Long range shots? true? ethical?

[mossback91]

I'm just gonna stay out of these discussions.    

Ditto, because my answer is not what these people want to hear. 

That is the porpose of this thread, to get everyones opion. Not what others want to hear.

Unless you are going to personaly attack others, but that is not what this about.

 

[ELKBURGER]

anyone shooting these distances are taking risky shots. Animals dont always stand still. The best tournament shooter cant control that.

[sportsman002001]

This can be a very touchy subject so here is my   on the issue. I think every sitution is different and yes alot can happen with mother nature. 60 yards is my limit. And if that shot comes up you have to look at everything going on at that moment and think about it. Can I perfectly excute this shot.  1 month before hunting season starts i throw broadheads on and shot them at 40 and 60 yards.  My goal is 5 shots at 40 yards and 5 at 60 yards 2 times a day.  Before I go to work and when I get home. I know many people that do not pratice at all and that is just frustrating to me.

I passed on a nice blacktail 2 years ago.  I had drawn the multi-season deer tag and had a nice 4 point 62 yards broad side in a clearcut standing across a little canyon.  There was a breeze that morning so I choose not to take the shot.  And while sitting there it was going though my head can I perfectly excute this shot and I felt I could not with the breeze that was going through there. So there is my  

[ELKBURGER]

that is a good example of knowing your limits. You have to have self control no matter what the weapon.

[BLUEBULLS]

have any of you watched the Full moon productions videos? I did and wish I hadn't. they take pride in shooting animals at 80-100yds. Most shots are not in the vitals. they get lucky and some die but I wonder how many they never find. They made one comment that didn't make any sense. After a guy took a 80+ yard shot and hit the buck poorly he said "that shots not for everyone but it's in my comfortable range" well, he barely hit the damn thing, then he says "with the long shots you either miss big or nail them", this makes no sense.... what if you miss small or hit a leg or whatever.


anyways, all of the long range talk reminded me of this. Don't buy these videos. I wouldn't even recommend watching them unless you want to get pissed off at some guys who are willing to make archers look bad for a little fame.

[runningboard]

Most shots are not in the vitals. they get lucky and some die but I wonder how many they never find. They made one comment that didn't make any sense.

Saw that in another companies videos. A guy shoots a Mouflon sheep or something like that in texas and hits it in the spine at 80yards and the guys stand around congratulating each other on a "fine shot" and I'm thinking WTF? they also go on a hunt in Northwest territories for sheep and the guy shoots really long, then he tells the guide "that's not the one I was shooting at, I was aiming at the one in the back. I hoped that at that distance the arrow would be coming down at such an angle that it would miss the closer one." The guide looks at him and says "Frigging idiot." his reply was "I might be an idiot but I got him." maybe, but what if something went wrong?
I'm a beginner as far as hunting with sticks and strings and haven't gotten myself to shoot beyond 40 yards. others can but not me.

[Little John]

I talked to a guy in the shop last year that missed a bull at 109 yards. he said he usually can make that shot. I was sorry he even told me. I think allot less of him now.
I practice at 80 yds allot, it makes the 40 yarders look easy. I would never. never take that long of a shot. No mater how big the animal.
My longest kill is 34 yds

[bow-n-head]

The closer you get, I feel the more fun it is. Atleast I know I shake more when I can see the whites of their eyes. I don't like long shots, that said, I once made a bad shot on a cow elk at less than 10 yards. She ran back up the hill and dissapeared into the timber. A few moments later she came back out and headed the other way across the hillside. She stopped to look back at between 60-70 yards. Already having one bad arrow in her I thought another can only help my cause so I let loose and double lunged her. She darted off about 80 yards and colapsed in mid stride. So I would say there is a time and a place for the shot. It is up to each individual, what he or she can live with. Again the total adrenalin rush I believe is under 10 yards. Shoot straight.

