How far are you comfortable takeing a shot on an animal anf whats your ideal distance. 20 yds is about my max and about 12yds is perfect for me!
I like 10-15yd if I am in a tree . My stands are 8-12' at my feet . I have takin a few at 15-20yd . From the ground 0-15 yd.
May life's simplest things bring you the greatest pleasures !!!
I'm confident to about 22 yards, I'm working on extending my range to 25 yards, my preferred distance is 15 yards
As crazy as it sounds, 17 yards and in on the ground is in my wheelhouse ...if I back up 3 yards to 20, it's 50/50. In a tree stand...inside 15 yards is good. 12 and under is the best chance for me. At 3D events, 20-30 yard shots are common, but you don't mind "wounding" foam !
22 yds.
Like most of us, I can hit a 3D deer target much further out but do not feel comfortable shooting at a live animal any further than that for all sorts of reasons. I routinely practice at 30 yards and love shooting at 40 and 50 yards at the range but NEVER at an animal.
We owe to the animal and ourselves to make responsible shots and good hits.
Kris
Absolutely. those 3d targets dont run far
20 yards, plus or minus. I say plus or minus because confidence varies with the particulars of the shot. I'd probably take a 23 yard perfect broadside shot at an unsuspecting deer but not an alert one.
My treestand practice target happens to be at 13 yards. Most, maybe all of my more recent shots have been closer than that. I don't really think in terms of yards any more, but space. I know where I am OK and where I am pushing it.
ChuckC
Inside of 20 is best but out to 25 is good. That said I shoot best between about 12 to 17.
Most of my tree stands are set for the 18 or less shot. on the ground I'm comfortable out to 25 yards, at the 3D range 30 is do-able(a wounded 3D don't make me loose sleep).
Depends on how I feel at the time....
as close as I can get is ideal....
Good to about 30 yards. The closer the better though.
As close as possible, however I would not hesitate to shoot at 30 yards if the deer was not spooked. I try to set my stands/blinds up for 10-15 yard shots.
two4hooking has it right for me, depends on how I feel. While the average distance for the big game animals I've killed is around 17 yards I've shot a couple at 65. This over 50 years and some 200 animals. One particular one that sticks out in my mind was a 205 lb 11 pt buck that chased a doe around for 20 minutes before he stopped for a good broadside shot. After my shot he walked small circle and went down, I didn't realize it was 51 yards until I looked back to my stand when kneeling over him. When it feels right I shoot.
~15yds.
10-15 yards. I'm more comfortable taking it out a couple of yards, though, than bringing it in, though if I got over my awkwardness practicing at shorter distances, that might change.
My accuracy is best at 0-25. Though I still make some great shots around 30 sometimes. And sometimes at 10 or less I blow it. 12-25 is likely the sweet spot. Honestly I don't give much thought to it. I just mix it up and try to be confident at distances that are realistic for the habitat I hunt.
17 yards for me. I can shoot paper good out to 25 but my hunting shots are 17 yards or less.
I am confident up to 40 yards,but the reason I made the big switch from compound is becaus I like to be a better hunter than a shooter,my goal is to arrive at less than 15 yards,being 5-8 the perfect distance,then you really feel the adrenaline running in your veins.
While hunting I seldom know the distance as I really do shoot instinctively. Most of my shots have wound up between 15-25 yards.
= < 25 yards.
Timmy
My stands are set up for 15-20 yards
Wow mnbwhtr 51yds thats impressive!!! On a whitetail crazy
I practice out to 50 yrds but I probably would not shoot at a deer further than 30. I feel 20 yards is an ideal distance for a shot at deer. I may take a longer shot if I was hunting larger animals or if the animal is totally calm with no crosswinds.
My furthest whitetail was 43 yards. Being mostly a whitetail still hunter, many shots seem to run 20-40 yards so most of my practice is at these ranges.
12 is perfect for me from a tree. I've shot deer upwards of 22-23 yards with no issue but I don't normally shoot that far. Counting deer I've missed I'd say my average shot is around 10-12 yards.
20 max
Out to 20 but prefer about 15.
