Any Traditional Archer?

[Ryan28]

Anyone here shoot or hunt with a longbow or recurve?
If so what do you hunt and at what distance? I'm curious about the long range hunting ability of traditional equipment as it's somewhat harder to master long range shooting than with a compound set up with sights.

 

[oldgoat]

Depends entirely on how good of shot you are and the animals demeanor at the time! You know, kind of like with shooting a compound! All my kills and there aren't that many of them have been under 20 yards. If that's your concern, then trad ain't for you. If you read Hunting With The Bow and Arrow by Saxton Pope, they talk about shooting a grizzly at 80ish yards and getting pass through and discuss the carnage caused by the broadhead. If you can hit an animal in the correct place you can kill it. On a 3d course I regularly make good shots out to 60ish yards but I wouldn't shoot a live animal that far unless it's already wounded. I once with a target bow (no sights) put 5 out of 5 in a moose target at 100 yards, 3 of which were in the kill zone. There's definitely no accuracy advantage to a trad bow, but if you miss they are quiet enough that you might be able to get a second shot off. If you follow Aron Snyder, he's stacking animals at distances a lot of compound shooters I've seen or know shouldn't be shooting. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt, had I not switched, I would have a stack of animals under my belt that were out of my range with trad, but I'm willing to make that sacrifice to enjoy archery as much as I do shooting trad bows! I guess as to your question, for deer I'm comfortable out to about 25yds and elk or moose out too 40yds, some days it's not that far for either if my shooting is off.

 

[Beendare]

I think Old Goat summed it up well.

I sometimes surprise myself on a field round at the longer range targets .....but a stickbow is all about setting up for short shots.

I’ve had numerous shots on wild hogs and Javelina’s where I shot them under 15 yards. One hog at 13 yds one at 7 yds this summer.... then a javelina right at 30 a couple weeks ago.

Shooting animals Stick bow close is more fun to me than shooting long range.

—-

 

[Billy Goat]

Long range hunting and trad just don't go together.

I don't believe that using anyone elses experience hunting transfers well. What someone else did or can do doesn't translate to me.


I'll shoot with guys that are pretty good out to 60 yards with a stick. I have seen a rabbit killed at 65 with an old bear recurve, it was only partly luck. However most everyone I know will hold their shots to 30 and under if not closer for whitetail. These are guys who are quite proficient, been shooting for some time.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Before you try hunting trad you have to ask yourself, how much patience do I really have?

 

[LostArra]

Before you try hunting trad you have to ask yourself, how much patience do I really have?

And how many tag soup recipes do you have?

 

[oldgoat]

And how many tag soup recipes do you have?

Doesn't matter how many you have, they all taste bitter but with a chance of good memories anyway!

 

[Tradchef]

I know for me I keep whitetails at 15 and under. Mule deer and elk 30ish. I was never a long range guy with a compound so nothing really changed on my end except equipment. I shoot both recurve and longbow but I much prefer the longbow.

 

[WellStrung]

Regardless of one proficiency it must always be remembered that shooting at animals is totally different than targets. The last elk I shot at 25-30 yards dropped and spun as fast as a whitetail. Watch some slo-mo hunting shots on various animals. Archery in any form should be a close hunting method. That being said each situation is unique. As Oldgoat said the animal’s behaviour will dictate a lot of the distance decision.