bow hunting accuracy

Trekmoor · Post by **Trekmoor** » Sun Sep 16, 2012 3:40 am

In Britain it is against the law to hunt using bows but I am fascinated with that type of hunting. I can find no good info here on types of bow in use for hunting. Do U.S. bow hunters use the more "primitive" types of bows for hunting or do you use the modern types with pulley wheels, sights , balance prods etc. ? After watching the target archery competitions at the Olympics on T.V. I was surprised to see how , even using those most advanced of bows and techniques, the central target area was so often missed at what appeared to be fairly close ranges.

What sort of ranges do bow hunters loose arrows at deer from ? If it is difficult to hit a target on level ground where the perfect shooting stance is easily possible how do bow hunters achieve success ?

Sorry for all these questions on a gundog fora but I don't want to join a bow hunting fora to get some answers since I cannot hunt with a bow anyway !

Bill T.

gotpointers · Post by **gotpointers** » Sun Sep 16, 2012 7:00 am

Most of the guys I know that bowhunt including my kids are shooting the most advanced bows along with the latest and greatest arrows and sights. Many at 60 to 80 yard shots. There is a lot of tracking done after the shot. An arrow slices through rather than impacts like a bullet so even a shot to the vitals takes a while to take effect.
Hers a elk one of my buddies got this month. My son is also bowhunting this season. Hopefully I can show one of his soon.

Post by **kninebirddog** » Sun Sep 16, 2012 7:21 am

Most my shots are with in the 20--30 yard range for the weight i pull and set up for this is what i call the comfort zone...
this is a 25 yard quartering away shot ..this buck went about 60 yards

Post by **ezzy333** » Sun Sep 16, 2012 8:06 am

It has been my experience that most responsible bow-hunters limit their shots to deer standing still and at no more than 30 yards. Most are using the newest and best equipment though there are a few that use the most primitive equipment. The accuracy comes from a lot of practice and we have always used the size of a paper plate as the kill zone so we practice till we can hit that from a given distance and that is the limit of the distance we will shoot. I have always taught that you have to have respect for the animal you hunt, no matter with what, and that means only shooting when there is the greatest chance of hitting your target and a quick death. Bowhunters in my opinion do a better job at that than most gun hunters.

Ezzy

gotpointers · Post by **gotpointers** » Sun Sep 16, 2012 8:53 am

I can see the direction this is headed so i better also state the fact that my buddy's all shoot year round at the 3d shoots and win. Also my kids consistently hit praire dogs at 30 yards with their bows all summer. They can hit a paper plate at 80. It would be silly to bust butt out hunting and not be able to shoot accurate. And of course they would do everything possible to be as close to the animal as they can. A 31 inch draw length and 80 lb pull will sling an arrow fast and flat. Top that off with some spot Hogg 7 pin sights and your speed and accuracy can be in the extreme even at long distances. In N.M a rifled barrel shotgun is useless. We have to shoot far most of the time. The terrain requires it.

wems2371 · Post by **wems2371** » Sun Sep 16, 2012 9:47 am

A few years back, before we got busy with dogs, 3D bowshoots were our thing to do during the summer. I joked that it was like redneck golf for us, with 40 lifelike targets with bullseyes vitals, scoresheets, and friends along to give you a hard time if you missed. Targets are typically in a variety of positions, replicating, shooting down, quartering away, sometimes moving on pulleys, and even getting up in a platform stand. I'd say 95% of folks were shooting compound bows, and maybe 5% or less shooting longbows or recurves.

I have yet to go out to hunt deer, because I'm just not sure emotionally about dropping one, and I surely question my ability to sit in a tree stand for hours.

Taking a bad shot had also been a worry of mine too, but my husband whose put many in the freezer, assures me that you typically aren't shooting over 25-30 yards around here, like mentioned...which yardage-wise is not a hard shot if practiced. I shoot at the men's stake at bowshoots, and I think our biggest shot has been 80 yards, and that's a rare target shot around here.

One of the youngsters in our group (2008).

