Ethical Range for yourself?

Mickey · #1 09-17-2016, 09:52 PM

Being that last year I was amazingly lucky to call a bull moose into around 10 yards, I got to practicing more and more this year and at greater distances.

I am still shooting out to 60 yards, but feel that 40 would be my max and that would have to be a broadside shot. I am confident at 30 and under and would take a quartering away if it came up.

I hear of guys taking 80 yard shots and feel that they are too risky for my liking. Too many variables at that distance that you cannot factor in.

Lefty-Canuck · #2 09-17-2016, 10:06 PM

I like 30 and less, comfortable 40 and less....50+ I reserve for if I already have an arrow in the animal.

Passed on a 180+ deer tonight at 85 yards, I have won many "long bomb" novelty shoots and shoot past 100 regularly but I respect the game and I can't live with the loss of an animal.

Bowhunting is not about how far a shot you are willing to take, it's about putting yourself in a position to make a guaranteed one shot clean kill.

LC

Mickey · #3 09-17-2016, 10:12 PM

I agree with you 100%.

I feel sick when thinking about people taking risky shots because of the size of the animal. Too many people took up bowhunting to extend the season and don't practice nearly enough.

58thecat · #4 09-17-2016, 10:29 PM

30 or less is my ideal set ups, closer the better, have practiced out at 50 for fun on 3D target but things go all sooo wrong when I reach out.

gpelker · #5 09-17-2016, 10:38 PM

40 yards is very accceptable IF: I have the adrenaline under control and the animal does not know I am there. outer limit is 50 that would only be again under the right conditions. I have shot 1 antelope at 50 yards, all moose and elk have been 35 and under, closest being 12.

CBintheNorth · #6 09-17-2016, 10:39 PM

40 yards is pushing it for me. Not only for accuracy sake, but what the deer can do in the time it takes for the arrow to get there.
I shot a whitetail buck a number of years ago and when I hit the trigger he was broadside at 42 yards, possibly a couple of degrees towards me. I've never seen a deer move that fast. He spun and the arrow hit him right up the keister and out the chest. He only went 80 yards, but it was an education. I figured out my arrow's time of travel and it was just under half a second. He spun over 90° in that time.
I practice to 50 so the 30's seem like a chip shot, but I really like seeing if I can get to 20.

Slicktricker · #7 09-17-2016, 10:50 PM

I shoot 50 max I have 4 pins on my spot hog hunter wrap it removed the 5th pin to remove the temptation of even trying to take a farther shot then 50. I have taken 4 animals at 50. Rest have been 20-35 never will shot again at 50 or ever think of past 50

xxclaro · #8 09-17-2016, 11:15 PM

Hard to put a set in stone number on it, as conditions such as wind,my shooting position, animal position/alertness, and nerves all come into play. I really like to get under 40 yards though, and at 30 and less I get really happy! I do have pins out to 60 and shoot at that range a bunch, and can group well at that range but its more for practice and an emergency shot on an already wounded animal. You need to be able to be honest with yourself even when the adrenaline is flowing and be able to judge whether this is a shot you can confidently make or if its a shot you are really hoping you can make. I passed up a 50 yard shot at an elk a few days back because it was windier than I liked and I couldn't say with confidence that the arrow would land where I wanted. Things go wrong under the best of circumstances, I hate to tempt fate!

kujoseto · #9 09-18-2016, 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

I like 30 and less, comfortable 40 and less....50+ I reserve for if I already have an arrow in the animal.

Passed on a 180+ deer tonight at 85 yards, I have won many "long bomb" novelty shoots and shoot past 100 regularly but I respect the game and I can't live with the loss of an animal.

Bowhunting is not about how far a shot you are willing to take, it's about putting yourself in a position to make a guaranteed one shot clean kill.

LC

That's really too bad you missed. ... errrrr I mean passed that buck hahaha.

But seriously, if a guy like LC sets these distance limits, many others shouldn't even be shooting 30 yards. Too much can happen in the time from release to impact for something to go awry. It's not like long range rifle shooting where the projectile is faster than sound.

I regularly shoot targets at 100 yards with my hunting set up. I know my broadheads are dialed in out to 70 yards at least. I practice on 3d targets out to about 65 yards. It's very different. My strategy while hunting is to use only my top pin set at 30. It frees up the sight window having removed the 5th pin and I know how to use it from 0-30 yards. Practicing at 100 yards shows me what is going on with my form and gives me confidence on those 30 yard shots

Lefty-Canuck · #10 09-18-2016, 07:21 AM

Low light but you can see the antlers popped up out of the swath

LC

rmatei · #11 09-18-2016, 08:40 AM

40 yds and under is my preference but have taken a bull moose at 50 broadside. Agree with all the other posters that at 50 plus things can go horribly wrong and wounding animals is an absolutely awful feeling.

bessiedog · #12 09-18-2016, 08:42 AM

We just won't admit it.

