how far is too far for a shot with a bow??

robinh00d · Dec 12, 2005

give me your opinions
i think anything further than 65 yards is too far for me and my bow, im shooting a pse with a 75lb draw and 330grain arrows including broadhead. so its flying fairly fast, and i have practiced out to that far.

flea_bitten · Dec 12, 2005

Thats an awful light arrow, alot of people say at least 5 grains per pound,your way under that, you might get speed but not alot of kinetic energy. Kinetic energy and penetration is going to determine more then how fast it is.

txhunter58 · Dec 12, 2005

LAST EDITED ON Dec-12-05 AT 05:00PM (MST)[p]Of course, there is no right or wrong answer here. I currently have a hard limit of 40 yards. Passed on a 6x6 bull at 47 yards this year. That was tough, but I would feel worse if I wounded him. I hope to eventually extend my limit to 50 yards. Don't forsee trying to shoot a live animal at any distance longer than that.

I have a muzzleloader that extends my range out to 120 yards (also my personal hard limit) and a rifle for shots longer than that. Works for me.

I also think you have too light of an arrow. Flat shooting, but what kind of punch when you get there.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

robinh00d · Dec 12, 2005

well ill put it this way, every time ive shot at an animal , it has died, and gone less than 50 yards after the arrow hits them, so im not in any hurry to change success, and my longest shots have been out at 50 yards

a3dhunter · Dec 12, 2005

My longest shot has been 42 yards at an elk, broadside, uphill, and I missed! I felt confident at the time of the shot but I shot just under the bull. I now pay more attention to how the shot is setup rather than the yardage. Is it uphill/downhill, branches in the way, wind, etc. With perfect conditions I would not shoot past 45 yards now, too many things can happen while the arrow is in flight. Target shooting I am comfortable shooting up to 60 yards.
To each their own.
A3dhunter

AZMUZZY · Dec 12, 2005

I can shoot 60 yards but when hunting I choose not too. I bow hunt for the challenge of getting in close to an animal and then taking him. Unless there is no possible way for me to get closer I won't take a shot over 40 yards. I'd prefer to be close enough to hear the animal breathe.

AZWALKER · Dec 14, 2005

Well look at it this way, the farther out you shoot the more chance for something to go wrong. I think as bowhunters we should get as close as we can but if I feel good about a shot I'll shoot out to 60. I haven't shot past 50 yet but hunting the deserts of AZ is tough and its VERY hard to get closer than 30 yds so it depends on the situation for me.

I think you just have to set it in your head that you have to get within 40 no matter what. If the time comes and you can't get closer that the 50 yd mark take a hard look at the situation you're in and make an educated judgement call.

Just my opinion.

Man I hope this doesn't turn into one of those argument threads.

Donnie

robinh00d · Dec 14, 2005

im not trying to argue in any way, jus want opinions, ive never shot a deer out past 50 yards , but wondering wat ppl think about distances, and the capabilities of their bow and themselves

supersider34 · Dec 14, 2005

My shots in hunting is 40 yds. Deer antelope or bear. Elk I am comfortable out to 50 yds. If not there then will not shoot. 3-Ding I shoot out to 65 yds. Now if an animal was tied to a tree I would shoot out like I do with my 3-D bow. But havent met anyone that would go tie me up a elk.
Have a friend that shoots 55 yds. he killed a antelope, Deer and elk all around those yardages. it has to be perfect for him to do it. Any doubt he does not shoot.

BowhuntCoues · Dec 14, 2005

robinh00d,
I guess those light arrows didn't know they were supposed to kill the critters you shot. I shoot a 322 grain arrow and have taken alot of critters with them. Shot placement is the key to taking any animal, it doesn't matter what you shoot them with if you cannot effectivly place the arrow where it needs to be placed, the animal will not die. So I shoot the distance that I can make that happen, some people can shoot past 100 yards and some should never shoot past 10 feet, I limit my shots to 50 yards and have never shot past 42 yards.

ismith · Dec 14, 2005

my personal limits are 30 yards in the timber, and 40 yards in the open. To many added varibles come with those long shots.