This is out of the scrapbook, from one of the Rinehart 100's my husband and I have shot. If you like archery, this is a fun shoot. If I remember right--25 Whitetail Replicas, 25 Safari Animals, 25 North American Animals (moose, turkey, bears, etc), and 25 Novelty (dinosaurs, gargoyles, bats, etc). This keeper is the alien from the movie "Alien", and we saved the world that day!

Trekmoor · Post by **Trekmoor** » Sun Sep 16, 2012 10:09 am

Thanks, all I ever get a chance to look at or to do here is target archery and ,personally, it quickly bores me. It would seem all that Robin Hood stuff I was brought up with was a load of absolute rubbish ! I always had an interest in archery and then became interested in bow hunting after reading a couple of books by an American bow hunter. That was 50 years or maybe more ago so I could be wrong about the authors name and the name of one of the books I read back in my early teens. His name was Howard Hill and the book was called "Hunting the Hard Way "..... I think ? He inspired me and since I could not buy them I made my own bow and my own arrows and fletched them. I hunted that way for two years with rabbits, grey squirrels and crows as my targets until I finally discovered that what I was doing was illegal. I can't claim to have hit many of my targets but I greatly enjoyed trying to.

Howard Hill, if that was his name, must have been a very strong man to pull the bows of 120-130 lbs. draw weight he used for big game. I'd like to have met him. I tried a few years ago to get my library to obtain his books for me to read again. It seems our libraries are even banned from keeping them nowadays ! What a crazy country this is ! :roll:

Bill T.

ibbowhunting · Post by **ibbowhunting** » Sun Sep 16, 2012 7:49 pm

the best bows built in the past few years are shooting alot faster than even bows built 10 years ago,which makes them flater shooting which in turn make it easyer to increase your yardage an arrow that used to drop 12'' between 20 and 40 yards may only drop a couple inches shot out of current high end bows, which in turn during a hunting situation makes guessing the proper yardage not as important as in the past.even with the best out there, a good bow hunter must practice alot to even consider a shot of over 50 yards, with the advancements in bow designs,range finders with angle compenson .and alot of other advancements in gear, bowhunters take game at distances twice or three times farther then than the old days of stick and string
as for me, i keep my shots to under 40yds i've made target shots of over 65 yards but would never consider it during a hunt, not that my equipment couldnt make the shot, its only as good as the person holding it

Trekmoor · Post by **Trekmoor** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 3:17 am

I think I'm living in the wrong country ! Don't let the anti's grind you down.

Thanks all

Bill T.

rkappes · Post by **rkappes** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 5:24 am

I used to bow hunt on a regular basis, went to college and that all kind of went out the window. My father still bow hunts a lot. Him and his buddies get together every Tuesday night and shoot together, they have like their own mini league. Even with the advances in bows they rarely end up shooting a deer over 20 yards. For them the norm is 10-15 yards.

I really enjoyed bow hunting because you got to watch animals in their own environment and most of the time they didn't even know you were there. Which is just the opposite for our slug season.

I now hunt deer with one of these, I feel like it's a combination of bow hunting and rifle hunting. Even though these new blackpowder rifles can reach out and touch something, most of the deer that I've shot have been within 30 yards.

View from blind

gotpointers · Post by **gotpointers** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 5:28 am

I talked to my buddies who have more big game bowhunt experiences than I do. They claim an arrow will still pass through as cleanly at 120 yards as cleanly as at 20 yards. This is from an antelope kill at 120 by another one of my friends. They can achieve this only after Many years of practice and I am sure they would be in the "redneck golf HOF" if there was one.

Trekmoor · Post by **Trekmoor** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 6:37 am

The impetus given by the bow must fade with increasing distance from the bow but I don't know at what distance that would seriously hinder an arrows penetration. If what I have read is true the longbow used by the English and Welsh against French armour would penetrate that armour at a distance of perhaps 100 yards when a bodkin arrowhead was used. I think those bows had between a 100 lbs. and 120 lbs. pull ? A lifetime of practising with them left a man mis-shapen.

