Long shot anybody?????

[Ray]

We were talking about shooting. Not methods of recovery.

Anyway I don't agree that everyone who doesn't share your opinion is not "getting it" or not "able to understand what it takes to recover their animal".  I'll assume you are not very good at explaining your point of view.

[groundhog]

I agree with Josh on this one. Everyone has to decide their own effective long range capabilities. Although, unless an animal is bedded down I do not think folks should be shooting at these extreme ranges. No matter how great of shot you are with your rifle or bow at targets at extreme distances an animal can take a step or two in between the time the projectile is released and the time of impact. That is just my opinion and opinions are like a-holes. Everyone has one.

Hoyt is bashing long range rifle hunters yet he has an 80 yard pin? That makes no sense what so ever. Maybe I am just old school but 80 yards with a bow seems like an 800 yard shot with Josh's custom rifle. Both shots could be made with the right conditions and the right person behind the right weapon. Personally I would never shoot at 80 yards with my bow or 800 with my rifle at an animal. That is just me. I would never attempt to put my shooting limits on someone else.

Too each his own but my effective hunting range with my bow or rifle is considerably less than my effective target range.
Oh and by the way, as long as I am giving my opinion. Tred Barta is an idiot and a poor representative for bow hunters.

 Remember guys we can discuss this stuff but in the end we all need to stick together. The antis love it when we fight amongst ourselves. United we stand divided we fall.

[Antlershed]

Thinking of these long shots with a bow (my farthest pin is a 60 yard pin and I hope to never use it)....at 80-90 yards what is the entrance angle like on the arrow? I know for fun I shot the 110 or 120 yard bag (can't remember for sure now), and my arrow was at least at a 45* angle when it went in, so that means you would need to aim even higher. How many people take the entrance angle into effect at those ranges with a bow?

[EastWaViking]

(my farthest pin is a 60 yard pin and I hope to never use it)

I had a 50 yard pin and "hoped to never use it"  Taking it off was the best option for me.

[Hoytstaffshooter83]

at 80yrds at 290fps out of my alphamax I recently got there is not really any angle at all... im not a geometry wiz but its very mininmal, I do have a 80yrd pin.. never needed it so far, dont plan on having to.. I much prefer the 20-50 pins.. but it is there in case some day, I need it because I know I can, I hunt to get close, my first deer this year I had dead at 52 but knew with the brush that I could get closer and I shot him at 34 instead.... I prefer up close but I have the longer range options if i really need them.... and no 80yrds with a bow is not the same as 800 or farther with a gun... IMO

[JoshT]

and no 80yrds with a bow is not the same as 800 or farther with a gun... IMO

Wow... you're amazing... the time-of-flight difference between my 210 Berger at 800 yards... and your arrow at 80 yards... is... wait for it... .2 seconds. The wind drift on both of them is measured in feet, and small errors in range make a huge difference to both. Once again... here it is... COME ON MAN!!!. AND... I have the horsepower to break bones, and compensate for angles... you don't.

You practice at 80 yards... because it makes those 40yard shots slam-dunks. I practice at 800 so that the 400 yard shots become simple. Now... you have the 80 yard pin (I have the 800 yard dope)... under "ideal" circumstances... at a trophy animal... no wind... no cover to get closer... totally relaxed animal... unaware of your presence... do you take that shot? I know I do... but hey... I'm just the unethical ass with a boom stick, I can't possible be on your level.

[Hoytstaffshooter83]

I have never said anything about wind drift angle etc.... all I said was when is 7-1000yrds as close as you get?.... under perfect conditions I would still try to get closer then 80, just because I can take that shot doesnt mean I will.. that was my whole point with you.. I find it really really hard to think 800yrds is as close as you can get, why not get to 400 (which is still insanely far) just like i would rather get to 40..

[JoshT]

Because sometime you can't get closer... it could take 4 hours to get there... and when you got there... it's pretty tough to see stuff in 6 foot tall blueberries and 10 year old re-prod. I'd much rather go in there to recover an animal... than go in there looking for one that I know I wouldn't be able to see... on a crazy steep hillside... with fickle breezes.

[Hoytstaffshooter83]

I guess thats the difference then........ I dont have that option and wouldnt have it any other way

[ICEMAN]

Oh and by the way, as long as I am giving my opinion. Tred Barta is an idiot and a poor representative for bow hunters.

 

Damn groundhog, out of all this crap getting thrown, your Barta comment got me laughing the most.    I actually like the guy. I like his willingness to fail repetitively in order to finally succeed. Screwball, yes. Funny, yes. But still very dedicated to any of his pursuits. 

[Hoytstaffshooter83]

I also love the guy, hes a little off but he really hunts hard and misses alot, on all his showsd I have only seen 1 or 2 shots I thought were "questionable" and that could be from camera angle etc....

[groundhog]

Like I said opinions are like a-holes. Everbody has one. I guess I think if you are going to hunt with a long bow you owe it to the wildlife to practice to the point where you are consistently accurate at the range that you limit yourself. He misses and wounds way to many animals and takes shots that he shouldn't. I think he likes to pound on his chest about his long bow but he doesn't have the skill and responsibility to hunt with one. He should stick to fishing or pick up a compound or rifle. Just my opinion and I have certainly been wrong before.

[Antlershed]

I also love the guy, hes a little off but he really hunts hard and misses alot, on all his showsd I have only seen 1 or 2 shots I thought were "questionable" and that could be from camera angle etc....

I see 1 or 2 questionable shots every time I watch his show. 40+ yard shots at a running Caribou, etc...

[Hoytstaffshooter83]

the only thing i have seen him wound was that huge bull.. that was a bad shot and he messed up, and brent we will just disagree, I have all his shows on dvr and again only a few shots I have seen are questionable IMO.. camera  angels and such may make the shots look farther but I think he stays within his range about as much as most people do, hes just on film

[haugenna]

I have never said anything about wind drift angle etc....

If we could take wind drift out of the equation then to answer to Colville's question is yes.  I could put an ethical kill shot 90% of the time up to 1000 yards.  The worse conditions get the closer I need to be to be above a 90% killshot ratio.  Just like any weapon, the conditions set the situation for hunters to make a responsible decision.

I like the 90% standard though.