I was hoping to get some idea of what the current crop of folks here have taken in the way of long traditional archery shots. In the old days I read about archers taking shots out to and past 40 yards all the time and I hear about compound shooters taking 70 yard shots and more.
I think everyone has the right to take the shot they feel they can make with no ridicule, so let's hear about your longest trad archery shot.
Under 20 yards. I would push it to 25 yards but have never had a reason to using trad gear.
35 yards was the farthest. That was the only one, everything else is 20 yards and under.
1972 N. Dakota mule deer 65yards double lung 5 yard recovery. Shot a lot of NFAA rounds back then and that helped my long distance shooting.
65 yards running.
Wyoming antelope 1988. Never would have taken the shot had I thought about. When I released the arrow, there was nowhere in the world it could go but right in the pocket. Afterwards, my buddy paced it off. I was as stunned as he was.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/whoffman1955/Bears%20and%20Caribou%20and%20other%20Critters/goat2.jpg)
QuoteOriginally posted by Biggie Hoffman:
65 yards running.
Wyoming antelope 1988. Never would have taken the shot had I thought about. When I released the arrow, there was nowhere in the world it could go but right in the pocket. Afterwards, my buddy paced it off. I was as stunned as he was.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/whoffman1955/Bears%20and%20Caribou%20and%20other%20Critters/goat2.jpg)
HOLY CRAP!! :eek:
Remember what Howard Hill wrote? 'One shouldn't take a shot longer than about 1 yard for every pound of bow weight.' Maybe for someone with his skill that's true. I hope that someday I'll have the skill to take long shots but have the sense not to. Way too much to go wrong in the time it takes an arrow to fly 60 yards or even 40. From personal experience, an elk can move a foot and a half in that time at 40 yards and that was only slow walking.
Pete,
I agree with you that a bowhunter shouldn't take a shot any longer then his/her skill allows for. I watch a lot of bowhunting shows on TV and see a lot of bad hits at 20 yards and under by wheelie bow hunters, so I don't think it is a matter of range or tools. The shot you can make is souly based on the skill you have developed through practice plus any level of God given talen you may have been given.
Let me qualify this by saying that my currently untested skill allows me to take shots of 15 yards or less. Though I have a surprisingly good average on 3d's at 40 yards (my point on distance).
QuoteOriginally posted by Pete McMiller:
Remember what Howard Hill wrote? 'One shouldn't take a shot longer than about 1 yard for every pound of bow weight.'
Never really liked Howard Hill! I don't know about that statement, and I hope this doesn't blow up in my face. But if that were the case I can kill a deer at 40 yards with a 40# bow, and shoot 70 yards with my 70# bow??? I don't think so, lol. This was not a dig at you Mr. McMiller, just Mr Hill.
My furthest shot on big game is 25 yards, that was with a 40# bow. On small game, my furthest is 30 yards to the tree, and 25 yards up the tree . . . I'm too lazy to do the math, but I think that's like 33 yards or something like that? That was with a 55# bow.
My rule of thumb is half your bow weight+5=maximum "lethal" distance. So 40 pounds, divided in half, plus 5 is 25 yards. That is just my theory. Not saying you can't kill a deer at 30 yards, or saying you shouldn't. That is just a rule that I have set for myself.
So far nothing past 13 yards. I would probably shoot out to 20 at an animal under the right circumstances.
.
Chris,
I think Pete was just quoting HH not agreeing with him. And I am sure Howard Hill was only saying that if you have the skill to shoot at that range you should have a bow that can be lethal at that range. Though I did get the feeling that "in the olden days" they had a lower regard for the welfare of the animals they hunted then we commonly do today.
Thirty yards. First arrow released from my Widow at a game animal. Took out her heart and she was stone dead in just a second and still as a rock less than 20yds away.
Shortest was shorter than my 60" recurve, javie coming in to a call.
I may have still had the arrow on the riser when it hit her! She ran about 50-75yds.
25 yards
Around 25 yards on an animal. I did kill a blackbird at 65 yards a few months ago. Pure luck but it sure was a pretty shot, had a witness too.