Bill T.

nikegundog · Post by **nikegundog** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 8:04 am

Trekmoor wrote:The impetus given by the bow must fade with increasing distance from the bow but I don't know at what distance that would seriously hinder an arrows penetration. If what I have read is true the longbow used by the English and Welsh against French armour would penetrate that armour at a distance of perhaps 100 yards when a bodkin arrowhead was used. I think those bows had between a 100 lbs. and 120 lbs. pull ? A lifetime of practising with them left a man mis-shapen.

Bill T.

A friend shot an elk yesterday at 80 yards, went in the front and out the back, his draw weight is 80#.

GrayDawg · Post by **GrayDawg** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 8:09 am

Try bowhunting for Antelope out west and waiting for that "responsible" 20-30 yard shot.
You may be waiting a very, very long time.

Someone else already said it- but I'll reiterate it.......

You shoot at distances that you have proven to be effective at through practice.
Heck, I've passed up 22 yard shots because the animal was on alert, there was high cross wind
and the animal was at a bad angle.

I've also taken (and connected on) shots at 47 yards where the animal was relaxed, there was no
wind and the animal was quartering away- head down & feeding.

Let's not start moralizing with what type of shot a "responsible" bow hunter takes or passes on.
It will just turn into a pissing contest at lightspeed. My point being, the shot one takes with a bow on an animal
is a personal choice that they have to live with. Just like deciding wether or not to drop the string on a particular
animal or not. A personal choice by the hunter whether the animal is worthy to be taken by them on that day under those
conditions given what they've been seeing in terms of movement that day (or period of time).

This isn't something one figures out by reading a book or browsing an internet chatroom. This experience is ascertained by getting out there, understanding theterrain/geography, scouting & learning the herd in the area you plan to hunt & then patterning them. Figure out where they sleep,figure out where they eat and get yourself somewhere in between and you raise your chances significantly of seeing quality
animals at reasonable (for you) distances.

Here's a little guy I took at 25 yards in about a 20mph crosswind. He was quartering away, relaxed and the wind actually helped
conceal the sound of me dropping the string on him. My bow shoots close to 300fps and I can drive tacks out to 45 yards with it.
So I compensated ~2 inches to the left for the wind and put an Easton Axis FMJ 400 right in his boilerroom. He went but 25 yards
and keeled over.

RobW8_smll.JPG

Rob

GrayDawg · Post by **GrayDawg** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 8:13 am

Trekmoor wrote:The impetus given by the bow must fade with increasing distance from the bow but I don't know at what distance that would seriously hinder an arrows penetration. If what I have read is true the longbow used by the English and Welsh against French armour would penetrate that armour at a distance of perhaps 100 yards when a bodkin arrowhead was used. I think those bows had between a 100 lbs. and 120 lbs. pull ? A lifetime of practising with them left a man mis-shapen.

Bill T.

There were also 40+ archers releasing "clouds" of arrows into the air in a general direction with each volley. Alot of these archers were young teenage boys. Try pulling 120 pounds with no let off and tell me how that works out for you! :roll:

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then!

Distance? Yes.
Penetrating power? Yes.
Accurate? No way in Hades !!

Rob

ultracarry · Post by **ultracarry** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 8:19 am

First deer with a bow was 84 yards.

Elk was 54 yards

Third deer was 8 yards.

I shoot out to 110 yards practicing and will shoot at an animal at 100 easily. My bow shoots a 326 grain arrow at 349 fps at 100 yards it produces over 50 pounds of KE and is more than enough to kill an animal at that distance.

Bberry20 · Post by **Bberry20** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 8:28 am

Agreed with all the posts, as long as you practice and know your equipment and your capabilities 100+ shots are not unreasonable.... We have harvested a lot of deer with bows ranging from 10 yds to 75 yds.

bigeyedfish · Post by **bigeyedfish** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 8:36 am

Shots here in the midwest are so different they are hard to compare to shots out west. Here the complications revolve around shot angle out of the tree stand, tree limbs and brush in the way, etc., so short distance shots are the norm. As a result, most bow hunters don't practice beyond about 40 yards. I haven't done much practicing this year because I know the areas I will be hunting make long shots impossible, but in a good year I would be comfortable shooting about 50 yards at a deer in ideal circumstances. If I were planning a trip to bowhunt antelope, I would be practicing about double that distance.

