned. I have killed deer as close as 3ft. and as far as 48 yards with my recurve. I find some of this funny, as I just read several articles about Fred Bear and Aldo Leupold and they shot 70 yards and farther and never even mentioned that they were real confident at that far but wanted to get an arrow in an animal and than use their woodsman skills to recover that animal, whether that was trailing it or getting in range for a follow up shot which again may be another 60 or 70 yard shot. When I draw and shoot at animal I have every intention of killing it at whatever distance I have decided to take that shot, no wing and a prayer here! Shawn

[Doug in MN]

I really like that 12-17 range, but have taken shots longer the longest on a deer being 23 looked good at the time and deer died in site.

I practice out to 35 every day I shoot, and out to 50-60 at least once a week. Just fun to watch em fly at those ranges.

[stickbowmaniac]

I shoot 3d almost every other weekend during the spring and summer.Usualy practice 4-5 days a week.I 'm real comfortable shooting out to 25 but stick to close shots on windy days.I do think i could make a thirty yard shot but conditions would have to be in my favor.

[Ethical Redneck]

I reviewed my old copy of Bowhunting October Whitetails and Rick Blase showed the average reaction of a deer to the sound of a bow being shot.  18 yards seemed to be the max for a bow and appeared to include both traditional and compound.  This was 1987 though.  For me, in a hunting situation, 15 to 16 yards seems to be just my max.

[WRV]

No more than 20 yards. Prefer 15 or less.......Randy

[levibear]

I am very good at 20 yds I am deadly at 8 feet...  

[Brad_Gentry]

I'd agree with Shawn, Swamper, and a couple others. It just depends on the shot for me, and how I feel about it. Most of the deer I have killed have been inside 15 yards, but I killed a buck a few years ago, perfect drill the heart shot, that stepped off at 27 yards. The truth is, shooting instinctively it doesn't really cross my mind what yardage the deer is from me prior to the shot. It's either, "I can make that shot", or, "I can't make that shot".

[mrpenguin]

I am not sure... I either say to myself "I can make that shot" or I say "I can't make that shot"... the numbers are probably like 25 and under, much preferring 10-15 yds.

Good luck this season!!

[NorthernCaliforniaHunter]

Originally posted by wapiti792:
Man, I am probably gonna get drilled for this...25 is comfortable for me. Anything inside that is pretty darn dead if I got my feces coagulated and a calm animal, otherwise they walk and I count my blessings.

Nice circumlocution: "feces coagulated".    

I think anything inside of 25 for me as well.

[champ38]

Prefer 15-20 yds, but will shoot out to 35-40 under the right cicumstances.

[Davt]

I can't just pick a number, there are too many things to take into account. I have passed up on shots that are under 15yds that just didn't seem right, spooked animal, I'm tired etc. and I remember one shot on a small whitetail buck that I just knew would be perfect, it was, and was just over 40yds.

[Sixby]

Western Hunters generally take longer shots. Its the open terrain and the type of game we hunt. I have guided several eastern hunters that swore that t6hey would not take over 20 yard shots. That was stretched to 35 by the end of a week. Not by me either. They just realized that their chances at a blacktail were about zip unless the took the longer shot.

[Bonebuster]

With engines there is no replacement for displacement...with bowhunting there is no replacement for confidence.

With experience, comes confidence.

I keep my shots inside twenty these days.

[Thumper Dunker]

Won't take a shot a big animal unless I know I'll hit it.

[ishoot4thrills]

No more than 25 yards for me. Killed a doe with double lung shot at 23 yds. last year(see avatar), so I feel comfortable out to 25. Two other deer at 18 yds., by the way.

[Mitch-In-NJ]

22 is about as far as I am comfortable with.  17 and in is perfect.

Would I take a shot at a deer from further?  Can't say, but I never have.

[Swamp Preacher]

Thanks for the feed back.  We are all pretty much in the same boat. Be comfortable and let your instinct rule out of your pre-programed brain.

[graybark uk]

because we cant hunt in the uk i shoot lots &lots of 3d shoots & stumps in winter ,in the two  trips ive made to africa ive taken 3 kudu`s 1 bull 14yds (2006 1st big game animal!!! )  & 2 cow`s last year .1 at 12 yds the other at 8yds .
im confident out as far as 25yds when practiceing but on live game 20yds would be my limit

[Chris Shelton]

this is probably one of my worst 35 yard groups

 

I consider that pretty good, that stinkin little deer is so tiny.  It seems to be about the size of a coues or a sika deer.  But I love it in a way because if I can kill that little guy every time, I can surely kill the real deal that has about 50lbs on him.

The farthest I would shoot at a whitetail is 30 yards. I know I can not only hit a whitetail that far, but kill one that far.  I've also got an hour a day practice to bet on it too . . . thats like 300 hours a year of shooting my bow