A doe at 68 steps back in the 60's. I was shooting a lot of field rounds back then and was young and stupid and had a different mindset. 20yds would be a long shot for me now after taking a 40yr or so hiatus from shooting recurves.
about 35yds... and the only reason I did was because i shot a doe at 15yds. I actually thought I put a bad hit on her. I didn't after I field dressed her. That is pretty much the only time I would take far shots because it is our obligation as hunters to finish what we started.
As for all the old time stories, I dont think they were being reckless I think it was more of the norm for the time. ( My father and his friends would "indulge" in a sip of brandy on cold days. Yes that is definetly wrong but it was the norm. I think the same went for long shots. If you read T Roosevelts hunting stories, he regularly spoke of shooting at animals at long distances but not recovering it. Yes wrong, but not intentional.
bolong,
Witnesses can turn a good story into legend! :jumper: :jumper: :jumper:
QuoteOriginally posted by Northwest_Bowhunter:
bolong,
Witnesses can turn a good story into legend! :jumper: :jumper: :jumper:
Oh yea... forgot about that aspect too.
I shot a snake, one time, that was pretty long.
I shot a mole at 150yd one time (totally by accident).
A groundhog at 38yd on purpose.
My limit on deer is 20yd but I've only ever taken shots that were less.
Ok Red, I have to ask... did you just lob an arrow into the air and when you got it down range, it was pinning a mole to the ground?
27 yards, it was my first archery buck, a long time ago and I remember it like yesterday. I used a 65# Martin T/D, cedar shafts, and a good old Zwickey Eskimo.
30 yds but like em inside 20
41 yards on a fox is my farthest shot, my closest is 3 yards on a deer, my average shot for deer is about 8-14 yards. All with a longbow... Actually, I have never killed anything with a recurve but a lizard, oooh, and that was about 2 feet!! :archer2:
One place I hunted, everyday I took a point on shot at a badger mound. One day there was a buck standing by it. He dressed out at 228 pounds. The longest kill on small game was a pheasant at 80 large for me, (about a yard), paces.
About 30 yards at a rabbit, hit him right in the head :thumbsup: And I like Howard Hill :archer:
I like H Hill myself. I seen a video where he shot a bear that was running at about 55-60 yards, twice. He shot the bear and the first arrow barely left his bow and he flung another. Not too many folks can do that kind of stuff. Even if you don't like these guys you gotta give them credit for their shooting abilities.
Great shot, Biggie !!
My farthest shot was a deer at 53 steps, this was in the late '70's with a mid 50's pound Bear take-down.. Same deal, hit right in the sweet spot, was down in 30 or 40 yards... Little bit of luck there...... No, I wouldn't try it today.
QuoteOriginally posted by Chris Shelton:
QuoteOriginally posted by Pete McMiller:
Remember what Howard Hill wrote? 'One shouldn't take a shot longer than about 1 yard for every pound of bow weight.'
Never really liked Howard Hill! I don't know about that statement, and I hope this doesn't blow up in my face. But if that were the case I can kill a deer at 40 yards with a 40# bow, and shoot 70 yards with my 70# bow??? I don't think so, lol. This was not a dig at you Mr. McMiller, just Mr Hill.
My furthest shot on big game is 25 yards, that was with a 40# bow. On small game, my furthest is 30 yards to the tree, and 25 yards up the tree . . . I'm too lazy to do the math, but I think that's like 33 yards or something like that? That was with a 55# bow.
My rule of thumb is half your bow weight+5=maximum "lethal" distance. So 40 pounds, divided in half, plus 5 is 25 yards. That is just my theory. Not saying you can't kill a deer at 30 yards, or saying you shouldn't. That is just a rule that I have set for myself. [/b]
That just hurts Chris! :nono:
But he does have an incredible record of kills!
my max was when I was 13yo a bullfrog at about 40yrds on the side of a hill in a gravel pit.Oh and it took me 9 arrows to do it.Other than that 25yrds max.
Pat, that is a really great shot. I think luck is over rated, I think you were just in the "groove" that time. It was that deers day to become venison and you had a bow in your hand.
Tim, only 9... that's amazing (ok maybe that was luck).
When I was a kid and wanted to shoot like Robin Hood I didn't know that meant I was shooting like Howard Hill. Since we didn't have video tape back then I was lucky it was on TV a lot in my formative years (the 60's). Whew I'm getting old.