DonV · Dec 15, 2005

50 yards is a very very long shot with a ton of things that can go wrong. I would bet that 80% of shots taken at 50 yards or further do not connect with a solid, double lung hit. It takes a ton of practice and knowledge and a way above average shot setup for most bowhunters to be justified in taking shots over 40 yards IMO. You should not shoot unless you are 90% sure you will make a good shot. That said if everything went well, I had been shooting great and everything was perfect I might consider shots past 40 yards, 50 being max, and only one bigger game like elk - bigger vital area. Deer it is 30. I have no doubt there are guys who can make 50 yards shots regularly but they are few and far between.

Lien2 · Dec 15, 2005

For me, it depends on the situation and the animal. On average, I'd say 40 is max for deer, antelope. etc, I'd go 50-60 on elk..........given I have a calm animal and the conditions are right.
roginh00d & BowhuntCoues -
I'm also gonna say you guys shoot too light of an arrow. I don't say that cuz it won't kill things, cuz they do, I say that cuz it is extremely hard on your bow. A light arrow doesn't absorb the shock much, that's why a lot of bow warranties state AT LEAST 5 grains.

Lien2

robinh00d · Dec 15, 2005

i have shock absorbers on my bow, and the warranty was done about oh 6 years ago, so im not overly concerned about it.
i plan on buying a new bow, and shooting proper weight arrows by next year tho.

BowhuntCoues · Dec 15, 2005

Lien2,
63lbs @ 5 grains per lb is 315 grains. That arrow shoots 292 fps and they shoot really good. As far as bow shock, the particular bow I'm shooting right now I could shoot with no stabilizer and have very little jump with the bow. Very pleased with the set-up.

robinh00d · Dec 15, 2005

very true, i shoot my light grain arrow, and have not had any problems so far. every animal i have shot has died, and as of now, i have only missed 2 animals, and have not wounded any animals, therefore i have not had to worry about my arrow being too light or my bow vibrating too much.

MTquiver · Dec 15, 2005

Nobody else has said it so I will. I think that a lot of people say they won't shoot a long shot but many do when it is the only option. Last year I killed a four point buck with a good sized body at 59 yards(Utah). He went maybe 45 yards and was stone dead. I watched a friend kill a deer this year at 91 yards clean pass through (That's a little far for me, but I watched him do it.) I hit a nice three point at 31 yards on the last day of the Utah extended buck hunt this year and never recovered it even though there was great blood for a hundred yards or so. Then I went up and shot a doe just this week at 71 yards and I watched it run 40 yards and piled up. The best case is to get close (40 yards or closer) but I would dare say that I know a high percentage of guys that shoot out to 70-80-even 90 yards in the right situation. That does not mean it is right for everyone, but a bow will still do alot of damage at that range especially on a deer. I am not promoting long shots because I think you should do everything possible to get close but sometimes if it is not possible a long shot can be effective. The more practice at that range the better. (Even if you don't feel it is ethical to shoot at animals at that range) practicing at that range makes the 30 yarders seem like a piece of cake.

HunterHarry · Dec 15, 2005

Every time I practice, I spend at least half my time at 60 yards.
When I move up to 30-40 yards it seems like a chip shot.
I took my first archery buck this year at 58 yards.
I was very confident that I could make the shot.
Practice, Practice' Practice.

Lien2 · Dec 16, 2005

HH - Good post, I do the same. Practice out to 60, makes the 30 and 40's that much easier.
BowhuntCous - I apologize, you never stated what your draw weight was in your first post. If you are OK with being 7 grains over the minimum, that is great.
robinh00d - You are at 4.4 grains.
To each thier own.

Lien2

AZWALKER · Dec 16, 2005

MTquiver,

I personally don't shoot past 60, not because I wouldn't, cuz I can't. My bow mech has 9 pins on his sight. Thats 100 yds!!! I couldn't imaging trying to do it myself but I know it can be done. There are alot of guys who throw a fit when they here about that but if a guy can do it, more power to him!!!

Donnie

HYK · Dec 16, 2005

I practice out to 55 yards and would feel ok with a no wind shot out that far on a larger animal like elk but would probably pass on a deer shot that far. If you know how easy it is to bauch a shot that far at the range its even easy to do in the field.

COLO3D · Dec 16, 2005

I have only shot two deer, a doe at 42 yards, she went about 40 yards after the shot, and a buck at 62 yards, he went about 125 yards and was done.

I was not able to get a rangefinder reading on the doe but years of competitive 3D shooting helped me to judge the distance correctly. On the buck my wife was right behind me with a rangefinder and gave me the exact distance.