My first mulie buck was 16 years ago. He made me just as I was reaching full draw. I was shooting 55 pounds at 35 yards. Just as my mind gave the signal to 'let fly', the buck spun. I swore I saw my arrow miss, but he bucked as he fled.
I waited 15 min... Spent 1/2 an hour looking for my lost arrow... And gave up.
Just to be sure, I decided to travel the direction of the buck to make sure all was well. 40 yards on the trail, he had to cross a fence... And wow! There was a tonne of bright blood... Clots and whatnot. It turned into a very very clear blood trail that led down to the creek.
I put another arrow to string and started hunting, that buck was laying in the stream with my arrow in his hind quarter.... Bleeding massively. I by someone's grace managed to slice the femoral artery. I tried to finish him but I was all buck fevered by then and sent one arrow just over his body at 40 yards.
Took him 1/2 hour to lay his head down. We watched each other.
I thanked him. But felt terrible (still do) about my poor display of hunting skills.

Animals move, there's too many variables for 65-70-80 yard shots.

40 is my max...... And I'm hesitant at that distance.
And yes... I can usually fit my hand over my 6 arrows on the target at 40 yards.
And I finger shoot with and old 1990 pse compound bow.

Let's all try and get as close as we can.

Cause a deer can turn 90 degrees between the moment you decide to release, and the moment the arrow reaches the critter.

kujoseto · #13 09-18-2016, 10:20 AM

Those aren't antlers, those are two hawks sitting on the swath telling "chicken cross the road" jokes.
Good luck. Looks like one worth waiting for

DukesArcher · #14 09-18-2016, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

I like 30 and less, comfortable 40 and less....50+ I reserve for if I already have an arrow in the animal.

Passed on a 180+ deer tonight at 85 yards, I have won many "long bomb" novelty shoots and shoot past 100 regularly but I respect the game and I can't live with the loss of an animal.

Bowhunting is not about how far a shot you are willing to take, it's about putting yourself in a position to make a guaranteed one shot clean kill.

LC

I second this. I can shoot out to 100 yards with my compound, but prefer under 30 yards for a living breathing animal. Never wounded or lost an animal in all my time bowhunting as I always keep the range nice and short.

Shooting a big single bevel broadhead also helps

Flight01 · #15 09-19-2016, 08:35 AM

Practice to 50 but limit is 25 yards. Still not practicing enough and need to put more time into it. I shot over a little buck two years ago from my stand at only 20 yards....

Haven't shot at an animal since. Gonna practice more and hope to get back in the stand in October. Adrenaline does play a big role. It was my first real chance and I had a clouded mind and shaky grip.

HoytCRX32 · #16 09-19-2016, 11:28 AM

40 yards max...prefer 20 or less

Jamie Black R/T · #17 09-19-2016, 12:06 PM

40 yards and under. Arrow gets there quick enough to eliminate a lot of the what ifs.

Love the stories guys tell of arrowing animals under 10 yards....roll my eyes at the 100+ yard stories.

Must be a terrible stalker to have to lob arrows that far.

Slash8 · #18 09-19-2016, 12:30 PM

Max 40.... Period

backyard · #19 09-19-2016, 02:43 PM

most of my set ups are 20 and under... this is the second year my 13 son gets to hunt now and I made him pass on a 150-160 whitey at 18 yards cause it wouldn't stop walking... not only I concern myself with distance but what they are doing in range as well ... I'm comfortable to shoot to 40 (I have passed on 30 yard shots just didn't feel right and I know they will be back another day) , in which I have one stand set up that would be facing open field

DCA451 · #20 09-19-2016, 02:44 PM

I only started to bow hunt 5 years ago, put my time into the range until I could hit a Timmy's lid at 30 yards all day long. That's my comfort zone , no more. I can hit a 8 inch pie plate at 40 , most of the time.....lol

I started using a bow , not for the extra woods time, but because in 30 years of hunting and shooting, I have yet to shoot an animal over 75 yards.Over half were within 30 yards and more than 5 were under 20.

For me hunting is about getting up close and personal, on foot, no stand, just good old still hunting. Know the wind and thermals,go easy, move slow and spend lots of time looking.

Hope everyone has a successful year in the woods, regardless of being privileged enough to take a magnificent animal for the freezer!

Good luck, aim small, stay safe and enjoy the outdoors!

DukesArcher · #21 09-19-2016, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DCA451

I only started to bow hunt 5 years ago, put my time into the range until I could hit a Timmy's lid at 30 yards all day long. That's my comfort zone , no more. I can hit a 8 inch pie plate at 40 , most of the time.....lol

I started using a bow , not for the extra woods time, but because in 30 years of hunting and shooting, I have yet to shoot an animal over 75 yards.Over half were within 30 yards and more than 5 were under 20.

