Going From Rifle to Compound

[GunnersMate]

With todays compound archery gear, there isn’t much learning curve. You could be lethal inside of 40 yards within a few weeks tops.

At a paper target. It’s different when you have a bull elk running in. A couple weeks isn’t settling yourself up for success.

 

[GunnersMate]

With todays compound archery gear, there isn’t much learning curve. You could be lethal inside of 40 yards within a few weeks tops.

At a paper target. It’s different when you have a bull elk running in. A couple weeks isn’t settling yourself up for sucess

I'd consider myself to be more of a rifle hunter and haven't bowhunted west of the Mississippi. I'm a first generation hunter and started hunting after crossbows became legal in WI during archery season and have only used a crossbow. I have a desire to be able to bow hunt elk (and a few other species) but one big obstacle is honestly getting and practicing with a compound bow. It's not a $$$ thing, but a time and learning curve concern. I think I'd personally like the spot and stalk with a bow vs calling.

These are my concerns:

How long does it take one to become proficient with a compound?

Meat care hunting solo in September concerns me.

Having success solo spotting and stalking vs a 2 caller setup.

I'm running into all the rifle seasons are on top of each other and I'd love to be able to extend my season.

I would keep your mind open about calling vs spot and stalk. Every unit is different every year. Sometimes they are very receptive and others they are quiet. Check out Remi warrens podcast as he has good tips for solo hunters. Just get the meat off the carcass and hung in the shade. That should give you time to pack out. I packed a CO moose in September with no issues. IMO practice and scouting are critical. I really don’t think a 3d or paper target compares to a solid bull 20 yards away. It’s just a different experience so I would practice as much as you can. Practice outside, practice in the wind. Practice shooting at an angle, on uneven terrain etc. I’m also a first generation hunter if that helps.

 

[Behlftball]

Thanks. I've been listening to Remi. His podcast is so good

 

[roosiebull]

I'd consider myself to be more of a rifle hunter and haven't bowhunted west of the Mississippi. I'm a first generation hunter and started hunting after crossbows became legal in WI during archery season and have only used a crossbow. I have a desire to be able to bow hunt elk (and a few other species) but one big obstacle is honestly getting and practicing with a compound bow. It's not a $$$ thing, but a time and learning curve concern. I think I'd personally like the spot and stalk with a bow vs calling.

These are my concerns:

How long does it take one to become proficient with a compound?

Meat care hunting solo in September concerns me.

Having success solo spotting and stalking vs a 2 caller setup.

I'm running into all the rifle seasons are on top of each other and I'd love to be able to extend my season.

It’s not hard to become proficient with a compound, especially if you buckle down and don’t start with bad habits… there is plenty of time if you get a bow soon.

I also think it’s smart to start out not calling, spend some time listening to elk before getting into calling, but when the time comes, you don’t need to sound like a competitive caller, playing the situation right is far more important, and I think that comes naturally developing your own style when you spend time around real elk interacting.

Getting meat out solo is a task, but not something to stress about too much, just hunt within your physical means… meat is more resilient than many make it out to be… get it hung in a relatively cool area (common sense stuff) and start shuttling meat… if there is a creek down the mountain, maybe make a plan to stage all of the meat there so you can hang it in the cool creek draw, rather than taking one load all the way back to the rig… just think ahead a little… you’ll know what you’re up against when on scene.

 

[BravoNovember]

After I got into archery hunting whitetails, I had less desire to rifle hunt. Taking my first elk hunt this year and have made it a point to go archery vs rifle, just because I like it so much more.

 

[Behlftball]

After I got into archery hunting whitetails, I had less desire to rifle hunt. Taking my first elk hunt this year and have made it a point to go archery vs rifle, just because I like it so much more.