30 yards on a whitetail. All others less.
Last summer I shot a grey squirrel in my front yard at 58 yards and hit it exactly through the eyes (aim small miss small, LOL) with my 62" 57#@28" Silvertip recurve. Lucky for sure, but I always come very close to them, if I don't hit them. Psychologically for me, hitting a deer in the lungs would be harder at that distance than nailing a squirrel (although I've never tried). The cooler thing about that shot was that the squirrel was depressed in my drainage ditch behind a mound and just off to the side of an oak tree, so a little needle threading was also required. At the shot, all I could see was the top of his head and tail...the arrow arced right into him for an instant kill...I couldn't believe it!
Kris
Bigster,
I like your hunting footwear :thumbsup:
35 yds on a deer. Would take broadside shot out to 40 anytime.
i hear you all saying that it was pure luck , so its pure luck when a pro ball player does what he's been practicing to do for months. right? thats why we practice!
We have a game feeder about 70 yards from my back door and across our pond. The gray squirrels make tempting targets. My DAS recurve has a point on the way I shoot of 65 or 70 yards...never really paced it off. But If I put the arrow at point on when the squirrels are under the feeder I can sometimes nail one. So far I have 3 in the freezer. On big game my farthest kill was a caribou at a paced off 55 yards. I practiced shooting longer distances before that hunt based on the advise of a friend who had taken several. It paid off.
My longest is 40 yds. on a cow elk. I was guessing just over 30 but when I paced it off it was right at 40. She only made it about 50 yds. and fell over dead. My arrow was a home-made barrel-tapered shaft made from square stock ash (made with a hand plane) and it weighed 630 gr. with a Zwickey 2-blade head. The hand-made shaft made it a memorable shot for me.
32 Yards on a Bull Elk that was looking the otherway, did not seem to be that distance when I took the shot stepped it off and was a bit suprised.
Them GOD foresaken tree RATS one at 72 paces.
Blackbird at 40 yards.They kept jumping the string when i would shoot so i decided to aim a little high.Nocked his head of with my Acadian woods recurve.
Furthest big game animal was a Pronghorn at 40+ yds....
Furthest kill period was a pigeon at 67 paces....
One of my best ever was a chipmunk at 32 paces...
1972, last day of the season for me where I hunted, last hour of the day and a 6 pointer with a high white rack walks perpendicular to me at a longer yardage than I was comfortable with. I put the point of the broadhead on his nose and watched the pink fletch go into his side. Now I can't remember how I anchored in 1972 so if I put my first finger in the corner of my mouth it would have been 55-60 yards. If the middle finger like I do now 40 yards. I didn't have time to pace it off due to darkness. At any rate the deer is dead and I wouldn't do it again.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/reddogge/Archery/50SuperDiablo-1.jpg)
I used to knock off chipmunks when I was a kid out to 35 yd. Did it more than once. We had a lot of them and hungry barn cats that liked them. Woodchucks and rabbits to about that also, but I had way better eyes then. I have never taken a shot on big game much past about 20 with a trad bow. With a compound I used to shoot 3" groups with BH's out to 60 with no problem, but my longest shot was only 37. Regardless of bow type I have killed 80% of my deer at under 20 yd. and very few over 25 I got back into trad bow because I liked it better, but also because I shoot them close so didn't see the need for all the high tech stuff.
I chest punched a sow at 40 yards ... didn't think about it before the shot .... before i knew is i picked a spot and let loose .
she was double lunged and down in 50 yards .\\
These days i aim for 10 to twenty yards as my preferred shooting distance but am pretty confident out to 30 yards.
Once punched a rabbit at 60 yards ... more arse than class on that one though !!!
15 Yards on a button buck,I am set up so as I can not get any shooting over 20 yards.
35yds. at an antelope my son had missed just seconds earlier at our waterhole. The doe started to run and began to slow down. When she stopped broadside I was coming to full draw. At the time it just felt right. The antelope was down in seconds. Not sure I would do it again.
Back in the early 80's I took shots at 3 deer which I would never attempt to take now.