[norsepeak]

I've killed 13 elk with my bow over the years, and the longest shot I have even taken has been 41 yards.  I practice out to 55 yards for that "just in case" scenario, but 45 is my limit.  Not only are the factors involved that have already been mentioned, wind, string jump etc. but think about kinetic energy.  I shoot a very fast, hard shooting bow which generates a lot of KE, but if you do the math, at 60+ yards the energy is bleeding off so quickly that your chances of mortally wounding an elk sized animal go down exponentially.  In my mind the animals deserve better....so I won't shoot past 45yards.  Trust me losing an animal to a poor shot is not good.  I lost a bull one time because of a poor shot, and very nearly quite hunting over it....it sux, trust me.  The animals deserve it, practice and only take ethical shots.....just my 

[andrew_12gauge]

i took a 60 yard shot at a muley doe 2 years ago and she jumped the string and turned and my arrow barely missed her, I was lucky that she turned a straight 90 and the arrow completely missed dont know what i wouldve done had it hit her bad because she was in pretty open country and i probably wouldnt have been able to get near her again after that, that being said she was already alert, so if an animal were not aware of your presence and was just feeding and not alert i dont think it would be a bad shot, but not on an alert, ready to run animal

[archery288]

I am not going to get in the middle of this thread but I do have one thing to say...

To me, archery is a matter of how close you can get, not who can sling the furthest arrow and get lucky once in a while... Just my 

[Hoytstaffshooter83]

Everyone has a opinion or a "what if" everyone has a diff op and scenario..... I personally dont buy the jump the string, it might move, KE is down stuff.... I say this from MY personal experiences... just as all you state your opinions based off that... here are some examples.. my farthest kill is 75yrds on a blacktail doe, not a huge target but big enough.. she was somewhat "alert" in a open field at  time I was shooting a Blue mountain badger at 60lbs with a carbon arrow, hit her dead center behind the shoulder, no flinching and that bow as not that quiet.. and was only shooting 256fps with 45 fke... yet it went all the way to the vanes and out the other side.. she went 45yrds, did not make it out of the field and fell down..... The farther away the animal is the less likely they are to hear the bow and "jump the string" I will agree however that the frather the shot, it greatens the "chance" and I mean chance the animal might move, but I think for most that is wayyyyyy over estimated... I do a considerable amount of open country shooting and 50yrds is a close shot, of the game I have taken from 50-65yrds I have NEVER had one "jump the string" on me, IM not saying it cant happen, but personally I have not, I also think to many people get caught up watching east coast whitetails.... they are much more warry then a mulie or blacktail out here and do "jump the string" more.. The ones I have hunted back east are quite warry... also as far as losing kinectic energy, I also dont think that is a issue at all... My old  hoyt was at 60lbs, shooting a 340 axis with a 100gr muzzy MX4.. I shot a doe at 55yrds.. clean through both front shoulders, lungs and heart and 6-10 ft out the other side and it stuck in the ground... If i can shoot through 2 shoulder bones and then some at 55yrds..... a shot behind the shoulder will be more then enough at 70-90yrds if you choose to take that shot.... I have seen it done with much lesser equipment then we have now.. so I would say that while i dont want to take a 80 or 90yrd shot If the situation was right I would, and i would kill the animal.. a elk has a HUGE kill zone.. we all know just how big it is.... thats a huge target at even 100yrds.. guys like myself that shoot year round and shoot alot of comps shoot 100yrds all the time, and the spots we hit are the size of a softball..... thats not even the heart on a animal that size..... persoanlly I think if its right and you have the ability then why not? but the people that truly can do that are far and few between...... just my  

[huntnphool]

I personally dont buy the jump the string,

Are you kidding me??? I'm going to assume you have a couple hunts on DVD. Try slowing them down frame by frame sometime and watch the animal jump before the arrow hits, it happens all the time. The only other excuse for this would be maybe they see the arrow before it hits? Either way they most certainly do jump at times, and its not just coincidence.

[Gutpile]

 

[Wanttohuntmore]

I will bite.  Last year I was practicing out to 80 yards with field points, and was getting groups into a 10 inch circle at that range, consistantly.  Mind you that's with no wind, no caffeine, non-moving target, and no adrenaline.  That said, I have passed on bulls at 50 yards because I felt too much could go wrong.  Broadheads do strange things at distance, and for that reason and respect of the animal, I try to get close.  Last think anyone wants is a wounded, lost elk.  Course who am I to talk, I missed one at 13 yards.....