My 2 buddies went and shot several crossbows the other day before deciding on one that shoots 340 FPS. It was lighter then the others, but one of the drawbacks was it is also one of the loudest. With that being said, does it matter how loud it is, or will even the quietest one alert the deer to "duck" the shot. Is their bow fast enough to drop a deer at 40 and in, if aimed properly?
No bow will ever beat the reaction time of a deer. Period. There is a few things a guy can do to quiet a bow down, however. String accessories, heavier shafts/heads, etc..
A cross bow is going to be loud, can't change that. But yes a deer will duck it just like a vertical bow. 340 fps is not faster than the speed of sound. I think shooting past 30 is only good if you and your equipment can do it and also the deer is totally relaxed. an alert deer will jump a 30 yrd shot.
I don't think that there is any crossbow that is quiet enough that it won't cause an alert deer to react. Also, as someone else already pointed out, no bow is going to be faster than the speed of sound. An alert deer is going to react before the arrow gets there, and the amount of movement the deer can make before the arrow gets there is simply a matter of how long the arrow is in the air before it reaches the target. If one person is shooting an arrow at 340 fps and a second person is shooting an arrow at 280 fps, and both shoot at a target 40 yards away, the first guy's arrow will beat the second guy's arrow by less than 0.2 seconds. So how much further can a deer move in 0.2 seconds? Point being, speed isn't going to make all the difference in the world. The key is to keep your shots within 30 yards unless the deer is 100% relaxed.
A deer is less likely to duck the string at 40 but it can happen, especially with a loud crossbow. They tend to duck more on the close shots than the longer ones. The noise being close spooks them more than being far away. I would have many limb save priducts on a crossbow. Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2
If you want a One shot/one kill,try to stick to the 30 yard rule most hunters are referring to here. At 30 yds (90ft)we have great vision and can line up a shot well, 40 yds(120 ft) is considerably further when your talking about deer reaction time and fps. If you hunt in a forest, it's tough to even have a clear 40 yds. 90 ft is like running to first base, if you have ever run both, a 40 yd and base hit, then you will definitely comprehend the difference..(both sprints suck!lol) Good Luck !!
My nephew & I ea. shot deer @40 yds. with my Stryke Zone 380, both shots were right behind the shoulder where we were aiming, mine was a 8 pt 180lbs. his was a big doe 160 lbs. The SZ 350 & 380 are 350 fps. & 380 fps. Jeff
I believe so. I think there are many factors though. Deer pressure, bow noise and even foliage. It seems one can hear much more in the woods in late season after the leaves have fallen as a posed to late season. If the deer is already on edge then it's going to react much differently to what ever noise level of the bow. If you are asking does the speed get it there before it has time to jump, then my answer is no, the arrow is not fast enough to out run the deer reaction.
Interesting post cause I think the last buck I shot 3 weeks ago moved a little. I had my Xbow on a solid rest and I knew the distance. I shot at the buck at 35 yards but yet my entry was still high below the spine a few inches. The exit wound was still perfect, but no way it should have been that high aiming higher with my 30 yard crosshair esp with a rock solid rest. Im thinking he had to have moved a little. He was on alert looking my direction when I fired. Even at 305 fps they will moved a little
I shot a doe at 30 yards easy shot that I had made time and time again practicing and still hit her hi and a little back so yeah they will duck it. Shooting a Wicked Ridge Invader HP
Deer can move fast, at distance what i have seen is they hear noise and look up and back to the noise, by that time its to late. Most of my shots are 40 yards, i set my stands up that way on purpose cause i smoke and was getting busted to often. I watched at 32 yards three deer, my wife shot a huge doe and when she shot they all looked up and froze, when the arrow hit they all ran. I wouldnt worry about it.
it breaks down to science...the speed of sound is roughly 1125 fps...the sound of the arrow being launched will always reach the deer first.....the more relaxed the dee, the less likely it is that the deer will jump the string......
I agree with what has been posted. All 5 of my kills this season were with my crossbow. 2@ 20yds; 1 @ 25yds; 1@ 30yds and 1 @ 40yds. They all jumped a little, but I was extremely lucky at the 40yd shot. The buck was very relaxed and not looking my way, otherwise, I might have been more hesitant to shoot that distance. I shot a Ten Point Titan Extreme and it's great, but very loud. I have just purchased a Mission MXB and can't wait to hunt with it. It's so much quieter. But regardless, I think the deer will get a jump.
I've had a very smart mature doe jump my string twice last year. The first night I missed her clean at 17 yards. I am shooting ell over 300 FPS. The second night I missed her again at 21 yards. She presented another shot later that night and she wasn't so lucky. Based on that experience and others I am going to say heck yes a deer can jump a x-bow at 40 yards. I don't care if it is shooting at a blazing 400 FPS.