First was at a doe, she came out of a stand of scrub oaks about 70 yards away and moved across a field onto a marsh pond. About 20 minutes later she came out of the pond and headed back to the oaks. She was walking slow but steady, and I figured "What the heck, give it a try". She stepped behind a bush and I Drew, led her a bit and released. Thought I missed low, she just kept moving at the same pace, 20 seconds later she jumped into the oaks. My buddy who was 90 yards away, climbed down from his stand, walked over to the oaks and pulled the doe out. Said she dropped as she jumped in to the oaks. perfect heart shot, 57 yards! Stand was only 12' up the tree.
Second was a 6 point chasing does. He was spooked by my buddy as he drew. Buck came by my stand at 18 yards at a fast trot. I led him about a body length and shot, missed about 1 inch behind him.
He then ran to some palmettos and stopped to look back at the does. Was mad that I missed the first time, picked a spot on a palm fron covering his chest and shot again. He spun around and dropped. 63 Yard double lung.
Third was another Doe, Walking to our stands for an afternoon hunt. We jumped her and she ran from my left to right in front of me. For some unknown reason I just drew picked a spot ahead of her and released. She seemed to run right in to the arrow. Heart shot 52 yards!
All three were witnessed by two of my hunting buddies.
I was shooting a 62",70# Stemmler TD that season.
Consider the 2 does more on the side of luck, but the buck was due to practicing out to 80 yards on a regular basis just to fine tune my form back then.
22 steps so I would say 20 to 22 yards
30 yds on a sheep and 31 yds on a small doe. All others under 22 yds. Shot a cow elk at 6 yds!
About 40 yds. I've made some pretty shots at over 30 yds and some ugly ones at 10 yds. I just shoot when I feel like I can hit 'em. Even though I practice all the time sometimes I just don't make a good shot. All I can do is either quit hunting or keep on letting the arrows sing. And I ain't quitting! :archer2:
QuoteOriginally posted by frassettor:
QuoteOriginally posted by Biggie Hoffman:
65 yards running.
Wyoming antelope 1988. Never would have taken the shot had I thought about. When I released the arrow, there was nowhere in the world it could go but right in the pocket. Afterwards, my buddy paced it off. I was as stunned as he was.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/whoffman1955/Bears%20and%20Caribou%20and%20other%20Critters/goat2.jpg)
HOLY CRAP!! :eek: [/b]
65 Yards dang brother, gonna be hard to top that one. 36 was my longest. Shouldn't have shot but the dang deer was tempting me.
Only trad kill I have is a couple weeks ago. My 4 yo daughter was out with me while I was shooting and there was a big crow landed in the back about 50-60 yds away. She urged me." Shoot him Daddy, shoot him!" I couldn't resist, I let her fly and watched the arra plow him over where he stood. She was extatic! It was all fun and games until the other 5 million crows around saw him laying dead and then they all started balling and squaking and making the most awful racket I have ever heard in my life. I looked down to see my little Brooke standing there with her hands over her ears saying, "Shoot them all daddy, Shoot them all!" I said," Daddy isn't that lucky, and he doesn't have enough arrows sweetie." I have never seen or heard crows do that before, but it is a pretty memorable experience for me and my daughter as well.
I almost like the stories of the real close shots better. My shortest is is 1yd with a homemade 12inch. hickory bow. (yeah it is true it was a boring day with nothing to do) field mouse. I made the bow to shoot in the house. I used straws with epoxied thumb tacks. No deer yet, but longest would be a bunny at about 18 paces.
I shot an antelope buck at about 35-40 yards a couple years ago. I hate shooting over 20 yards but the shot just felt right. With traditional gear you know when the shot feels right and what you can, and cannot do. Since that time I have never shot at anything over 20 yards. I did not know it was that far when I shot I was jus comfortable with the shot and knew i could make it.
30m for me. I have a 30m target that I practice a lot on and am starting to become comfortable at that range. I like shots 20 and under though.
Back in 85' I took a White Tail Doe at 32 yards with my grandfathers 50* Bear Grizzly & so far that has been my max distance that I've had a shot at anything living with Traditional Gear & quite frankly I think it to be a close max for myself & possibly my gear at a living creature.
I know this is a "longest shot" thread, but let me tell you about the prettiest shot I ever made.
