What's your effective range hunting? I frequently practice out to 27 yards and can shoot consistent groups at that range. That's as far as I can shoot across the yard. I have taken game out to 30 so I would claim that to be my effective range even though I can hit targets much further at the farm.
Well everyone is different. I don't take shoots over 20 yrs, I did take one that was over 30 and gut shot a deer..I won't do that again.
Mine is 20 yrds. I often practice out to 40, but I keep my hunting range 20 or less. Could I take a deer out to 30 or 40?, possibly......but I'm more comfortable at 20 during hunting situations. Also, I like to get as close as I can.
My effective hunting range is around 20 yards. I practice anywhere from 5 yards to out to 50 and occasionally 60. I'm very accurate at 30 but just feel more comfortable at 20 or less. Would I take a shot farther...if the animal was totally unaware and I had plenty of time to shoot...I would stretch it out to 35 yards with a confindent shot.
-Mack
I set a personal limitation on myself, this year (my 1st trad. season) at 20yds. I took 5 whitetails, with the longest shot being 17yds.
All was/is well!
This answer will be different for everyone. Other things might also influence your "effective range" (weather; extreme cold; etc...; etc...; etc...).
What I don't like seeing is.....people letting their own limitations somehow decide the moral standard for others. If the next guy to post says his effective range is 60yds....and he truly believes that (confidence)....then I will salute him and tell him I'm envious.
I agree with GMMAT. I try to practice at a lot of different ranges and am confident out to 25, but try take animals under 20. It would have to be an exceptional situation for me to push it past that mark, even though I shoot over that all the time. That does not mean there are not others who can shoot better groups at 30 than I can at 15. I can only aspire to get better and salute those who can make the shot.
I'm ok at 30, pretty good at 20, but son, I am death at 12 yds! Thats what I strive for!
I know it when I see it. I prefer to keep my hunting shots under 20 yrds, but full disclosure is that I did that with wheels to. I practice out to 40 and even 60. I let the shot and my feelings dictate. If a deer is standing broadside at 30 and I feel confident I can make the shot, I'll take it. On the other hand if a deer is under 10 and I just don't feel comfortable I'll let it pass. (i.e. This year after sitting against a tree I had a 6 point at about 10 yrds. I couldn't get to full draw because I was real stiff, and I let that deer pass because I didn't feel good about the shot)
I feel comfortable out to 25 yards but I try to limit myself to 20 yards in hunting situations. I do try to set my stands to give me a 15 yard shot.
I have shot deer out to 35 yards but I keep my effective range now days to 20 yards or less.
Under 20.
out to 25 for me but I always try to get as close as I can.
Given my experience as a bowhunter education instructor, I would say it's half of what most folks say it is. That's about the way it turns out when we ask students to prove it. First we ask them to state their effective range as part of the session on shot selection, etc. Then, we go outside and ask them to shoot through the cut out vitals in a steel silhouette target at what they reported was their effective range. At least half refuse to do it (It is voluntary). And of those that do take the shot, way more than half miss it and end up with a broken arrow.
I'm safe at 20.
Not to easy a question for me because it changes with the situation.
I practice some pretty extreme ranges but only really get into form work out to 50 yards.
For all my hunting life I never took a shoot at over about 25 yards,but two years ago I put a long stalk on a big feral goat and when I got to where there was nothing but clear ground between him and I, I settled in got calm an took my shot.
I shot that old boy an inch above where I was aiming an he took off up hill,got about 15 yards an then came rolling all the way back to where I'd hit him.
One of the boys had a range finder an took a measurement from him too the bush I'd shot over.
35 yards on the button,,,I'd never even thought about distance before I took the shot.He was a jet black goat standing in the middle of a white clay road,,,I could of thrown a rock at him an scored.
Other times I've had deer inside 15 yards an the shot just wasn't on.
I make up my mind at the time,don't second guess it and take full responsibilty for the out come.
Twenty yards is it for me although I really don't think about it. A few years ago I shot at a buck and I shot low. I paced it off and it was close to 40 yards. Then a year or two later I had a broadside chance at another buck but didn't like the feel of the distance. I didn't shoot. I paced it off and it was 22 yards. I think circumstance decides the yardage you feel comfortable. I longest shot that I have killed a deer is about 22 yards. :archer:
10 yds 4 me :) just got my first recurve in Jan
I really don't even think in terms of yardage when I shoot. I just look at whatever I'm going to shoot at and position my arrow where I think it needs to be to hit it.
I won't think twice about shooting at a deer until I have to hold over..that probably works out to be about 40yds. However 99.9% of my shots and opportunities are within 10 steps of my tree.
May be cause I can't hear em or see em till they get right on top of me anymore.
20 yards and under for me. I practice further, but wouldn't feel confident on a good hit over 20 yards.
I'm comfortable shooting "game-killing" groups out to 25 yards or so. I limit myself to around 18-20 yards in the woods, though. Game does things targets don't, and predicting their movement is a chancy thing at best. The closer the better, within reason.
Right now under 20. Working to extend that this year.
Not a clue. As soon as I start to think about yardage my shooting goes to hell. As a good friend of mine often says; "Give me 5 minutes to think about it & I can screw up just about any shot!"
It's either close enough or too far. That's about the best I can tell you.
Every time I see a thread like this I think of Paul Schaefer. He used to practice at distances of 60+ yards just so that when he got a closer shot it was easier to make. I find that for myself if I am having shooting problems I get out to about 70 yards (my point blank range) and shoot quite a bit at that distance. It tends to clear up my shooting form problems. To shoot well at that distance your form and your equipment need to be hitting all the "sweet spots" and you also need to be very consistent.