I'm the same way, but I'm not sure if it's just because of the bow. I love the whitetail rut and the peace that bow season brings. Gun season in my area is every single guy sitting every fence line pushing deer behind every shrub and slaughtering all things brown

 

[BravoNovember]

I'm the same way, but I'm not sure if it's just because of the bow. I love the whitetail rut and the peace that bow season brings. Gun season in my area is every single guy sitting every fence line pushing deer behind every shrub and slaughtering all things brown

Same here in Wisconsin. But during archery season season, some one can be 100 yrds away and you wouldn’t necessarily know it and it can still be a peaceful hunting

 

[5MilesBack]

I'm the same way, but I'm not sure if it's just because of the bow. I love the whitetail rut and the peace that bow season brings.

I love the whole experience of September elk hunting. Gorgeous warm sunny days secluded in the mountains......what's not to like. Most of that could be had and enjoyed regardless what the weapon is, but carrying a bow just makes it all so much simpler. If I wasn't a bowhunter, I'd be hunting the ML season (which is right smack in the middle of bow season here in CO). But I'll take an archery tag every single time over a ML or rifle tag. The bow doesn't limit me at all in my success or failure.

 

[fatlander]

While I don’t disagree that shooting a compound accurately isn’t hard, it is in a hunting situation when you’re first starting out. Most guys forget the struggles they had because they’re so long ago. I can pick my compound up any day and be in a pie plate at 60 yards. When I first started, that was a mind boggling distance.

Buck fever is another thing that’s got to be worked through and only gets better with more reps. For a guy that’s bow hunted for years, I see it not a steep learning curve from the archery perspective to go after elk. For a guy that’s never shot a compound bow, to go after elk on your first ever hunt with the bow is a tall order.


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[Squirrel Master]

It won't take long...go to a bow shop and shoot as many bows as you can. One piece of advice I would give you, is pay zero attention to brand names. When you find the bow that feels best and shoots best buy it whether is a $500 bow or a $1500 bow. Then start shooting at 20, when you're grouping good there, move to 30 and so on. It's cool to be able to shoot a long way with a compound but close is still the name of the game in bowhunting. But that long range practice will make those 20 yard shots way easier. I've never shot an elk but I've killed a lot of WT and never shot one past 25.

There is a lot of advantages to bow hunting. Earlier seasons and lots of public ground in several states that is archery only. It will make you a better hunter overall. Good luck!!

 

[DanimalW]

Where in Wisconsin are you from? I think finding a good archery shop will be your best bet. They should be able to offer you a beginners lesson if you’re buying a bow from them.

 

[waspocrew]

Plenty of good advice here already - archery elk hunting is pretty addicting. I tried archery hunting out for the first time in 2019. I bought a bow in Feb and practiced everyday leading up to the season. By that point, I felt pretty confident out to 50 yards. Ended up killing my bull at 37 yards. I enjoy the challenge of archery hunting, as well as hunting the rut. I won't give up rifle hunting, but like that I can extend my seasons by hunting both.

When you do harvest an animal, just be prepared to work quick to break it down and get it hanging to cool.

 

[Behlftball]

Where in Wisconsin are you from? I think finding a good archery shop will be your best bet. They should be able to offer you a beginners lesson if you’re buying a bow from them.

I live about 5 miles east of Johnson Creek

 

[Behlftball]

Plenty of good advice here already - archery elk hunting is pretty addicting. I tried archery hunting out for the first time in 2019. I bought a bow in Feb and practiced everyday leading up to the season. By that point, I felt pretty confident out to 50 yards. Ended up killing my bull at 37 yards. I enjoy the challenge of archery hunting, as well as hunting the rut. I won't give up rifle hunting, but like that I can extend my seasons by hunting both.

When you do harvest an animal, just be prepared to work quick to break it down and get it hanging to cool.

Congrats on your success. Definitely something to be proud of

 

[DanimalW]

I live about 5 miles east of Johnson Creek

Whale tales in Dousman is where I go, and they’re close for you. They have knowledgeable people there to get you set up right, and a 40 yard indoor range to get sights on target before you leave. Good place to get started. They carry other western hunting gear there too, which is nice for things you’d like to try on like boots and packs.

