whats your effective killing range?

[jakesdad]

New to the sport and just curious what everybodys(experienced and newbies)effective killing range is.Im comfy out to 15 yds,but havent hunted yet(with trad gear).Hoping to work up to 20-25 yds by fall 2014.Thanks!!!

[dbd870]

I'm in the newbie catagory - that's my goal as well. I need to work on my consistency for sure but last time out my last 3 arrows were all 10's on my deer target at 20yds.

[tomcat8910]

17 yards for me.

[Dave W]

I have hunted a couple of weeks over the past two years with trad equipment and have not killed a deer yet but, I accuracy goal is at least three arrows in a 7" circle at 25 yards.  (This is often used as the urban hunting accuracy test requirement...)

DW

[joe ashton]

I've been at this awhile and  I am most comfortable at 25 and under.  I set up my tree stand ambushes for 15 and less.... I can hit stumps out to 40 but I respect living breathing animals to much to take 'Hail Mary' shots at those distances.  Be patient and take only the high % shots... which is calm animals, broad side and close.

[huntingarcher]

Like Joe said,I have been doing this awhile.I am very comfortable 20 yrds or less.I practice out to 25 but My setups or designed for 12-15 yrd shots.I have taken several deer and a bunch of hogs and Javies at around 5 yrds,at that range I am 100%  

[Pete McMiller]

Joe, You put it well.  While I too can hit stumps or targets out to 40 or 45yds 'most' of the time, the respect I have for the game precludes taking shots with too much of a margin of error.  Much also depends on what animal you're talking about.  A moose at 30 yards might mean the same as a deer at 20 or a turkey at 15.  It all boils down IMO to your confidence level in making the shot.  If it's not 100% ask yourself if you should really be taking the shot.

[Bowwild]

I'm 100% in agreement with Joe above.

I practiced a lot at 40  yards this year to increase my effective range to 30 yards for a moose hunt that has been postponed a year. However, I set up my whitetail stands for shots under 20.

My white-tail kills since returning to recurves in 2010 have been at; 21, 16, 8, 8, 8, & 8 yards.  Yep, the 8's were all standing practically in the same tracks!

[Looper]

A search will bring up a lot of useful information for you. The name of this game is to get close, as in inside 20 yards close. I'd venture to say that the vast majority of quick, clean kills with traditional archery happen within 15 yards.

Go to this thread :  http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=133329;p=1

I posted a good way to evaluate your skills. I commend you on your decision to wait until you are truly ready. By next fall, you should be more than effective. Heck, you'll probably be ready for turkey season.

Be sure to take a look in the Shooter's Forum and study up on Terry's "Form Clock". Don't be afraid to post a video if you need assistance. Good luck.

[Tajue17]

right now,, I say easily 25yds with the recurve and easily 20yds with the longbows.  

have you guys ever wondered are we still AS effective at our comfortable yardages all bundled up???  I doubt I am and try for the closest shots possible otherwise I'd say no more than 20yds in 30 degrees or less temps because of all the layers, the mask, I know I must be short drawing.

[awbowman]

Confident inside 25 yards.

I seem to shoot the best in the 12-15 yard range

[ChuckC]

I feel uncomfortable when we give in to some "urban hunting accuracy test requirement...", no offense Dave, but here is why.  

As you can see from above, some one else is telling me how proficient I need to be to go hunting. So many in the bull at 25 yards.  The bull is "this big".  

But I don't normally shoot anything at 25 yards, 'cept stumps.  I like them close.... like 10 yards, maybe 15 yards.

Why should I want or let someone who really has no idea how I do business tell me I need to be able to shoot at 25 yards.  I can probably pass their test at 25 yards, I shoot pretty well at that range, but when are they going to up it to 50 yards and put most of us trad guys out of business?

I (we) do it different than many modern archers.  I don't need a range finder to know I shouldn't be shooting.  I get close or I don't shoot, and I do it without carbon clothing and ozone generators.

ChuckC

[Altiman94]

I'm still really green, been shooting on/off for about 4 years but not doing it full time yet.  I would say I'm really comfortable to about 10 yards.  I'm minute of deer to 15yards and 20yards is really sketchy right now.

If I were to hunt I'd limit my shots to 10y and only still broadside deer.  I'm hoping by fall of 2014 I'll be ready to kick the training wheels!

[Bonebuster]

This is what I do to gauge effective range.

Start at ten yards and shoot five arrows. If they all hit what you want move back to fifteen yards. Same thing...keep going until you do not hit with EVERY ARROW, EVERY TIME!

Add to this the variables of being tired or cold and the excitement of game at shooting ranges...trying to remain undetected...ect.

During summer practice I think most of us shoot well beyond anything we actually shoot while hunting. Actual, honest effective range may surprise some of us.

[Todd Cook]

25 yards is a loooong way at whitetails. I killed a doe earlier this year at 22, and that's pushing it for me. Most of mine are inside of 15. Hitting a target at 25 or 30, in warm weather, both feet on the ground is one thing. Shooting at live deer out of a tree is a lot harder for me.

[jjwaldman]

Probably 10-15 yards.

[Brianlocal3]

I'm comfortable out to 30 on deer, no questions. Turkeys probably 25 . Those are lanket statements, as I have shot deer as far as 40 and a turkey at 38 but to e honest the shot just felt right so I too them, I didn't even consider yardage untill after the shots and stepped them off.
Like the majority I'd prefer 10-15yds

[Tajue17]

I know some folks are itsy about mentioning how far they can shoot but theres two sides to that fence,, and I hope you also look at it like this I've been using a stick since 82 and I have much more respect for the person who can consistantly make harvests at 10 to 15yds than I would to the guy who does it at 30yds and heres why,,,, I've learned one thing about hunting and that is it isn't easy at all to wait a deer out to get that close, then draw without being seen or heard and over come that adrenaline to make a decent shot.  

forget accuracy, and consistancy on the 3D's and other targets and all that other fantasy stuff the real world challange in my mind is those close shots at deer sized game.

closest I shot a deer was 14yds from the ground and I had so much blood and adrenaline pumping thru my brain to this day I don't even remember drawing or releasing the arrow or even seeing it fly or seeing the deer run and only know I made a liver shot when i was looking at the heart and a heart shot at a 3D at 14yds is a piece of cake for me,, it was the hardest draw to anchor I ever experienced in the wild so far..

[Bowwild]

I've posted this before but several years ago a survey was conducted regarding average distances with recurves and compounds on white-tails.  The recurve (I'm sure LBs are in this pile as well) was 14 yards and the compound was 17.  

I'd say over my time bowhunting with both types of equipment my numbers are with those reported in the surveys.

But as said above, each person has to evaluate his/her ability.  It is nice to know what is "normal" to have a goal though.

I know some fellows who wouldn't shoot past 10 yards. That's fine for them as they accept these limitations and just work that much harder to scout and set-up.

[Pine]

I am comfortable out to 20 yds. but if a deer is standing broadside at 30 yds. I would go for it . Trouble is where I hunt I can usually only see about 15 yds . so I doubt that the longer shot would be necessary . I did pass in a deer that was near 40 yds this year though but that was standing in a pathway and I don't see that opportunity often .