Home › Forums › Campfire Forum › Your Maximum Yardage
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hey everyone just wondering what your maximum effective yardage is, meaning that you can put lets say 4 out of 5 arrows in the area of a deers vitals!?
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The answer that Im gonna give you is probably not the one yer looking for… and its my attempt at beating around a prickly bush. 😯 😉
I have bow hunted for deer and elk for 25 years, (small game for much longer than that,) but it has only been the last 5 years that I have been toten around traditional equipment. My Uncle always said that “When hunting… you should only take shots at animals that are half the distance that you normally practice at.” (I.E., If I practice at 40 yards… I shouldn’t be taking shots at any animals in the field that are more than 20 yards away.) For the most part… I have done pretty well at sticking to this self imposed rule. 🙄
So, with THAT said… I feel comfortable telling you that when Im standing in the shade, in my back-yard, wearing my bermuda shorts, flip-flops’, and “Class of 85” tank-top. My German Sheppard laying by my side, methodically chewing on her bone, with the odor of fried chicken and corn on the cob drifting out the kitchen window. And no one else is around to interfere with my concentration… I feel pretty darn good with my abilities out to 30 yards.
And… provided that I stick to my Uncles advice… Im not planning on taking any shots (this season,) that are more than about 15 yards… maybe 20. I feel very confident that if I stick to this rule… I will be well within my effective range.
But Buddy!!!… If the fried chicken is on… LOOK OUT!!! 😀 😀 😀 😆 😆 😆
Take care!
Donnie
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Actually that was pretty close to what I was looking for. I actually have a rule that I perticularly like very much, I think that the poundage of your bow divided in half is as far as you should ethically be taking shots. Now this rule seems to be true for traditional equipment, becuase these days compounds can be 20 pounds and 200 fps, but that is a whole different story. Anyway, for me my maximum effective yardage(using my rule) is 27.5 yards because I have a 55# bow. Its a pretty simple formula, and it just happeneds that as long as your form stays true(this next observation is just off the way my freinds and I have been shooting), it seems that with different poundage bows that formulas maximum yardage is close if not exact to the yardage you feel maxed out at.
This is not to say that a guy with a 40# bow can not shoot good groups at 40 yards but most of the time that is how it is. Another little tibit, if you can not controll the bow, like for example my 70# bow which I can not yet really controll, then you probably will not shoot well enough to have that far of a maximum yardage. Just more ideas for others to bounce off!!!! -
typically, my maximum practice range averages about 30 yards, but at 30 yards, because i don’t get a lot of opportunity to practice at this distance, my body isn’t comfortable compensating for the range, and therefore my shots consistently hit below my focus point. because of this, i generally don’t take shots that are more than 25 yards, and generally closer to 20 yards….this is a distance i can consisently shoot tight groups with only an occasional flyer…
Michael
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“Prickly” question …INDEED! 😆
As I read the replies and give this thought, I realize two things.
The FIRST is this:
I am pleased, yet not surprised, at the replies so far. I know many of you realize what a torrent, and types, of replies a LOT of the sites would get on this!Ones like “I can shoot XY yards all day long at the deer 3D target with 85 percent in the kill zone!!” or some such BS. Attempting to even disuss the comparison of 3D target shooting and hunting living, breathing creatures of nature has, in the past, been an act of frustrated futility.
Such attitudes are WHY I no longer post on those same sites. Am I a better hunter? Probably not, yet I have and always will refrain from portraying our sport as a “long range” endeavor.I wish to take this momemt to tip my worn old cap to those of you that have the deserved respect for your chosen quarry and limit yourselves to shots WELL within your practiced range. I am proud to hear your replies and appreciate them greatly!
While HH and MANY other much more proficient shooters and obviously CALMER hunters have proved time and time again that longer shots “work”, it is fact that the average day Joe trad hunter shouldn’t do so unless they have diligently practiced those ranges and have ice water running through their veins. There ARE obviously some here. I mean NO OFFENSE to those posting photos of any species taken at 35 yards or so! Should you be ABLE to CONSISTANTLY take such shots succeesfully and not have wounded , or worse LOST, animals I will be the first to be awed and offer my congratulations!
I did years ago, but hopefully never will again, cleanly take deer up to 42 yards. Knock on wood, Ive never lost one doing so,(my single LOST DEER was at 10 YARDS!! Food for thought there!) yet I DID make shots that were NOT what I would consider “well placed” regardless of the fact that I killed the animal!
As I’ve aged, I’ve joined the ranks of David Petersen’s persuasion with a distaste for “slow killed meat”. Anything still on it’s feet after 30 seconds is a HORROR to me, complete with urgings to break off the closest willow switch for deserved self-inflicted penance!!
This brings me to the SECOND thing, of the two, that I realized while reading this thread…my OWN Maximum Yardage.
I honestly dont KNOW what that would be.
It’s NOT the distance from me alone that I use to determine if I should take the shot.