Edit: Regarding the amount of time it takes for an animal to die from an arrow. I shot a deer last year with my bow that ran 12 yards. Two years ago I shot one with a .270 that ran 65 yards. Shot placement was identical. It's hard to predict what's going to happen after the shot.

gotpointers · Post by **gotpointers** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 8:58 am

Thanks guys for sharing. Saved my butt from a feeding frenzy. By the way nice animals, I know you worked hard to get them.

MO_GSP · Post by **MO_GSP** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 10:01 am

I have shot consistently out to 100 yards, however I use a crossbow not a typical compound bow

Post by **slistoe** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 10:04 am

Bowhunting is like any other form of hunting. Shoot at what you are competent at, practice at longer ranges than you would hunt at to develop confidence and skill.
It would be my opinion that the majority of hunters are shooting compound bows, the majority of kills will be made inside of 30 yards. Skilled archers with the confidence and patience will be able to make consistent kills at 80 yards.

ultracarry · Post by **ultracarry** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 12:04 pm

bigeyedfish wrote:Shots here in the midwest are so different they are hard to compare to shots out west. Here the complications revolve around shot angle out of the tree stand, tree limbs and brush in the way, etc., so short distance shots are the norm. As a result, most bow hunters don't practice beyond about 40 yards. I haven't done much practicing this year because I know the areas I will be hunting make long shots impossible, but in a good year I would be comfortable shooting about 50 yards at a deer in ideal circumstances. If I were planning a trip to bowhunt antelope, I would be practicing about double that distance.

Edit: Regarding the amount of time it takes for an animal to die from an arrow. I shot a deer last year with my bow that ran 12 yards. Two years ago I shot one with a .270 that ran 65 yards. Shot placement was identical. It's hard to predict what's going to happen after the shot.

A shot is a shot is a shot. No difference between shooting at a 90 degree agle at a distance of 40 yards in the desert standing on rocks than a treestand at 40 yards besides the one in the tree didn't expend that much effort to get within range.

It all comes down to conditioning, practice, practice, practice and having the confidence to make the shot.

Post by **ezzy333** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 3:31 pm

ultracarry wrote:
bigeyedfish wrote:Shots here in the midwest are so different they are hard to compare to shots out west. Here the complications revolve around shot angle out of the tree stand, tree limbs and brush in the way, etc., so short distance shots are the norm. As a result, most bow hunters don't practice beyond about 40 yards. I haven't done much practicing this year because I know the areas I will be hunting make long shots impossible, but in a good year I would be comfortable shooting about 50 yards at a deer in ideal circumstances. If I were planning a trip to bowhunt antelope, I would be practicing about double that distance.

Edit: Regarding the amount of time it takes for an animal to die from an arrow. I shot a deer last year with my bow that ran 12 yards. Two years ago I shot one with a .270 that ran 65 yards. Shot placement was identical. It's hard to predict what's going to happen after the shot.
A shot is a shot is a shot. No difference between shooting at a 90 degree agle at a distance of 40 yards in the desert standing on rocks than a treestand at 40 yards besides the one in the tree didn't expend that much effort to get within range.

It all comes down to conditioning, practice, practice, practice and having the confidence to make the shot.

I would agree with this if you change the word confidence to ability.

