This will be my first year of trad bow hunting and I was just wondering how far you usually shoot from. Not from a stand, but when ground hunting, what is the average distance to the animal? Thanks a ton and shoot straight! -Lee
Lee, its really up to you and how comfortable you feel when taking the shot. Personally I keep my shots to 30 yards or less ( on game) targets are another story. For me this is both ground and treestand.
It's up to you when shooting at game to take the most ethical shot you can, you owe it to the animal!
From: Daddy Bear
Date: 17-Sep-08
During my youth, both my father and grandfather were aware of string jumping just like most using a stick and string. I was taught to "shoot the line of white" as a technique to help defeat the deers ability to react. I've lost count the number of times I've done so. Like most here with passion and experiece, I always tested and tried different techniques to better the odds for a humane kill. I learned to only shoot deer that were relaxed. I learned to wait for the deer to be busy with a task such as browsing and/or tending a doe. I learned to time my shot for when the deer was taking a step so that no more than three legs were planted on the ground when I loosed the arrow. I then learned that if I do this with the deer inside 20yards it could not overcome the arrow with a reaction which gave me most of the control over a humane kill. But, even with the deer relaxed and stepping, beyond 20yards most of the control would shift to the deer based on its reaction.
Roy Marlow is a professional engineer who is a passionate archer and hunter. He is a senior member of the Pope and Young Club, was director of the Hall of Fame, is a writer, and has hunted game with bows and arrows all over this country to include Alaska, as well as Canada, and Mexico. His engineering skills applied to his study of deer string jumping is heavily endorsed by his archery peers to include written endorsements by M.R. James and T.J. Conrads. Marlow used high speed video to measure the average reaction ability of deer using various arrow speeds of 175fps to 275fps and various distances from 10yards to 25yards. His published findings were as such:
Using a stickbow with arrow speed of 175fps w/ deer at 10yards, reacting to the shot a deer can move its body 3" prior to arrow impact. The deer were unable to move far enough for the arrow to strike outside of the kill zone.
Using a stickbow with arrow speed of 175fps w/ deer at 15yards, reacting to the shot a deer can move its body 8" prior to arrow impact. If the shot was aimed at the bottom of the deer's lungs, it would be unable to move far enough for the arrow to strike outside the kill zone.
Using a stickbow with arrow speed of 175fps w/ deer at 20yards, the deer's reaction more than shooting skill, determined the outcome. If the deer reacted to the shot, it can drop down and coil up its leg muscles, then push off for parts unknown prior to the arrow reaching the spot where the deer once stood.
Switching to a faster stickbow with speeds of 200fps change the results little. The deer can move 2" at 10yards, 6" at 15yards, and can still completely drop, turn, and run off at 20yards. Arrow speeds of 250fps will still allow a deer to move 7" at 20yards! Even with arrow speeds of 275fps, the deer could move their body 10" at 25yards!!
Though I've taken deer with a longbow at distances greater than 30yards, I always recommend that one should do their best to keep the control in their court by limiting stick bow shots to no more than about 20yards. With sound shot selection and proper shot placement, the deer should not be able to overcome the arrow. But, don't expect great results if you make it a habit to loose arrows when the deer is alert, looking directly at you, while trying to size up your threat:^)
later, Daddy Bear
(hera quote from LW)
For hunting, 20 yards is my max with my bow.
For targets I have no max distance, its all fun.
I walked and Stalked an ostridge,, and had nothing but open ground between me and her,, there were to many on the farm so wasent going to cost me any $$$ ,, so had nothing to lose,, just ended up with a wounded ostridge at 60yards,,
Another time decided to take a shot at a Steenbuck,, at about 70yards,, and missed,,
personally would not reccomnet it,, but that isent going to be enought to stop me from trying my luck,,
There are only 3 outcomes, Miss/ Wound/ Kill,, only you can make that decision on your own hunting Ethics,,
Good Luck,,
My answer is that I do not want to have to shoot far out... I practice to 25 steps but never "want" to shoot that far. All of my shots at game have been 22 yards on the long end and 3 yards closest.
Getting close is what traditional bowhunting is all about,,, at least for me.
John III
Average is about 20 yards, sometimes allot less sometimes more. Everyone has there own comfort zone and max distance. I practice out to 60 yards and can hold a pattern tight enough for Moose but would never take that shot on a hunt. Way to many variables involved and adrenaline really effects accuracy. The trick is to know your limits and be man enough to stick to them.
PS Max distance on deer sized game for me is 30 yards.