 

[MosquitoCoast]

I'd consider myself to be more of a rifle hunter and haven't bowhunted west of the Mississippi. I'm a first generation hunter and started hunting after crossbows became legal in WI during archery season and have only used a crossbow. I have a desire to be able to bow hunt elk (and a few other species) but one big obstacle is honestly getting and practicing with a compound bow. It's not a $$$ thing, but a time and learning curve concern. I think I'd personally like the spot and stalk with a bow vs calling.

These are my concerns:

How long does it take one to become proficient with a compound?

Meat care hunting solo in September concerns me.

Having success solo spotting and stalking vs a 2 caller setup.

I'm running into all the rifle seasons are on top of each other and I'd love to be able to extend my season.

I'm 49 years old. Life long hunter on the east coast. I've been bow hunting for almost 30 years for whitetail. The last 12 years I've been going out west on various hunting trips for Mule Deer, Elk, Moose, Sheep, you name it. Being proficient with a bow all comes down to the range you choose to be proficient in. I have friends that are absolute killers at 30 yards but they would never consider a shot at 50+ yards. Anyone decent enough with good technique can pick up a bow and practice with it after having not done so for awhile and be proficient at 30 yard range.

BUT, if you want to be proficient in killing western game where its a lot more open, you need to be VERY proficient with a bow because most of the time, you're going to be faced with 50+ yard shots. I regularly practice shooting out to 75-100 yards. Luckily where I live, I can achieve this range on my property. However, my usual practice is at 40-50 yards because that's the range that build's confidence which is so important.

So back to your question. You should be able to have a shooting distance proficient at 30 yards where you are grouping arrows inside the diameter of a coke can within a couple of weeks max once your bow is sighted in which is going to take some time in itself adjusting the site until you know its dead on nuts for you. At 30 yards, a small inconsistency in shooting your bow could cost you 2-3 inches. That same inconsistency could be 10-12 inches at 50+ yards. At 100 yards its 2-3 feet. You get my point.

I would love to tell you I practice year round. But I don't. On average, I'd say between February and March I don't even pick up my bow. Come April, I'm usually shaking some rust off. By summer, I'm practicing at least 3-4 times a week taking at least 20 shots a day. there are days where I will take over 100 shots on target, but there's plenty of rest in between because sometimes tiring yourself out pulling 70 lbs back has a negative effect. I rather practice in short spurts and work on form and have productive shooting. Shooting too much can lead to some bad habits because your arms get tired just like anything else. As a comparison, if I was just bow hunting for a range of 30 yards, I wouldn't need as much practice. My friends who are the 30 yard killers, well they may practice 1/10th of the amount of time I do. I have killed two great mule deer out west. The first was 65 yards and the other at 60 yards. I killed my moose at 40 yards. Went sheep hunting last year and never got a shot opportunity of any kind on a legal sheep. Elk hunting you can call them in during bow season, so you don't need necessarily a range above 50+ yards, but it sure as shit helps.

One more thing. Accessorizing a bow to shoot 30 yards is VERY different than accessorizing a bow to shoot 60+. Any single limb speed bow with minimal equipment etc can get the job done at 30 yards. When you start increasing your distance, all of the sudden stability becomes really really important. Heavier and longer bows are usually better for longer ranges than lighter shorter bows. Split limb bows are usually better than single limb bows for long ranges. To get your range out to beyond 50-60 yards, you could end up going through several different set ups as far as sights, stabilizers, quivers, rests, etc. etc. You have to have great equipment to shoot at long range and you usually aren't going to have that equipment on your first purchase. There's going to be a lot of trial and error trying different things or improving things.

If you've ever taken game with a rifle, you know that feeling of accomplishment. Once you do it with a bow, it's really hard to go back. As long as you accept that your percentages are going way down whether you like it or not and you're ok with it, then bow up!

 

[Behlftball]

Whale tales in Dousman is where I go, and they’re close for you. They have knowledgeable people there to get you set up right, and a 40 yard indoor range to get sights on target before you leave. Good place to get started. They carry other western hunting gear there too, which is nice for things you’d like to try on like boots and packs.

