Maximum Range for Bow Hunting?

[DEER30]

Hey Y'all, I have been a bow hunter for many years now and my maximum effective range is 40 yards but under ideal conditions I could feel comfortable shooting as far as 50 yards, but conditions rarely ideal. I feel that long range shooting (50 yds +) is a great way to increase your focus and shooting at shorter distances but that it has no place in the deer woods after live game. I wrote a short blog at www.deer30outdoors.com/far-shots-are-long-shots/ that further explains my position on the matter. But what do you think? With today's equipment is this range extended?

[JPH]

Hey Y'all, I have been a bow hunter for many years now and my maximum effective range is 40 yards but under ideal conditions I could feel comfortable shooting as far as 50 yards, but conditions rarely ideal. I feel that long range shooting (50 yds +) is a great way to increase your focus and shooting at shorter distances but that it has no place in the deer woods after live game. I wrote a short blog at http://www.deer30outdoors.com/far-shots-are-long-shots/ that further explains my position on the matter. But what do you think? With today's equipment is this range extended?

In the hands of the right archer, with the proper conditions? Yes. In the hands of the vast majority of the archers in the woods today, under typical hunting conditions? No.

I'm actually glad that today's fast shooting and forgiving bows were not around when I began bow hunting. Back in the day, I limited myself to 20 yards, and even then I was guilty of taking shots I should not have taken. I just didn't have the necessary judgement to carry a hot bow. Kind of like a teenage driver with a sports car. It's an invitation for disaster. Today I shoot a high end bow and make the same groups at 50 yards that I did at 20 yards in 1994. The difference is, today I know better than to shoot at the edge of my skill set.

[kellory]

I am still using the same bow I grew up with, and I have shot targets at 70 yards with it. but my self imposed limit at live game is about 40 yds, with bow and crossbow alike. The variables increase with distance, and the chance of wounding grows too high for me to accept. I will let a questionable shot go, in anything except a survival situation.

[Woods Walker]

The problem with taking long range shots with a bow isn't the accuracy (I will assume that any ethical hunter only takes shots at live game when the game is within his/her persoanl effective range) as much as it's the difficulty is accurately determining what your shot angles/penetration points are under hunting conditions. I don't know about you, but a deer in the woods in cover and shadows for me is difficult to impossible to accurately judge this at ranges more than 25-30 yards. With a firearm you don't even have to think about this, but you sure as heck do with a bow. Misjudging a deer that you think is a standing broadside when in reality it's actually slightly quartering to you is most likely to result in a wounded but unrecovered deer.

It's my personal opinion that it's this factor primarliy that makes bowhunting a short range practice.

[msbadger]

Can't add anything to those answers that would be any better for sure....

[jonny5buck]

Im gonna say that the maximum range is whatever shot you are capable of making a killing shot at and comfrotable and confident with.

If your bow and arrow set-up doesn't allow for enough penetration and energy to kill at 50 than you should never take that shot...if it does and your confident with it and have practiced than it's a judgement call by the hunter alone....

Basicly what im saying is if the weapon and arrow /broadhead are capable of killing the game being hunted at that range and consistent practice and kills have been performed at that range than that hunter has the equipment and skill level to do it and make the call if the conditions dictate to take the shot or not.

For me personally i hunt more often in deep woods /funnels /ridge tops....rarely does a 40 -50 yd shot even come up for me...there is often too much brush and twigs in the way....most of my kills are at 20 or under...i love having deer that close....

I also practice at 50yds when at the outdoor range..it helps me to concentrate on the ''follow thru'' after the shot..i used to punch the shot and drop my bow arm....now target shooting at that range helps my groups for the 20yd and 30yd shot...i would never take the 50yd shot .....mostly because that opt. has never come up any way.......some stands i get one shot/ out one hole /at 15yds/...and im fine with that.

[Nathaniel]

very interesting, added to my favourites thanks

[spearfisher]

Awesome topic. I started bowhunting about 20 years ago. My first bow as a browning something or another. Bottom line deal, shot 220 wtih a overdraw lol. Even with that bow, my best friend and I would target practice at long ranges. We goofed off a lot with our bows. We had 100 yard pins set. We could actually hit the target at that range but it was more or less just "something to do" and no accuracy. We were kids. It most certainly helped me perfect my short range shots though and I quickly became "tight" in my groupings at 40+. I personally will take a shot at 40 but I limit it to that. Even if I saw one at 50 I wouldn't take that shot. 40 is the max I'd feel comfortable with. It's the range I personally "ethically" would draw the line at. I've only had one opportunity to shoot at one at 40 and I was dead on. But it was an ideal shot too. She had no clue, there was no wind and she was very relaxed. I had a perfectly clear shot too. Awesome day. Things have changed a lot since then. Back then I had a 20,30,40 pin. The bow I shoot now is so dang fast, one pin almost makes it to 40.....things change.