The huge majority of my big game bow-kills have been from ground-level. Last time I ran the average shot distance (across just over 600 consecutive animals) it was just a shade under 16 yards (15.97 yards, if I remember correctly). I'm not to best shot in the world, so I just get REAL CLOSE before I shoot ... and hunt larger-size animals! :goldtooth:
Ed
TGMM Family of the Bow
Leewillis, it doesn't matter what the average is. Define your effective range and try very hard not to exceed it. There is a different comfort zone for each of us and sometimes it's very difficult to stick to it but in these days with every anti group in the world looking over our collective shoulder,not to mention the compassion we should evoke for living animals, we must strive to make only clean,quick kills.
Inside 20 yards are the shots I take :thumbsup:
Inside 20yrds
Agree with Biggie's perspective on this one.
Hi All,
I like to be able to hear bellies rumbling and teeth grinding as I'm getting ready to shoot. Say 25-35 feet....as close as 8-10 feet on a good day.
on the land around my house, i can keep my shots around 10 yards easy. on my other land i could have a 100 yard shot if i wanted to. i would never shot like that/ me shots there would be 20 and under. that is my max distance i will take a shot at game sense i have only been shooting a little over a year.
What Biggie said and I'm in the same category as MI_Bowhunter.
I won't shoot at an animal any further than I know for sure I can hit them where I want. That for me is 20 yards,maybe 25 if I'm on and having a good day. I would prefer 15 yards and under though.
I practice out to 20-25, but really try to set up shots for 15 yards. Obviously they don't always happen like planned, but I will never shoot past 20 because that is the max I have practiced.
I know that I am not good enough yet to shoot an animal at over twenty yards, so I know my limits.
Biggie- I completely agree with you in what you said.
I was just wondering how close you are to the animal when you shoot and all of you answered my question very well.
Thanks and shoot straight! -Lee
Inside 20 yds.
During every practice session I will try to stretch shots to 30 and even 40 yards. If I can hit a target in the vidals at those distances then I can build my confidence at 20-25 yards. Hunting I would like to have shots within that 20-25 yard range but it doesn't all ways work out. Depending on the animal and the terrain I am hunting I may or maynot take that 25 yard plus shot. I guess what I am trying to say is no your ability and take only ethical shots.
In side 20 yards.
It looks like the majority opinion is that inside 20 yards is best. We all want quick, clean kills, and the challenge and fun is often the act of getting close to game and staying undetected. And isn't the challenge of getting close the point of using a bow in the first place? I tend to believe that bow hunting is more hunting than shooting -- good woodsmanship and being patient really count for a lot and increase the challenge and the fun. Getting very close is the key, and under 20 yards is close, under 15 is closer, under 10 even closer, etc.
Many years ago, just to see if I could do it, I got close enough to a doe to touch her with my hand. I let her go without trying to take a shot. Getting that close was an incredible rush, and that day is one of my best hunting memories.
Joe
My average kill distance is around 12-14 yards. Longest shot is 20.
Well I only hunt on the ground for hogs so my shots are usually close.Under 20yds for an average for sure.Probably under 15 if I had really kept count of them.
I practice from 10-30yards,and would take a 30 yd. shot in an open field. That however is my limit, and like most post on this, most of my shots are under 20yds. I feel very confident out to 25 and like I said, if everything is right, out to 30. All this being said, I took a doe last week at 22 yds, she traveled 45yds and crashed. I have shot 100+ shots a day, 4-5 days a week for the last 6 months. Know your limitations. When I shot a wheelie bow, all my best and biggest bucks were taken under 25 yards, a few out to 40-50, on field edges that were marked for yardage. The main thing is to enjoy the hunt, and be honest with yourself about you known limits, and any day hunting is a good one. Sam.
Guys, don't forget too it's not how far you can shoot accurately, it's what the animal has time to do while the arrow is in the air. Alot of us can shoot a pieplate at 40 and 50 yards but that's too long for an arrow to be on the way. A deer can turn completely away or take a full step forward. Guess what happens then...
20 yds or less
Inside 20 for me to , all my Deer on average were shot at around 15 even in my compound days .
Mikw
me i shoot 20 or under. targets what ever they are at.
I feel comfortable out to 30 yards but looking at my diaries it shows right at 90% of my deer were took inside 10 yards over the past 40 years. I guess I am too old to change that now. Closer is better.
My average shot is 17 yards .
It all depends on my feeling at the time. Sometimes I may shoot out to 30 yards or so and other days 10 may be all I am comfortable with. I passed a 140" buck last year at 32-34 yards, but on another day and time I may take that shot. It has a lot to do with my gut feeling at the time. Shawn
you may take a shot at one distance when in a comfortable position while not even considering the same shot while in a different position.its totally up to you and your confidence in your abilities,i am confident out to 40 yds in any position i find my shot to be in.but thats me.you are you so define what your limits are then expand from there.remember this one thing...you owe it to the game you draw on to make a clean safe shot...my two cents