338EdgeMan Report post Posted January 15, 2012 I am new to archery hunting and I absolutely love it. I was wondering what range you veteran archers feel is ethical to harvest big game in Arizona(Mainly mule deer and elk). Can you shoot a hunting bow at ranges from 60yds to 100yds accurately? And if you are accurate does a broadhead have the kinetic energy at those ranges to perform? If one can put the practice in multiple times a week are these ranges possible? And if so what wieght arrow, fletching type, bow sight, draw weight do you guys have luck with? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billrquimby Report post Posted January 15, 2012 Before I dropped a truck on my arm during my desert sheep hunt, when I still could draw a bow, my self-imposed maximum distance for shooting arrows at javelinas was the length of a pickup. This was before everyone had compound bows with sights, and that was as far as I could be sure of hitting anything at least once out of every three or four shots. I lost a lot of arrows, even at that, but I had fun. Bill Quimby Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elpepe25 Report post Posted January 15, 2012 assuming you have a chrono, shoot arrows through it at various ranges to determine K.E. at said distances. Exactly like bullets, heavy resists wind and maintains k.e. better. Fixed blades penetrate better. As for determining max range, its between you and you conscience. The way i determine is being able to hold a group the size of the vitals of the critter im going after under field conditions with broadheads. to be able to deliver consistanly one must treat it like match rifle shooting. You need match grade equipment, tuning, and "ammo," not shelf garbage. quality fita shooters can hold amazing groups at 90m in the wind w/ recurves. It takes an immense amount of work, both with equipment and form to achieve this. The big thing is develop your skills and equipment and be honest with yourself, just like anything else. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elkaholic Report post Posted January 15, 2012 I'm just gonna sit back and enjoy the show - ethical type posts can be quite entertaining. It might be easier if you just search the archives for these same type discussions - but I'll get the popcorn popper ready - just in case! i prefer shots less than 40 with 50 as my limit. If at all possible 25 or less is best for me! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azslim Report post Posted January 15, 2012 Let your conscious be your guide. Would you HONESTLY feel competent at 60 yds? If you "think" you can make the shot you probably shouldn't release the arrow. I have friends that shoot better groups at 80 than I do at 40, and mine aren't too bad. I strive for 1" groups per 10 yds, so at 60 yds if I can put 6 arrows into 6" I will feel confident about the shot. If I'm not shooting up to snuff then I won't shoot past 50, or whatever range I'm getting my "inch" groups. Hunters for the most part don't have an audience watching them, so it is up to them to be honest with themselves. A simple test I would tell the kids in my Hunter Ed classes - "would you be proud to tell your Grandma about your actions?" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted January 15, 2012 Good advice azslim..... You need to find out how you and your equipment shoot at the various distances and then make a personal determination about what is ethical for you. My comfortable shooting range is up to about 45 yards, but with more practice and perhaps a faster bow, I am confident I could shoot decent groups at longer distances. It's all a matter of how good you are with the equipment you have. Wounding an animal and losing it is one of my worst fears, so I pass on a lot of shots others might take. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues 'n' Sheep Report post Posted January 15, 2012 That is a very case-by-case question... all hunters and all equipment is not created equal. I have made one shot kills on moving coues out to 45 yds... however my hunting partner who shoots 10x more arrows a year than I do will not take a moving shot period, even at 20 yds or less... I base my effective rang on many things, durring any given hunt... how much did I practice, how good is this bow vs. the last, are my sights good enough to allow me to aim small down range and do I have enough pins to shoot down range, what animal am I hunting and will the equipment(speed,broadhead,arrow,kinetic energy)deliver the penitration that is required to dispatch this animal. Reguardless of gear and tallent here are some rules that I live by as a starting MAX range in PERFECT conditions: Mulies.......90 yds or less Antelope....110 yds or less Coues........60 yds or less Elk..........60 yds or less Pigs.........60 yds or less Turkey.......30 yds or less But those are my MAX IF EVERYTHING is PERFECT... the practice, the hunting conditions, the gear, etc. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coach Report post Posted January 16, 2012 This just comes down to what YOUR abilities are, IMO. I've been bow hunting for 20+ years and my personal "comfort zone" is right around 50 yards. Beyond that there are situations I would take a shot but it would have to be absolutely perfect. I know a few guys that can make much longer shots in hunting situations, but because of their experience they seldom have to. These are guys who can put a group of broadheads in a foam target at 90 to 120 yards that look like a 35-50 yard grouping for most of us. A big factor is the actual amount of movement a live animal can and will exhibit from the time of release to the point of impact, even if they aren't startled. A single step or turn that changes the angle of their body can make the difference between a perfect hit and a marginal one, and that is if you do your part perfectly and hit exactly where you are aiming. One of the best indicators is what you feel at the time you are ready to release the arrow. If you KNOW where the shot will be, you are probably in your comfort zone. If you HOPE you hit, you are definatly outside of it. If there is a "rule of thumb" I would say it is to find where you can fit 5 broadheads inside 8 inches standing, kneeling, out of a blind, through the mesh if that's how you are hunting, and most importatnly, breathing heavy (I know a guy who would run around his house several times and do pushups while shooting his bow to mimic the feel of an actual stalk), and set that as your absolute outside maximum distance. The difference between what you can do with targets, fully relaxed and in your comfort zone compared to how your body reacts to a real hunting situation is huge, and