I had a young bull moose at 15 yds and was having a hard time finding a hole thru the black spruce and willows. Finally I found one! I got down on one knee and I canted my bow paralell to the ground and about 18 inches off the ground. The arrow ended up right behind his elbow and he went about 60 yds. My compound shooting buddy was right there with me and he just shook his head. He told me he could never have shot that moose. I'll never forget that shot!
After waiting for what seemed like hours, a Michigan spike that was munching acorns FINALLY turned and offered a shot.
The shot turned out to be 27 yards. I watched that deer for so long, I convinced myself it was within easy range. I was in a treestand at fifteen feet, he was uphill from me and it put us at just about the same elevation. In my minds eye, I STILL see that deer standing there, and it STILL looks like he was in my lap.
Passed alot of deer at ranges similar to that since then, but that day, I must have just known I could do it.
Never underestimate the power of the bow.. It can't miss if we stay out of the way.
Like others, when you shoot instinctive, (However you define it) you really don't think yardage, you just know if the shot is good or not and that typically is before you even draw the bow.
For me, it was 38 paces on a running tom turkey. arrow went in just in front of his left thigh exited his right wing butt. He took off flying and folded when he hit tree top level.
QuoteOriginally posted by Sheepshooter:
I know this is a "longest shot" thread, but let me tell you about the prettiest shot I ever made.
I had a young bull moose at 15 yds and was having a hard time finding a hole thru the black spruce and willows. Finally I found one! I got down on one knee and I canted my bow paralell to the ground and about 18 inches off the ground. The arrow ended up right behind his elbow and he went about 60 yds. My compound shooting buddy was right there with me and he just shook his head. He told me he could never have shot that moose. I'll never forget that shot!
Now that is cool Sheepshooter!
My longest shots have been on two elk - 53 and 35 yards. Longest on whitetail 27-28 yards.
I regularly shoot out to 60-70 yards while stumping.
Remember this was back when we really didn't know any better. My first deer was taken at 45 yds. My second deer was walking across a field and I made the 75 yd. shot just like I was supposed to. A mulie buck at 47 yds. and with those figured in to my average kill distance I still average 17 yds. Heck, until a few yrs. ago my longest bow shot was further than my longest rifle shot!
I took up trad archery last year and the first shot i took was at a rabbit that i thought was around 35-40yds. Turn out he was 50yds away and i shot right over his back.
From that point on i carry a range finder and try to keep my shots under 25yds. Killed a nice 8 pointer last fall at 25yds walking but hit him a little farther back. Had to follow up with another shot 4 hours later but i did get him.
My next deer was a 15 yd shot and i shot nearly straight down on her and broke her spine. Got a lung so no follow up shot.
Killed a doe last year at 30. I knew the yardage, shot at a calm animal, and the shot felt right. That is my limit. My shooting goes to crap at anything over 30. I shoot gap and that is dead on for me.
Elk, 55. Deer, 35. Cottontail, 55.
If it feels good, shoot it!
I once shoot a grouse at 60 paces as for big game with trad gear around 30 yrds.
25 yard walking turkey through the base of the neck. Do they ever really stay still?
Zebra 40 - Moose 45 - one whitetail 38 - all before I got good at estimating distance - I was "stunned" each time. Not sure if I would have shot had I known - but glad I did!
<><
<------------------------<<<<<<
I didn't know how this thread was going to go so I didn't want to be the first to post.
I shot a goose at 75 yards (on the ground) when I was 14 (OK, I'm 45 now). Some of my friends that witnissed it, still bring it up from time to time, calling it an incredible shot. However, I can't say that it is something that I am proud of doing. Haven't done anything like that since then.
QuoteOriginally posted by Don Stokes:
If it feels good, shoot it!
Words to live by, know your ability and know your tools.
Spring 2010 Montana. Goffer at 33 yds. Head shot! I thought Doug was gonna fall out of the truck! I try and keep all my whitetail shots under 20yds.
(http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w266/MGERARDI_2007/Bow%20pics/R0012102.jpg)
Ground squirrels are fair game at any distance.... Longest so far 38 paces (Luck) :) Big game I'm probably 25 yards or less but then I'm new to this and haven't killed anything bigger than a rabbit with trad equipment ... It's about getting close now, or I'd still be using my gun or wheels....
Sheepshooter that's cool!
