mez

40 yards is my limit now. A few years ago would have taken a 50 but I haven't been able to practice for that.

I practice alot at 50 now and am confident at the distance but will hold my shots to 40. When I was comfortable with a shot at 50 a lot of my practicing was at 60 yards. Where I live now I can't routinely shoot at 60. Just the rule that I use for myself.

So therefore no one else should either?

Elkcrazy8

I am shooting a 450 grain arrow with a cut on contact head. My bow is shooting 270 fps. Within 30 yards I can usually get with a yard or so by estimating, but like with this years mule deer I used a range finder to pinpoint 62 yards. I practice this yardage all the time and can group them about the size of a coffee cup by stacking.

I love the 20 yard shot and almost every animal I have killed has been within this range. But with practice, I KNOW I can make the 50 yardshot. But this is up to every individual. You shouldn't take the shot until you KNOW that you can group 10 out of 10 arrows every time in an area the size of the killzone.

I will ONLY take a longer range shot if everything feels perfect. Just before I killed my mule deer this year, I passed on a nice buck at half that distance, it just didn't feel like a good shot selection. Just because an animal is within range, does not mean that you must take the shot either.

Penetration does suffer the farther you are from an animal, thats why I like a medium weight/ heaviershaft for open country hunts and shoot 450 grains and go with a cut on contact head. Lighter setups at the 50-60 yard range will retain less energy that is needed to put em down quick. I hunt some country that does not have enough vegetation to cover your shoes, let alone deflect an arrow. Would I take a 50 yard shot while elk hunting? No I wouldn't,not onlybecause I can't even see that far through the vegetation, but because I am usually shooting through trees and vegetation. Just remember that even with the best of abilities, the environment plays a key role in what justifies a shot or not.

Another key factor in having a heavier arrow is the forgiveness factor. We don't need to get into a big discussion on this thread about forgiveness, please save that for another. But I know that I can shoot a ton more accurate with a heavier, slower arrow. I shoot my indoor marked yardage proelite at 219 fps with a 543 grain arrow, and that bow is much more the tack driver than even my hunting setup. Sure I can still shoot a 300 on a five spotwith 45 or so x's with my hunting bow, but with the slower more forgiving setup I can hit 300 with 50+ x count.

Charlie P derserves a pat on the back for bringing equipment selection into the equation, usually it is far less considered when long range shooting comes into play.

I want toask a question. What is worse? Taking a thouroughly planned out perfect 50 yard shot that you know that you can make, or a rushed poorly chosen 20 yard shot that you think you might have a chance.

I was once a new archer and can tell you that I was so excited for an opportunity that all I wanted to do was shoot and get an arrow in an animal, and I think that it would be safe to say that most have experienced or are experiencing that same thing. I could make shots further than 60 as I have practiced that too, But I limit myself to 60 in the perfect situation. I am a firm beleiver while practicing, to push the limits, find out what you are capable of, and limit yourself short of that to build the confidence that you will need either in the field or on the range. If you know for sure that you can make the shot, you are a heck of alot closer to actualy making the shot.

hockeyhead

Why would you want to shoot that far ?

Elkcrazy8

in country that you can see forever with little or no vegetation it is hard to get super close. There are ways to get close at times, like sitting in a blind when it is over 100 degrees all day long waiting for an antelope to water, or sitting a migration trail during the late mulie hunt shivering uncontrolably. Spot and stalk is a good way to get out and move about, but with that also comes long hard stalks where 40-50 yard shots might be the best you get. If I hunted just whitetail in the hardwoods, I would probably not push myself so hard to extend my range. Until recently, I preached upclose shots, but in the last few years, I started hunting different animals in more open country and found that I could be more effective if I prepared for longer shots. I shoot alot of long distance competitions now and it has come in real handy.

In all the years that I have hunted, I have only wounded 2 animals. They were in my early years and both were under 20 yards.

SharpStickHunter

I sawTed Nugent (on TV, not in person) make a heart shot on an elk at 70 yards in open timber.

When I started archery hunting, my bow had older sights that was not round. It was a rectangular box with a vertical wire, andcross-wires that could be adjusted to various distances. I had them set to 20, 40, 60, 80, & 100 yrds.I practiced daily for 4 months at all distances out to 100 yds and was confident that I could shoot a 10 - 12in. group at 100 yrds, but I decided before I ever started hunting that I wouldn't take a shot farther than 40 yds. My reasoning for learning to shoot longer distances is that if I get an arrow in an animal, and it doesn't drop, and I get a chance for a second shot, then, I would take alonger shot.

First day of elk hunting, 20 minutes after daylight, I was standing, looking across a small brushy draw at a herd of elk at 50 yards with a really nice 5X5 bull looking right at me, and several cows providing perfect broadside shots.I decidedto let them walk away, and continue tracking them and hope for a better shot later rather than take that 50 yd shot. I have since passed on many shots at 40+ yds, where I probably would have made a kill shot, but you have to decide for yourself what you are comfortable shooting.

TFOX

I am shooting a 380 gr arrow 255 fps with 55 ft/lb of ke.

At 60 yards,the arrow is traveling 219 fps with 40 ft/lb ke.

I have had no problems with getting passthroughs at 50 yards on deer with Rocket Steelheads.

Charlie P

I'll add one other thing that really surprised me. A buddy had a range finder one day soI grabbed it and started ranging things I was right on until I was looking uphill and said 48 yards it was 62 yards. It shocked me. If I ever was going to consider taking longer shots I would either play the game I do whild walking through the woods at longer distances.Or buy a range finder. I constantly guess yardages and then walk it off while scouting.

Charlie P

Thanks ElkCrazy.

I think many get fooled into thinking that because they are shooting light and fast that they will get the pentration they need at a long distance,especially if they are using mech heads,for obvious reasons.