What do you think the longest distance is to make a responsible shot it? I can hit the target at 60 and a dollar bill will not fit between the arrows. I believe this would be my longest shot and even then it would have to be perfect. The deer would have to be completely relaxed and non suspecting. Even better, it would also be quartering away from me so that my arrow would easily be able to slide between the front shoulders into the lungs and heart. I would love to be able to test my kinetic energy at different distances.
The longest shot I will make is determined by the area I'm hunting. Most of my stands sights have me limited to 30 yards or less. The problem with taking long shots, say overlooking a food plot, is the arrow takes a lot longer to get the target and even though the same variables are present at shorter distances, they are amplified at longer distances. I shoot 4" groups at 60 yards, but no way am i shooting at a live animal at that distance (unless it's an elk) As for me, I will not take a shot at a whitetail at anything over 50 yards under perfect conditions(overlooking a food plot with no wind), there is just too much that could go wrong. The exciting thing about bowhunting for me is getting the animal as close as possible so I don't have to make those long shots.
I routinely practice out to 60 yards, but my personal hunting limits are 30 yards in the woods and 40 yards hunting a field. This limits assume perfect conditions.
it all boils down to this comfort and responsibility on the shot. I think circumstance plays a huge role in shots.i hunt heavily wooded areas and most shots are impossible past 20yrds and anything further has to be perfect even though i'm comfortable shooting at 40+ yrds. when you are shooting at an animal a living breathing thing that feels pain.you have to be considerate and thoughtful. you owe it to the animal to choose the shot that will be humane as possible or let the animal walk!
I agree about being considerate to the animals. Most of my shots in the woods are under 40 yards. Most of my best shots are at 15-25 yards. I do not believe that an arrow has the appropriate amount of kinetic energy at 60+ yards. This is why I would love to be able to test my kinetic energy and penetrating power. I have just returned to deer hunting after 15+ years of nothing but duck hunting. I killed a buck years ago with a brand new rifle. After I dressed the deer I handed my dad the rifle and said Merry Christmas. I believe bow hunting is a way to get close the animals. This is why I am only bowhunting. If a good clean killing shot cannot be made then the shot should be passed up.
Which is exactly why I keep my hunting range at approx. 25 yds and in. If I can't get that close then I need to make changes to the way I am doing things and extending my range isn't one of them.
out of 5 stands that i have put up i can only shoot farther than 30 yards cleanly in one of those and two more of those are 15 yards but there way back in bedding areas and have no choice
This year was wierd for me, All the off season i hit it had on the target range. expectially on the longer yardages. When the season started i was confeinent enough to take a shot out to about 50 yards. And with this pratice i was able to shoot my first deer in two years at 44 yards. I think with the right amount of skill and the right conditions a whitetail could be taken at and maybe past 60 yards.
Up until this year I told myself I would never shoot at a deer past 30 yards and I still keep to that. My only exception was my mule deer. It took 2 years of hard work to finally get a deer within shooting range. I drew on him at 30 and when he ran to 42-45 yards and stopped I already had my pins on him and it was a nice slightly quartering away shot so I took it. I still got a pass through (shooting 76lbs of KE), but I still won't shoot a whitetail at that distance, and most likely wont be shooting at another mule deer at that distance despite making a perfect shot on my mule deer (clipped the edge of the liver, top of the heart and one lung). I still try to keep my shooting distance within 30 yards. Just too many things can happen and with whitetails being so jumpy it just isn't worth the risk to shoot at long distances. Hunting is a sport, but we still need to understand that we are playing with the lives of animals and that is nothing to take lightly.
One man's 20yds. is another man's 40yds. It's ludicrous and unfair for hunters to project their own limitations onto others.....or to set their own limitations as the moral standard.
I totally agree! i'm not saying not to try or that b/c of ones inability to perform that no one should attempt the same. if you are capable and confident in yourself to perform then by all means let the blood pour ha-ha you dont achieve if you dont try!
Depends on the situation. I have no issues shooting 50+ yards in a field edge type setting, if the wind is calm. Within the timber, I really dont wish to push it further than about 40yards, just because of the unseen.
