Lets talk effective range...

[5MilesBack]

Interesting thread that's a little old.......but I had an interesting thing happen this year. I almost always hunt alone so sometimes you don't get the luxury of having elk blow right up to you for a shot. Well, this year I ran in on a bull and as luck would have it.......he was already coming to me. When I realized this and stopped, he continued his way to me until he stopped at 17 yards to destroy a tree. This was the biggest bull I've had within an archery shot range. It took him about a minute to work into a shootable position while I also tried to jockey for a shot opening while he was raking. He finally turned mostly broadside and I came to full draw. I saw something that I've never seen before........my entire sight ring filled with tan fur. It was raining and all I could think about was "put him down quick......hug the shoulder tight". So I tried to find the crease in my sight picture, but really couldn't make out a perfect crease.......and released. Everything felt good and I expected to watch him fall over after he ran about 40 yards. I was looking at his opposite side now and wondered why I saw no blood or exit hole. He took off and I expected to hear him fall......nope. Long story short.......must have shot him in the shoulder because I later found my arrow about 150 yards into his trail and only got about 1-2" penetration looking at the arrow. No blood on the ground at all.

Bottom line.......I have no doubts whatsoever that he could have been even at 70 yards, and I would have made a kill shot because I would have had better awareness of where my pin was on his body. Every one of my elk shots before this year has been at 45+. I shoot out to 130 yards frequently for practice, and many times my groups are tighter at 60 than 20.

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

and many times my groups are tighter at 60 than 20.

I don't know why it is but this is true for me too.

 

[Xtorminator]

I shoot out to 130 yards frequently for practice, and many times my groups are tighter at 60 than 20.

I think a lot of people shooting at long range forget to practice at the closer ranges and develop false confidence in their shooting skills.

 

[Nick Muche]

If your groups are tighter at 60 yards than 20, you should probably practice at 20 a bit more... Focus...

Do you shoot with both eyes open or do you close one eye? Likely could be the reason you couldn't figure out where to put the pin at 17 yards...

 

[5MilesBack]

Do you shoot with both eyes open or do you close one eye? Likely could be the reason you couldn't figure out where to put the pin at 17 yards...

Ya, I can't shoot with both eyes open.......I've tried many, many times to force that......but I always see two sets of pins and two targets, and am never comfortable with that. The thing with practicing at 20 is........one, it's boring as heck. And two, for hunting purposes I don't really need to hit a dime every time at 20 yards. Next time if I can't make out where I'm aiming that close, I'll just let him walk.........until he's in my comfort range.

I will admit.......I rarely if ever practice 20 yards.......except at some 3D shoots. Kind of like the last bull I killed with a rifle. Practiced all summer at long range, then shot him at 25 yards. And with him in the crosshairs, I'm running it through my head where that's going to hit at 25 yards......and wondering.

 

[Xtorminator]

Ya, I can't shoot with both eyes open.......I've tried many, many times to force that......but I always see two sets of pins and two targets, and am never comfortable with that. The thing with practicing at 20 is........one, it's boring as heck. And two, for hunting purposes I don't really need to hit a dime every time at 20 yards. Next time if I can't make out where I'm aiming that close, I'll just let him walk.........until he's in my comfort range.

I will admit.......I rarely if ever practice 20 yards.......except at some 3D shoots. Kind of like the last bull I killed with a rifle. Practiced all summer at long range, then shot him at 25 yards. And with him in the crosshairs, I'm running it through my head where that's going to hit at 25 yards......and wondering.

I don't mean to harp on your comments. They just seem to be the ones that I see over and over again when it comes to shooting accuracy. We don't need to be able to hit a dime at 20 yrds every time we shoot. We should practice like we do though. Again I'm not trying to point you out but trying to bring up some things for people to think about.

 

[5MilesBack]

I don't mean to harp on your comments. They just seem to be the ones that I see over and over again when it comes to shooting accuracy. We don't need to be able to hit a dime at 20 yrds every time we shoot. We should practice like we do though. Again I'm not trying to point you out but trying to bring up some things for people to think about.

Ya, I know.......and we should practice any and all possible scenarios from standing and sitting to kneeling to angling.......up hill, down hill, sidehill.....etc, etc. And trust me.......I do all that. I just had never had an opportunity that close before, or expected one quite frankly. But on the other hand, I've practiced 4 yard shots. Practice wouldn't have helped.......I generally hit where I aim, I just need practice seeing what I'm aiming at. I should have opened my other eye just to make sure where I was, and then corrected it and closed my other eye and shot.

 

[Nick Muche]

Ya, I know.......and we should practice any and all possible scenarios from standing and sitting to kneeling to angling.......up hill, down hill, sidehill.....etc, etc. And trust me.......I do all that. I just had never had an opportunity that close before, or expected one quite frankly. But on the other hand, I've practiced 4 yard shots. Practice wouldn't have helped.......I generally hit where I aim, I just need practice seeing what I'm aiming at. I should have opened my other eye just to make sure where I was, and then corrected it and closed my other eye and shot.