I'll check them out. I've actually been in there before

 

[Behlftball]

I'm 49 years old. Life long hunter on the east coast. I've been bow hunting for almost 30 years for whitetail. The last 12 years I've been going out west on various hunting trips for Mule Deer, Elk, Moose, Sheep, you name it. Being proficient with a bow all comes down to the range you choose to be proficient in. I have friends that are absolute killers at 30 yards but they would never consider a shot at 50+ yards. Anyone decent enough with good technique can pick up a bow and practice with it after having not done so for awhile and be proficient at 30 yard range.

BUT, if you want to be proficient in killing western game where its a lot more open, you need to be VERY proficient with a bow because most of the time, you're going to be faced with 50+ yard shots. I regularly practice shooting out to 75-100 yards. Luckily where I live, I can achieve this range on my property. However, my usual practice is at 40-50 yards because that's the range that build's confidence which is so important.

So back to your question. You should be able to have a shooting distance proficient at 30 yards where you are grouping arrows inside the diameter of a coke can within a couple of weeks max once your bow is sighted in which is going to take some time in itself adjusting the site until you know its dead on nuts for you. At 30 yards, a small inconsistency in shooting your bow could cost you 2-3 inches. That same inconsistency could be 10-12 inches at 50+ yards. At 100 yards its 2-3 feet. You get my point.

I would love to tell you I practice year round. But I don't. On average, I'd say between February and March I don't even pick up my bow. Come April, I'm usually shaking some rust off. By summer, I'm practicing at least 3-4 times a week taking at least 20 shots a day. there are days where I will take over 100 shots on target, but there's plenty of rest in between because sometimes tiring yourself out pulling 70 lbs back has a negative effect. I rather practice in short spurts and work on form and have productive shooting. Shooting too much can lead to some bad habits because your arms get tired just like anything else. As a comparison, if I was just bow hunting for a range of 30 yards, I wouldn't need as much practice. My friends who are the 30 yard killers, well they may practice 1/10th of the amount of time I do. I have killed two great mule deer out west. The first was 65 yards and the other at 60 yards. I killed my moose at 40 yards. Went sheep hunting last year and never got a shot opportunity of any kind on a legal sheep. Elk hunting you can call them in during bow season, so you don't need necessarily a range above 50+ yards, but it sure as shit helps.

One more thing. Accessorizing a bow to shoot 30 yards is VERY different than accessorizing a bow to shoot 60+. Any single limb speed bow with minimal equipment etc can get the job done at 30 yards. When you start increasing your distance, all of the sudden stability becomes really really important. Heavier and longer bows are usually better for longer ranges than lighter shorter bows. Split limb bows are usually better than single limb bows for long ranges. To get your range out to beyond 50-60 yards, you could end up going through several different set ups as far as sights, stabilizers, quivers, rests, etc. etc. You have to have great equipment to shoot at long range and you usually aren't going to have that equipment on your first purchase. There's going to be a lot of trial and error trying different things or improving things.

If you've ever taken game with a rifle, you know that feeling of accomplishment. Once you do it with a bow, it's really hard to go back. As long as you accept that your percentages are going way down whether you like it or not and you're ok with it, then bow up!

Thank you for the advice!

 

[trophyhill]

Archery hunting is quite the addiction. Be ready to bury those rifles in the safe.

Like other have said, the learning curve is not that difficult. You’ll learn with the more arrows you shoot where your anchor points are and tweaks to your form to shoot best.


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I sold my rifle when i started bowhunting. Stupid. I have since bought another because i realized i love hunting no matter the weapon. Although i do primarily bowhunt. The rifle expands opportunity.

 

[Rich M]

The way you get good and stay good with a bow is to shoot it all the time. At least 4 or 5 days a week you need to shoot it. Maybe 20 arrows a day. Dont have to go crazy, just stay in the groove.