Most of the time in a hunting situation I don't even think about yardage....if the shot looks like I can make it the string gets dropped as long as I feel confident about myself and the disposition of the animal I am shooting at.
I'm good out to 30 but for deer 20 to 25 yrds.
How do those shooting instinctively with a 20yd max (for example) know its not 22 , 24 or whatever?
there are so many variables in that, diferent day different situation, and the amount of cover, could be 15 yds. in one spot and 25 yds in another, but generaly around 20 or less..
Under 20 - 15 is better... Slow heavy arrow, moving animal, nerves of real life, longer yardage could end up bad... Practice longer ranges because I have nothing to lose (er.. except the arrow), and it's good practice.
I try to practice at different ranges maybe up to 50'. Arter that it's just for fun. If I can group pretty well at 40 yards, say, I'm going to shoot better at 20. Hunting however, I don't really "measure" but if the animal is close enough that I can shoot point on or lower and it's a good clear shot on the flat or uphill, I will take it. that would be about 25-30 yds. Once I have to think raising the point over for distance, I will let down and either try to get closer or wait and see if the animal comes closer. Downhill for me for some reason is a much harder shot, so I 1. try to setup so I don't have a downhill shot (unless in a stand) or 2 Only shoot real close downhill. Maybe 10-15 yards. Anyone else find the downhill harder to shoot?
sam
25 on deer and 30 on elk, moose or bigger game. I dont really think my arrows have much gas left after that.
Orion, that is an interesting challenge with the steel target. That would really make guys re-check their confidence and claims of accuracy. Steel targets are fun because it ups the pressure and you have to pick a spot you are looking at steel.
I always carry a rangefinder. I have shot enough to know that I can be dead wrong on the perceived distance. And being a partial gap shooter, this makes longer range shooting much more effective when the first arrow is the only arrow that counts.
Stump shooting really helps you get better at different distances....I like to practice alot at around 20 yards so I knwo that one well.
then I just roam around and let my form and brain take over.
I find that the longer distance really help you hone in on the shorter ones.
The more you practice the better you will get adn I would bet your comfortable range would increase too. You need to trust your equipment and yourself.
JB
As I`ve gotten older, my shooting has progressed, and I can honestly say I shoot better than I ever have.
EVERY arrow, EVERY time, is inside twenty yards.
I have killed at twenty seven paces with a traditional bow. Somehow, I KNEW I could do it.
I have passed shots AT twenty yards at other times, because it just didn`t "feel" right.
There is no replacement for experience.
My experience is, the closer the better.
I have NEVER regretted passing on a "possible" shot opportunity.
Be brave my fellow bowhunters. "Effective Range", is something we must learn, just as we must learn many other things in this adventure we call bowhunting.
If you put enough into it, the return is immeasurable.
I feel comfortable around 20 yards,I have been shooting Traditional archery the past 2 Seasons and have taken 4 shots and killed 3 Deer and Grazed a deer with the other shot,so i will shoot out to 20 for now,
Kurt
To answer SteveB , Those of us that shoot "instinctive" don't know the exact yardage we just know when to loose the string, that's the beauty of the style.When I practice I never shoot two arrows from the same spot and I seldom shoot past what I would I would consider hunting distances.
I practice at all ranges. I've been able to stack them like cordwood out to 33 yards but all shots on game have been under 20.
It's not how far I can shoot, it's how close I can get to my prey before I shoot is what matters to me the most; I am working as hard on my woodsmanship as I am my shooting; I love "playing" around on a 3-d course and when I practice with friends BUT when it comes to killing deer and turkey the playing around is left at home;
Eveyone has their limits and I am no different; I will be honest, I have passed on deer at 15 yards because the shot just didn't feel right and I have killed deer at 24 big steps because evrything DID feel right; to each his own but I like those "meat" shots under 18 yards and I WORK very hard to get that close;
My advice to all is to work as hard on your skill in the woods as one does shooting; and when you can get within 20 yards or less on deer and turkey on a CONSISTENT basis then your decision to shoot becomes a whole lot easier........... :campfire:
I will practice on all different ranges, on the ground and in the air, from 3 yards to 45 yards. But while hunting I will not take a shot above 15 yards, if it's in between 15-20 yards, it depends on how confident I feel, but most likely I will pass at those shots.
Jack
My effective range is 15 yards but closer is better. I need to practice more.
Somewhere between 3 yards and 72 yards. 8^).
I let my experience figure it out in the woods. It's a matter of training, practice, knowledge of your equipment, and a mind/time/space correlation that makes the shot when needed, with little aforethought of how far it is.
Twenty is my limit fifteen is better.
Good to 30 during practice--add in buck fever--<20.
Made a few good follow up shots at 60+. When hunting if it feels good I shoot, thats about it.
I have two differnt limits. One is from a tree and that is 20 or less. I reall like 10 yards. But on the ground every thing looks different so I be willing to take a bit longer shot.. 25 yards.. but like stated above, it is a perception.. " does this shot feel like it is do able...."
Joe
25 max for me
All but one of my deer were shot 25 yds. and under.
My average shot on deer has worked out to 11 yards over the years. This year however I screwed up a shot on a doe at 12 yards and turned around and killed a buck at 26 yards 10 seconds later.
It's all about how it feels.
I take shots I know I can make. Usually, that is 25 yards and in.
I'm keep'n mine inside 20, best for me and the animal.
I'll take a shot up to 30 yards. that's my comfort zone that I practice in. If you are consistent and confident that's the main thing to me. Shot 2 arrows this year, and killed 2 deer. 27 yards and 31 yards.
Mine is 15 to 20. I feel real good at that distance.
I keep mine pretty close too. I would say inside 20 but I shot a doe at 24 last year. I guess I should have gotten out the rangefinder...LOL.