Last weekend my brother and I were at our cabin hunting. During the day we had the targets out and we were shooting bow all day out to 55 yards. We both shoot often and normally will shoot out to 60 yards every time we practice. The only issue we had was my brothers rangefinder was blurry. The actual magnification was blurry like the lenz was screwed up. The yardage was kinda faded out and hard to read so we put a new battery in and got the same result. My brother said well I guess I'm buying a new one next week. So that afternoon my brother had one of our target bucks in one of our food plots. After watching him for awhile and thinking he may not get any closer he ranged the buck at 50 yards. He made the decision to shoot as he had been watching for awhile and was pretty calm at that point. He made the shot and saw the nocturnal fly to the buck but didnt really see it strike gold so to speak. There was 4 or 5 other deer in the plot when he shot so after the shot they all scattered and he lost which direction the buck ran off. He got down and looked for an hour before getting me for help. We looked and looked some more. No blood, no arrow, no hair and no sense of direction to his where abouts. We paced it off and we counted 57 yards. We looked around with lights and such to find nothing. Figured okay lets come back in the daylight since our odds are already not in good shape. It poured all damn night !!!! So we went back out the next morning in the rain and couldn't find anything. There is the possibility he completely burried his arrow in the dirt and maybe the nocktural malfunctioned. Or maybe he did hit the deer low and it isn't a fatal hit. So now because of this story and what happened some others in our group are pissed off and want to know why he is taking "unethical" shots at deer. My brother has killed three bucks, three years straight. Each time it was his first sit in the tree for the season. Granted they weren't long shots but the point is the dude is a fu@$ing killer. So now they are all pissed off but its okay for them to shoot deer with rifles on a dead run. One of those deer got shot right through the front legs and couldnt even run away. He suffered before he got to finish it off nearly two hours later because he jumped it inside the tree line so he came back to the cabin for backup. This whole situation has got me down right pissed off !!!!! Just because they are old school hunters that dont shoot over 20 yards and they have 20 year old equiptment. They dont practice, they dont push themselves or the abilitys of there equiptment and tecnique. How far will you all take a shot on a whitetail in a similar circumstance. Open brassica plot, not a pinch of breeze. The deer is barely lifting its head is calm just eating in the plot. Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
35 yards is the furthest I will risk a shot at any of my hitlisters. I might push a doe to 40 but that's it. I've shot and harvested deer out to 65 yards when I was a stupid kid, I got lucky with it and never did it again. To me, 50+ is fairly irresponsible especially without film because at that distance typically you cannot see the point of impact and it's kinda important. My eyes aren't what they used to be either, at dusk or dawn when the light is just so so I have trouble picking out a clear spot past 40. That's me...if someone can prove they are fine shooting out that far at deer then more power to them...unfortunately that's not the case here it looks like.
I agree, 35-40 would be my max that I feel comfortable with even though I practice at 60 and up. My farthest shot at a target so far was 90 yards. On a deer I wouldn't want to push it much more that 35-40 because so much can go wrong and I don't want to wound it or make a terrible shot on it.
35 yards would be my max. I have practiced out to 90, just because I get bored with practice and enjoy having fun but 35 yards has always been my max while hunting whitetails. With rain in the forecast that range would be reduced. How big was he buck?
30 yards for me but hey I'm only 14 and my draw weight is only 54# so in a couple years that will probly get out to 40
I would have to say that 30-35 is the max for me. Like other's have said target shooting is one thing, hunting is another. I have practiced out to 60 yds with no problem. I just think that for me that's my best.
40 yards is what i'm confident in shooting 3 inch groups and I have shot and recovered a deer at 43 yards and pin it it ran it didn't even make it 50 yard from where it was standing and never made the wood line I practice out to 70 I only move out to a further distance when I'm comfortable with the grouping but wouldn't take a shot at a animal until my groups are in a 4 inch group
I personally have never shot a deer farther than 40. In the right situation I feel I could take one at 50. @Purebowhunting the deer was a 3.5 year old ten point. Probably around the 120 range. I would post a pic of the deer but my phone for some reason doesnt want to load the photo I choose. Has been that way ever since I did a software update. Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
The closer the better. I have shot deer at 45 yds. Depends on the circumstances. Alert deer that may be getting antsy not good at that distance. Calm and don't know you are in the world and clear shot a bit of different scenario. There are times when a 20 yard shot may not be a good shot. We all have to use our own judgment when making a shot.
In that exact scenario I would feel confident no doubt up to 40 maybe 45. Thats for me, yet I do know some friends of mine that hunt out west where they practice longer shots while they prepare for elk and muleys so when they come here they always surprise me with their long distance skills. I would have full confidence in one of them taking that shot. I guess its all about the person taking the shot. If your 100% confident in your ability then go for it but if there is any doubt at all put the bow down.
40 max for me. But, I have never taken one that far. Most of my stands dont offer shots over 30. But, in perfect conditions I would take a shot out to 40
I think it depends upon your experience and your setup. I try to stay within 40 yards. I regularly practice 60-70 yard shots but would not take one in the field. Practicing at long distances builds confidence for those "easy" shots.