Ezzy

ultracarry · Post by **ultracarry** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 4:48 pm

Or I could have added it. They usually come hand in hand...

birddogger · Post by **birddogger** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 5:01 pm

I don't bow hunt any more but I did a lot of it 15 to 20 yrs. ago. When I started, I knew nothing about bows but I went to a local pro shop and the owner set me up with one of the more modern bows and accessories of the time. I practiced, practiced and practiced some more for almost a year until I did everything the same way every time without having to think about it. I limited my shots to 25 yards and within that distance, I became as accurate as I would be with a rifle. I was ready for my first bow hunting season. The first month of the season, I spent hours in the woods and moved a portable tree stand around until I felt I had it in a perfect position for the deer I had been scouting. On the last day of the first month of the season, I told my wife and the land owner that I would harvest a deer at 6:00 P.M. that evening. I harvested my first deer with a bow at 6:10 PM. that evening. It was the biggest adrenaline rush I had ever had and I think every deer in the future was just as much a rush as the first one. It is a feeling that words can't describe [at least for me] but it is such a different feeling than gun hunting and I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that you have to put so much more time into it and everything has to come together almost perfectly to be successful. I know I went further than an answer to the original question, but I couldn't resist sharing that first hunt with a bow!!

Charlie

Johng918 · Post by **Johng918** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 5:54 pm

ultracarry wrote:First deer with a bow was 84 yards.

Elk was 54 yards

Third deer was 8 yards.

I shoot out to 110 yards practicing and will shoot at an animal at 100 easily. My bow shoots a 326 grain arrow at 349 fps at 100 yards it produces over 50 pounds of KE and is more than enough to kill an animal at that distance.

You have over 50 pounds KE at 100 yards with a 326 grain arrow? Thats not total arrow weight?What kind of setup do you have?

ultracarry · Post by **ultracarry** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 7:15 pm

I shoot a Elite GTO, 29 inch draw, 76 pounds, victory HV 350 arrows (total weight with 100grain tip is 326). The bow also has a 7 inch brace height.

Post by **ezzy333** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 8:29 pm

birddogger wrote:I don't bow hunt any more but I did a lot of it 15 to 20 yrs. ago. When I started, I knew nothing about bows but I went to a local pro shop and the owner set me up with one of the more modern bows and accessories of the time. I practiced, practiced and practiced some more for almost a year until I did everything the same way every time without having to think about it. I limited my shots to 25 yards and within that distance, I became as accurate as I would be with a rifle. I was ready for my first bow hunting season. The first month of the season, I spent hours in the woods and moved a portable tree stand around until I felt I had it in a perfect position for the deer I had been scouting. On the last day of the first month of the season, I told my wife and the land owner that I would harvest a deer at 6:00 P.M. that evening. I harvested my first deer with a bow at 6:10 PM. that evening. It was the biggest adrenaline rush I had ever had and I think every deer in the future was just as much a rush as the first one. It is a feeling that words can't describe [at least for me] but it is such a different feeling than gun hunting and I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that you have to put so much more time into it and everything has to come together almost perfectly to be successful. I know I went further than an answer to the original question, but I couldn't resist sharing that first hunt with a bow!!

Charlie

I have to agree with all you have said. Becoming part of nature rather than just observing it and the climax of shooting and tracking the deer till it drops and finally seeing it laying there several yars in front of you is something many people will never feel. A very rewarding but terribly humbling experience.

Ezzy

DogNewbie · Post by **DogNewbie** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 8:45 am

Anyone every hear of people pheasant hunting with a bow? I haven't talk to the guy personally, but a friend of a friend supposedly has become strictly a bow hunter for pheasant. Thought that sounded strange, but I guess he gets them.

Trekmoor · Post by **Trekmoor** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 4:19 pm

Hunting pheasants with a bow shouldn't be too difficult, there's plenty of folk hunt them here with bows, with crossbows and with catapults ............ we call them "poachers !"

Bill T.

Johng918 · Post by **Johng918** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 6:13 pm

ultracarry wrote:I shoot a Elite GTO, 29 inch draw, 76 pounds, victory HV 350 arrows (total weight with 100grain tip is 326). The bow also has a 7 inch brace height.

I got to shoot a GTO a few years ago have wanted one ever since.

