Have you wounded, missed or lost an elk out past your max range?

[Beendare]

Rifle or Bow?
I'm talking a longer shot past the range that you know you are money- every time.

I have....about 30 years ago, I shot a ranged bull with my bow at 78y in Co OTC. And that was when I could really shoot.
There was a little bit of wind I didn't account for at that distance and I caught the bull dead in the front leg. Almost no penetration and the bull went hobbling off....I literally watched him for over 1/2 mile.

 

[Deadspace]

I’ve never lost one that I shot past my max range. However, I have lost three well within my comfort zone. I’m talking within 20 yards with my bow.

 

[Wheels]

I missed a bull that was in the 400" range with 40 cows back in the '80's when the only rangefinders were the type that you have a sloped curve and put the body of the animal inside the curve to guesstimate the range. It was wrong by about 5 yards and I shot under him. I was reliable to 50yds then and he ended up being 55yds, with fat slow arrows at that time they literally fell out of the sky at longer ranges.

 

[Marble]

I’ve never lost one that I shot past my max range. However, I have lost three well within my comfort zone. I’m talking within 20 yards with my bow.

With the wounded bulls, were there any learned lessons from those?

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[Deadspace]

With the wounded bulls, were there any learned lessons from those?

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Yeah. Suck less. But specifically, stop trying to force it. All three shots were too far forward. I’m a bit more patient now.

 

[dirtshooter]

Yup

When I was just getting into bow hunting I puller into one of our pieces of land, 2 quarters, and stopped when I saw a bunch of blonde along the west fence. Too big to be deer I pulled out my binos and holy crap elk! I literally took off running and the wind was blowing in my face. The coulee willows covered me and when I got to the herd the bull was 59 yards away and if I had went right instead of left I'd have gotten to about 40 but going left I got pinned down by 2 cows so I let a hail marry shot fly and shot under the bull.

2 things. Practice for longer, and since it was going to be my first elk I was all "gotta get the bull" I was greedy when I should have tried to shoot a cow.