very often overlooked. I have seen time and time again, guys who shoot target and 3D extremely well at long range, completely blow easy shots under hunting situations. I think a reasonable, albeit exaggerated analogy is that of a video game player or paint baller in a combat situation. Practice is great and it gives you a baseline idea of what your abilities are, but until are in that situation, you have no idea how well you will be able to perform. You might put 4 arrows in 4 inches at 40 yards in your back yard all day, but when your heart is pumping, you are full of adreneline and you have to hold at full draw for what seems like forever because a live animal is nothing like the 3D targets you are used to, and you have choose the right 1/2 second to release, are you really as sure of your shot as you are under perfect practice conditions? Work more on stalking skills to close that gap so that when you do release an arrow, it's a slam dunk. I know, easier said than done, but until you've been on a blood trail that peters out on what you thought was a great shot, it's really hard to describe the sinking feeling that you probably just killed an animal you won't recover. It's a sucky feeling and will likely have you up nights replaying the moment over and over. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sjvcon Report post Posted January 16, 2012 Just start target shooting a lot ... you'll figure out where you are comfortable. Conditions in the field at the time of the shot will be as important in determining your maximum distance at that time and place as your skill in ideal conditions. I tend to keep my max shots at about 45-50 yards as a rule of thumb. That is just my personal preference. I can hit targets consistently a heck of a lot farther than that ... I just don't choose to take those shots in the field ... too many variables in my opinion. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gearsnagger Report post Posted January 16, 2012 That is a very case-by-case question... all hunters and all equipment is not created equal. I have made one shot kills on moving coues out to 45 yds... however my hunting partner who shoots 10x more arrows a year than I do will not take a moving shot period, even at 20 yds or less... I base my effective rang on many things, durring any given hunt... how much did I practice, how good is this bow vs. the last, are my sights good enough to allow me to aim small down range and do I have enough pins to shoot down range, what animal am I hunting and will the equipment(speed,broadhead,arrow,kinetic energy)deliver the penitration that is required to dispatch this animal. Reguardless of gear and tallent here are some rules that I live by as a starting MAX range in PERFECT conditions: Mulies.......90 yds or less Antelope....110 yds or less Coues........60 yds or less Elk..........60 yds or less Pigs.........60 yds or less Turkey.......30 yds or less But those are my MAX IF EVERYTHING is PERFECT... the practice, the hunting conditions, the gear, etc. I have the same sticker on the on the inside of my compound limb!LOL Mulies.......90 yds or less Antelope....110 yds or less Coues........60 yds or less Elk..........60 yds or less Pigs.........60 yds or less Turkey.......30 yds or less Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues 'n' Sheep Report post Posted January 16, 2012 That is a very case-by-case question... all hunters and all equipment is not created equal. I have made one shot kills on moving coues out to 45 yds... however my hunting partner who shoots 10x more arrows a year than I do will not take a moving shot period, even at 20 yds or less... I base my effective rang on many things, durring any given hunt... how much did I practice, how good is this bow vs. the last, are my sights good enough to allow me to aim small down range and do I have enough pins to shoot down range, what animal am I hunting and will the equipment(speed,broadhead,arrow,kinetic energy)deliver the penitration that is required to dispatch this animal. Reguardless of gear and tallent here are some rules that I live by as a starting MAX range in PERFECT conditions: Mulies.......90 yds or less Antelope....110 yds or less Coues........60 yds or less Elk..........60 yds or less Pigs.........60 yds or less Turkey.......30 yds or less But those are my MAX IF EVERYTHING is PERFECT... the practice, the hunting conditions, the gear, etc. I have the same sticker on the on the inside of my compound limb!LOL Mulies.......90 yds or less Antelope....110 yds or less Coues........60 yds or less Elk..........60 yds or less Pigs.........60 yds or less Turkey.......30 yds or less They make a sticker??? Where do I get one??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jamaro Report post Posted January 16, 2012 I have a different spin on this.. You asked can people shoot accurately and do modern bows have enough KE or MO at so called longer distances.. And that answer is yes a modern bow can probably generate enough KE and MO to kill out to 150 yards... I would need to run your numbers thru AA to get a exact distances BUT the problem is that we aren't punching paper... It all depends on the animal and the situation... There are no absolutes.(I have always wanted to use the I and the B heheh ) I know it might sound like a crummy answer but it just depends on the situation and what you feel comfortable with. Once you let that arrow go there is no taking it back so just be prepared for the good and the bad... Jason PS... For me I also think that there for Coues Deer you can be too close... those little turds can really jump a string.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snapshot Report post Posted January 17, 2012 I have heard stories of people taking animals at 100 yards.If someone can consistently, and accurately, hit targets at that range, then good for them. I can't. My comfort range is 60 yards on a good day. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
338EdgeMan Report post Posted January 17, 2012 Thanks for the responses. Sure doesnt seem to be an abslolute science for the longer shots. I will stick to my comfort zone which is 55yds and in. I wont take a chance of wounding an animal thats just not what its about. Thank you all again. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjhunt2 Report post Posted January 17, 2012 I take pride in shooting my animals at close range. My comfort range is 20 yrds but I would launch one at 30yrds if the conditions were perfect. I have nothing to say here about the long range shooters but put me in a conversation around a campfire and I would be more than happy to discuss it. TJ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
