What group size do you consider acceptable for hunting?

I'm just curious as to each of your all standards. What size group at 20,30, & 40 yards do you feel you must have before you are confident enough to take that shot at a live animal?

I don't know if I put too much pressure on myself or what. My buddy thinks I do. I'm just disappointed whenever my arrows aren't touching at 20 yards. I used to be able to do that and now I'm having trouble with it. My groups at 40 yards were pretty good too but now my groups have opened up across the board. Its unbelievably frustrating trying to accomplish something that I was once able to easily do.

So what standards do you guys hold yourselves?

 

I say that if you are consistant more than how many with the shot then you should be able to judge what you can and cant do.

 

If you’re talking about just hunting.... what difference does it make if you arrows are touching? You have an approximately 8" kill zone. Not saying there is anything wrong with expecting better shooting out of yourself, but it isn’t going to lead to lost animals.

I use the 2" at 20y, 3" at 30y and 4" at 40y standard for myself. I would not shoot over 30 yards unless it was a follow up shot.

 

I was testing just that today. I shot 10 arrows into separate dots on my Morrell field range bag at 26 yds. During these sequences, I was able to put on average, 7 or 8 of the 10 in the black dots (2"). I'm not entirely happy, although all of my misses were minimal and if aiming in the kill zone, I would still be dealing with a dead deer. Ironically, I shot a 2" 4 arrow group at 40yds today, and a 3" at 67. Pure luck, but still frustrating to not be as consistent at short yardages like I want to be.

I like the 2" at 20, 3" at 30, 4" at 40, etc, although I strive for tighter groups. I most likely won't take a shot past 35yds this year, and usually don't have to. I like to be able to hit the black dot on my bag at 30yds with the consistency I'm doing it at 25 right now, so I still would like to improve.

 

look get you a 3d target and shoot at it from different yardages place it at the farthest yardage at which you are comfortable at taking a shot at an animal and see how many arrows that are in the vital area and keep shooting at it until you know where to put the pin to make the arrow go where you want it. its all about practice

 

I'm not really asking for advice here, bigbuckdown. My groups are good enough to kill a deer. I was just saying that I'm not satisfied with them at the moment and was just curious what standards everyone else holds for themselves.

 

Also, for some we like our groups as tight as possible and our shooting as good as we can get it not merely to shoot a broadside deer at 20 yards with an 8" kill zone, but so that we can thread the needle between two saplings with a three-inch gap between them, or on a sharply quartering-away animal.

I needed to shoot a doe last year that was quartering so hard last year that my arrow slid behind her last rib and blew out in front of her off-side shoulder; my margin of error on that shot was MAYBE an inch at 25 yards.... I executed it perfectly and she ran 35 yards before piling up.

 

I'm usually the type of person who puts too much pressure on myself to get things perfect. OCD about it I guess. Thus why my stand was at 32ft last year, I feel like i'll always get spotted.

I would have to say I need atleast a 3'' +/- 1/2'' group to justify it to myself. Right now, that is 50 yards comfortably. 60 yards is getting there but I still have a few wingers.

 

didnt mean to offend you finch! guess i just misunderstood the nature of your comment.

 

No group size is perfect in my opinion.

A hunter gets one shot in the woods. A hunter in my opinion should simulate this when practicing.. one shot. If you don't hit within a small inch of where you were aiming... I'd be upset.

I know.. I know.. this will mean you'll have to shoot.. then walk over to get the arrow.. and this is time consuming.. but you'll appreciate the discipline when in the woods this fall I promise you.

 

i'm pretty satisfied w/ my groups at 0-30yrds elevated or not. beyond that man it is work in progress.i mean they would be lethal on an animal but i guess we all strive to be target shooters in some way no hope 4 me though ha-ha good luck to you

 

I have always pretty much stuck to the 1" per 10 yard incriments: 1" @ 10, 2"@ 20, 3" @ 30, so on and so forth. I shoot at 20 oz. bottle lids. I bust one every shot @ 20 yards. I shoot about a 2" group @ 30. The first shot is often the only one your get in archery, at a single deer. There is a larger target area, depending on angle of shot. I only shoot broadside and quartering away shots, but I practice shooting between forks in trees and between corn stalks in my corn patch. Sometimes there is a narrow margin in the brushy country I hunt. I only take 25 yard and closer, .shots, on whitetails.

 

In the months and weeks leading up to hunting season, I like to shoot a good session after dinner or after work.(50-75 arrows) BUT what Duke says holds serious merit IMO. That's why I also leave the bow and an arrow near the door and when last light is arriving I walk out and take one shot from a spot that I haven't shot from. It's that shot that I measure my ability in.

 

I practice at all distances ranging all the way up to 60 to 70 yards. Will I take a shot at a deer at that distance most likely not, I just like to challenge myself and make my shooting more interesting, plus I feel it makes my shorter distance shots alot easier. I also practice at odd distances as well like 17, 23, 39, you get where I'm going. I don't really do any 3-D competitions, so my focus is on putting an animal down, then I'm concentrating on that kill zone area, my arrows may not be touching all the time either and thats fine, as long as I know I have the confidence in my shots to take that animal down than I'm happy!

 

I really don't practicing shooting "groups", for me, standing in the same spot shooting 3 arrows is the worst form of practice! I wander a bit shooting from unknown distances, if I put it in the boiler room, its dead and I'm happy!

 

No offense taken. I just didn't want the thread going in that direction.

Like Backcountry, I put way too much pressure on myself to shoot a tight group or kill a big buck. Plans are to go into the upcoming season and actually enjoy the time I spend in the woods.

Duke...good point! Make every shot count.

 

I do not consider myself consistent unless I am shooting 3 inch groups or less at any distance. For example, I am shooting a different bow this year. I feel consistent at 15 yards, but at 20 yards, half my arrows fall short of my 3 inch rule. I feel comfortable at 20 yards but know that things change in the woods, so I must improve in the next 2 months so that I am consistent at that yardage.

 

Good post Mike!! This Is pretty much how I practice as well.

I'm very picky with my shooting. If my arrows aren't consistently good In my practice sessions I get real pissy. Your always going to have a few that don't go where their suppose to but as long as the majority go where I'm looking/aiming and are with In a couple Inches (preferably less) I'm content. I don't use the theory the farther away the more leeway I give with my shooting. The way I look at It for me Is why should It be good enough at 30 yards but not good enough at say 15 yards.

Finch,

Hang In there bud. I've been there a few times.

 

For me personally I find that I can shoot consistant 4" groups at 40 but will never shoot a deer over 30 and a elk over 35 maybe 40 if he is standing and eating broadside with no idea I'm there. I know how easy it is to forget the little things in shooting form when the excitment of an animal is in front of you and how easy it is to make a bad shot.