Brittlver · Post by **Brittlver** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 6:13 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilD5ZoDjlOs

He finally hits one at 3:30.

gotpointers · Post by **gotpointers** » Wed Sep 19, 2012 1:39 am

Here is another buddy of mine and his mule deer from earlier this month. He's the one who can consistently and accurately hit anything at long distances.

bigeyedfish · Post by **bigeyedfish** » Wed Sep 19, 2012 7:56 am

ultracarry wrote:
bigeyedfish wrote:Shots here in the midwest are so different they are hard to compare to shots out west. Here the complications revolve around shot angle out of the tree stand, tree limbs and brush in the way, etc., so short distance shots are the norm. As a result, most bow hunters don't practice beyond about 40 yards. I haven't done much practicing this year because I know the areas I will be hunting make long shots impossible, but in a good year I would be comfortable shooting about 50 yards at a deer in ideal circumstances. If I were planning a trip to bowhunt antelope, I would be practicing about double that distance.

Edit: Regarding the amount of time it takes for an animal to die from an arrow. I shot a deer last year with my bow that ran 12 yards. Two years ago I shot one with a .270 that ran 65 yards. Shot placement was identical. It's hard to predict what's going to happen after the shot.
A shot is a shot is a shot. No difference between shooting at a 90 degree agle at a distance of 40 yards in the desert standing on rocks than a treestand at 40 yards besides the one in the tree didn't expend that much effort to get within range.

It all comes down to conditioning, practice, practice, practice and having the confidence to make the shot.

I'm not implying that shots from a treestand are easier or more difficult than shots from the ground in more open terrain. I'm just saying the two shots are different. I completely agree with your last sentence.

deke · Post by **deke** » Wed Sep 19, 2012 3:26 pm

I have been bowhunting the last few years, and i can shoot groups of about two inches at seventy yards. I would NEVER dream of shooting at a animal at a hundred yards, or even seventy for that matter. There is way to much to go wrong, and i am not the kind of guy to take a fu3k it kind of shot. The farthest I have taken a shot at a deer was 38 yards, and that was a mule deer. Maybe it is different for other guys shooting mech broadheads, but fixed there is no way you should be shooting out that far.

Post by **slistoe** » Wed Sep 19, 2012 4:37 pm

deke wrote:I have been bowhunting the last few years, and i can shoot groups of about two inches at seventy yards. I would NEVER dream of shooting at a animal at a hundred yards, or even seventy for that matter. There is way to much to go wrong, and i am not the kind of guy to take a fu3k it kind of shot. The farthest I have taken a shot at a deer was 38 yards, and that was a mule deer. Maybe it is different for other guys shooting mech broadheads, but fixed there is no way you should be shooting out that far.

That's the thing - because you can or can't has no bearing on whether the other guy is right or wrong. I can shoot pretty accurate at 1000 yards with my rifle. I have taken many deer in the 450-500 yard range. I would not dream of telling some other fellow that he was wrong if he has shown competence at 900 yard shots on game. By the same token there are folks out there who shouldn't be attempting 50 yard shots at game with their rifle. With a bow I would never try a 40 yard shot myself, but I know some folks who have made consistent kills at 70+ yards. Because I can't/won't certainly does not make it wrong for them, and for my wife who is starting to bow hunt she has determined that 25 yards will be her limit till her skill and confidence increase.

deke · Post by **deke** » Wed Sep 19, 2012 5:26 pm

I would love to see the video of someone shooting 100 plus yards with a fixed broadhead, and hitting a eight inch group. It wont happen, your bow would have to be perfectly tuned. zero wind, and you would have to be rock steady. I have made shots at 100 yards for fun out in my field, so i know it is possible to do, but that is completely unethical no matter how you spin it.

birddogger · Post by **birddogger** » Wed Sep 19, 2012 6:55 pm

ezzy333 wrote:
birddogger wrote:I don't bow hunt any more but I did a lot of it 15 to 20 yrs. ago. When I started, I knew nothing about bows but I went to a local pro shop and the owner set me up with one of the more modern bows and accessories of the time. I practiced, practiced and practiced some more for almost a year until I did everything the same way every time without having to think about it. I limited my shots to 25 yards and within that distance, I became as accurate as I would be with a rifle. I was ready for my first bow hunting season. The first month of the season, I spent hours in the woods and moved a portable tree stand around until I felt I had it in a perfect position for the deer I had been scouting. On the last day of the first month of the season, I told my wife and the land owner that I would harvest a deer at 6:00 P.M. that evening. I harvested my first deer with a bow at 6:10 PM. that evening. It was the biggest adrenaline rush I had ever had and I think every deer in the future was just as much a rush as the first one. It is a feeling that words can't describe [at least for me] but it is such a different feeling than gun hunting and I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that you have to put so much more time into it and everything has to come together almost perfectly to be successful. I know I went further than an answer to the original question, but I couldn't resist sharing that first hunt with a bow!!

