Distance comfort zone

[Jack Terpack]

I was told by Fred Bear that practicing at very long ranges will make you a much better shooter at short ranges. I have always followed that advice. I normally do not shoot sights at all. I do use a red dot sight on the crossbow. I hate shooting a release but you can't find a compound any more long enough to shoot fingers. Most of the fellas I hunt with also mark trees and shrubs around the stands at known distances. We also get together a few times a year and walk through the woods shooting at any kind of target at unknown ranges just for fun and bragging rights. I also advocate practicing with the exact arrow you are going to hunt with. I've seen too many people, good shooters, that couldn't shoot the broadheads they were using. Distance is one thing, nerves and confidence are another thing.

 

[Blizzard Ridge]

Sounds like there are a lot of good bow shots on here. Heck I have only shot one deer over 80 yds with a gun in my life. We have people that practice out that far with a bow. When I was younger I used to shoot out to 80 just to see if I could but rarely practiced over 50. I don't even practice with slug gun over 100 yds. and can't imagine ever shooting a deer out that far with one. Some dedicated shooters on here for sure.

 

[Jeff H]

Mine changes all the time depending on practice and confidence. My longest kill shot was at 40 yards, but that deer was standing in a lake drunk on rut hormones. The largest buck I ever drew on was also at 40 yards, but that year I was only confident to 30-35 so I held and he walked. The year I caribou hunted I was solid at 70 yards. Took a shot at 60 yards and missed cleanly (low). The bull was actually at 65. Currently I'm good to 40 but by mid season who knows.

Jeff

 

[George]

I'll fit in here, practice out to 60, love my 40 pin, kill everything <20.

G

 

[Stickbow Felty]

20 yards is tops for me. I passed up the biggest buck I ever had the chance to shoot at 30 yards last year.

 

[cagantpr]

I practice with my compound to 40 and am comfortable shooting to 30 under the right conditions. I find that my limit is my far eyesight not letting me focus on the killzone. If I took a 60, I think I would just be trying to hit the brown blob - anywhere. Now, if one had a day-glow red killzone birthmark, ...

As said by others, I also range trees ahead of time. On occasion, I have even placed flags in the ground in the pre-season.

I don't mind short shots (from a ladder stand) anymore since I started using an IQ bow sight. The problems I have had in the past with these shots was not arrow drop, but getting my anchor point correct in an awkward, forward-tipped position. With the IQ sight, if I am too contorted to center the black dot, I know my anchor is wrong and I won't take the shot.

Interesting thread.

 

[LodgeWI]

I'm comfortable to 40 yards easy and routinely practice out to 50 yards. Aim small, miss small - My friends and I try and pick the smallest aim point we can at those distances and it really tightens up our groups.

Determining distances is a learned skill. I play a lot of golf, but am always chipping to get up an down. Measuring distances becomes second nature after a while.

 

[ALwoodsman]

I have never shot one past 20 yards with my compound, 15 yards with my longbow.

 

[CAS_HNTR]

I usually practice at 50-60 yards but try and keep my stands in locations that I get a 25 or under shot with most 20 or less. That being said, I am confident enough that I will shoot to 40 if possible. Longest kill was at 42 yards a few years ago.

 

[buckhunter10]

I usually practice at 50-60 yards but try and keep my stands in locations that I get a 25 or under shot with most 20 or less. That being said, I am confident enough that I will shoot to 40 if possible. Longest kill was at 42 yards a few years ago.

I agree 100%. I feel confident out to 40 on a deer. I practice further but most bow kills are gunna be 25 or less for my sets. If the deer read the script that is, hahaha!

 

[letemgrow]

30 and in feels comfortable to me.

 

[Brushpile]

This is an incredible video of a buck that was shot and hit twice at 40 yards but moved before the arrow could find it's mark. After the first hit the buck returned to the feeder, where the hunter took his time and made a second, nearly perfect, shot that the deer ducked a second time!!! The hunter's arrow was going toward the vitals, but at 40 yards the buck had time to move. Granted the bow sounds loud, but watch how fast the buck moves.

 

[ALwoodsman]

Looks like good reason not to take a 40 yard shot with a bow.

 

[mthornton99]

Especially the second shot. That deer was way too nervous to be shooting at from that distance.

 

[Brushpile]

Looks like good reason not to take a 40 yard shot with a bow.

Deer aren't stationary targets. The aim was true, but the buck had time to move.

 

[Gator]

This is an incredible video of a buck that was shot and hit twice at 40 yards but moved before the arrow could find it's mark. After the first hit the buck returned to the feeder, where the hunter took his time and made a second, nearly perfect, shot that the deer ducked a second time!!! The hunter's arrow was going toward the vitals, but at 40 yards the buck had time to move. Granted the bow sounds loud, but watch how fast the buck moves.

Who bow hunts over bait and puts the bait at 40 yards??? I guess 15 year olds that are clueless do...

 

[Blizzard Ridge]

Amen Gator! That is what I was thinking the entire video. That buck knew something was up from the time he came into the feeder the first time. He looked wired up from the start no chance you are going to get that second shot in him when he is at full alert. Not at 40 yds anyway. I am shooting over 300 FPS and this is the reason I wouldn't shoot over 30 yds and most of my shots inside of 20. My boys took some dumb shots at 15 yds old but after I got done with them they learned from their mistakes. They owe it to the animal to make ethical shots.

 

[Brushpile]

Elkie, my tracking dog, and I track for other hunters when things go wrong. In Kansas it's legal to hunt over a feeder, and I tracked for two well educated adults you had the same problem. The second shot was a spine shot. I prefer to bow hunt on the ground to get a better angle on a double lung shot, but I gun hunt from a tree stand.

 

[Jayber]

For whitetails (which I mainly hunt) I've taken deer out ~35 yards comfortably. I'd consider 40-45 yards if conditions were perfect. I used to do a lot of practice at 60, 70, 80 & 90 yards and it sure made the shorter shots easier. Now I'm limited to 35 yds with backyard space.

 

[Drycreek]

I practice at 30 almost always, but some at 40. The longest shot I ever attempted was 47 on an antelope and pegged him. But that was several years ago and my right eye has problems now, so I wouldn't attempt that shot now. My antelope last year was so close I could see his eyelashes ! That was too close, but the guy who set the blinds was a trad shooter and wanted them close I guess. These days I try to set up for 20/25 yards and I'm sure I could get it done further, but not much.

Now if we're talking hogs, I'll fling one at 50, if that's what I get ! I hate hogs !