Since I shoot like most of you, that of “instinctively”, I simply HAVE NO CLUE how far the animal is. 😯 It is “in range” …or not, and I can tell you I’ve taken LONGER shots on days where I somehow remained calm and concentrated and Ive PASSED UP shots at 15 yards…just because I was “shaken up” too much to shoot!
Not only is my personal condition a major factor there is an added one that I find is a reason rarely discussed, and since I feel it quite noteworthy, I wish to bring it up here.
That fact is the one of the SATISFACTION I get of being able to use what woodsmanship I have struggled to achieve to be able to get EVEN CLOSER.
If I could pass this feeling on to new traditional hunters, they would be hooked for life!
Not only am I considering if the shot is possible, I also judge my odds of moving in, ever so slowly, for the closest shot I can get.
No longer a treestand user unless, on a RARE occasion, I should find some “unhuntable” monster buck that simply offers no other option, I have taken to using ground “blinds” and still hunting.
My shots average MUCH closer now than when hunting from a tree stand and the excitement and satisfaction of EVERY kill has grown ten fold!
My most memorable hunts ended in long, heart pounding stalks in thunderstorms, snow storms, windy days and ONE in a warm October afternoon in bright sunshine that ended in a successful shots taken UNDER 10 yards.
I get “busted” more often than not, yet even those hunts bring a satisfied smile to my face and often a good laugh at the expression on the deer’s face discovering me “in their livingroom”.
So, back on subject……my maximum yardage would then be…..as close as I can get and feel I can make the shot. I cannot, respectfully, give that shot a “number” in distance.
God Bless!
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Steve, well said.
I used to regularly shoot at 2 bails that were 50 yards apart. I would stand by one and shoot, pull arrows and shoot back. I I know at that time I could kill a deer at 50 yards if everything was right…but that is a big “if”. I dont know what my effective yardage is. I think I am shooting 30 yards right now. I like to get em closer than that.
One of the things I teach folks coming from the compound is when you go traditional you will become a better hunter because you have to. You have to get closer to what you are hunting. Last year I missed 4 or 5 deer ( who’s counting besides me 😀 ) and I have not missed that many deer since I went traditional in the late 90’s. I have killed around 20-25 deer and a few rabbits, skwirls, coons and a couple possums with trad equipment. The longest was about 20 yards and most around 10.
I wont knock someone who can take the long shot. That is a part of hunting ethics I believe belongs to the individual and can be decided by them alone. I have deep respect for the one who saw a big boy just out of the comfort zone and let him walk rather than try to “stick em” tho.
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Well for fun I shoot up to 50 yards sometimes for practice. But in the field hunting I like them 20 yards or less, the closer the better. If they are over 25 yards, I let them walk. But now on a squirrel I might try a 50 yard shoot for fun.
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I like what I am seeing, I think that is what makes us unique, we all have different perspectives, when I go to the local club to attend at 3D shoot the compound guys feel like they are missing out if they dont have a 90 yard pin(overexagerated in most cases) but thats what i like about the traditional community, we try to find ways to get closer when all others are trying to make there equipment go farther!
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I can only answer in one way: “It depends!” On what? all kinds of things… The species of animal, time of day, weather, tracking conditions, terrain, how I felt when I got out of bed that morning. I occasionally take 35-40 yard shots at big game when everything feels just right, but am more likely to pass up shots at 15 yards when they don’t. The trick is to shoot your bow enough and to spend enough time in the field that you “know”, without any conscious estimation of yardage. As a general rule though, if you have to ask yourself if it’s too far, it probably is. Don
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I will second Don’s answer “It depends”. Personally I lose focus shooting at targets, yet while stump shooting I will at times suprise myself with great shots. Yardage is not a magic number for me I have to be able to come to full draw and feel the shot. If it doesn’t feel right I will let down. All that being said the majority of my shots are probably under 20 yards.
Rogue
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I am there also. I like to keep my shots within 20 yards, but not too close. To say I would not take a 25 or 30 yard shot… all I can say is.. it depends. I practice out to 30 yards quite often, and have the confidence to do so. But like everyone else.. the closer the better.
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I love to see the arrow fly. Golf shooting does it for me.
When hunting I try to keep it 20 or under. But if it is right, I defer to Don’s post. -
While I rarely take shots over 25 yards in the field, the results of those I have taken have been pretty darn good… which probably just reflects the fact that I was “in the zone” when I took them. On the other hand, I’ve made some embarrassing misses at very close range and there’s a funny anecdote about that coming up in the magazine soon. Point is, yardage is just one component of the often complex decision about whether or not to take the shot. And as always, if in doubt, wait for the situation to get better… Don
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I didn’t try to keep any records during the first 25 years I bowhunted but, in the 25 years since, the average range across the last 620 some-odd big game animals that I do have written record for has been just under 16 yards. Over 85% have been at 20 yards or less. I like to put the challenge of my yardage limits in a different light; can I get close enough that I have to choose between shoot’n it or pet’n it!
Ed
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While conditions & circumstances may shorten it up at times you asked for maximum effective range, & I consider mine to be around 30 yds.