You have never had an opportunitiy that close before? How long have you been bowhunting? A 17 yard shot is what ALL (I'd think anyhow) bowhunters live for... I can't think of a better situation, though I'd bet most would say "16 would be better"

Why is practicing at 20 yards boring? I know very few, in fact I know ZERO successful bowhunters who plan for a 40-50 yard shot and are not prepared to make a 20 yard or less shot.

 

[Buster]

Sometimes emotions can mess with a shot, regardless of distance. I guided a guy that got so pumped up on a stalk in tight on a big mule buck, that he clean missed the broadside, unaware buck at 7 yards! He said he realized after that he didn't even think he aimed. Opened my eyes a bit to point blank shooting.

The topper was my brother-in-law missing a buck completely at less than 5 yards. Mistake 1, he got too close. Mistake 2, he panicked when he realized he was too close and rushed. Mistake 3 was mine. I put him on a 180+ typ mulie on one of his first ever stalks (buck fever was an understatement). He too said that he simply pointed, and never actually aimed.

 

[Rolo]

Meh...I spend very little time practicing at 20 yards with my hunting rigs. Getting my 25 set is about the most I spend at this range. Bulk of practice starts at 40 and then goes back from there. What additional practice that happens is on the field range at close distances.

 

[5MilesBack]

You have never had an opportunitiy that close before? How long have you been bowhunting? A 17 yard shot is what ALL (I'd think anyhow) bowhunters live for... I can't think of a better situation, though I'd bet most would say "16 would be better"

Why is practicing at 20 yards boring? I know very few, in fact I know ZERO successful bowhunters who plan for a 40-50 yard shot and are not prepared to make a 20 yard or less shot.

If you're hunting elk solo, you had better "plan" for those 40-50 yard shots. I don't know any elk that start out at 17 yards........but they certainly have to pass through all those other yardages to get to 17. Lots of shot opportunities prior to them getting that close.........IF they even were to get that close. Which rarely happens for me.

And yes........shooting 20 is BORING........when you can shoot 60 or 80 or ..........

You got to figure.........if you can make 80 yard shots, then 20 shouldn't even be a question.......as long as you know where you're aiming.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

If you're hunting elk solo, you had better "plan" for those 40-50 yard shots. I don't know any elk that start out at 17 yards........but they certainly have to pass through all those other yardages to get to 17. Lots of shot opportunities prior to them getting that close.........IF they even were to get that close. Which rarely happens for me.

And yes........shooting 20 is BORING........when you can shoot 60 or 80 or ..........

You got to figure.........if you can make 80 yard shots, then 20 shouldn't even be a question.......as long as you know where you're aiming.

I agree. When I am shooting 1 1/2" groups at 60 or more, I am splitting arrows at 20. The only reason I practice at 20 is to keep used to field judging distance without a range finder.

 

[Evan Williams]

ALWAYS A GREAT and yet TOUCHY topic. About a year ago Robby had asked me to post a little bit about my signature:

"The greatest hunter is the one who knows his own limitations."

Its something I came up with a few years back and how I focus my training, goal setting, and other various aspects of my life. ESPECIALLY when it comes to my "effective range". With the amount of time I put into my set-up and shooting I believe that my effective range is father than most people would think is ethical in fact SOME of you may know how far one of my animals was taken this year and I will say that I have shot longer practicing.

I personally believe that extending ones practice and really testing yourself and getting you know your equipment is what will make you a better archer, a better and more confident hunter AND extend your range.

As for getting back on topic...I will say this for myself...my AVERAGE shot on Mule Deer is 55 yds, antelope 40, whitetail 26.6.

 

[Bonedalien]

im comfortable shooting out to60 yards. last season i had to run to beat a small group of cows to a pass above treeline. well I did but had no time to range and it was open tundra. i stopped em with a cow call. I realy thought she was at 60 so that was the shot i took,knowing if she was farther it would be a clean miss.and it was. standing in her tracks ranging back,she was at 70. Im realy glad I stuck to my self imposed max range.

 

[a3dhunter]

If your groups are tighter at 60 yards than 20, you should probably practice at 20 a bit more... Focus.....

This....

I also feel that if you think your effective range is over 100 yards then you should pick up a recurve or longbow and shoot that for hunting to get back into the "spirit" of the hunt.
You know who you are!

 

[boom]

my favorite distance seems to be 60..sometimes my groups are frighteningly good.

recently, i've taken to shooting regularly at 80 yards. so much fun...not so fun walking back and forth retrieving arrows. two weeks before my AZ hunt..i was hitting the vitals on a deer target with three arrow groups. it was confidence building for sure.

 

[Jared Bloomgren]

How does it go again....oh yeah.

The best archer is the one who knows his own limitations.

 

[brunse]

I passed an opportunity at a nice bull at 65 yards this year. One at 60 last year and the year before. Any would have been my best bull. I practice out to 65, but when the time comes... I haven't turned it loose. I usually get other opportunities. The ones I have shot have been from 17-40ish yards.

 

[Evan Williams]

I think J-Rods been reading my signature ;-)

 

[Evan Williams]

Jason!! I have one!! Picked one up from a buddy for turkey this spring!!!