The Shot, how far is to far?

[kshunter55]

"The Shot"......  What is it, Who can make it, and what are its limits?  Ive been lucky enough to experience the closest encounters a whitetail deer has to offer.  My concern is when the animal is "Too Far"?????  When do you know they are?????

I'd love to be able to tell you a step by step procedure that works for everyone to take a shot at an animal.  The fact is, it's an ingrained sense learned over time and is different for everyone.  Kinda like breathing, eating, and sleeping.  We all do it, but we all do it a little different.

I get a little tired of hearing how restricted we are as traditional bowhunters.  I've heard alot of "If I had a compound I would have got him, or If I had my gun he was mine."  Obviously there are weapons that promote longer shots.  So what are "our" limits? 15 yards? 20 yards? 25 yards??????

The last three numbers seem to be a majority response among us stick shooters.  I just can't get myself to believe that is the best we can do.  I understand the physics of 170fps vs. 300fps, but I believe more in the man behind the bow than the mathematics.  

Some of the best trad bowhunters I know, tell me they have passed animals at 25 yards, but have shot and killed animals at 50.  What does this tell us?  Not every situation is the same.  Its a learned skill, just like stalking, stand placement, and the thousand others we try and perfect.

Don't sell yourself short.  You never know what opportunities may be headed your way.  Start practicing outside your box and strive to get better!  There are a million things we can talk about on this topic.  Animal behavior, species, and shooters confidence are probably the most important.  

As the thread goes on I'd like us to find an answer to "The Shot"  As in reference to shooting animals.  Not targets.  I laugh imagining a wolf reading this thread and telling me.  "Hey Andy just kill them and eat them.  It's worked for me for thousands of years".

[Gehrke145]

I shot animals close and far and have passed on animals close and far.  I honestly don't have a set distance and would never pass judgement on a guy taking long shots.

[Hunter74]

I might catch slack for saying this but I have never understood why a lot of trad guys limit themselfs to 20 yrds or there about. The way I see it is the bow is capeable of sending an arrow 250-300 yrds with enough energy to be deadly so 50 is nothing even a 100 is doable the only limitation is your vision and skill.

[Msbow]

This is a topic that's different for everyone. There are way to many variables for a straight answer. I think for most traditionalist, the whole idea is to see how close they can get to the animal. We don't practice long range shots as much as the close ones, because being close is kinda the whole idea. It is for me anyway.

[cacciatore]

For me switching from a compound bow to a recurve is been to test my hunter's ability to get close to the animals. When I started killing animal as far as 80 yards I realized that that wasn't the reason why I felt in love with bowhunting and the weapon wasn't a primitive weapon that concentrate more in your ability as a hunter but more a shooter. So for this reason I really prefere to take my shoots under 20 yards,also if in some cases I can shoot farther than 30. But the longer the shoot the less value it has on my judgement because I feel less the prey and care more to the shooting form.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

I practice and have taught my sons to be hunters not shooters no matter what weapon we have in our hands.      

Tracy

[highlow]

If you have the slightest doubt you can make a good shot, then it's too far.

[dbd870]

Originally posted by highlow:
If you have the slightest doubt you can make a good shot, then it's too far.

Yep; I don't care what anyone's limit is - all that matters is they know it and stick to it.

[stonewall]

I just go with my gut.

[Sam McMichael]

highlow is right. If you have doubts, then it is too far. I used to set out markers at 25 yards, and would not consider a shot beyond that distance. Yes, it was somewhat arbitrary, but it made me consciously consider distance in relation to my shooting abilities. Each hunter has to set his own limits.

[Michael Arnette]

Originally posted by highlow:
If you have the slightest doubt you can make a good shot, then it's too far.

Yep!

[reddogge]

When I was 25 my yardage was longer. As I age it has lessened. I don't take any shot I don't feel 100% sure of making. I passed on a trophy whitetail at 32 yards and pigs in the road at 25-30 yards yards. I sleep well during hunting season.

[SELFBOW19953]

If I start thinking distance, I don't shoot.  I "know" when I can make the shot.  I hunt with a bow to get close.  If I wanted to shoot more than 20 yards or so, I'd hunt with a gun.  I pass on deer every year because I am not comfortable with the shot-distance, cover, age, angle, alertness, gut feeling, etc.

[Izzy]

Not every situation is the same. The man, the bow and the animal are all variables that change by the second. For me, I follow my instincts but do prefer slam dunk 5 yard shots of which Ive taken with less than desired results at times.

 Ive also taken 25+ yard shots and hit the exact spot I was hoping to with ideal results.

[RedShaft]

True story. Me and my dad was walking along logging road during archery walking into our spot. Public land. And a rabbit was sitting on the path in the grass, we walked right up on it before I realized what it was. Literally less than 5 yards away. I pulled an arrow, came to full draw and stuck the arrow right beside the rabbit. I just looked At my dad who was like really, really..... I was so pissed I said screw it.. I'm not shooting again.. Walked right up to the rabbit pulled my arrow from the ground.
That dang rabbit never moved. I figured it was frozen in fear of what ever. Kinda dumbfounded we walked along maybe 20 more yards looked to the left. Right on the path a guy was in his treestand. I know he seen the whole thing.
talk about embarrassing.... So for me, I have no effective range now lol.

[ChuckC]

Red, that is why many of us strive to keep it close.  Things go wrong.  The farther away, the more things can go wrong.  

The arrow with a sharp broadhead can fatally pierce a deer at nearly any distance along its path,  be it 5 yards or 500 ( if you can get it to go that far).  It is hitting where you want that gets tough.  

I personally feel we owe it to the newbies who may not yet have great skills to keep the talk realistic.  Yeah, if you are good enough to shoot at 75 yards, well, that is your call.  

Most are not.  Newbies read our stuff, every word, and want to emulate.  When I speak of killing at 75 yards, they want to do the same and wonder why it isn't working.  

I don't owe the critters anything, but I feel that I want to do it as right as I can.  A good kill, or no shot at all.
ChuckC

[M60gunner]

IMO it is our "comfort zone" that should dictate what we shoot when hunting. Mine has been 30-35 yards since forever. I would prefer closer but real close, no. My 5-10 yard shooting is terrible, always has been. Again my "comfort zone" brings out my best in form, concentration, and follow through. If it was 20 yards so be it. In that moment of truth you should be as confident as you can be without thinking about it. Yes getting close is important but again close in your zone.

[JR Williams]

I have made great shots on game up to about 25 yards, and have passed on 15 yard shots because I doubted my ability to make a good shot. I guess for me it is more about my confidence when the time comes.

I have shot a number of deer on the move that were beyond twenty yards that did not know I was there.  I have let more wired alert deer go that were fifteen yards or less than I can remember.  Being a ground hunter, the close deer that have me spotted are the ones that make me doubt my shot, I usually do not shoot those.

[Mark R]

As an ethical hunter I've never killed a Deer more than 30 yrd's,with compound or traditional,here in the midwest hunting in the environment I hunt in I don't think my arrow would go further without hitting a branch or something,if I had to kill to survive it's a whole different story.