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My optimum, not maximum, range would be 20yds, the majority of all shots at game has been at that range or under, that is, of course by design. The furthest shot, now starting my 35th year as a bow hunter, at game has been 39 paces. It was a shot I felt totally confident with as conditions,to me at least were good, Broadside, some what alert, but not quite sure, and standing in the open with a corn field as a backdrop. I practice, again under perfect conditions out to 40 yds with the majority of practice at the optimum 20yds. I feel one is always faced with difficult shots in the feild. Being prepared to meet that challenge, by practicing the situations you might face is what it takes to be prepared to take that not so perfect shot and succeed. Being confidence in your abilities through proper practice, cnfident being the key word. Or, as my Son’s baseball coach once said “practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect play.” Crash 87
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just curious how big was the bow you took a fourty yard shot with?
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o okay thats impressive, I have always wondered what my 55# recurve would do, I’m acurate enough to kill a deer at fourty yards but was always afraid to take that long of a shot because I wasnt sure if it would penetrate enough. Another question, what type of broadhead? And Arrow?
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I normally like to see the deers eyelashes before I shoot, 5 to 8 yards I would guess. I some times shoot farther if conditions are good, and the deer is not alert. I would guess the maximum is about 15-18 yards. I once shot a doe that was about 8 yards, the wind was blowing hard and she was very nervous. The shot was broadside, but she herd the bow and was able to completely turn around, and I hit her in the opposite side/hind quarter. I was very lucky and cut her femoral artery, and she bled out quickly. It was definitly a learning experience, and in the 20 years since I don’t shoot if I suspect the deer is nervous, or aware of my presence. At the time I was shooting a Howatt Hunter recurve that was 65# @ 28″.
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Fifteen yards is my comfort zone, twenty if the shot is perfectly exposed. When it doesn’t feel right, I don’t shoot. A turkey this Spring benefited from that decision.
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wow! some really good and well thought out responses.
i’m in the ‘school’ of “i have no real set limit’ of my distance”
i cannot remember the man’s name, but a few years back, when the martin dynabow was popular, this man was regularly taking game, big game, at 110 yards…he had a 110 yard pin on his bow.
my mentor, the late rube powell, 5 time NFAA champion and avid bowhunter taught me that “you can kill them at 100 yards IF you can hit them properly.”
fred bear, ben pearson, pope and young, art laha, howard hill, jack howard and many others all took game at ‘long distance’…does that mean i will try? not really.
i can’t give an intelligent answer to “how far” is right for me, let alone others. but basically, i feel IF i can place the razor sharp broadhead in the vitals, that’s the distance…
MHO…:wink::D
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Hmm….maximum yardage?…I cant tell for sure what mine is at the moment, but I can tell you what it have to be in order for me to go bowhunting!
I live in Denmark were it is neccesary to pass a test (theroretical as well as practical) in order to get a bowhunting license. The practical part consists of getting 5 out of 6 arrows within the “vital zone” of a red deer (aka Roedeer….about half the size of a whitetail i belive) at ca. 27 yrds (25 meters). The vital zone is about the size of a hand with spread fingers…
So thats what my “maximum” yardage have to be….no problem with my compound, but not easy at all with my recurve! Now I have yet to shot an arrow at a living target….but belive me the bowhunting test, which can only be attended twice a year, is NOT like backyard shooting at all.
Right now I think I would feel comfortable with shooting at live game at 15-18 yrds…this will hopefully increase gradually until I try my “luck” at the test next year;-)
Cheers from Denmark
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wow that is crazy, although probably somewhat accurate because the stress you would be put under would be close to a bowhunting situation, There is no dout in my mind that if that was the restrictions here in the states I would make myself be able to do it, not sure if I was placed in that situation right now I could do it but I would train untill i could. Unfortunatly I know of quite a few people in my area who would not pass that test!
Your right about the size difference, but I have one question, And I think it is obvious, but you must pass the test with the bow you are going to hunt with right? So you will not be able to hunt with your recurve untill you pass the test with it, and is that twice a year per bow or per person? -
Yeah…the license is for bow types, i.e compound, recurve or longbow, with or without sights (or any combination of the mentioned). The test have to be passed using broadheads on a 3D target, and will have to be renewed every 5 yrs!
The bow used have to output 40 joules with fixed-blade heads or 70 joules with mechanicals and blunts (small game only)!
Getting a license for traditional gear in Denmark is very unusual and only for the most persistent…..also something to be proud of I think:-)
Sorry for side tracking an otherwise excellent tread.
Cheers
Edit: The test can be taken twice a year, on set dates…a succesfull test will have to be renewed every 5 yrs!
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no dont appologize I think that I am not alone with this curiosity of other countries laws on bowhunting, especially because it could be a way for us here in that states to see what could happened!
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8)I Would Say: No More than 15 Yards, and be Confident I Would Get A Humane and Fast Kill Shot. Some Days About 15 FEET If I Could Call That Wiley Tom IN That Close!!:roll:
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