Best is 12 strides or so
I can push 15
over 12yds, out to about 25..............have shot deer at about 10 ft and watched the arrow kick on impact..............
less than 20, sometimes its not about taking a shot, just being within 2-3 yards of an animal is enough. if I can poke it with the tip of my bow, thats success enough for me. 8-15 yards is ideal in my book.
L.R.
Only when I shot Field Rounds many yrs ago did I think in terms of yardage.
I never have with any type bow thought in terms of how many yds is he(buck)or whatever I'm shooting at.
When I get a new bow I shoot it and find out how far out it will shoot flat anything that looks farther than, I adjust.
It just goes through my head he looks close or far enough off that I got to hold about right here or there.
Probably if stepped off 30 steps is about as far as I would shoot. Most shots are under 15 steps when I step them off.
I shoot best between 12-18 yards. I will shoot to 25 yards or so. I hate close shots because I hunt out of loc-ons when bowhunting.
Never think to much about distance,it's more about if it feels right I shoot.
I like under twenty, but if things are right may stretch a little.
For me I prefer the animal to be 10 to 15 yards, though comfy with certain shots out to 20. I suprised myself by harvesting a deer out to 36 yards before. gotta love instinctive shooting.
My accuracy drops off pretty quick after 25 yards. 10-20 yards is really good. I'm going to shoot at a deer out around 30 yards but would certainly prefer much closer. I try to set up my stand to get a 15 yard shot.
6-8 years ago I was able to shoot pretty good out to 35. I'm not sure why. Maybe better eyes. I practice a lot. Its not that.
I shoot best at deer, at a walking deer, underneath me. Thats the best. It's just automatic then.
I killed a deer at 45 paces with a perfect shot from a tree stand once. He turned to walk away and it just felt perfect. Couldn't do that on a target in 20 shots!
I killed a nice buck in wyoming at 45 yards or so. It's so easy to shoot too far there. That buck jumped my string really bad, my shot appeared to be perfect but the deer turned away and the arrow hit him in the ham going straight away from me. The WW hit the femoral artery and killed him quickly. lucky!
Tedd
17 yards
I've noticed mine shrunk from my 20s to 70 years old.
I don't like to know the distance of my shot until after I have taken it. I have seen alot of game and know if they are in range. Most importantly, I know what an animal looks like if it is too far off. I honestly don't know the difference between 17 and 20 or 20 and 23. If my form is good and my nerves don't get the best of me the arrow generally goes pretty close where I look. If these things aren't accomplished any range is too far. I've arrowed a turkey in the neck at 30 yards and missed a doe at 14. Go figure. :dunno:
12 yards for me. I would like to get consistent to 18 yards or so. Going to take some work.
I've killed hundreds of fish this year ranging from right under my feet out to 22-23 yards. I've not taken a mammal YET.
I only started shooting traditional equipment about 4 years ago...and then it was just in a piddling fashion. I became dedicated on Jan. 1st 2013. I practiced daily. I felt that I was very confident at 15 yards and under. After missing a few deer last year that confidence went out the window.
I started out being steered in the wrong direction about every aspect of this as one could be steered. I finally found this site and got my equipment tuned correctly. Thanks so much to everybody here!
Since then I've dealt with target panic, finger pinch, all kinds of form problems, shoulder injury issues...you name it. Some days I've been on top of the world shooting, other days I can't dig out to see the light of day.
Archery is kinda like marriage...it takes dedication and WORK. It doesn't come easy for me. But I'm dedicated and I'm not going anywhere.
All that rambling aside...all the deer I killed with wheels were under 20 yards (null and void statement here, just saying I like to get close).
I practiced out to 15 yards last year but all the deer seemed to be around 20, I over compensated and shot high every time. This year my go to practice shot from the ground is 22 yards. I'm feeling pretty good about that. Then I shoot elevated from 20 yards. I'm also feeling good with that.
I still mix it up and shoot close too pretty often. I desperately want to get that first kill under my belt this season. I think all the bowfishing I've done has helped me (all though, at one time, I had my doubts). As long as I pick my spot and push like hell at it with my bow hand, I'm usually pleasantly surprised with the shot placement...both on fish and targets now.
