Elk shot distances archery

[Coveyleader]

So I was looking at the Slider vs Fixed pin sight thread and it got me thinking about ranges I've killed elk at. Only one out of the 20ish elk I've killed has been over 30 yds, and it was at 33 (far for me). All the rest have been at 20ish or less. Then I started to think about all the elk I could have shot at say +40 yds, and the answer is not many. I can't say any bull sticks out in my mind over the years that I'm thinking "man, I wish I could have shot further" as it seems they're always close or too far. Maybe it's the way I hunt, and always looking for the close shot, but I just don't get many shot opportunities at longer distances.

Anyone else in the same boat?

 

[cnelk]

Bowsite stats show the average for all elk the shot distance is 30yds.

Mine is 26yds

 

[NMbackcountry]

I'd say my average is under 30 as well. I've shot two passed that but the vast majority are within 30 yards.

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[eltaco]

My average is around 40yds. I’ve shot elk with a bow everywhere between 12yds - 72yds.

Most of the time, opportunities in the timber are very tight quarters, but I’ve had a couple of opportunities across clearings that were too good to pass up.

 

[AGPank]

First bull o shot was around 40. I had no business taking that shot. I didn’t know any better I had just starred shooting a bow an had no guidance. Most encounters I’ve had were 20-30 yards.

My quick yardage estimates (without rangefinder) diminishes beyond 30. If I’m set-up I try and have all lanes ranged. I missed this year when a bull snuck in behind me I guessed 40, he was 33. I missed one years ago guessing he was 50, he was much further.


My challenges have been:
- time to range a bull on quick encounter
- bull coming where he wasn’t expected
- obstructed shots

This year I didn’t get as much practice in and wasn’t comfortable beyond 40. I had a couple bull come in and hold up at 50, wrong setup. It would have been tough to shoot just because of vegetation half way up the body too.


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[wapitibob]

Haven't needed to shoot a Bull over 35 yards in almost 50 years of hunting them.

 

[Ridge Ghost]

My average yardage is 29, with the shortest being 20 and the longest being 40. A lot of it has to do with the terrain you are hunting. In more open timber you will get shot opportunities at longer distances. In thick country the elk might be pretty close before they actually give you a shot.

 

[Morrid7]

I too have shot most of my elk within 25 yards. I did switch to a slider, however, a few years ago mainly so that I could practice consistently at very long distances (makes those shorter shots so easy). That’s the benefit of a slider to me. Prior to the slider I’d have to holdover with my 50 yard pin when I was practicing at 75 yards, making consistency difficult to achieve. Just my 2 cents.


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[Morrid7]

I too have shot most of my elk within 25 yards. I did switch to a slider, however, a few years ago mainly so that I could practice consistently at very long distances (makes those shorter shots so easy). That’s the benefit of a slider to me. Prior to the slider I’d have to holdover with my 50 yard pin when I was practicing at 75 yards, making consistency difficult to achieve. Just my 2 cents.


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[Grant K]

my shots on elk are pretty much in two categories:
1. (the majority) under 20, no time to range, top pin, closest was 3 yards, I think 6 or 7 under 10 yards
2. right at 50, plenty of time to range, set up like I am on the range and execute...

I don't think I have shot a single elk at 30-45

 

[5MilesBack]

My first year bowhunting I got my bow the end of May, and then shot a bull at 71 yards in September and didn't even give it a second thought. There he was, wide open shot, it was an easy shot, and I took it. In fact, that was probably one of the easiest if not easiest no pressure shots I've taken. Didn't know any better at the time that we were supposed to be inside some arbitrary distance to shoot them.

But since then the longest shot I've taken was 59 yards, and my average is right around 48 yards with the closest being at 17 (which just so happens to be the worst shot I've ever taken at an animal because he was too close........I couldn't see enough of him to know for sure where I was aiming, and hit him square in the knuckle). I'm not a hunter that sits and waits for the elk to come to me, I always go to them......usually on the run. So when they appear or when I find them........there they are. And many times they're in that 50 yard range. Many other times I can't see past 10 yards in the timber or dog hair aspen. It is what it is. I get a good shot opportunity, I take it. I'm a much better shooter than I am a stalker.......especially within those distances.

 

[Dr. Rx]

Great topic..
So given all of this great info, would you make your top pin 30 yards?

Kris

 

[Coveyleader]

That’s not a bad idea. My bow is so old that I’ve often thought of using a 30yd pin as a just point and shoot setup.

It’s easy to misjudge elk, so that’s why I like 20 and in, no guessing.

 

[Kgentry]

Great topic..
So given all of this great info, would you make your top pin 30 yards?

Kris

I will admit I haven’t been fortunate enough to kill an elk yet with my bow but I do shoot my bow a lot and have used a 30yrd pin as my first pin for the last couple bows I have owned simply because I found that having a 20yrd pin and a 30yrd pin the two pins were almost on top of one another. So I just start my sight with a 30yrd pin. I now have a 3pin slider and I have been happy with that set up because I hunt a lot of open country.

 

[Beendare]

I've shot 22 elk with a bow...most shots right around 25-35 yds. This last season I must have passed 20 shot opportunities at 50-60 yds. Now, I had my recurve- grin.

I have taken 2 shots at long range on elk when I was young and dumb- ...lost a 70 yd'er and pinwheeled an 80 yd'er.