For me hunting is about getting up close and personal, on foot, no stand, just good old still hunting. Know the wind and thermals,go easy, move slow and spend lots of time looking.

Hope everyone has a successful year in the woods, regardless of being privileged enough to take a magnificent animal for the freezer!

Good luck, aim small, stay safe and enjoy the outdoors!

Refreshing to hear.

HoytAlpha35 · #22 09-21-2016, 08:12 PM

Fixed broadhead tuned to 70 to really see what's going on with form/tuning. The open country mulies I hunt if your not ready for 60 yards could be lots of disappointment, although I've shot two bucks under 20 yards in big open country.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

calgarychef · #23 09-21-2016, 09:02 PM

I like 18'yards, that's my magic shot. Last year was 8-10 feet but only because
I thought 4 feet was too close so I let him walk a little further away 😝 Anything less than 25 yards is nice, my furthest shot has been about 30 yards and I'm not ever shooting past that. I've only shot a couple deer out of the treestand, everything else has been on the ground so getting close is difficult but pretty darned rewarding. I did get a gopher a couple years ago at 60 yards this a bit of luck with a longbow but I knew before I release the arrow that he was a dead gopher.

Biggest miss? A moose at 15 yards....we gotta remember to practice close too.

Spongerob · #24 09-28-2016, 05:21 PM

I used to feel pretty comfortable out to 40 until I got a big reality check. One year I took a shot at a standing unalerted buck at 41 yards. I aimed just above the heart and made a perfect shot. The only problems was the deer heard the shot and spun around. I hit him exactly where I wanted to almost to the inch but I hit the opposite side! I made a perfect shot and got my deer but I knew deep down that it was a fluke. I now limit my shots to 30 yards. It's supposed to be a close game anyways...

The moose · #25 09-29-2016, 08:04 AM

I let a real nice 7x7 bull walk last week because he was 58 yards. It is incredibly hard not to want to shoot a broadside bull of that size especially when it would be my first elk.

But I did, feel bad and good about it, hope for another opportunity on the elk before season comes to a close.

last minute · #26 09-29-2016, 10:25 AM

I would go with 80 yards myself if I hunted with a bow but I don't so I won't.

normanrd · #27 09-29-2016, 12:21 PM

I honestly think it is situationally dependant. It depends on the day, the wind conditions, the lighting, the particular animal, the species of animal, whether it is in calling season or just spot and stalk, its demeaner, ambient conditions, my footing, my ability to have good form etc. By drawing a line that you absolutely will not cross, I feel you are limiting yourself or passing judgement on others without consideration of many factors.

Put it another way - Just because an animal is within your maximum designated distance does that mean you have the green light to shoot? I hope not, since the things I listed above should all be taken into consideration.

Bottom line, don't pigeon hole yourself into a position just because everyone thinks they should. Think for yourself, be aware of the situation, your quarry and conditions and make a good decision about the shot based on your evaluation of the situation. Distance should come into the equation, but I don't believe it should be an automatic trump at a given distance.

Jmo

Norm

4x4bowhunter · #28 09-29-2016, 04:53 PM

I practice outside year round in all weather conditions with my broad heads. I shoot out to 60 Yards which is my max distance under perfect conditions. That is the key, "perfect conditions" My bow is perfectly tuned and I have been bow hunting for 30 years. I have harvested 17 big game animals to date with my bow from 3 yards all the way out to 60 yards. I won't even considered taking a shot until the conditions were perfect. I have passed up lots of shots from 5 yards to 60 yards for one reason or the other. Trees in the way, quartering forward shots, other deer or moose behind the target animal ect.... Too many animals are getting wounded by hunters taking crazy long shots. There's lots of videos on youtube where guys are harvesting animals at insanely long distances (both gun and bow). My fear is that "Joe average hunter" that does not practice enough, gets the idea that it is perfectly normal to attempt these kinds of shots.

Lucky Dog · #29 10-01-2016, 03:38 PM

It took me 16 years to get confident enough to shoot over 20. 35 yards is max. now.

Jack&7 · #30 10-01-2016, 04:22 PM

Wow...I am relieved to learn that my personal comfort zone after so few years with a bow is the norm and not the exception. I am very comfortable at 20-30 yards and 40 is my personal limit...but I have only really been shooting for 2 years.

I did take up bowhunting (after many years telling myself there was no need to for some inexplicable reason) to extend my available 'outdoors time'...but that was just a fringe benefit and not the only reason. The main reason was because I truly enjoy the thrill and the skill involved of being close. I got a taste of that from getting into muzzleloading and having deer at 5 yards. All my M/L shots have been 75-125 yds...so I thought I would challenge myself that much more with a bow.

I don't have any desire to 'long-bomb' any arrows...kinda the same way I don't have any desire to shoot a rifle at a deer 500 yds away. But to each his own.