We will see how it goes :pray:
I can't go back and figure it all out for an average. I have killed elk from 5 ft. to 50 yards. Most of them around 15 yards after being called in though. Deer have been from 90 yards stepped off but downhill considerably making it a 50 yard trajectory to 10 feet. All my animals were in the west and all taken from the ground. I would say average would be 20 to 25 yards though.
My last elk was about 7 yards.
God bless, Steve
17/18 yards and under. Not to close but not to far. :wavey:
20 yards and under. That is where I am most confident.
QuoteOriginally posted by aim small...release:
How far are you comfortable takeing a shot on an animal anf whats your ideal distance. 20 yds is about my max and about 12yds is perfect for me!
40 yards, anything up to that is perfect as long it is a clear shot.
I like to be able to spit on em first.
I have taken game out to 30/35 yards, but the majority have been 3-10 yards.
15 yards and under
25 yards or less for deer.
35-40 yards for Elk after a huge amount of practice.
15-20 yard is my max depending on how alert the deer is and the shot angle. That said most of my shots are pretty close 8-13 yards, but I have also killed a small hog running at 23 yards. I would never repeat that shot but it felt right at the time, and I made it happen.
30 or a bit farther. Most of my coyotes are about 20yards or so. Some things just will not give you that close shot.
I have always hunted in north Ga and never shot a deer over 30 yards due to visibility and objects in the way. I practice btwn 10 yards and 25 yards on a small woodland buck 3d target and I feel confident in that range.
In a tree stand I regularly practice out past 35. Now that is not saying i would shoot one at that.
My dilemma is that I know I can make that shot all day, i just don't know where the deer would be by the time the arrow got to him.
I've hit the kill on an elk target out to 165 yds...took me 5 shots to do it, and I won't say I could do it again in 5 shots.
Won the deer and turkey targets at the KY Tradfest this year, shooting at the deer at around 100 yds and the turkey at around 75...but again, took more than a couple of arrows to hit either one.
On live animals...depends on the situation. The closer the better. I've killed critters from a few feet (deer) out to 25yds or so (red fox)...and I've passed on lots of shots in-between.
15 to 20 yards. Prefer under 15
My max is 20 yards but I prefer under 15 yards.
Max would probably be just over 20 yards or so depending on how it feels. I would prefer to keep shots on all game animals to under 15 yards or so. Like was said earlier, it all depends on each particular situation.
I'm confident out to my point on distance of about 35 yards on elk. My shots are actually a little more accurate between 25 & 35 if I know the yardage because the sight picture of my arrow point is in the animal at these ranges. My goal over the past 5 years has been to extend my effective range for elk hunting, if you asked me a few years ago 20 yards would have been about it.
20 is my max currently. 10 to 15 is even better.
2011 was a kill at 15yds
2012 was a kill at 10yds
2013 was a kill at 7yds
2014 TBA...
Great topic. 15-20 is in my wheelhouse. But i really don't think to much about it in the field. It there its just a matter of close enough or not. Furthest I've killed one is an extra cow feeding in open timber. I was shocked to see 45 stepped off yards when that was all over. I shot a bull at 44 steps once under the same circumstance. If I'm confident I just shoot em. But that usually equates to like most guys, 17 or closer.
Thanks for responding everyone. That was a fun read.
I prefer and set up my shots for 15 yards. I practice out to 40 to make 20 seem easy.
In the past 4 years; 1 @ 21, 1@ 16, and 4 deer @ 8 yards.
Awesome thread.
Anything under 20 yards for me.After 20 I become eratic.
20yds has been my max in the past. This year may be a little less but, situations will vary and it will come down to what is handed me if at all. But, will never shoot if I'm not comfortable! :thumbsup:
Encountered the largest magnificent book buck last season that I had ever encountered on this public land...land of which I have hunted since 1973...
He was positioned approximately 28 yards in a clearing and broadside...I took a pass...perhaps he will offer a considerably closer opportunity this season.
The chance encounter was ample reward.
10-20 very confident, really don't care for them to be any closer as most of my stands are 16-18 feet, but like many situations will pass if it doesn't feel right. Great thread gives me an idea of what most of the guys consider their zone. Only been at this 5yrs. always liked them close even when I shot training wheels.
10-15 Yds. That is, if I ever get one that close. It's been a long dry spell for me, about 6 years.