The line about;" long shots are OK if you are a good enough shooter "is a bunch of bullshit, IMO. I've hunted with ASA pros. These are guys that can drill a 50 cent piece at 40 yds just about every time....they miss on game too.....especially at long range.

I've called probably 35-40 elk in to buddies.....and those shots are about the same distance as mine above though we have had a couple longer ones. One I recall clearly, 2 ASA pro shooters and 2 of their buddies; the bull came in to 15 yds with 4 shooters- all behind trees. Boogered. The bull dashed across a steep avalanche shute and I stopped him at 55 yds Broadside- 2 shooters hit him 4" apart.....the bull took a couple steps on the shot. ........drilled in the back ham...Lucky, Femoral artery, down in 30 yds.

I have a couple buddies that take very long shots on open country elk 80-120 yds...their success rate is very low...they don't talk much about wounding rates....and I don't ask.



The one year back in the 90's, I hunted with the IBO world champ from the year before....and he missed a bull at 25 yds coming down the same trail they were on. We heard that their buddy, the dark kinky haired pro that shot for Mathews [can't think of his name now] also missed an elk that same year.

My guide buddy has a bunch of stories on top shooters- rifle and bow- that have stretched their effective distance and lost animals. Talk to Greg Kroh- guide extraordinaire, one of the best in the business- on some of the big name pros he has guided taking long shots and losing a bunch of big mules.

...

....

 

[Ross]

My country is thick so you seldom get a Clear shot over 30 let alone 40 plus.....
last few bulls....
4.5 yds
14 yds
14 yds
12 yds
12 yds
the one I called in for a buddy two yrs ago 14 yds...thus the reason I set one pin at 20 yds these days

 

[WAKAN]

Have shot 2 under 10 yards (4 yards broadside, 7 yards frontal), and all the rest have been between 40 and 50

 

[Dos Perros]

All the elk I've had pins on fur with intention of shooting:

13
43
34
22
~30
34
8

avg = 26 yards

 

[805Bowhunter]

I like having a fixed pin w/ slider for several reasons. I have not had to use it for elk as all my elk have come less than 50 with most, like others have said, in that 20-30 range. I really like to have the slider for hunting other game however. i live in CA and hunt blacktail in July and it is very rare to get a shot under 50 yards with 70+ yard shots common. I also like to practice consistently out to 100 and want to have accurate groups without having to hold over/stack pins. I do practice that skill for hunting but also just like to dial my sight out. I use https://truball.com/collections/sin...s/products/accutouch-carbon-pro-with-accustat and have been incredibly happy with it.

I do like to have a 20 pin for sure as for my setup, the difference between 20/30 is noticeable and with elk, opportunities under 20 are common in most of the country I hunt. I know a guy who is pretty successful in using his top pin for 30, but he practices a TON at 10-25 yards and knows exactly where to hold. It is not as easy as some may think, especially if you are shooting a heavier arrow setup. I shoot a 510gr arrow right below 280fps (70lbs/29'' draw) and it is quiet but also has some drop to it. Wouldnt trade the penetration however for anything. Just my two cents on what I have found works best for me.

 

[nphunter]

Depends on terrain, closest shot on a bull was 14 yards, I had one I killed stare at me from 10ft for a couple minutes before circling and giving me a shot at 24. Most of the places we get well under 20 and can never get a clear shot due to all of the thick cover, these are the areas we've come to hunt over the years because they are always the most fun to get in bugling matches with bulls in them even though most end up with blown opportunities and about getting ran over by elk.

I've also not been able to close the distance on a lot of elk and missed a lot of opportunities in the past not being confident past 40. I passed up a 360+ bull that stood there just under 60 yards and wouldn't come through an open patch and leave his cows. I have since started shooting year-round, doing 3D shoots and have become very proficient in archery. I found a nice 6 point bull this year out in the sagebrush and was able to get within 100 yards of him, he was raking some brush in a rock patch and his cows were above him, I was able to slowly crawl and walk in the wide-open toward him as he raked. The tallest thing between us was well under knee-deep. I was able to get into 60 yards in a nice level spot before his cows started getting nervous, I knew from practice that I could easily make a good shot at that range, I took the shot and spent the rest of the day packing out meat.

Some country that holds a lot of elk has very little to no cover, these elk tend not to be near as fun to hunt for me because they won't come charging into a bugle. I have found however that they are way less spoked by people than normal elk. The cows this year literally watched me walk right up and kill that bull, they were probably wondering what in the heck I was walking around down in there with them, I don't think they see very many people in that country.

I have lost a couple of elk since starting bow hunting they were on shots 20 yards and under, one was right square in the shoulder and I have trail cam pictures of that bull three years later. I also shot a bull at about 8 yards right above the backbone through his backstrap above the ribs. He didn't bleed a drop and ran off with my arrow sticking out both sides. I feel way more confident at a little longer shots where the elk are feeding or raking in plain view than when they are running at you screaming through thick timber and you have to make a quick shot.

Along with the elk being way more wound up when they are screaming right at us we also are way more wound up during those times, so you're taking a quick shot while you super excited on an elk that is also super excited and running around. I would guess the number of elk that are wounded under 30 yards far exceed the number wounded past 30, that, of course, is speculation on my part but I just feel when people get that close, especially on an animal as big as an elk they feel it is a chip shot and rush their shots. My hunting partner missed a screaming bull at under 10 yards a few years ago, every time we hunt that area we talk about it, he has killed well over a dozen branch bulls with his bow too.