reality

[Jerry Jeffer]

originally posted by Biggie Hoffman:

I hardly consider range anymore. If I have an opportunity and I'm confident, I kill him. If there's any doubt in my mind or I have to think about it at all, I don't shoot.
Afterwards I may try to consider how far he was.

I'm thinkin' like Biggie on this one.

[robtattoo]

Originally posted by Jerry Jeffer:
originally posted by Biggie Hoffman:  

I hardly consider range anymore. If I have an opportunity and I'm confident, I kill him. If there's any doubt in my mind or I have to think about it at all, I don't shoot.
Afterwards I may try to consider how far he was.

I'm thinkin' like Biggie on this one. [/b]

Yep, me too. Sometimes a shot just feels 'right' If it does, I'll take it. If it doesn't, I won't.

[leatherneck]

You all are way out of my league. I thought I was a good shot until I hear about you guys killing stuff at 50 yards. I can't even pick a spot at 50 Yards! I'll stick to 20 and under and not think twice about it. If it ain't there, it ain't there. I'm not one to shoot "if it's all he'll give me" or "i think I can get him". I'll just pass. I passed on a 150" buck at 12 yards this year cause the shot just didn't present itself. I killed that buck the next day at 16 yards. So 20 yards would be my comfort zone.

[Steertalker]

I'll wait till I know and most of the time thats far less than 30yrds....thats my reality and I'm okay with that

I agree with ya Tom 100%!!

Being "100%" sure of a 50 yard shot or a 35 yard shot seems unrealistic.

Why????

Brett

[J-dog]

Yeah, most of the time I been sittin for hours before shot presents itself. I know my cutoff range is 25 yards. I like the way Biggie put it. If it is right shoot, you know if is not. Ya gotta know what your comfort zone is.

J

[leatherneck]

" A man has to know his limitations"

My man Clint!

[Bonebuster]

Thirty-plus yards is doable, but if we are being realistic, it`s not 100%.

In recent years, there have been several shots I did not take because I wasn`t comfortable, even though I know foam would have been dead.

I practice with intentions of extending my range, but when I`m faced with a shot beyond twenty yards, it just looks too far.

[DeerSpotter]

" A man has to know his limitations"

I have to agree

For me 20 yr. / give it time and you will see opportunity again.

It's not like we are starving, and will never see the opportunity again.

To take a unhumane shot at a longer distance would be wrong.

For me personally 15 to 20 yd. translates into confidence and ability.


Carl

[horatio1226]

Brett...
If you haven't missed at 50 yards in your last 100 arrows, there is still a chance that arrow 101 will miss, especially at 50 yards (wind,animal movement..). It might be a small chance, but we are human, we are not perfect. 100% implies perfection. How about 99.99% ? Splitting hairs???

[finger lakes bowhunter]

I am not comfortable shooting under 10 yards and over 25 yards.  My short shots suck for some reason but I practice out to 35 yards.

[Bill Carlsen]

Biggie said it best, I think. There are more factors at work than just distance and I think the biggest one is your own sense of confidence in the shot presented to you. If an animal doesn't give me the right angle for lethal arrow placement the shot won't happen, regardless of how close he is.

[swampbuck]

Originally posted by Biggie Hoffman:
I hardly consider range anymore. If I have an opportunity and I'm confident, I kill him. If there's any doubt in my mind or I have to think about it at all, I don't shoot.
Afterwards I may try to consider how far he was.

YUP Biggie said it very well....  

I'm kinda curious about " Afterwards I may try to consider how far he was. "

In reality how far is that?? after the fact of course    

While 30 or even 40 yard is an attainable effective range in most case's it just isn't reality without some sort of aiming devise besides the one we all seem to like so much.
For the fella's/gals just getting going it's a very lofty goal that hopefully doesn,t bring discouragement.Get your shot down first and then worry about how far you can make it work later

[buckeye_hunter]

Swampbuck,
Ten yard and I'll shoot at anything that gives me a good angle.  I won't raise that to 15 until I can get ten out of ten arrows in the kill zone EVERY time.  I feel if there is even a 10% chance I'll hit poorly, then that equals no shot being taken.  Currently, I am about 80-90% at 15 yards and I don't feel that is acceptable. that is my personal limitations.

Thanks,
Charlie

[swampbuck]

Why don't ya feel thats acceptable??

Basically I thought many of us should set a goal thats a little easier to attain than 30 yrds than raise the bar if they so choose.

I feel this is esspecially important if your tring to learn the instinctive style rushing the process really isn't gonna help...or perhaps I should say it didn,t help me LOL

Nothing wrong with a short effective range it force's you to get closer to the game

Food for thought...On those extended range shots I wonder why an archer of olympic caliber use's a site pin on their recurve when their a pretty dang good instinctive shot.

Again NOTHING wrong with a short instinctive range

Think I've babbled long enuff it's been fun    

[buckeye_hunter]

Swamp,

I don't really have any particular aiming method.  I just look and shoot.  I think 80-90% in the kill zone at 15 yds is good, but I have wounded a deer at 15yds with that one bad shot. Granted the lower limb of my bow did hit the tree, but I was clear sick about it.

I just think that If I'm going to let the string go, it had better be meat on the table when the arrow hits.  I want the arrow to go exactly(withing 2-3 inches)where I intend every time. Right now that is 10-11 yds, but I hope over time it increases to 15-20yds.  
     

-Charlie

[James Wrenn]

I only shoot shots I am sure of.Sometimes that is farther than other times.I shoot by sight picture so really don't know exact yardages untill it is all over.I can't tell you I will take 30yd shots but I can't tell you I won't either.  I can live with what happens as the results of my actions and sleep pretty well at night.