Charlie
I have to agree with all you have said. Becoming part of nature rather than just observing it and the climax of shooting and tracking the deer till it drops and finally seeing it laying there several yars in front of you is something many people will never feel. A very rewarding but terribly humbling experience.

Ezzy

Terribly humbling is dead on. Before I shot that first deer, at one point I was so shaky and feeling so weak, I wondered if I was going to be able to draw the bow and it never got much better with experience.

bigeyedfish · Post by **bigeyedfish** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 8:19 am

deke wrote:I have been bowhunting the last few years, and i can shoot groups of about two inches at seventy yards.

You should have been in the Olympics. Two inches at 70 yards?

ultracarry · Post by **ultracarry** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 11:17 am

deke wrote:I would love to see the video of someone shooting 100 plus yards with a fixed broadhead, and hitting a eight inch group. It wont happen, your bow would have to be perfectly tuned. zero wind, and you would have to be rock steady. I have made shots at 100 yards for fun out in my field, so i know it is possible to do, but that is completely unethical no matter how you spin it.

Ethics are dependent upon each individuals views, therefore your ethical standpoint is not something you should not try to press upon others. I think its not fair to hunt from a treestand but ill be darned if I tell someone its not ethical to do so. I say if you feel comfortable doing so then do it. If you can sleep at night knowing you can make the shot, replay it over and over, have the ability, consistency, and equipment to do so with then let it fly.

I was at camp in Colorado and someone told me i should never make that long shot. After a discussion I put a Target out at their comfortable range and had them shoot a worthless group at 40 yards. Walked the Target out to 100 and stuck a 3 arrow group in a 6 inch diameter circle (two were touching and one was six inches away). He said something about never seeing that before. I guess until you open your mind then it really doesn't matter until you see it for yourself.

It went as far as a story of me killing an animal was sent to the rep of a broadhead company. They changed the story and distance to say I shot the animal 10 yards closer than I did.... I didn't complain because I got a lot of free gear but kinda scratched my head at it.

dakotashooter2 · Post by **dakotashooter2** » Mon Oct 08, 2012 12:05 pm

The issue I have with the long range shots is that the odds of a problem increase with every yard you add. No matter how practiced you are. Even with a fast bow the difference in time of flight between a 20 yards shot and a 100 yard shot can mean missing the vitals by a foot rather than inches on an animal that moves. I have shot 55lbs all my life. Not because I can't draw more but because I can draw that weight under every conceivable condition with very little movement. Which is particularly important when you are stillhunting on the ground and commonly encounter deer at ranges so close you wonder if they can hear your heart beat. Flat shooting bows are great but there are some things they CAN"T do. Like arc an arrow over a deadfall into the vitals of a target that otherwise were covered from a straight shot. Also dispite the new matterials bows are made of they are somewhat heavy. Thats fine for sitting in the stand but for some styles of hunting lighter is better. There is also a lot of junk on modern bows...more things to make noise or to have to silence and more things to break. A sightless bow may not be as pinpoint accurate but can generally be shot under many conditions a sighted bow cannot...like low light.

Not sure why the Brits don't allow bowhunting. I suspect views on sportsmanship and poaching may be the objection. It may be (falsely) interpreted that since an animal does not always drop on the shot that it is not a humane death. Regardless bows are effective and deadly tools.

The fact that many hunters feel the need to shoot at 80-100 yards is more a testament to the NEED to be successful than the skill and ability to get close to game. To each their own.