Shooting Distances?

[Little Fish]

I took my new bow up to Kenmore and started sighting in for longer distances than I can shoot in my backyard. This got me thinking about what distance I need to become proficient at before hunting elk this fall. I'm thinking 40 yards would be a good distance to limit myself to....meaning I can shoot palm sized groupings at this yardage all day long. Any thoughts or opinions?

[boneaddict]

Start with 30 as your max.... be able to do it with your "eyes closed" in every concievable position you can shoot from.  Only go out to 40 and then 50 when you are master at 30.   my.02

[jackelope]

what little i do know about shooting bows...i think 40 would be my max range at this point for deer and elk sized game. the kicker, what i learned shooting the walk-thru is that the up/down hill/sideways targets is what will get you. that was real practice for me. shooting those flat range targets was easy...well maybe not easy, but you know what i mean. the part about shooting from every-which-way you can is what will get me. also practice shooting from a kneeling position. thats a whole different game too.

[Little Fish]

I've become pretty proficient at 20 yards in my backyard, but haven't worked my way up from there (yet). I can see how shots up and down hills can really screw you up. I'm looking forward to doing the walk through range up at Kenmore in the near future to start learning.

[wackmaster]

If you practice enough you can be efficient up to 70 or 80. But you should only take a shot you are confident you can make.

[pacyew]

My advice to anyone that bowhunts or is just starting would be to try to get closer rather than taking a risky shot.  Its not worth wounding an animal.  just my .02 cents

Says it all . . .

 

[billythekidrock]

I can hit a softball size target at 60 yards 8 out of 10 times, but that does not mean that I will take that shot. If a deer or bear takes one step you will be off by 12 inches or more and with one step an elk can move almost two feet.

[Ironhead]

I too like to practice out to 80 yards but to me archery is all about getting in tight. Stalking in close or calling an animal in close is the thrill for me not just killing another critter. 40 is agreat maximum range. If it's the challenge your after, it
s tougher getting to 20 yards than it is 80.

[bearbait]

Miles:
Only two walkthrough ranges that I know of:
Evergreen archery club, over by Spokane Falls Community College
www.evergreenarcheryclub.org
and the commercial one at Spokane valley archery

[Shadow Cat]

I have been shooting a bow now for 33 years. I started out shooting a bear recurve and a number of compounds. I currently shoot a PSE Carrera set at 70#. I can consistently shoot a 12 arrow group inside 3 inches at 65 yards. Would I do that hunting? NO! I got into bow hunting for the challenge of getting close to my prey. I have consitently taken deer at 10 -15 FEET! The max distance I would even think about taking a shot at an animal is 45 yards with the right conditions. There are to many variables that can leave an animal wounded. I want to be able to make a fast humane shot that will not leave that animal suffering. My grandfather taught me as a child to kill the animal fast and don't let it suffer so make your shot count. I am not blowing my own horn here so please don't missunderstand me, I am a good shot, but my first responcibility is to the game I harvest and I don't want to take a bad shot. I will pass on a shot before I will make a bad shot. There are to many variables, like wind, twigs and the one most people forget about: the GEAR they have ON! You must have absolute confidence in your ability to take that animal quickly or you should pass on the shot. Most of the fun for me is just being out in the woods. I have passed on more shots than I can count, but I have memories that will last me a life time.

[Buckrub]

I'm with you shadow cat, I practice out to 80yds, makes the 20-50 yd a chip shot....even 50yds is stretching it. I really enjoy getting close, to harvest is a bonus....I live for the year round chase.

[GoldTip]

I practice to 70 yards in my backyard, and have taken a few gopher shots at that distance as well with good results.  Would I take a 70 yard shot on a deer/elk/moose?  Heck no, too many variables.  On a completely unalarmed animal with lots of time and a lasered 50 yards, I'd take that shot.  But mainly I keep it under 40 yards, and most of my animals harvested are under 20.  But will admit to having shot a spike bull at 52 yards, and it went no burther than the 125" whitetail I killed later that year at 12 yards.   We all need to stay within our comfort zone, and some peoples zone should be shorter than it currently is, but that is up to them, not me.

[bowpredator]

like buckrub, I to practice at the long ranges to make the close ones easier, but come hutning time I usually drop my 60,70,80yrd pins down to the bottom of my sight bracket so I'm not tempted to use them. I could always stack pins but that is not accurate enough, it will get you in the ballpark but not accuratly enough to risk a wounding shot.

Rodger.

[boneaddict]

We all need to stay within our comfort zone, and some peoples zone should be shorter than it currently is, but that is up to them, not me.

again, well said.

[Choclab]

My dad and I regularly shoot out to 100 yards, just for fun of course. It makes the closers shots seem sooo much easier. My farthest shot on a Muley was 40 yards. I doubled lunged him and he went 60 yards and piled up. The conditions were perfect, no wind, flat ground, and he was broadside. I knew the distance so there was no guessing. I would have passed on the shot if the conditions were different, but everything was perfect. I probably wouldn't shoot farther than that on deer sized game. I might push it up to 45 or 50 yards on elk sized game.....but everything would have to be right.