Long range shooting

[gamechanger1]

I'm doing a bear hunt in a few weeks with my bow, and it's my first time slinging an arrow at one. What's the max distance anyone has seen someone stick a bear from? what's the max lethal range? With my setup right now I can shoot 12 inch groups at 140 yards. Anyone have experience spot and stalking blacks with a bow, and harvesting one?

 

[MattB]

Of the black bears I have shot, the farthest was 38 yards. The others were 8, 16, and 25. I've got inside of 20 on a few others as well. They are relatively easy to stalk, no reason to stretch the distance.

 

[PathFinder]

I think bears are fairly easy to stalk once you have the wind nailed down. I'm like you though, 90% of my shooting is done over eighty yards on the practice range. I'm not sure about the momentum of the arrow at that range, but my buddy and I are going to be doing some kind of terminal testing at longer ranges soon to find out. My feelings on the matter are 1. Get as close as possible 2. Max range is wherever you feel 100% confident, not where Joe Blow ethics police officer says is ethical.

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[BSeals71]

12 inch groups at 140 yards is very good. I'm going to guess 75% of your shots are going to be less than 50 yards.

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

A feeding bear is a very simple stalk! But very fun! Shoot em close.


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[HJ Handy]

I wouldn't recommend shooting a bear past 40 yards, albeit it can be done, it's just not an animal I would do that with, with a bow.

 

[Bowhuntr64]

Bears have an extremely tough shoulder, so you want to stay away from that for sure...and that's not so easy with thick hair and long distances.

 

[elkyinzer]

Are you really considering shooting an animal that far? Curious as to what your bowhunting experience. education, and mentors are.

You're grouping broadheads or fieldpoints like that at 140? Is that every single time or your best group ever at that range? Are you bragging or seriously asking? Ever do it in varying wind conditions? In hunting gear? Ever experienced the nerves of shooting at a live animal? If you are shooting an insanely fast bow it still takes nearly a second for an arrow to travel 100 yards. An animal can easily shift a couple feet in a second, and any animal calm enough to shoot that far is calm enough to put a stalk on. Wounded animals are a different story, fling away on them and that is one of the reasons I practice farther than my ethical limit.

If you poke a hole in the lungs you're probably going to kill them but the number of ifs that come into play is directly related to the distance. I try to avoid judging what another guy can and can't do or his motivations but my personal limit is 60 yards and the challenge to me is to get much closer than that. I just don't understand the appeal of long range hunting with a gun or bow, but that's a separate debate. I just hope if you are a new archer that you think this out a bit more before you drop the string on an animal that far. I much prefer 20-30 yards. I've shot somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 big game animals so far with a bow and one was farther than 30 yards.

 

[Pramo]

I practice at 50-100 yards 80% of the time and my idea of range is a 4-5 inch group whatever distance that may be for someone. To me 12 inches is not a group

Lots can happen while the arrow is in the air, do what you feel is ethical to the animal based on your skill. I've killed 75+ big game animals with my bow and the longest shot was just over 60 yards but only one bear in Colorado at 11 yards.

 

[Blackcow]

I'm a firm believer that everyone practice as far as they can, and then it's up to that individual to set their own personal max effective range in the field. Having said that, I know I'd rather shoot a bear at 20 yards and follow it up at 100 if needed or possible, then to take the 1st shot at 100 and then crawl through thick brush to follow up at 5 yards

 

[d90rick]

You will be fine. Good luck!

 

[Jon Boy]

Bears are not an animal that I would be shooting at at longer distances. Not because I'm afraid of tracking one. They don't bleed a ton, have a ridicolously thick shoulder blade, and you need relatively perfect shot placement to kill one with a bow. Your just not going to get away with a shot that's a touch back or high or etc like you can with a deer. Having said that you hit one right and there dead in 50 yards. There a relatively easy animal to stalk so there is no reason not to get inside 50 yards.

 

[Jaker_cc]

Take your shot where you feel comfortable, but own the outcome no matter what. There will always be the ethics police, but as long as you feel comfortable and own it the only person you have to please is you.

 

[Downwind]

Bears are not hard to stalk if you stay downwind of them. They don't have good eyesight so it a lot easier to get within easy bow range of them compared to other animals. The reason I would stay away from longer shots on bears is because it can be harder to pick your spot. What I mean by that is a black bear can look like a blob of black when you are looking at it through your sight and it can be hard figure out where you need to put that arrow. Bears drop easy...unless you hit that front leg and if you hit that you've just got an injured pissed off bear. I use bears as practice for stalking everything else.