My longest is 55 paced off yards on a doe. Didn't think it was quite that far, but it sure was. I was pulling 63# on a 64" longbow. The woodsman tipped cedar made it all the way through with a very short bloodtrail.
28 yards one time, I feel comfortable to 30 but everything would have to be perfect as in perfect broadside, no wind. All of my other stuff has been 22 yards and less, most around 15.
I killed a doe last fall at 23 yards. That's my farthest. Shortest distance on deer for me is 18 yards. My limit for shooting at big game under most circumstances is 25 yards.
When I was very young and didn't know any better, or rather when it perhaps wasn't regarded as anything other than fairly typical (in the early 1970's), I put a lethal arrow into a button mule deer buck from about 55 yards; there was no way to pace it as there was a river between us. At that time in my life my family shot field rounds several times a week and they featured shots out to 80 yards so my windage was often pretty good on the practice course. But I suffered greatly from 'buck fever' (antlers or not!) as a boy so that little deer just happened to be in the wrong place when the arrow came down.
I get ground squirrels at 25-40yds But I shoot at them several times a week.But I try to get as close as possible. I have missed Deer and coyotes at 15 yards or less. im not a good deer hunter , Buck fever bad. With me the bigger the game the easyer for me to miss. You should get as close as posible . Even with a rifle or any thing els.Its harder to get a good close shot than a long shot.
QuoteOriginally posted by COMPOUNDLESS IN CONCRETE:
Only trad kill I have is a couple weeks ago. My 4 yo daughter was out with me while I was shooting and there was a big crow landed in the back about 50-60 yds away. She urged me." Shoot him Daddy, shoot him!" I couldn't resist, I let her fly and watched the arra plow him over where he stood. She was extatic! It was all fun and games until the other 5 million crows around saw him laying dead and then they all started balling and squaking and making the most awful racket I have ever heard in my life. I looked down to see my little Brooke standing there with her hands over her ears saying, "Shoot them all daddy, Shoot them all!" I said," Daddy isn't that lucky, and he doesn't have enough arrows sweetie." I have never seen or heard crows do that before, but it is a pretty memorable experience for me and my daughter as well.
uh, since crow is closed in WA feb-october, the proper response would have been "sorry honey, it's not crow season"
blackbirds are protected under the migratory bird treaty, and shooting them is likely a felony.
just sayin....
About 50 yards on a mulie doe. Sitting in a canoe fishing for trout. Since it was over water, I couldn't walk off the distance but it looked about that. Same as everyone else, I just felt like the shot was going to be solid. I picked a ruffled up spot behind her shoulder and missed it by less than an inch. She piled up in about 20 yards. Doubt I would do it again but it happened and you asked!
1000 yards, but I missed :bigsmyl:
I have just read every thread on here and there are two common themes to all of the shots. First, practice, second, they didn't think about the shots, only executed them as they had in practice. I have made shots out to 40 yards on small game and a hog around 25 or so. The hog was right after I stalked up to another hog at less than 20 and missed because I thought about it too much. Think long, think wrong.
I did kill an elk at 37 paces! It was broadside down hill with its head behind a tree and the sun was at my back shining on the elk making it glow... but I've shot 3 at 5 yards and that is better... my goal is to be under 20 yards on all shots. That is better.
Joe
My longest shot was last year. 31 yards on a deer. I shot one at 27 yards about two weeks before that. 30 yards is as far as I practice from. Gotta be confident to make the shot.
35 yds for a carp. best shot of my life
I've only killed one deer with the recurve. First shot, 18 yards, a little back into the liver/stomach. A couple seconds later, I drilled him at 15 yards through both shoulders. Just thankful for the second shot.
Crash...right on the money.
I don't want to turn this into a bashing but in the old days (ie. 50s and 60s) there were some very well know hunters that took shots with great regularity out to 80 yards. They hit a few here and there but there weren't as many animals, specifically deer, back then - at least in the SE U.S.
My father hunted and shot with a lot of folks that shot that far at animals and hit one every now and then but I think we see more animals now so we use better judgment, knowing that we'll get another chance.
I've shot a dove at 15 yards, deer at 28 with a selfbow, squirrel at 21 paces - but I've missed more animals than I've hit in life except maybe deer but I'm picky with my shot selection.