One thing that I have found is that deer do not run very far with an arrow through both lungs. To put an arrow consistantly through both lungs takes LOTS of practice, as well as LOTS of practice at long range with the proper equipment and optimum conditions. Everytime I go to the range I shoot 60 and 80 yards, it never fails that I am the only one shooting those bales.

Get a coach to learn proper techniques and practice those techniques. You would be surprised with the results that can be achieved.

dl19 · Dec 18, 2005

Too far is past where you can accurately shoot. It depends on the shooter, their equipment, and their skills. I practice at 70-80yds for 80% of my shooting. I would shoot up to 70yds in a hunting situation if the animal was unaware and "relaxed". 60yds is a no brainer for me, but maybe not for the next guy. I have only hunted three years with a bow and killed two bucks 62yds/164"net and 55yds/172"net. The first year I did not shoot at a buck (Pushing 190") 55yds away because the bow and set up I was using could not do it. I have watched and talked to people who have shot 70+ yards, but only have a 40yd max pin. This year a guy shot a buck at 103yds with a complete hail mary stupid shot. Now he thinks he is a great shooter, but in reality he can not shoot good enough for me at 50yds. So, my standard is real simple. If I can not put the first arrow I shoot into a 6" circle standing/kneeling it is past my max. Everything inside your max is a slam dunk.

Boskee · Dec 18, 2005

I think you should only take a shot that you feel comfortable is within your comfort range. That being said I'm going to say something we all need to start to consider and it will be detrimental to bowhunting tag allocations. This year in AZ there is a proposal to remove 50% of the archery bull tags and move them to a December hunt for any Elk after all the rifle hunts. The commissions reasoning was that the effective range of the weapon has been increased and the success rates seem to be increasing. Now here's where it get's interesting do you know where the source of some of this information was? THE INTERNET!! This information was openly revealed to the entire audience by a senior manager at the department.

These posts are read by the states Game and Fish departments and are usefull as a tool to collect information. Tag allocations are based on success % in a lot of cases and rifle hunters are pushing for a bigger percentage of the tags citing early hunt success% by archers. So I guess the point I'm attempting to make here is that we need to think about what we say and how it may impact our future tag numbers because archery used to be considered a primitive weapon and there seems to be a whole lot of entended range posts showing up supporting the fact that it may no longer be a primitive weapon in today's world. By the way just for the record that would be well over 1300 archery BULL tags that would be lost in the early hunt alone. We are currently fighting very hard to make sure this doesn't happen to preserve our hunt during the rut. I hope for all of our sakes it doesn't come to pass.

Bow6x6 · Dec 19, 2005

The longest kill I've whitnessed was a 160 yard shot! It was the guys last evening of his hunt and he just let it fly with no regard to the animal. The arrow by that time was coming down at a steep angle and hit the deer in the back and went down through the vitals and was poking out the underside. Obviously a complete luck shot that ended well. I would say 160 is a little "too far".

Bo

HunterHarry · Dec 19, 2005

LAST EDITED ON Dec-19-05 AT 11:58AM (MST)[p]Wow Boskee!
That sucks.
A very similar thing happened here in Ca. only in the fishing arena.
I gave a speech at a F&G commission hearing and with the help of a couple of other anglers was able to prevent passage of a very restrictive proposition.
Yes, the internet has an impact.
Boskee's words are wise.
HH

AZWALKER · Dec 19, 2005

Things are getting so stupid here in AZ. They'll make all these changes because the effective range of bows have increased but then say nothing about the fact that muzzleloaders will do 200+ these days. I think its a line of BS about the archery hunt. They want to move those tags so they can call the early tags class "A" tags and make more money on them. Nothing more. If they left it the way it was they'd have to do a little work and pick certain units for the "A" classification. Money, Money, Money... Thats all it is. What they should do is make the muzzy tags class A and give more of them out. There aren't a whole lotta guys shooting much past 200 during the rifle hunts. I would bet the average is around 250 and I bet that'll be a regular thing for muzzys in the next 10 years. Man we need a new Govener who will completely revamp our comission and put people in who are there for the animals and not revenue!

Donnie

clyde · Dec 19, 2005

Simple, when you doubt the shot!!

