According to P&Y the average distance bucks are killed from is 18 yds. I love throwing arrows at 40, 50 and 60 yards in the yard but it's way different in the field. With my bow and capability 33 yards is out there but I'd take that shot. Not unless everything is perfect. I would rather keep them inside 24 yds.
I would think it would be the other way around. For me a 50 yard shot on a whitetail is iffy, but if the conditions are right I'm confident that I can make that shot. Now, I've never hunted elk, but given the size of an elk, I guarantee you I'd take a 50 yard shot and not give it a second thought.
The issue isn't the size of the target, it's the size of the ribs. In most instances, there just wouldn't be enough KE left at that distance to insure a kill. But once again, I think that would be dependent on the poundage your pulling...
Someone touched on it....I don't worry about grouping...I wanna know I can pick up my bow and ONE arrow and put that FIRST shot within the vitals at any yardage I'm comfortable with. You may be able to put 4 out of 5 shots in the vital area size every time you practice....but if your one miss is always your first you ain't gonna kill anything, just wound at best. I've started shooting just one arrow and then walking away or doing something else for a while then come back shoot one and repeat. That's the only time I guess I worry about my "grouping"?!
Understood, and you've got a point. With a lot of people shooting lower draw weights coupled with lighter arrows and mechanical heads, a 50 yard shot on an elk probably isn't a good idea. I have faith that my 70# bow @ 29" will push my 462 grain, 15 % FOC, Slick Trick tipped arrow well into an elk, if not completely through it at 50 yards.
That IS a ton of KE... I'm at 56# with a 388 gr. 29.75" arrow at 11% FOC w/ 100 gr. Montec so that's where I'm coming from...
There is more than enough energy left for a passthrough with your setup st 40-50,even 60 if you choose. The key is tune and broadhead choice Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2
If you really want tighter groups at 40,50,60, yards place a photo of your ex-wife,girlfriend,For the women ex-husband,boyfriend.You will be splitting arrows at 50 yards.LOL
I think that is an excellent practice. I think that if more people did what you describe, the maximum range they would be comfortable with would change.
Yea that is pretty much what I meant by what I said. A guy I work with put me on to this, he said every morning before work, he grabs his bow, opens his back door and blasts an arrow 62 yards to a 3d deer target. He shuts the door, picks up his coffee cup and sits down to read the news paper. When he leaves he walks out to check his arrow, he said 9 out of 10 shots is perfect.
kind of the point of the story, how good do you think he is shooting at a deer within 20 yds, He has been doing that 60 yd shot 1 time a day for years.
If u can hit the vitals of a 3 d deer,on the first shot,consistently(waiting a good period of time between shots)is good enough.Its what will happen in the field.
shooting tight groups at 40, 50 or 60 yards when you have pin sighted in at the range and you shooting the known distance under target shooting environment is much different than shooting under hunting conditions and not knowing the exact yardage, or even if you do, the pin is not sighted there and you have to gap pins....much different shooting at 37 yards or 43 yards than 40 under this scenerio. But most of you already know this....I am just speaking to those that are more skilled and smarter than those of us that have been doing this for awhile
I set my pins in 5-6 yard increments for that very reason. 22-28-33-38 and 44. 1 shot practice is great but the point of practice sessions and groups is to create muscle memory so those 1 shot hunting situations are second nature. Here is my 1 shot practice at 44 yards from today. If you will notice, I also shot at dusk for the lower light situations. Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2
On a good day, I can consistently shoot 3" or even a little better at 40. I said good day.... I feel that if you can consistently shoot a 5" group at 40 yards, regardless of conditions, etc., you're good to go. The reality is, the vitals on the average whitetail is almost the size of a basketball. Thats a BIG area to hit really. If you can shoot 5" groups all day long at 40 yards, you're going to kill that animal every time. Just remember the old saying.. Aim small, miss small.
