Max Yards

[JBar]

Practice out to 80+ but limit my deer shots to 60 under good conditions and elk to 40.

[thorne27]

I am comfortable with 50 yds

[funkster]

40 for me. I practice my calling just as much if not more than actually shooting my bow. I have never killed an animal past 25 yards.

[Whitenuckles]

50-60 depending on conditions.

[wastickslinger]

I have a 60 for practice but 40-50 is my limit.

20 is my limit on ground hogs. 

[brew]

biggest bodied deer I ever shot was an old gray doe ranged at 60 yds....after I gutted her out and dragged her to the road my buddies thought she still had the innerds in her, her chest cavity was that big.  I shot a small 6 pt bull in Manastash one year after I drew an "any" elk tag at 73 yds...hit him low in the lungs and he died on an ATV trail and 5 of us drug him out whole with the game warden watching it all.  A year later shot a pass through double lunger on a cow in the same area at 60 yards....she only went 100 feet before piling up next to a big fir tree.

[PA BEN]

Howard Hill killed an elk at 125yds w/a 100 lb Bamboo Longbow. He had a witness with him, his first arrow fell low, his second arrow went through the boiler.

[Lowedog]

Howard Hill killed an elk at 125yds w/a 100 lb Bamboo Longbow. He had a witness with hem, his first arrow fell low, his second arrow went through the boiler.

And I thought only compound shooters took stupid shots at game...

[let.it.fly]

Just think if the world had a couple hundred Howard Hills...100 yard shots would be the norm.

Then if you consider the fact that this was done with a longbow, the modern compound should easily remain effective out to 200 yards or so.

you my friend are not cool.

[Elkrunner]

It all depends on the setting.  Last year, I took my deer at 65 but everything was perfect.  I would say normally 40-45. 

[wonder]

I agree with some of the stuff everyone is saying here but do believe it is also very dependant on your bow and abilities.  My motto throughout my bowhunting experience is that it's better to not take a shot than to take a bad shot.  Personally 50 yards is the end of my comfort range.  Passed up a shot 2 years ago at a big cow at 50-60 because it didn't feel right.  Slightly broadside with possible brush or little tiny limbs out past 40 yards and she was watching me.  I figured if I didn't miss the shot from a slight variable in the way she would probably have jumped my string because I was shooting an older bow that was noisy.

Last year I gave a father and son a bit of lecturing on opening day of Elk season because they took a bad shot, lost the blood trail and gave up on the animal.  They left saying they had given it their all and were headed to find a new hunting spot.  A bad shot provided the coyotes a good meal that day.  Take the shot you know you can kill the animal with one shot.  Good luck.

[Machias]

It is easy to see why so many folks report finding dead or wounded animals from archery hunters.  It really is a pretty sad state of affairs for the bowhunting community.   

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Just think if the world had a couple hundred Howard Hills...100 yard shots would be the norm.

Then if you consider the fact that this was done with a longbow, the modern compound should easily remain effective out to 200 yards or so.

Please consider that Howard Hill practiced constantly, from an early age, and used very heavy arrows.
Most, (and I say MOST, not all) compound users have lighter arrows to increase their speed, and therefore lose a lot of penetration energy at long distance.
He also hunted at a time where they pretty much flung arrows at every opportunity, they didnt care about "wounding mortality", and considered ANY hit in the main portion of the body fatal.
And did not tell stories of the many times that he missed, or lost an animal that was hit...

It is easy to see why so many folks report finding dead or wounded animals from archery hunters.  It really is a pretty sad state of affairs for the bowhunting community.   .

      It is awesome to remember our heros, but , We are responsible for our future

[let.it.fly]

Just think if the world had a couple hundred Howard Hills...100 yard shots would be the norm.

Then if you consider the fact that this was done with a longbow, the modern compound should easily remain effective out to 200 yards or so.

you my friend are not cool.

NO. I OWULD NEVER HUNT WITH SOMEONE WHO SEEMED PROUD THAT HE TOOK 150 YARD SHOTS AT A DEER AND WHEN ALL WAS SAID AND DONE "IT LOOKED LIKE A PORQUIPINE"... IMHO YOU SHOULDNT BE ALLOWED TO HUNT
We're friends?

[halflife65]

This is a funny argument - it happens 5 or 6 times a year and, in essence, it's the same every time.

It starts out well enough, with some people stating how far they are comfortable shooting and everthing is fine, seems like fairly standard distances, people are saying "it's personal preference and how comfortable you are with your abilities" but then...

"I think that anything over 30 yards is unethical!  I think that the modern compounds are for *censored*es that don't know how to hunt!"

"I shoot 75 yards - if you're going to hunt the west you need to learn how to shoot!  I practice over 18 hours each day!"

Some rifle hunter always chimes in: "I find over 500 animals each year that were wounded by archers and died later.  That's the problem with archery and it gives hunting a bad name!"

A bunch of people get mad and tell each other that they don't know how to hunt, are unethical and have no right to be out in the woods.

Somebody finally shows up and says "As hunters, we all need to remain as one!  We'll all lose our rights if we're divided between groups!"

Some more name calling and finally an admin locks it.  Every time.   (And I'm a bowhunter, by the way.)