Boskee · Dec 20, 2005

Donnie no disrespect intended, The class A fee structure proposal was shot down in the meeting in Casa Grande last week. There were numerous comments about archery equiptment and the long range shots being taken by archers at the meeting last night 12/19/05 in Phoenix at the Game and Fish Department. One fellow even suggested an archery shooting test should be mandatory. There were quite a few comments (AGAIN) about wounded animals found dead in the field after the archery hunts. So we need to be aware as archers, this is a matter of public record and discord and make our shot selections accordingly.

The ABA has done an excellent job of working with the department to come up with some viable alternatives to the 1300 early tag archery reduction proposal. They have also done an excellent job on working to promote and protect archery within the state. There was a good meeting last night at the Game and Fish Department in Phoenix to discuss the archery proposal that had an excellent turnout by the sportsmen of AZ. There was some valuable input at the meeting that suggested an earlier hunt format along with other suggestions about the draw process and the departments direction by the commissioners to increase hunter opportunity within the state. One things for certain without the Arizona Bowhunters Association representation this proposal would have passed last week in Casa Grande.

The ABA protected all hunters interests and we all owe them a big debt of gratitude. They could sure use a little financial assistance to help with future efforts on our behalf.

AZWALKER · Dec 20, 2005

Well... I've been known to talk out my A$$ before and I'll tell you what... thats great news! I'm not a member of the ABA but I think I should be! I don't think that a test for archers is such a bad idea either. I think all in all you are absolutely right though. I've been hearing more and more stories about wounded game. I think last Sep I heard about at least 5 wounded deer. Let me also say that I as an Arizona I really appriciate guys like you who use there time to get involved and make a difference. I'm selling my house right now and really wanted to go to the meeting last night but I just don't have the time right now. So... thank YOU for being involved and representing all of us so well!!!

Donnie

Boskee · Dec 20, 2005

Donnie, you like everyone else can't be informed on everything in today's world. I find myself in the dark or not as informed on many issues as well. No thanks are needed for me as I will redirect you and your thanks to the ABA. Given your appetite for bowhunting you should join the ABA and help them support bowhunting in AZ. These boys do a wonderful job protecting what we love to do and need all the support they can garner. You guys from out of state owe them a big debt of gratitude as well because they fought very hard to keep hunting fees at a reasonable level. They are working very hard right now to preserve our current allocation of permits and maintain a quality hunt for all bow hunters. If you like to bow hunt in AZ. take some time to send them a check or join this fine organization. With their continued efforts on our behalf, you'll be glad you did!

BOHNTR · Dec 20, 2005

ARCHERY is seeing how far away you can get from your target and still hit it........BOWHUNTING is seeing how close you can get to your target before you shoot it.

BOHNTR )))---------->

ansonlynn · Dec 21, 2005

Your maximum hunting shot should be no more than 80-90% of your consistent 8" centered group on the target range WITH YOUR BROADHEADS. That's my opinion, I'm sticking to it. More variables in the field. I practice out to 70 occasionally, 60 regularly - my longest hunting shot to date has been 42 yards (kill, 6pt bull). Realistically, I'd stretch that to 50 under perfect conditions. Maximum range without a rangefinder is much less.

Three years ago I spent 3 hours within 70 yards of a bedded 7pt bull with cows, hoping he'd come my way when he stood - no way to get closer. I thought about that shot hundreds of times between 10:00 and 1:00 - and figured it was about 2 in 3 I could kill him. When he stood up, I didn't shoot, and he didn't come closer. I'm not claiming any high moral ground - I've learned the hard way through the sick feeling of losing animals, and the worry and subsequent elation of tough recoveries. There's enough potential for that anyway, without pushing the limits of your abilities.

I think most of the ethical among us - gun or bow - eventually learn that humbling lesson by losing animals after launching a hopeful shot. Kudos to those few who know themselves and their abilities to reach that point without learning it the hard way. I have nothing but contempt for those few who continue to fling and wing, year after year, with little concern or regard.

My actual field shots this year included a deflection at 41 yards (8" window between 2 tree, miss); mis-judged "30" yard steep downhill shot the day I left my rangefinder at home - 36 yards, miss under the chest; 42 yard miss that looked and felt perfect - fortunately, we were able to confirm the miss by watching the buck after, as the arrow disappeared into the snow; and a 24 yard kill. Yet, I can shoot 3-5", 3-shot groups with my hunting arrows at 40 yards with absolute consistency.